Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember the dean of this House, Congressman Don Young, and to remember him from a perspective of far-reaching diversity and love of the institution. I offer my deepest sympathy to his wife, his family, his extended family, and all of the people of Alaska and all of the people of the Nation. Everyone who has offered a word of salute to Congressman Young emphasizes his 49 years, but most of all, his love of getting the job done--getting something done. And, of course, when I was having the privilege of being in the Chair, Mr. Speaker, I could always be reminded of that voice ``regular order.'' And often you wanted to just do what Don Young said: Regular order. Gavel it down. But, again, he did so because of a respect for this institution. I thank him for all of the introductions to Alaska that he made and, really, all of the work for the Alaskan people. No matter who they were, where they lived, in far reaches or inner cities, Don Young represented the State so ably. I am grateful to have spent just a small amount of time--two decades--with Don Young in the House. And he will be remembered, and we will be reminded of what love of the institution truly means; unselfish commitment, and the commitment to work and get the job done. Mr. Speaker, I salute the late Congressman Don Young. I thank him for teaching us how to get the job done.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and the Budget, it is my pleasure to join Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher and the Pro-Choice Caucus for this Special Order with my colleagues, to commemorate the women who have been prominent figures in achieving reproductive rights. One of my greatest joys as a member of Congress is the opportunity to work on behalf of women to ensure that every voice is heard when discussing equality and women's rights. I was inspired by many of the women who led the movement for women's equality and reproductive rights. When I was a young woman, their passion and purpose were instilled within me, and their indomitable spirit continues to light the way. Before I share a few thoughts about two of the women who led the movement and were role models for me, I must emphasize how vital their lessons and their work continue to be. This is a critical time to discuss women's reproductive rights because they are under attack in many states. Women in my home state of Texas have been stripped of their reproductive rights due to the revolting abortion ban that was enacted last September. Restrictions on abortion disproportionately harm low-income women and women of color. Low-income individuals and people of color face a range of worse health outcomes than higher income individuals and white people. These worse outcomes are the result of higher barriers to accessing quality health care, higher rates of stress, poorer living and working conditions, and, for people of color, racial discrimination. People of color and low-income individuals experience the highest rates of unintended pregnancy, partially because of barriers to accessing quality family planning services and contraception, lack of insurance coverage, and, for racial minorities, discrimination in health care. Because of this, low-income people and people of color have higher rates of abortion, as abortion rates mirror rates of unintended pregnancy. But the erosion of our rights in Texas and elsewhere makes clear how important the movement was in the 1970s. We owe a great debt to the women who paved the way for the reproductive rights that many women in this country enjoy today. Shirley Anita Chisholm was a trailblazer throughout her career. In 1968, Shirley Chisholm ran for Congress in New York's 12th district. With her victory, she became the first African American woman ever elected to the United States House of Representatives. Congresswoman Chisholm was a pioneer in the fight for reproductive rights. In a one-minute speech to the House, Congresswoman Chisholm explained that ``by forcing a young girl to have an unwanted child, we are assigning her to society's trash heap. She will be cut off from avenues of opportunity.'' In her 1970 book Unbought and Unbossed, Chisholm argued that ``access to legal abortion was an issue of economic and racial injustice, as poor African-American and Hispanic women were the most likely to be victims of unsafe ``back alley'' abortions while wealthy white women were much more likely to receive abortions from licensed doctors, even when the procedure was still illegal.'' Her efforts and advocacy led her to be named the honorary co- president of the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws in 1969. Chisholm also co-founded the National Organization for Women, an organization that I hold dear to my heart. I believe all women must be recognized for their achievements, but today I would like to pay special tribute to the strength and resilience of my hero and mentor, Barbara Jordan. She was resolute and fearless in her pursuit of justice and equality. Barbara Jordan was a prominent public figure, civil rights advocate, woman's rights advocate, and leading presence in Democratic Party politics for four decades. Barbara Jordan was a ground-breaking ``national icon'': the first African American woman elected to the Texas Senate (1966); the first woman to represent Texas in the U.S. Congress (1972); and the first African American woman to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention (1976). I was very fortunate to have known Congresswoman Jordan, and I had the honor and pleasure of thanking her for laying a path for me to follow when I decided to seek a career in public service. Barbara Jordan grew up in Houston's Fifth Ward, graduated from Wheatley High School, and attended Texas Southern University. Through the grace of God, a personal commitment to excellence, and hard work, she became someone who we all take pride in calling a Houstonian, and who is beloved nationwide. Congresswoman Jordan's nonstop advocacy for women's rights and equality helped propagate the idea that women deserve to be given equal rights to men, and that women need to stand up to the male-dominated world, and assert our own leadership. In a speech titled A Fundamental Right, by Congresswoman Jordan at the Planned Parenthood Federation of America's conference in 1990, she exclaimed that a ``fundamental right must not be subjected to a callous calculation of political winners and losers.'' She explained that many politicians were deliberately politicizing the debate about the fundamental right to privacy and reproductive health. We still need leaders like Barbara Jordan and Shirley Chisholm to stand up and fight on behalf of women for reproductive rights and the full range of reforms that would create gender equity. It is because of women like them that we have made it this far, but the fight is not over yet. The politicization surrounding abortion continues today and has led to new extremes that have eroded the progress that has been made up to now. Just this year, Oklahoma, Idaho, and South Carolina have effectively banned the procedure, putting thousands of women's lives at risk. It is a central part of our job as Members of Congress to advocate and fight for women. I am so honored and proud to be here today surrounded by so many outstanding and dedicated women who are dedicated to this cause. I will continue to fight for reproductive rights for all women and gender equity for women everywhere.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, in a building that conspicuously marked its exterior with the word ``children,'' the brutal Putin bombed without stopping this safe house in Mariupol. Obviously, it was completely destroyed. There were 300 people dead and little children sitting around the dead bodies of their parents. The whole city has been leveled. The whole country has been attacked by a brutal dictator. Of course, we know the peace talks are going on, I encourage that. As well, I believe that the allies should continue to give weapons and there should be some process for giving them fighter jets. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Secretary of Homeland Security for recognizing that we will have to receive Ukrainian refugees, Haitian refugees, and, yes, refugees from the border. We are, in fact, a humane country. We have the ability to be able to assure the world that we will be a refuge and, as well, protect the American people. That is what we do: we protect the American people, provide them jobs, give them safety, but, as well, we are a refuge for the world. Madam Speaker, I thank the Secretary for his work. Let's let Ukraine win this, either in peace or in war.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2954, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021, which will make various changes with respect to employer-sponsored retirement plans, including providing for the automatic enrollment of employees in certain plans and increasing the age at which participants are required to begin receiving mandatory distributions. This legislation expands opportunities for Americans to increase their retirement savings, improves workers' long-term financial wellbeing, and builds on the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019. The purpose of this legislation is to expand automatic enrollment, simplify many retirement plan rules, and strengthen small businesses' ability to offer workplace retirement plans. Among other things, H.R. 2954 would: Expand automatic enrollment of workers in employer-sponsored retirement saving plans. Employees would be automatically enrolled in plans such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s unless they opt out. The initial automatic enrollment amount is at least 3 percent but no more than 10 percent. And then each year that amount is increased by 1 percent until it reaches 10 percent. The age at which seniors must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their retirement savings accounts would be raised from 72 to 73. The bill subsequently would raise the age to 74 starting in 2029 and to 75 starting in 2032. Reduce the penalty for failure to take RMDs to 25 percent from 50 percent. If this failure is corrected in a timely manner, as defined by the bill, the penalty would be further reduced to 10 percent. Increase the limits on so-called catch-up contributions for employees ages 62 to 64. In 2021, these workers were allowed to contribute up to $6,500 to their retirement savings plans beyond the otherwise applicable limits. This bill would increase that amount to $10,000 and index it to inflation. The catch-up contribution limit for individual retirement accounts would be indexed to inflation. Currently, savers ages 50 and up may contribute an additional $1,000 annually to their IRAs, but that limit isn't indexed to inflation. Allow employers to match a worker's student loan payment by making an equivalent contribution to that worker's retirement savings plan. This provision is intended to help workers who can't afford to save for retirement because of high student-loan debt, which causes them to miss out on their employers' matching contributions to retirement savings plans. Today's workplace is more generationally diverse than ever. Older employees are working longer, and millennials make up roughly a third of the American workforce. This bill helps both older and younger workers. For younger workers, this can help jump start the saving process earlier by making employer matches available for those who are also paying off student loans. For older workers nearing retirement, they would have more time to save, due to the increased catch-up contribution limits and delayed required minimum distributions (RMD). By automatically enrolling every working person in a plan, with the option to opt out, we begin to solve the biggest reasons people don't save for retirement. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the three biggest reasons people do not save for retirement are: not having a plan at work (74 percent of non-savers), being self-employed (14 percent) and not being included in a workplace plan (12 percent). These proposed changes are beneficial to Americans of all ages, helping them reach their savings goals and provide more flexibility upon retirement. Though there are many paths to retirement, it's critical to be financially prepared, especially as people are living longer. For these reasons, I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 2954 because we need to ensure that every American can benefit from the best retirement plan for them.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to applaud two legislative initiatives that passed this week. One in particular was the COVID-19 American History Project Act. With over almost a million Americans who died from COVID-19, the historic stories, the stories of tragedy and joy of the many hardworking medical professionals, like those in my particular congressional district, like Dr. Peter Hotez, who discovered an unbelievable vaccine that is now being used in developing nations, Dr. Joseph Varon, Dr. Joe Gathe, and many, many others; hospitals far and wide; nurses and medical professionals, who had to take care of people who were lying in hospital hallways; and families who lost one and two and three and four. We must tell the COVID-19 story. It is an American story. We must tell of the heroes. We must tell of those we lost. We must say thank you. But one thing we must do, as the chair of the bipartisan COVID-19 Task Force, we must never, never repeat this again. We must be prepared, and we should be ready to save lives. There is nothing wrong with testing and vaccinating.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1621) to amend section 3661 of title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the consideration of acquitted conduct at sentencing, as amended.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I will say that the failure to address this issue for so many years has contributed to the epidemics of overincarceration and mass incarceration, weakened the finality that a jury trial is meant to provide, and undermined overall public confidence in our justice system. I really think this legislation has exposed some incredulous behavior because most people believe that you are sentenced on the reasonable doubt convictions as opposed to additional sidebar conversations that may come to the judge's attention in terms of other offenses. Today, we consider a simple, narrowly tailored bill that builds on our bipartisan effort to create a fair justice system. This bill will make sure that defendants are punished only for the conduct that prosecutors are able to prove at trial, consistent with the constitutional guarantees of due process and the right to a trial by jury of their peers, and consistent with the principles on which country was founded. Before I close, I join with my colleague from Tennessee's remarks and indicate the deepest sympathy to the family of the dean, Congressman Don Young. He is a voice--and I speak in the present. His presence was larger than life. He spoke to everyone. His booming voice is something that I am certainly going to find a great loss, as well as his love and passion for not only his family and his great State but also for this institution. I don't know if we will ever find an institutionalist such as Don, but we can certainly follow in his footsteps and his desire for order when he cited the words ``regular order.'' We were blessed by having him here, and may he rest in peace. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in supporting this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 1621, the ``Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act of 2021, as amended. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1621. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Opening Statement Mr. Speaker. I am proud to support of H.R. 1621, the ``Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act,'' which offers a solution to a long-identified problem within our criminal justice system. This bill provides necessary reform to current federal sentencing practice that allows judges to sentence defendants based on conduct for which a jury found them not guilty. The Sixth Amendment to the Constitution provides that anyone accused of a crime shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public jury trial, while the Fifth Amendment provides that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. Together these provisions mean that the Government is bound to prove each and every element of an offense for which a defendant is charged beyond a reasonable doubt during a jury trial, or that a defendant must admit each element of an offense to support a plea of guilty. Notwithstanding this constitutional obligation, federal judges routinely nullify not guilty verdicts rendered by juries and sentence defendants to significantly higher penalties based on acquitted conduct. In its current form, 18 USC Sec. 3661 prohibits any limitation of the conduct a judge may consider when sentencing a defendant, even when a jury has determined that there was insufficient evidence to prove the defendant committed the charged offense. Additionally, under the concept of ``relevant conduct,'' the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines allow judges to consider a range of conduct, including dismissed charges, uncharged conduct, and acquitted conduct when imposing sentences. The fact-finding made by judges at sentencing is based on a lower evidentiary standard than at trial--that is by a preponderance of the law--which many scholars define as a 50% chance that a claim is true. The reform proposed in this bill ensures that judges punish defendants based on facts proven beyond a reasonable doubt--the higher evidentiary standard of proof required during jury trials, which some scholars attach a value of 90 to 95% surety. Justice Ginsburg moderate-liberal who became more liberal in later years, joined Justice Thomas and Justice Scalia, a staunch conservative, in his dissent in Jones v. United States, lamenting the failure of the Court to determine if the Sixth Amendment is violated when judges impose sentences based solely on judge-found facts. While the Sentencing Guidelines suggested prison sentences from 27 to 71 months for the three defendants in the case, the trial judge imposed sentences of 180, 194, and 225 months, based on conduct the prosecution failed to prove. Justice Scalia's often-quoted dissent was issued more than seven years ago. Yet nothing has been done about this unjust, undemocratic practice, which diminishes the sanctity of the jury trial, the public check on the government's power, and the overall integrity of the criminal justice system. H.R. 1621 would restore fairness to jury trials by amending Section 3661 to ban consideration of acquitted conduct at sentencing unless the conduct is considered for mitigation purposes. Though I wish we were doing more to advance substantive criminal justice reform, I support this bipartisan bill that addresses an acute need while restoring the basic propositions of due process and the right to trial by jury. I thank our colleague, Representative Steve Cohen, for his commitment to justice and for taking the lead on this significant, bipartisan bill alongside Representative Kelly Armstrong. A broad coalition of advocates support this measure, including R Street Institute, the ACLU, The Innocence Project, Brennan Center for Justice, the American Bar Association, Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and Federal Public & Community Defenders. It is my hope that the Senate will take up and pass the House version of this bill soon. I ask my colleagues to support this bill and to continue working together on additional measures to make our justice system more equitable and more transparent.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on S. 2629.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2629, the Better Cybercrime Metrics Act. This legislation improves our understanding and tracking of cybercrime so that we can do more to prevent it. A 2018 Gallup Poll found that 1 in 4 Americans had been a victim of cybercrime. And I might say that it has exponentially grown during the pandemic. From stolen financial information, to system-wide shutdowns, to ransomware attacks, these crimes harm our families, our businesses, and our government. The Council of Economic Advisers estimates that malicious cyber activities cost our economy as much as $109 billion in 2016, and experts believe these costs are growing. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased opportunities for cybercrime with increases in remote work and the time people are spending online. Hackers also took advantage of our recovery efforts, stealing identities to file fake unemployment claims or fraudulent loan applications. And again, in the midst of other innocent Americans not being able to secure those dollars, and not being able to secure unemployment claims because of the fake process that clouded this system. Many of the victims of these scams only learned that they were attacked when they went to file genuine claims and were told had already been submitted using their names or businesses. Sadly, cybercriminals often target older Americans. In 2020, people over 60 accounted for the most complaints of any age group as collected by the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. People over 60 also had the greatest losses, with over $966 billion lost to cybercrime in 2020. We must do more to protect Americans from cybercrime, and that starts with a better understanding of what it is and how it occurs. The Better Cybercrime Metrics Act will gather experts in law enforcement, business, and technology to create a taxonomy of cybercrime so we can define it and classify it in a uniform way. This legislation also adds cybercrime to two important law enforcement tools used to track crimes: The National Incident-Based Reporting System and the National Crime Victimization Survey. Together, these provisions will ensure that law enforcement has a complete picture of when and where cybercrime occurs and who is harmed by it. Finally, this bill directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on reporting mechanisms for cybercrime and the disparities in cybercrime data relative to other types of crime data. Together, this legislation will put in place the tools to clearly define and classify cybercrime, to track cybercrime, and to better understand this serious threat. Mr. Speaker, it is a very serious threat. And in addition to the monetary damages, people have been personally and psychologically impacted by losses, by lack of employability, by being rejected, for some of these claims having to be delayed when the individual who needs it is desperate and experiencing a desperate economic condition, to find that they have been, in essence, gamed by a cybercriminal. We must stop this. And as I said earlier, one of the most vulnerable populations are individuals over 60. And really when you find those in their seventies, eighties, nineties, who have lived their lives, supported this Nation, and become victims of cybercrime, it is something that compels you to really want to stop this threat. I commend Senators Brian Schatz and Thom Tillis for their work on this bipartisan legislation. I also thank Representative Abigail Spanberger for her leadership on the House companion to this bill. I was proud to stand with her in introducing the House companion, along with our Republican colleagues, Representative Blake Moore and Representative Andrew Garbarino. We must give law enforcement the tools to keep pace with new technology and to get a step ahead of the threats faced by our ever- evolving world. This bill takes an important step in that effort, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Memorandum Excerpt To: Members of the House Judiciary Committee From: The Honorable Jerrold Nadler, Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary Re: Markup of H.R. 4977, the ``Better Cybercrime Metrics Act''; H.R. 55, the ``Emmett Till Antilynching Act''; H.R. 5338, the ``Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2021''; and H.R. 5796, the ``Patents for Humanity Act of 2021'' Date: Tuesday, December 7, 2021 On Wednesday, December 8, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. in 2141 Rayburn House Office Building, the House Judiciary Committee will mark up the following measures: H.R. 3359, the ``Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act of 2021''; H.R. 4977, the ``Better Cybercrime Metrics Act''; H.R. 55, the ``Emmett Till Antilynching Act''; H.R. 5338, the ``Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2021''; and H.R. 5796, the ``Patents for Humanity Act of 2021''. II. H.R. 4977, the ``Better Cybercrime Metrics Act'' H.R. 4977, the ``Better Cybercrime Metrics Act'' would improve the U.S. government's understanding, measurement, and tracking of cybercrime. The bill would direct the Department of Justice to work with the National Academy of Sciences, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to develop a taxonomy of cybercrime that could be used by law enforcement to ensure that the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), or any successor system, include cybercrime reports from federal, state, and local officials. It also directs the Bureau of Justice Statistics to include questions relating to cybercrime in the National Crime Victimization Survey. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on the effectiveness of current cybercrime reporting mechanisms and highlight disparities in reporting data between cybercrime data and other types of crime data. This bipartisan bill was introduced on August 6, 2021 by Representative Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and currently has 18 cosponsors. An identical Senate companion, S. 2629 (Schatz- HI, Tillis-NC, Cornyn-TX, Durbin-IL), was marked up by the Senate Judiciary Committee on November 18 and favorably reported on a unanimous voice vote. The Chairman will offer an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 4977. A. General Background Cybercrime continues to be a significant threat to businesses, governments, and individual Americans. Cybercrime includes a broad range of conduct including phishing, ransomware, identity theft, and data breaches.\1\ A recent survey found one in five Americans have been victims of ransomware.\2\ The COVID-19 pandemic created new opportunities for cybercrime, including COVID-related phishing and malware, with 35.9% of the world's COVID-19 cyber threats occurring in the United States.\3\ Cyber attackers mainly rely on phishing attacks, which is the most common attack as measured by the number of victims.\4\ Attackers also use online tools for extortion, data breaches, identity theft, extracting ransoms, email compromise schemes, impersonating charities and government actors, and other schemes.\5\ Researchers attribute the rise in attacks to the increase in remote work and the lower security protections at one's home compared to an office.\6\ Cybercrime is costly and harms individuals, government entities, and businesses across a broad range of industries. The average data breach in 2020 cost companies $3.83 million dollars.\7\ Email compromise schemes, in which email accounts are compromised to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds, accounted for over $1.8 billion in losses in 2020.\8\ In the first six months of 2021, six ransomware organizations hacked 292 organizations and stole $45 million dollars.\9\ Organizations that experienced cybercrime this year include the Colonial Pipeline, the Steamship Authority of Massachusetts, JBS Foods, and the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.\10\ As shown by the gas shortage due to the Colonial Pipeline breach, these attacks can shut down critical infrastructure, create shortages, increase the cost of goods and services, and cost organizations money from both operational shutdowns and paying ransoms to hackers.\11\ Likewise, the December 2020, SolarWinds attack targeted SolarWinds' 300,000 customers and endangered the cybersecurity of many federal government agencies, including the Department of Defense, as well as 425 of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies.\12\ Cybercrime harms businesses across all industries, but it had a particular effect on companies responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by disrupting COVID-19 supply chains and the government's efforts to address the spreading virus.\13\ Bad actors gravitate to cyber-attacks because of the anonymity the internet provides and the low chances of getting caught. The detection and prosecution rate of cyber criminals in the United States is .05%.\14\ Given the difficulty in tracing and prosecuting these crimes, it is important to further study and track them so that we can work to prevent cybercrime. H.R. 4977, the Better Cybercrime Metrics Act will provide law enforcement with the tools to uniformly classify and track cybercrime, furthering the government's understanding of this serious problem and building the foundation for improved cybercrime prevention efforts. B. Section-by-Section Analysis for the Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute Section 1. Short Title. Section 1 sets forth the short title of the bill as the ``Better Cybercrime Metrics Act.'' Section 2. Cybercrime Taxonomy. Section 2 requires, within 90 days of the passage of the Act, the DOJ and the National Academy of Sciences to develop a taxonomy that can be used by law enforcement to categorize and track cybercrime, and requires that the taxonomy be presented to Congress. The bill authorizes $1,000,000 to carry out this section. Section 3. Cybercrime Reporting. Section 3 requires, not later than 2 years after the passage of the Act, the DOJ to establish a category in the National Incident-Based Reporting System to enable the collection of cybercrime and cyber- enabled crime reports from Federal, State, and local officials, incorporating the taxonomy developed under Section 2 as appropriate. Section 4. National Crime Victimization Survey. Section 4 requires cybercrime to be added to the National Crime Victimization Survey. The bill authorizes $2,000,000 to carry out this section. Section 5. GAO Study on Cybercrime Metrics. Section 5 directs the GAO to do a study on the current reporting mechanisms of cybercrime and the disparities in data between (A) data relating to cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime; and (B) other types of crime data. Endnotes \1\ Fed. Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Ctr., Internet Crime Report 2020 19 (2021) https:// www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf. \2\ Joe Franscella, Anomali Harris Poll: Ransomware Hits 1 in 5 Americans, Anomali (Aug. 16, 2019), https:// www.anomali.com/blog/anomali-harris-poll-ransomware-hits-1- in-5. \3\ Trend Micro Research, Attacks from All Angles: 2021 Midyear Cybersecurity Report 23 (2021) https:// documents.trendmicro.com/assets/rpt/rpt-attacks-from-all- angles.pdf. \4\ Fed. Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Ctr., Internet Crime Report 2020 6 (2021) https:// www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf. \5\ Id. at 19. \6\ The 10 Biggest Ransomware Attacks of 2021, Touro College Illinois (Nov. 12, 2021). https://illinois.touro.edu/ news/the-10-biggest-ransomware-attacks-of-2021.php. \7\ Ken Brisco, Cost of a Data Breach: Behind the Numbers of a Cvbersecurity Response Plan, Secureworks (Jul. 27, 2021), https://www.secureworks.com/blog/data-breach-response- planning-cyber-threat-intelligence. \8\ Fed. Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Ctr., Internet Crime Report 2020 10 (2021) https:// www.ic3.gov/Media/PDF/AnnualReport/2020_IC3Report.pdf. \9\ Six Ransomware Gangs Claim 290+ New Victims in 2021, Potentially Reaping $45 Million for the Hackers, eSentire. https://www.esentire.com/resources/library/six-ransomware- gangs-claim-290-new-victims-in-2021-potentially-reaping-45- million-for-the-hackers (last visited Dec. 3. 2021). \10\ The 10 Biggest Ransomware Attacks of 2021, Touro College Illinois (Nov. 12, 2021), https://illinois.touro.edu/ news/the-10-biggest-ransomware-attacks-of-2021.php. \11\ Id. \12\ Jake Williams, What You Need to Know About the SolarWinds Supply-Chain Attack, SANS Institute (Dec. 15, 2020) https://www.sans.org/blog/what-you-need-to-know-about- the-solarwinds-supply-chain-attack. \13\ Jackie Drees, Cyberattacks on COVID-19 vaccine supply chain much larger than initially thought, IBM says, Becker's Hospital Review (Apr. 30, 2021) https:// www.beckershospitalreview.com/cybersecurity/cyberattacks-on- covid-19-vaccine-supply-chain-much-larger-than-initially- thought-ibm-savs.html. \14\ Mieke Eoyang, Alison Peters, Ishan Mehta, Brandon Gaskew, To Catch a Hacker: Toward a comprehensive strategy to identify, pursue, and punish malicious cyber actors, Third Way (Dec. 3, 2021) https://www.thirdway.org/report/to-catch- a-hacker-toward-a-comprehensive-strategy-to-identify-pursue- and-punish-malicious-cyber-actors.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 2629) to establish cybercrime reporting mechanisms, and for other purposes.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from Virginia (Ms. Spanberger), who was astute enough to be able to offer the companion bill, and I thank her for her leadership and career leadership on these issues.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me just take an opportunity to thank Congresswoman Spanberger for the knowledge she brings to this issue and to this legislation. We have already said that this is not a harmless crime. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record Cybercrime predictions for 2022: Deepfakes, cryptocurrencies, and misinformation, to further emphasize the lack of the harmlessness that it is. It is harmful. One sentence says it all: Fake news 2.0 and the return of misinformation campaigns. They cite in particular COVID-19. I think all of us can attest to the terrible damage that was done during the pandemic with the huge issues of the question of COVID and the vaccination. Fake vaccine passport certificates were on sale for $100 to $125, and the volume of advertising groups and group sizes publishing sellers and multiplied over and over again. [From the Future, December 4, 2021] Cybercrime Predictions for 2022: Deepfakes, Cryptocurrencies, and Misinformation (By Maya Horowitz) While cybercriminals continue to leverage the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they will also find new opportunities to attack such as deepfakes, cryptocurrency and mobile wallets. In 2021, cyber criminals adapted their attack strategy to exploit vaccination mandates, elections and the shift to hybrid work, to target organizations' supply chains and networks for them to achieve maximum disruption. The sophistication and scale of cyberattacks will continue to break records and we can expect a huge increase in the number of ransomware and mobile attacks. Looking ahead, organizations should remain aware of the risks and ensure that they have the appropriate solutions in place to prevent them without disrupting their normal business flow. To stay ahead of threats, organizations must be proactive and leave no part of their attack surface unprotected or unmonitored or otherwise risk becoming the next victim of sophisticated, targeted attacks. Global cybercrime predictions for 2022 Fake news 2.0 and the return of misinformation campaigns The claim of `fake news' surrounding contentious issues has become a new attack vector over previous years without people really understanding its full impact. Throughout 2021, misinformation was spread about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination information. The black market for fake vaccine certificates expanded globally, now selling fakes from 29 countries. Fake `vaccine passport' certificates were on sale for $100-120 and the volume of advertisement groups and group sizes publishing sellers multiplied within the year. In 2022, cyber groups will continue to leverage these types of fake news campaigns to execute cybercrime through various phishing attacks and scams. In addition, prior to the 2020 US presidential election, Check Point researchers spotted surges in malicious election- related domains and the use of ``meme camouflage'' aimed at shifting public opinion. In the run-up to the US midterm elections in November 2022, we can expect to see these activities in full effect and for misinformation campaigns to return on social media. Cyberattacks targeting supply chains Supply chain attackers take advantage of a lack of monitoring within an organization's environment. They can be used to perform any type of cyberattack, such as data breaches and malware infections. The well known cybercrime--SolarWinds supply chain attack stands out in 2021 due to its scale and influence, but other sophisticated supply chain attacks have occurred such as Codecov in April, and most recently, Kaseya. Kaseya provides software for Managed Service Providers and the REvil ransomware gang exploited the company to infect over 1,000 customers with ransomware. The group demanded a ransom of $70 million to provide decryption keys for all affected customers. Supply chain attacks will become more common and governments will have to establish regulations to address these attacks and protect networks. They will also look into collaborating with the private sectors and internationally to identify and target more threat groups operating on global and regional scales. In 2022, expect to discover more about the global impact of the infamous Sunburst attack. The cyber `cold war' intensifies The cyber way is intensifying, and taking place online as more nation-state actors push Western governments to continue to destabilize society. Improved infrastructure and technological capabilities will enable terrorists groups and political activists to further their cybercrime agendas and carry out more sophisticated, widespread attacks. Cyberattacks will increasingly be used as proxy conflicts to destabilize activities globally. Data breaches are larger scale and more costly Going into 2022 we will see an increase in data breaches that will be larger scale. These breaches will also have the potential to cost organizations and governments more to recover. In May 2021, a US insurance giant paid $40 million in ransom to hackers. This was a record, and we can expect ransom demanded by attackers to increase in 2022. Technology cybersecurity predictions for 2022 Mobile malware attacks increase as more people use mobile wallets and payment platforms: In 2021, 46 percent of organizations had at least one employee download a malicious mobile application. The move to remote work for almost entire populations across the world during the COVID-19 pandemic saw the mobile attack surface expand dramatically, resulting in 97 percent of organizations facing mobile threats from several attack vectors. As mobile wallets and mobile payment platforms are used more frequently, cybercrimes will evolve and adapt their techniques to exploit the growing reliance on mobile devices. Cryptocurrency becomes a focal point for cyberattacks globally When money becomes purely software, the cybersecurity needed to protect us from hackers stealing and manipulating bitcoins and altcoins is sure to change in unexpected ways. As reports of stolen crypto wallets triggered by free airdropped NFTs become more frequent, Check Point Research (CPR) investigated OpenSea and proved it was possible to steal crypto wallets of users by leveraging critical security. In 2022, we can expect to see an increase in cryptocurrency related attacks. Attackers leverage vulnerabilities in microservices to launch largescale attacks The move to the cloud and DevOps will result in a new form of cybercrime. With microservices becoming the leading method for application development, and microservices architecture being embraced by Cloud Service Providers (CSPs), attackers are using vulnerabilities found in microservices to launch their attacks. We can also expect to see large scale attacks targeting CSPs. Deepfake technology weaponized Techniques for fake video or audio are now advanced enough to be weaponized and used to create targeted content to manipulate opinions, stock prices or worse. As in the case of other mobile attacks that rely on social engineering, the results of a phishing attacks can range from fraud to more advanced espionage. For instance in one of the most significant deepfake phishing attacks, a bank manager in the United Arab Emirates fell victim to a threat actor's scam. Hackers used AI voice cloning to trick the bank manager into transferring $35 million. Threat actors will use deepfake social engineering attacks to gain permissions and to access sensitive data. Penetration tools continue to grow Globally in 2021, 1 out of every 61 organizations was being impacted by ransomware each week. Cybercrime through ransomware will continue to grow, despite the efforts of law enforcement to limit this growth globally. Threat actors will target companies that can afford paying ransom, and ransomware attacks will become more sophisticated in 2022. Hackers will increasingly use penetration tools to customize attacks in real time and to live and work within victim networks. Penetration tools are the engine behind the most sophisticated ransomware attacks that took place in 2021. As the popularity of this attack method grows, attackers will use it to carry out data exfiltration and extortion attacks.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the article: ``Ho, Ho, Ho, Holiday Scams'' FBI Portland. During the 2020 holiday season, this article says this FBI Internet Compliance Center received more than 17,000 complaints regarding the nondelivery of goods resulting in losses of more than $53 billion. [From FBI Portland, December 1, 2021] Ho, Ho, Ho, Holiday Scams! (By Beth Anne Steele) If you're doing online shopping this holiday season, be on the lookout for scammers trying to steal a deal, too! During the 2020 holiday shopping season, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov) received more than 17,000 complaints regarding the non-delivery of goods, resulting in losses of more than $53 million. The FBI anticipates this number could increase during the 2021 holiday season due to rumors of merchandise shortages and the ongoing pandemic. ``Oftentimes when we talk about cyber crimes, we are referring to massive intrusions into financial institutions or ransomware attacks against large providers. Smaller cyber scams run by individuals or groups can be just as frustrating and difficult for families this time of year when all you want to do is provide the perfect gift for your family. The best thing you can do to be a savvy shopper is to know what scams are out there and take some basic precautions,'' says Kieran L. Ramsey, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon. Here's a look at some of the more common scams: Online Shopping Scams: Scammers often offer too-good-to-be-true deals via phishing emails, through social media posts, or through ads. Perhaps you were trying to buy tickets to the next big concert or sporting event and found just what you were looking for--at a good deal--in an online marketplace? Those tickets could end up being bogus. Or, perhaps, you think you just scored a hard-to-find item like a new gaming system? Or a designer bag at an extremely low price? If you actually get a delivery, which is unlikely, the box may not contain the item you ordered in the condition you thought it would arrive. In the meantime, if you clicked on a link to access the deal. you likely gave the fraudster access to download malware onto your device, and you gave him personal financial information and debit/credit card details. Social Media Shopping Scams: Consumers should beware of posts on social media sites that appear to offer special deals, vouchers, or gift cards. Some may appear as holiday promotions or contests. Others may appear to be from known friends who have shared the link. Often, these scams lead consumers to participate in an online survey that is designed to steal personal information. If you click an ad through a social media platform, do your due diligence to check the legitimacy of the website before providing credit card or personal information. Gift Card Scams: Gift cards are popular and a great time saver. but you need to watch for sellers who say they can get you cards below- market value. Also, be wary of buying any card in a store if it looks like the security PIN on the back has been uncovered and recovered. Your best bet is to buy digital gift cards directly from the merchant online. Another twist on this scam involves a person who receives a request to purchase gift cards in bulk. Here's how it works: the victim receives a spoofed email, a phone call, or a text from a person who they believe is in authority (such as an executive at the company). The fraudster tells the victim to purchase multiple gift cards as gifts. The victim does so and then passes the card numbers and PINs to the ``executive'' who cashes out the value. Charity Scams: Charity fraud rises during the holiday season when people want to make end-of-year tax deductible gifts or just wish to contribute to a good cause. These seasonal scams can be more difficult to stop because of their widespread reach, limited duration and, when done online, minimal oversight. Bad actors target victims through cold calls, email campaigns, crowdfunding platforms, or fake social media accounts and websites. Fraudsters make it easy for victims to give money and to feel like they're making a difference. The scammer will divert some or all the funds for personal use, and those most in need will never see the donations. Tips to Avoid Being Victimized: Pay for items using a credit card dedicated for online purchases, checking the card statement frequently, and never saving payment information in online accounts. Never make purchases using public Wi-Fi. Beware of vendors that require payment with a gift card, wire transfer, cash, or cryptocurrency. Research the seller to ensure legitimacy. Check reviews and do online searches for the name of the vendor and the words ``scam'' or ``fraud.'' Check the contact details listed on the website to ensure the vendor is real and reachable by phone or email. Confirm return and refund policies. Be wary of online retailers who use a free email service instead of a company email address. Don't judge a company by its website. Flashy websites can be set up and taken down quickly. Do not click on links or provide personal or financial information to an unsolicited email or social media post. Secure credit card accounts, even rewards accounts, with strong passwords or passphrases. Change passwords or passphrases regularly. Make charitable contributions directly, rather than through an intermediary, and pay via credit card or check. Avoid cash donations, if possible. Only purchase gift cards directly from a trusted merchant. Make sure anti-virus/malware software is up to date and block pop-up windows. What to Do if You Are a Victim: If you are a victim of an online scam, the FBI recommends taking the following actions: Report the activity to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov, regardless of dollar loss. Provide all relevant information in the complaint. Contact your financial institution immediately upon discovering any fraudulent or suspicious activity and direct them to stop or reverse the transactions. Ask your financial institution to contact the corresponding financial institution where the fraudulent or suspicious transfer was sent.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the article: ``Without major changes, more Americans can be victims of online crime'' The Hill. ``When you turn on the TV or read the newspaper, it is hard to ignore headlines: `Colonial Pipeline a Victim of Massive Ransomware Attack.' `50 Million People Affected by T-Mobile Data Breach.' `Hackers Exploit SolarWinds to Spy on U.S. Government Agencies.' '' [From The Hill, Aug. 30, 2021] Without Major Changes, More Americans Could Be Victims of Online Crime (By Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA)) When you turn on the TV or read the newspaper, it's hard to ignore the headlines: ``Colonial Pipeline a Victim of Massive Ransomware Attack.'' ``50 Million People Affected by T-Mobile Data Breach.'' ``Hackers Exploit SolarWinds to Spy on U.S. Government Agencies.'' These major attacks represent a serious threat to our economy and our national security. After the Colonial Pipeline attack impacted thousands of our neighbors in Central Virginia, I was adamant about how our government must vastly improve its efforts to undercut the activity of hackers, protect critical infrastructure, and strengthen our cybercrime prevention efforts. But the story of cybercrime in 2021 goes far beyond these news-making cyberattacks--it extends into our communities, our neighborhoods, and our homes. If you are a family banking online, a business managing your employees' payroll information, or a senior accessing federal benefits on the internet, you are no stranger to thinking about how a cyber breach or attack could affect you. Even worse, you might already be one of the millions of Americans whose personal data has been compromised, money or identity stolen, or safety put at risk. In 2018, Gallup found that nearly one in four U.S. households has been a victim of cybercrime--making it the most common crime in America. To confront cybercriminals and their enablers, we need to have a better understanding of these incidents. However, many of these cases--a vast majority of these crimes--are not properly reported or tracked by law enforcement Often, they are not measured at all. By some estimates, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may only collect about one in 90 of all cybercrime incidents in its Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) database. The lack of information about cyber and cyber- enabled crime is divorced from what Americans are actually facing on a day-to-day basis an increased risk of cybercrime. What's more, these crimes are rising at an alarming rate. Compounding this challenge is the fact that federal, state, and local governments do not have a comprehensive, effective system to measure cybercrime. In 2021--decades after the dawn of the internet age--we remain woefully unprepared to prevent or respond to the next generation of cyberattacks. Accountability for these crimes--and protection against them--can't fully take shape until we have a clear picture of the current state of play. For this reason, we need to take real steps to improve how we track, measure, analyze, and prosecute cybercrime. Earlier this month, I introduced the bipartisan Better Cybercrime Metrics Act, which would allow our federal government and law enforcement to better track and identify cybercrime, prevent attacks, and go after perpetrators. This bill would strengthen our understanding and our defenses against the phishing attempts, extortion, ransomware, and identity theft that are plaguing everyday Americans. As a former federal law enforcement agent, I understand that local and state police and sheriff's departments are often strained for resources and time. And as a former CIA case officer, I recognize the importance of gathering as much information as possible about potential threats--so that we can prevent attacks on American citizens and American businesses. If signed into law, the Better Cybercrime Metrics Act would improve our cybercrime metrics, anticipate future trends, and make sure law enforcement has the tools and resources they need. Our bill would require federal reporting on the effectiveness of current cybercrime mechanisms and highlight disparities in reporting data between cybercrime data and other types of crime data. Additionally, it would require the National Crime Victimization Survey to ask questions related to cybercrime in its surveys--and it would make sure that the FBI's National Incident Based Reporting System include cybercrime reports from federal, state, and local officials. Notably, our bill would also require the U.S. Department of Justice to contract with the National Academy of Sciences to develop a standard taxonomy for cybercrime. These metrics could be used by law enforcement across the board. I was proud to introduce this legislation alongside my colleagues U.S. Reps. Blake Moore (R-Utah), Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas). Clearly, there is consensus for these reforms and protections across the political spectrum. In the Senate, a companion bill is being led by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii). Joining him are Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). I am proud to have their partnership on this important, bicameral effort. With this legislation and an improved understanding of the threats ahead, we can prevent more Americans from becoming targets--or victims--online.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the article titled: ``U.S. Military Has Acted Against Ransomware Groups, General Acknowledges.'' [From the New York Times, December 5, 2021] U.S. Military Has Acted Against Ransomware Groups, General Acknowledges (By Julian E. Barnes) Simi Valley, Calif.--The U.S. military has taken actions against ransomware groups as part of its surge against organizations launching attacks against American companies, the nation's top cyberwarrior said on Saturday, the first public acknowledgment of offensive measures against such organizations. Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency, said that nine months ago, the government saw ransomware attacks as the responsibility of law enforcement. But the attacks on Colonial Pipeline and JBS beef plants demonstrated that the criminal organizations behind them have been ``impacting our critical infrastructure,'' General Nakasone said. In response, the government is taking a more aggressive, better coordinated approach against this threat, abandoning its previous hands-off stance. Cyber Command, the N.S.A. and other agencies have poured resources into gathering intelligence on the ransomware groups and sharing that better understanding across the government and with international partners. ``The first thing we have to do is to understand the adversary and their insights better than we've ever understood them before,'' General Nakasone said in an interview on the sidelines of the Reagan National Defense Forum, a gathering of national security officials. General Nakasone would not describe the actions taken by his commands, nor what ransomware groups were targeted. But he said one of the goals was to ``impose costs,'' which is the term military officials use to describe punitive cyberoperations. ``Before, during and since, with a number of elements of our government, we have taken actions and we have imposed costs;'' General Nakasone said. ``That's an important piece that we should always be mindful of.'' In September, Cyber Command diverted traffic around servers being used by the Russia-based REvil ransomware group, officials briefed on the operation have said. The operation came after government hackers from an allied country penetrated the servers, making it more difficult for the group to collect ransoms. After REvil detected the U.S. action, it shut down at least temporarily. That Cyber Command operation was reported last month by The Washington Post. Cyber Command and the N.S.A. also assisted the F.B.I. and the Justice Department in their efforts to seize and recover much of the cryptocurrency ransom paid by Colonial Pipeline. The Bitcoin payment was originally demanded by the Russian ransomware group known as DarkSide. The first known operation against a ransomware group by Cyber Command came before the 2020 election, when officials feared a network of computers known as TrickBot could be used to disrupt voting. Government officials have disagreed about how effective the stepped-up actions against ransomware groups have been. National Security Council officials have said activities by Russian groups have declined. The F.B.I. has been skeptical. Some outside groups saw a lull but predicted the ransomware groups would rebrand and come back in force. Asked if the United States had gotten better at defending itself from ransomware groups, General Nakasone said the country was ``on an upward trajectory.'' But adversaries modify their operations and continue to try to attack, he said. ``We know much more about what our adversaries can and might do to us. This is an area where vigilance is really important,'' he said, adding that ``we can't take our eye off it.'' Since taking over in May 2018, General Nakasone has worked to increase the pace of cyberoperations, focusing first on more robust defenses against foreign influence operations in the 2018 and 2020 elections. He has said that his commands have been able to draw broad lessons from those operations, which were seen as successful, and others. ``Take a look at the broad perspective of adversaries that we've gone after over a period of five-plus years: It's been nation-states, it's been proxies, it's been criminals, it's been a whole wide variety of folks that each require a different strategy,'' he said. ``The fundamental piece that makes us successful against any adversary are speed, agility and unity of effort. You have to have those three.'' Last year's discovery of the SolarWinds hacking, in which Russian intelligence agents implanted software in the supply chain, giving them potential access to scores of government networks and thousands of business networks, was made by a private company and exposed flaws in America's domestic cyberdefenses. The N.S.A's Cybersecurity Collaboration Center was set up to improve information sharing between the government and industry and to better detect future intrusions, General Nakasone said, although industry officials say more needs to be done to improve the flow of intelligence. General Nakasone said those kinds of attacks are likely to continue, by ransomware groups and others. ``What we have seen over the past year and what private industry has indicated is that we have seen a tremendous rise in terms of implants and in terms of zero-day vulnerabilities and ransomware,'' he said, referring to an unknown coding flaw for which a patch does not exist. ``I think that's the world in which we live today.'' Speaking on a panel at the Reagan Forum, General Nakasone said the domain of cyberspace had changed radically over the past 11 months with the rise of ransomware attacks and operations like SolarWinds. He said it was likely in any future military conflict that American critical infrastructure would be targeted. ``Borders mean less as we look at our adversaries, and whatever adversary that is, we should begin with the idea that our critical infrastructure will be targeted:' he told the panel. Cyber Command has already begun building up its efforts to defend the next election. Despite the work to expose Russian, Chinese and Iranian efforts to meddle in American politics, General Nakasone said in the interview that foreign malign campaigns were likely to continue. ``I think that we should anticipate that in cyberspace, where the barriers to entry are so low, our adversaries are always going to be attempting to be involved;'' he said. The recipe for success in defending the election, he said, is to provide insight to the public about what adversaries are trying to do, share information about vulnerabilities and adversarial operations, and finally take action against groups trying to interfere with voting. While that might take the form of cyberoperations against hackers, the response can be broader. Last month, the Justice Department announced the indictment of two Iranian hackers the government had identified as being behind an attempt to influence the 2020 election. ``This really has to be a whole-of-government effort,'' General Nakasone said. ``This is why the diplomatic effort is important. This is why being able to look at a number of different levers within our government to be able to impact these type of adversaries is critical for our success.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. The roll call goes on and on and on. I thank my colleagues for their words of support for this bipartisan legislation. I believe the time is now. We are going to continue this journey. This is not the last legislative initiative, that is why we will be holding a hearing tomorrow with the representative from the FBI because this is a growing continuing project and problem. If I might use the terminology, we will have to re-image constantly. This legislation is also supported by law enforcement groups and those with particular expertise in cybercrime, including the National Fraternal Order of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the National Association of Police Organizations, the National White Collar Crime Center, and the Cybercrime Support Network. Mr. Speaker, I thank Senator Schatz, Senator Tillis, and as I indicated, our colleague, Representative Spanberger for their leadership on this bipartisan legislation. I am glad to have joined it and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2629, the ``Better Cybercrime Metrics Act.'' This legislation improves our understanding and tracking of cybercrime so that we can do more to prevent it. A 2018 Gallup poll found that one in four Americans has been a victim of cybercrime. From stolen financial information, to systemwide shutdowns, to ransomware attacks, these crimes harm our families, our businesses, and our government. The Council of Economic Advisers estimated that malicious cyber activities cost our economy as much as $109 billion in 2016, and experts believe these costs are growing. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased opportunities for cybercrime, with increases in remote work and the time people spend online. Hackers also took advantage of our recovery efforts, stealing identities to file fake unemployment claims or fraudulent loan applications. Many of the victims of these scams only learned they were attacked when they went to file genuine claims and were told that one had already been submitted using their name or business. Sadly, cyber criminals often target older Americans. In 2020, people over 60 accounted for the most complaints of any age group, as collected by the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center. People over 60 also had the greatest losses, with over $966 million lost to cybercrime in 2020. We must do more to protect Americans from cybercrime, and that starts with a better understanding of what it is and how it occurs. The Better Cybercrime Metrics Act will gather experts in law enforcement, business, and technology to create a taxonomy of cybercrime so that we can define it and classify it in a uniform way. This legislation also adds cybercrime to two important law enforcement tools used to track crimes, the National Incident-Based Reporting System and the National Crime Victimization Survey. Together these provisions will ensure that law enforcement has a complete picture of when and where cybercrime occurs, and who is harmed by it. Finally, this bill directs the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study on reporting mechanisms for cybercrime, and the disparities in cybercrime data relative to other types of crime data. Together this legislation will put in place the tools to clearly define and classify cybercrime, to track cybercrime, and to better understand this serious threat. I commend Senators Brian Schatz and Thom Tillis for their work on this bipartisan legislation. I also thank Representative Abigail Spanberger for her leadership on the House companion to this bill. I was proud to stand with her in introducing the House companion, along with our Republican colleagues, Representative Blake Moore and Representative Andrew Garbarino. We must give law enforcement the tools to keep apace with new technology and to get a step ahead of the threats faced by our ever- evolving world. This bill takes an important step in that effort and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4738, the ``COVID-19 American History Project Act.'' This bill directs the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish the COVID-19 American History Project which will collect and make publicly available individual stories and records of experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The bill includes a requirement to collect video and audio histories and testimonials of those who were affected by the pandemic. Mr. Speaker, the United States will soon reach a grave milestone. As of 9 o'clock this morning, there have been 974,277 American deaths from COVID-19. In the coming weeks, we will reach 1,000,000 deaths. However, I believe that only focusing on that horrific number, though nonetheless important, makes us forget about who we lost. Therefore, with this time I would like to tell the stories of my fellow Houstonians who sadly passed because of this unprecedented public health crisis. The stories I will be recounting are all courtesy of Houston Public Media, of whose journalists I have been a strong supporter. Knowing that his daughter would be unable to walk at her college graduation commencement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Carlos Araujo-Preza threw his daughter, Andrea Araujo, a belated graduation celebration with her close friends and family in late October. She said he really put in the effort to give her the best ceremony he could. Dr. Araujo-Preza always went out of his way to make sure his daughter and her brother were taken care of, despite a busy work schedule at Tomball Regional Hospital. The siblings and their father spent their weekends together binge-watching movies and TV shows together. But in 2020, Andrea Araujo was forced to spend her 23rd birthday without her father. Araujo-Preza was two weeks away from receiving his first round of the COVID-19 vaccine before he passed away. He died Nov 30, 2020, at the age of 51. He knew at a young age he was meant to pursue a career in the medical field. Coming from a family of doctors himself, Araujo-Preza was viewed as a loving caregiver and someone his patients could always rely on. Araujo-Preza was the leading doctor at his hospital who specialized in plasma research, while also distributing COVID-19 vaccines to nurses. ``His colleagues were fans of him,'' she said. ``They loved when he came into work.'' He would go out of his way to give his personal phone number to patients and would accommodate their needs at any time of day. Araujo said her father would wake up as early as 3 a.m. to go into work. Araujo-Preza would sleep in the hospital for days and sometimes weeks at a time to always be on call for his patients. Now, Araujo said she tries to live by a saying her father used to share in Spanish: ``The sun always rises the next day.'' Araujo-Preza would tell his children to not let daily challenges in life hold them back. Because, he said, as life goes on, you should too. ``I feel like people always say, `with time, things get better', but I've noticed it's quite the opposite,'' she said. ``Every day gets harder.'' That story was courtesy of Emily Jaroszewski at Houston Public Media. The next story is one that is especially close to my heart: Dick Cigler from the University of Houston. Those who were mentored by Dick Cigler would tell you he left a lasting impression as one of the most influential staff members at the Daily Cougar--a highly regarded champion of free speech at the University of Houston's newspaper. ``He taught us about the importance of journalism,'' said Tanya Eiserer, an Emmy-award winning reporter for WFAA in Dallas and former Daily Cougar student editor. ``He really taught us the importance of doing the right thing, doing it for the right reasons; and standing up for the underdog.'' Nowhere was that more evident than when, in the 1990s, a group of UH journalists wrote a series of articles challenging the decreased university budget for UH downtown students and the increased budget for subsidiary campuses. Dick allowed the students to voice their concerns brazenly. ``He didn't try to, you know, tell us to back down,'' Eiserer said. ``He ran interference, and they knew that we were an independent news operation.'' Eiserer remembers Cigler as being a listening ear and a guiding mentor when she transferred from Baylor University to UH. She regarded him as one of the people who helped her become the reporter she is today. ``I learned how to be a journalist at the Daily Cougar,'' said Eiserer. ``I would not give that time back for all the money in the world.'' Cigler worked as Director of UH's Student Publications department, now known as the Center for Student Media, for 23 years until his retirement in 2010. His impact on the Daily Cougar can be felt to this day. Cigler died on Jan. 24, 2021, at the age of 79. He leaves behind his two daughters Kerri Runge and Michelle Cigler. That story was courtesy of Myrakel Baker at Houston Public Media. The last individual I want to mention is someone who is a local hero but should be a national one. That person was John Bland. More than 60 years ago, a group of Texas Southern University students took seats at the lunch counter at Weingarten's Supermarket at 4110 Almeda Road, knowing they wouldn't be served. It was Houston's first sit-in, and that spring, Black college students in cities across the country forced the beginning of an end to racial segregation--at lunch counters, department stores, and city halls. One of the TSU students at the sit-in was John Bland, a 20-year-old who spent the rest of his life working to advance civil rights and equal opportunity. Bland worked as a bus operator at HouTran, now called Metro, and he spent more than 50 years organizing with the Transport Workers Union. He served as a vice president of the Texas State AFL-CIO, a president of the Houston chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, a precinct judge, and a member of the Houston Police Department Citizen Review Committee. ``When workers would doubt their ability to beat the odds and make change, Mr. Bland would say, `When we fought for integration in the 1960s, they arrested me 27 times, jailed me, and fined me, but that didn't stop us,' '' Hany Khalil, Executive Director of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, said. Bland died on July 9, 2020, at the age of 80. He leaves behind his wife, Betty Davis Bland, and their two daughters and grandson. That story was courtesy of Jen Rice at Houston Public Media. I wish I could mention every Houstonian and honor their lives because they all deserve it. They were mothers, wives, fathers, husbands, sons, daughters, and so much more. They will all be missed and are not just another number. It is for that reason, Mr. Speaker, that I strongly support H.R. 4738 and urge my colleagues to support it as well.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3359) to provide for a system for reviewing the case files of cold case murders at the instance of certain persons, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 3359, the Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act of 2021, and urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, which establishes a procedure for families of murder victims in cases investigated at the Federal level to continue to pursue justice for their murdered family member when the trail has gone cold. There is nothing more devastating for a family to live without answers in the midst of a violent death of their loved one. This legislation gives a designated family member the right to request a review of their murdered loved one's case file after 3 years. Unfortunately, 4 out of 10 murder victims' families in this country never receive any closure in the loss of their family member. FBI data shows the percentage of homicides cleared by an arrest or other means has declined significantly from 1965 to today, while the number of unsolved homicides grows by the thousands nationwide every year. In 2019, four Texas cities cleared 40 percent or less of reported homicides, according to the FBI statistics. Low clearance rates lead to low confidence in law enforcement and reduce citizen cooperation, which led to even lower clearance rates. The backlog of cases and low clearance rates disproportionately affect murder victims who are poor, undereducated, unemployed, and Black, and without resources to pursue this with a private investigator or with an extended legal team. They are left to their own devices. Mr. Speaker, you know what that is, remorse, sadness, devastation, family breaks-ups, loss that can never be repaired. Poor Black and Brown victims and their families tend to receive less attention to their cases from law enforcement than those of other socioeconomic backgrounds and racial groups, and their cases go unsolved. This, of course, however, impacts Americans across the board. The pain is deep without easing, without ceasing. This legislation is important. This disparate treatment is unacceptable as well. We can and we must provide justice for all victims and their families. Mr. Speaker, I hope this legislation will set a new tone--eliminating disparate treatment--impacting vulnerable communities of poor Black and Brown families who never receive closure, while serving as a model for State, local, and Tribal governments where the vast majority of unsolved murders lie, and as well, help all Americans no matter what their condition and station in life and no matter where they live. H.R. 3359 will require Federal law enforcement agencies to use fresh eyes--and I have seen this actually work--to complete a case file, review, and determine if a full reinvestigation could lead to new probative investigative leads. This legislation will encourage equitable treatment of victims and their families by requiring that Federal law enforcement, including the victims' families in the case file review and reinvestigation process. That means notifying them and giving them hope; provide written certification to a designated family member if a final review is not necessary; update that family member throughout the case file review and full reinvestigation; and meet with and discuss the evidence with that family member if a full reinvestigation is not pursued. There is nothing like closure. It has been shown that cold case investigations can be very effective by using agents and investigators who have never worked the cases before, and by deploying up-to-date investigative techniques. Cold case investigations help take violent criminals off the street and to bring closure. Let me take note of the fact that the Judiciary Committee as a whole is very active in pursuing the issue of cold cases to the extent that this Department of Justice has established a unit that works on it. I would say, however, an infusion of energy and excitement and utilization of this effort would be welcomed because this is an important message and effort for our families. In 2010, the FBI and a cold case detective began a joint reexamination of the death of Ellen Beason in 1985, whose remains were found south of Houston in an area called the killing fields. Almost 30 years later, the cold case detective requested x-rays of the body which showed that the woman's skull had been cracked on both sides from a forceful blow. Her body had never been x-rayed. The main suspect in the murder was finally convicted of involuntary manslaughter in 2014. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison, and was named as the leading suspect in the murder of other women found in the killing fields, though he was never charged. H.R. 3359 mandates that a law enforcement agency must conduct a full reinvestigation like the one that brought justice to Ellen Beason's family if probative investigative leads result from a full investigation. How necessary this is for mourning and very, very devastated families. This bipartisan legislation represents an important step in fostering renewed hope for families and is supported by a broad array of advocates, including the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful to Congressman Eric Swalwell, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, for his passion on this issue and his astute continued effort on this bipartisan bill that will bring light and hope to families of victims who seek justice for their loved ones. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell), the author and leader of this bill. I thank him so much for his very astute leadership.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Let me thank the gentleman from Oregon for his support of this legislation; and as well, again thank Mr. Swalwell for that commitment to helping families who are typically desperate for help in these cold cases. Let me cite as a comparison that does not deal with the end of a case, but it does deal with the intervention of the Federal Government, the FBI, in particular, on a child predator case in a local neighborhood, where local law enforcement were doing their very best. But when we were able to reach out to the FBI, although the case was not cold in its conclusion, it was cold in its investigation, its current investigation, and the FBI did bring new and fresh eyes to help us with that terrible case. So when we have cases that are a cold case, the backlog of cold case murders continues to grow, and I think this legislation means a lot to these families. When they grow cold, this means that thousands of murderers evade prosecution and continue to walk the streets, able to commit more crimes and possibly more murders, while thousands of mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, sons, and daughters, have yet to find closure in the loss of their loved ones. And let me just say, Mr. Speaker, I think you realize, that pain is so deep, and it never goes away. That is why this bill is so important. This legislation would result in more closed cases, justice for victims, closure for their families, and greater faith in law enforcement. Mr. Speaker, again I want to indicate that this bill is important. I thank my colleagues for supporting this bill in a bipartisan manner, and I ask them to join me in supporting this bill today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.