Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. While, I am clearly disappointed in the response, I am glad that I offered this amendment. I think the position is wrong as it relates to the needs to help individuals who have already suffered an enormous blow. In particular, financial literacy is an aspect that is certainly needed in low-income communities, and we can see the impact of not having the understanding of various financial opportunities. And the CDFI has done that, and particularly supporting Native Americans among many others. So I would ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment because it is not a lot and it would add to this aspect of financial literacy, which we need. There are a lot of products that are out there, and I guess I might say that, as much as we have tried, with the Community Reinvestment Act, to assist or to encourage or to push our financial institutions to lend to our many diverse groups, low-income groups and minority populations, it is still a problem in getting access to funds by low- income communities. So the CDFI and the focused addition that I would add would, in fact, make a major difference, and I would ask my colleagues to support the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the managers of this legislation. Mr. Chairman, any Member of Congress or any elected official has had the sad duty of going to a child's funeral. Most of us in the Christian faith have heard maybe the same words said often in the place of worship and in the funeral service, no matter who it is, and that is that a child should not go before their parents. We have seen the brokenness and, of course, the absolute despair of that family that has lost a child. Unfortunately, as we have found in Hurricane Harvey, when people have looted victims of the hurricane, it is unfortunate that bad things can happen to good people. So the families of deceased children are victimized. They are saddened by the loss of their child, whether it is an accident that is tragic or a sickness; and then, because those names are printed and become public, they are victimized again. Alexis Agin was 4 years old when she died last year from a brain tumor. As her parents grieved from their daughter's loss, someone else paid attention to the details of her death, too. An identity thief was easily able to get Alexis' personal information after she died. Her parents had no inkling until they went to file their taxes, then to their astonishment and despair, they learned that someone else had already filed a tax return using Alexis' Social Security number and claiming her as a dependent. The Agins soon learned they were one of many. They said: ``Within an hour of learning that my daughter's Social Security number had been compromised and stolen, no fewer than 14 other parents whose children passed away due to cancer contacted us and advised us that their children's Social Security numbers, likewise, had been stolen.'' Americans are told to jealously guard their Social Security numbers, but after one dies, the government goes public with that coveted information. It is included on the Death Master List. Mr. Chairman, I include in the Record an article from ABC News entitled ``When Loved Ones Die, Their Identity is There for the Taking.'' [From ABC News, May 8, 2012] When Loved Ones Die, Their Identity Is There for the Taking (By Lisa Stark) Alexis Agin was 4 years old when she died last year from a brain tumor. As her parents grieved their daughter's loss, someone else paid attention to the details of her death too. An identity thief was easily able to get Alexis' personal information after she died. Her parents had no inkling until they went to file their taxes. Then, to their astonishment, they learned that someone else had already filed a tax return, using Alexis' Social Security number and claiming her as a dependent. The Agins soon learned they were one of many. ``Within an hour of learning that my daughter's Social Security number had been compromised and stolen,'' said Jonathan Agin, ``no fewer than 14 other parents whose children passed away due to cancer contacted us and advised us that their children's Social Security numbers likewise had been stolen.'' Americans are told to jealously guard their Social Security numbers, but after one dies, the government goes public with that coveted information. It is all included on a Master Death List. ``This is a database of more than 8o million records that the Social Security Administration maintains of all the deaths in the country. And that information is actually publicly available,'' said John Breyault at the National Consumers League. ``Consumers can go online, on any number of sites, and get full name, date of birth and full Social Security number, which we call the holy trinity of personally identifiable information.'' The list is used by banks, credit agencies and others to try to prevent identity theft after someone dies. However, a court case in the 197os forced the Social Security Administration to make the list public, under Freedom of Information Act laws. ``Unfortunately, dead people don't have any privacy rights,'' said Breyault, ``That information, once you're dead, is publicly available information.'' ``Within 3o seconds of learning that my daughter's Social Security number had been stolen, I went online and found her Social Security number,'' Agin told ABC News. ``All the information is there.'' Breyault of the National Consumer League showed ABC News just how easy it was. He sat down with me at a computer and pulled up a wealth of information on my husband, who died of cancer last year. My tax refund for this year has now been held up because someone else filed a return, apparently using my husband's Social Security number The Internal Revenue Service said it might be a simple mistake by the other taxpayer, not a case of identity fraud. The agency, however, can't yet tell me for sure as it works to unravel the situation. Today on Capitol Hill, the House Ways and Means' Subcommittees on Social Security and Identity Theft held a hearing on this growing problem. In his testimony, Russell George, the Treasury inspector general for tax administration, told lawmakers that while processing tax returns in 2011, the IRS managed to flag and stop 940,000 returns that appeared to involve identity theft. The refunds requested on those returns totaled $6.5 billion. George told lawmakers, ``There is much more fraud that it [the IRS] does not detect.'' The inspector general ``identified approximately 1.5 million additional undetected tax returns with potentially fraudulent tax refunds totaling in excess of $5.2 billion,'' said George. Those refunds were paid out. ``If not addressed, we estimate the IRS could issue approximately $26 billion in fraudulent tax refunds resulting from identity theft over the next five years,'' he testified. The IRS told ABC News that it believes that five-year estimate is ``far too high. The estimate was based on figures from 2010, before the IRS instituted major changes in the way it handles identity theft cases,'' the agency said. ``Our increased compliance and prevention efforts mean we are stopping more refund fraud than ever before.'' The Social Security Administration had recently taken steps to cut back on the Master Death List information it releases publicly, leaving off the decedent's state and ZIP code. And the IRS said it has installed identity theft screening filters on its computer systems to flag suspicious returns. ``Fighting identity theft will be an ongoing battle for the IRS and one we cannot afford to let up on,'' said Steven Miller, an IRS deputy commissioner, in written testimony. Late last year, the IRS established a special taxpayer protection unit to help handle identity theft cases. But George testified that those trying to file their 2011 taxes found it difficult to get through to the unit. ``The unit received more than 86,000 calls during the 2012 filing season, but has only been able to answer about 21,000,'' said George. And according to his testimony, the average phone wait time for taxpayers was almost one hour. Taxpayers caught in this mess are forced to prove their loved one's identity to the IRS. Agin said he had to provide evidence to show the IRS that his late daughter was his child. Some cases have taken up to a year to resolve. Congress is considering a number of bills that would limit access to the Master Death List For Agin and the hundreds of thousands of other taxpayers who have been victims of this fraud, it can't come soon enough. ``It's bad enough losing your child to any type of disease, cancer in any manner,'' said Agin, ``but then have somebody steal their identify, the last remaining vestige of your child, it's horrible.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, there is no dedicated person in the IRS to deal with these broken and grieving families, so they simply become victims. By the time they find out, someone has bought a house, someone has taken their luxury vacation, got many credit cards, and used this dead child to abuse this family again. The Jackson Lee amendment is simple. What it does is it provides a dedicated person, funding to the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service for the purpose of assisting the parents of a deceased child where that child's identifying information has been stolen and fraudulently used on a personal income tax return filed with the IRS. It is a simple request, Mr. Chairman. If the Taxpayer Advocate Service office is what it is, and if anyone has tried to use it, including Members of Congress, we know there needs to be a dedicated person just to answer the phone of the grieving parent who finds out through IRS filing that they are being abused again and their beautiful angel is being used for other and evil works of someone who would use that deceased child to their advantage. Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment to Division D of the Rules Committee Print 115- 31, which makes appropriations for Fiscal Year 2018, ``H.R. 3354, the ``Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2018.'' I wish to commend Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Quigley for their work in shepherding this legislation to the floor. Mr. Chair, the Jackson Lee Amendment is simple but provides an important and necessary protection for grieving parents. The Jackson Lee Amendment is intended to ensure that the IRS Tax Advocate Service has adequate resources to assist parents of a deceased child whose Social Security Number was stolen by tax cheats and used on a federal tax return to receive an Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). The Jackson Lee Amendment is intended to be a compassionate use of IRS funds to help grieving parents navigate the process of reclaiming their child's identity from tax cheats. This amendment is necessary when we consider the story of little Alexis Agin who was just 4 years old when she died of a brain tumor in 2011. As her parents grieved, someone stole Alexis' identity to commit tax fraud. Alexis' parents did not discover the crime until they filed their taxes. The sad fact is Alexis' parents are not alone--they were one of at least 14 other parents whose children died of cancer and learned that their child's Social Security number had been stolen by tax thieves. Nearly all of us understand the importance of safeguarding our Social Security numbers, but after someone dies Social Security numbers are published on a national online registry called the Master Death List. The Master Death List registry exists to alert businesses and financial institutions to not renew credit cards or create new credit in a deceased person's name. But it also alerts thieves of opportunities to steal identities and commit tax fraud. As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle identity thieves have stolen the tax refunds of more than 490,000 dead persons since 2008. The thieves typically claim that a dead person is their dependent when they file tax returns. In Fiscal Year 2012, the IRS initiated approximately 900 identity theft related criminal investigations, triple the number of investigations initiated in FY 2011. Direct investigative time applied to identity theft related investigations increased by 129 percent over that same period. On July 30, 2013, in St. Louis, Missouri, Tania Henderson was convicted of theft of government funds and aggravated identity theft and sentenced to 144 months in prison and ordered to pay $835,883 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury. According to her plea agreement and other court documents, Henderson stole the identities of more than 400 individuals, many of whom were deceased, and filed fraudulent tax returns using their names and Social Security account numbers. The theft of identities of deceased children for the purpose of committing tax fraud is a sad fact that too many parents have to face while they are attempting to cope with the tragedy of losing their child. The Jackson Lee Amendment will help ensure that the IRS Tax Advocate Service has the resources needed to assist these grieving parents with filing the last tax return where their child's name will be listed as being a member of their household. I urge all Members to support the Jackson Lee Amendment, which would be a compassionate use of IRS funds.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. How much time is remaining, Mr. Chairman.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, last time I was on the floor, I mentioned that I was disappointed, and my friend on the other side made a remark that we all come here disappointed. I am saddened by the comment that he made earlier, and I am saddened by his response now because this is simply asking for a dedicated person, the offset is the operations account. It doesn't matter what conversations and what we have done. It is a simple direct response to the pain of people. This is a mountain if it happens to you. It is not whether we are coming down or we have had conversations; it is a mountain. So I would simply say, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, identity thieves have stolen tax refunds of more than 490,000 dead persons. This Death Master List continues. The IRS initiated approximately 900 identity theft-related criminal investigations out of 490,000. So what if you are this parent of a dead child? I just would have a person dedicated to taking your calls. That is all I am asking in this amendment with a slight offset. It doesn't make any sense. Alexis' parents did not discover the crime until they filed their taxes. How many others have not? So I ask my colleagues, out of the goodness of their heart--this is the last amendment, and I don't think any manner of conversation about what I did yesterday and what I did last year is going to be helpful. Mr. Chairman, I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment to help the parents of deceased children. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to mourn Sergeant Steve Perez of the Houston Police Department who died on August 29, 2017, in the midst of Hurricane Harvey as he was in the line of duty. He served in the United States Army, and he joined the Houston Police Department in 1982. He leaves behind his precious and beloved wife, Lupe Cheryl Perez, and a host of police officers and law enforcement across the Nation. He became a sergeant in 1992. He worked in emergency ops and special ops and juvenile. He worked across the county. When he died, he was coming to work in the midst of the storm, because as the words were said often by his colleagues and heard from his family members, he had work to do. Today in Houston, he was funeralized. My deepest sympathy is to his family and how dismayed I was not to be able to be present with them, but I want them to understand that we were there in spirit and that we love the first responders who put the people of Harris County and the people of Texas before anyone else. That is what Sergeant Steve Perez did. Today we say to him farewell and thank him for his good and faithful service. He will never be forgotten for his kindness and service to his community. My prayers are with the family, and I ask now for a moment of silence.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I rise in support of H.R. 3284, ``Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series Act of 2017.'' This bipartisan bill would formally authorize the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to hold counterterrorism workshops with state and local officials in order to address emerging terrorist threats and to enhance the ability of state and local jurisdictions to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks. The coordination program under the measure would include: 1. Reviewing existing preparedness, response, and interdiction plans, policies, and procedures related to terrorist attacks of the participating jurisdictions and identifying gaps in such plans, operational capabilities, response resources, and authorities; 2. Identifying Federal, State, and local resources available to address the gaps identified; 3. Providing assistance, through training, exercises, and other means, to build or sustain, as appropriate, the capabilities to close such identified gaps; 4. Examining the roles and responsibilities of participating agencies and respective communities in the event of a terrorist attack; 5. Improving situational awareness and information sharing among all participating agencies in the event of a terrorist attack; and 6. Identifying and sharing best practices and lessons learned from each Workshop Series. I would like to take the time to thank FEMA for their response to Hurricane Harvey and their efforts with Hurricane Irma. Since Hurricane Harvey, 617,000 individuals have registered for assistance through FEMA with 13,585 interactions with survivors taking place. FEMA is an integral part of security for survivors of catastrophes. By providing these workshops, we will continue to provide security when our country is most vulnerable. The bill would authorize $1 million a year from fiscal year 2018 through 2022 to establish the Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series. This workshop series is intended to help local jurisdictions prevent and respond to coordinated terrorist attacks. This bill would authorize funding for five years instead of the one- year authorization in the committee-approved version and would modify FEMA's reporting requirements. The series would provide training and other resources to close gaps in local counterterrorism preparedness plans, and to improve coordination among state and local agencies. Participants would include state and local officials, law enforcement officers, first responders, public health personnel, and private-sector representatives. The most chaotic times for first responders are in response to natural disasters, leaving little to no resources to respond to a potential terror attack. Those who seek to do our nation harm can take advantage of the lack of available first responders trained to handle counterterrorism during a natural disaster, such as Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that took place in Houston. During Hurricane Harvey, Texas first responders were facing double effort with both a hurricane and flood; preventing proper response to a homeland security event should it have happened. It is important to include in their training, a resource for first responders to learn how to manage a terror threat during a catastrophic event such as Hurricane Harvey. It is imperative to provide these resources to local law enforcement agencies in order to protect the United States when it is most vulnerable. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3284.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I rise in support of H.R. 2427, Pathways to Improving Homeland Security At the Local Level Act. This bipartisan bill would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002, to direct the Assistant Secretary for State and Local Law Enforcement to produce and disseminate an annual catalog on Department of Homeland Security training, publications, programs, and services for State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, and for other purposes. The coordination program under the measure would include: 1. Producing an annual catalog that summarizes opportunities for training, publications, programs, and services available to State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies from the Department and from each component and office within the Department; 2. Making such catalog available to State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, including by posting the catalog on the website of the Department and cooperating with national organizations that represent such agencies; 3. Making such catalog available through the Homeland Security Information Network; and 4. Submitting such catalog to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. It is important to ensure our first responders and local law enforcement agencies are trained in homeland security programs, especially in times of natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma. During relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey and the widespread flooding in Houston, Sgt. Steve Perez of the Houston Police Department drowned after his patrol car got stuck on a flooded road. His death could have been prevented if first responders were given proper materials and training on how to manage crisis situations in rising flood water. Currently, we fail to provide proper training for catastrophic flood events that would ensure greater safety of both citizens and first responders. Programs and materials need to be created in order to train our responders in handling wide-spread flooding that simulate dangerous situations that could be encountered in their day-to-day life. Over the past three years, Houston has experienced record-breaking flooding. If first responders were provided with proper tools and trainings in handling rescues in these conditions, we would see less of loss of life among both citizens and responders. The most chaotic times for first responders are in response to natural disasters, and it is important to ensure that our nation is protected when we are the most vulnerable. During Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that followed, if there were to have been a homeland security incident, Texas would have been left susceptible due to the chaos surrounding our first responders. It is important to equip our first responders with every opportunity for training in homeland security to ensure that in times of natural disaster such as Hurricane Harvey and the flooding across Southeast Texas, they are prepared to handle any situation they may face, with the smallest amount of lives lost as possible. The bill would produce an annual catalog with training opportunities and other services available to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, which I wish to ensure address catastrophic flood events. The department's Office for State and Local Law Enforcement would have to publish the catalogs on the DHS website within 30 days of production and distribute them through the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN). Sharing the catalog on the HSIN would allow the office to reach as many stakeholders as possible. Through this catalog, local law enforcement agencies would be able to ensure their first responders are aware of training programs over counterterrorism and homeland security. It is vital to provide these resources to local law enforcement agencies in order to ensure they are aware of opportunities for their first responders, so they are trained to protect the United States and its citizens when it is most vulnerable. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2427.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I rise in support of H.R. 2470, Homeland Threat Assessment Act. This bipartisan bill the Homeland Security Department (DHS) would conduct annual terrorist threat assessments for the next five years using information from DHS offices and fusion centers. The assessment under this measure would include: 1. Empirical data assessing terrorist activities and incidents over time in the United States, including terrorist activities and incidents planned or supported by persons outside of the United States targeting the homeland; 2. An evaluation of current terrorist tactics, as well as ongoing and possible future changes in terrorist tactics; 3. An assessment of criminal activity encountered or observed by officers or employees of components in the field which is suspected of financing terrorist activity; and 4. Detailed information on all individuals denied entry to or removed from the United States as a result of material support provided to a foreign terrorist organization (as such term is used in section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189)); 5. The efficacy and spread of foreign terrorist organization propaganda, messaging, or recruitment; 6. An assessment of threats, including cyber threats, to the homeland, including to critical infrastructure and Federal civilian networks; 7. An assessment of current and potential terrorism and criminal threats posed by individuals and organized groups seeking to unlawfully enter the United States; and 8. An assessment of threats to the transportation sector, including surface and aviation transportation systems. During natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma, the United States is vulnerable to terror attacks due to the lack of first responders available. It is important to ensure our first responders and local law enforcement agencies are aware of the terror threats that would be reported in each assessment in order to provide continued support, especially during vulnerable situations such as Hurricane Harvey and the Southeast Texas floods. The most chaotic times for first responders are in response to natural disasters and it is important to ensure that our nation is protected when we are the most susceptible. During Hurricane Harvey and the flooding that followed, if there had been a homeland security incident, Texas would have been left vulnerable due to the chaos surrounding our first responders. It is important to equip our first responders and local law enforcement agencies with these assessments in order to offer greater protection and heightened security during vulnerable situations such as natural disasters. Additionally the assessment may incorporate relevant information and analysis from other agencies of the Federal Government, agencies of State and local governments (including law enforcement agencies), as well as the private sector, disseminated in accordance with standard information sharing procedures and policies. Fusion centers were established administratively after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks to serve as focal points at the state and local levels to receive, analyze, and share threat-related information with the federal government and the private sector. The assessments would have to utilize data collected from the field and could incorporate relevant information from other government agencies and the private sector. During recovery efforts for incidents such as Hurricane Harvey, having terrorist threat assessments would be valuable in keeping vulnerable citizens secure. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2470.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2454-- Department of Homeland Security Data Framework Act of 2017, which is the first authorization bill for the Department of Homeland Security since its creation. I thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson for working diligently to bring this suspension bill before the House of Representatives. H.R. 2454 directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: develop a data framework to integrate existing DHS datasets and systems for access by authorized personnel in a manner consistent with relevant legal authorities and privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties policies and protections; ensure that all information of a DHS office or component that falls within the scope of the information sharing environment, and any information or intelligence relevant to priority mission needs and capability requirements of the homeland security enterprise, is included; and ensure that the framework is accessible to DHS employees who have an appropriate security clearance, who are assigned to perform a function that requires access, and who are trained in applicable standards for safeguarding and using such information. The bill excludes information that could: jeopardize the protection of sources, methods, or activities; compromise a criminal or national security investigation; be inconsistent with the other federal laws or regulations; or be duplicative or not serve an operational purpose. DHS shall incorporate into such framework systems capabilities for auditing and ensuring the security of information. Few can image how complex the federal government response to a Hurricane can be. For example the need for information sharing is crucial to effect disaster response prior to, during and after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. U.S. cooperation with the European Commission, facilitated by the Department of State, allowed for rapid activation of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) over the Texas and Louisiana coasts affected by Category-4 Hurricane Harvey, the largest recorded rainstorms ever to hit the contiguous United States. This service has provided local, state, and federal disaster managers with free, real-time, all-weather radar satellite images of the affected areas; we are grateful to our European partners, including the European Space Agency and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, for their assistance during this challenging time. Since August 25, Europe's Copernicus EMS, at no cost to the United States, has generated up-to-date, satellite-based maps of the flood extent. In combination with U.S. satellite data, these maps are critical tools for relief operations by U.S. federal, state, and local disaster responders. First responders were in critical need of accurate information on persons who were trapped by Hurricane Harvey flood waters. The statistics are staggering. 21 trillion gallons of rainfall fell in Texas and Louisiana in the first five days of the storm. The estimated maximum sustained winds exceeded 130 miles per hour as the hurricane made landfall near Rockport, Texas on August 25. A record 4,323 days, which is nearly 12 years, elapsed since a major hurricane (Category 3 or above) made landfall in the United States prior to Hurricane Harvey; the last Category 3 hurricane to hit the United States was Hurricane Wilma in 2005, the same year Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans. The city of Cedar Bayou received 51.88 inches of rainfall, breaking the record for rainfall from a single storm in the continental United States; my city of Houston received more than 50 inches of rainfall. More than 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area and more than 30,000 persons are expected to be forced out of their homes due to the storm. More than 8,800 federal personnel were staff deployed to help respond to Hurricane Harvey, supplying approximately 2.9 million meals, 2.8 million liters of water, 37,000 tarps, and 130 generators. In the first three days of the storm, more than 49,000 homes had suffered flood damage and more than 1,000 homes were completely destroyed in the storm. And today, two weeks later, thousands of Texans are still without permanent and stable housing situations. That is why the additional $7.4 billion in CDBG funding provided in the legislation is desperately needed. Mr. Speaker, valiant emergency responders in my state worked to exhaustion, with an invaluable assist from citizen volunteers, to rescue their neighbors and save lives. That is who Texans are and this is what we do. We do not yet know the full cost in human lives exacted by Hurricane Harvey. But what we do know is that the costs of recovery and reconstruction will far exceed any natural disaster in memory; best estimates place the cost in the range of $150-$200 billion. Mr. Speaker, there is much more work to be done in my city of Houston, and across the areas affected by the terrible, awesome storm that will be forever known simply as Hurricane Harvey. This same resource was put into use for Hurricane Irma to support response to that major storm. This sharing of important satellite data is provided by the United States-European Commission Cooperation Arrangement on Earth Observation Data Related to the Copernicus Program. The Department of State's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs negotiated the data sharing agreement, which has been in effect since October 2015. The arrangement reflects a shared U.S.-E.U. vision to pursue full, free, and open data policies for government Earth observation satellites, fostering greater scientific discovery and encouraging innovation in applications and value-added services for the benefit of society at large. I offer the thanks and appreciation for our nation--its people-- especially the residents along the Gulf Coast including the residents of the 18th Congressional District in Houston and the surrounding communities for the support from our Allies in our nation's time of need. The Suspension before the House will facilitate data sharing among law enforcement agencies in support the mission of the Department of Homeland Security to develop and maintain a unity of effort approach to security our nation from terrorist threats. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2454.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity to discuss Amendment 108 to the ``CJS Appropriation Act of 2017''. This amendment will save thousands of lives within our youth population by decreasing our federal prison funding of $7,070,248,000, available for the administration, operation and maintenance of Federal penal and correctional institutions. Of this amount, up to $20,000,000 is made available for the use of contract confinement. My amendment seeks to reduce this account by a mere $10,000,000 for juvenile justice programs designed to reduce recidivism, gang violence and gun crime. These juvenile justice programs help protect our most vulnerable children through treatment, education, training, and mentoring, not incarceration. According to the Justice Policy Institute, locking up juveniles costs an average of $407.58 per person per day and $148,767 per person per year. Even conservative coalitions like Freedom Works, American Conservative Union Foundation, Generation Opportunity, and Taxpayers Protection Alliance agreed that mass incarceration is extremely costly to taxpayers. This amendment invests in our youth population at the front end with a greater return before the damage becomes irreversible at the back end. This amendment supports programs that have shown consistent success in curtailing gang violence and gun crimes. Research shows that violence among our youths is a health epidemic that must be addressed with appropriate measures beyond incarceration. Therefore, we must support professionals that possess practical experience in epidemic control for violence prevention, and that show success working with the most vulnerable and at-risk youth population when addressing this health epidemic. Within the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the following programs focus on violence prevention: Forum, Community Based Violence Prevention (CBVP), and Defending Childhood. The CBVP explicitly calls for and supports the health approach. Hence, this amendment provides funding for organizations such as community-based violence prevention programs that statistically have shown much success. For example, Cure Violence, a health-based organization that operates in, several cities and states, have shown great success in the intervention and prevention of violence in places like, Chicago, Baltimore, New York, Philadelphia and others. They have also shown great success in Puerto Rico. Statistics show l00% reduction in homicide retaliation in Chicago, and a 41-73% drop in shootings in 5 of 8 communities; in Baltimore, up to 56% drop in killings; and 44% drop in shootings; in New York, 20% lower level of shootings; and in Philadelphia, reduction shooting rate was significantly larger than any reduction compared to non-program police districts. Unlike incarceration cost of $407.58 per person per day and $148,767 per person per year, these alternative measures cost significantly less to serve a much larger population than what it cost to incarcerate one person, while reducing shootings and killings by 50%-70% in 15 of the most highly impacted large cities in the U.S. Hence, programs such as Cure Violence, Safe Streets and others show that alternative methods to incarceration are effective. Both sides of the aisle agree that our juvenile justice system is in desperate need of repair. Incarceration at alarming numbers does not solve this problem. Statistics show that incarceration does not serve as deterrence, nor does it keep our communities safe. Rather, it increases the likelihood for recidivism and thus, increases crime rates and mass incarceration. For those who say juvenile justice is a state problem and not a federal problem because we don't have many youths in federal custody, I say even if there is but one juvenile in our prison system, we have one too many. I saw many young faces during the horrific tragedy in Houston's vicious storm that claimed so many lives. I do not ever want to see that look of despair and hopelessness again if we can do something to prevent that. While some may say that juvenile justice is already funded, it is not enough. We need to address the epidemic taking place in our juvenile justice system and the crisis that follows thereafter--economic hardships, lack of education and inadequate job training. For all the reasons stated above, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment and to commend Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their leadership in shepherding this bill to the floor. Among other agencies, this legislation funds the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park System, and the Smithsonian Institution. Most Americans do not know that this bill also funds a very special program, the National Recreation and Preservation. Mr. Chair, the Jackson Lee Amendment is simple but it sends a very important message from the Congress of the United States. The Jackson Lee Amendment provides: Sec.__. None of the funds made available by this Act for the ``DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR--NATIONAL PARK SERVICE--NATIONAL RECREATION AND PRESERVATION'' may be used in contravention of section 461 of title 16, United States Code. And 16 U.S. Code Sec. 461 provides that: It is declared that it is a national policy to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of the people of the United States. This is important, especially as it relates to National Heritage Areas (NHAs). NHAs both preserve our national heritage and provide economic benefits to communities and regions through their commitment to heritage conservation and economic development. Through public-private partnerships, NHA entities support historic preservation, natural resource conservation, recreation, heritage tourism, and educational projects. Leveraging funds and long-term support for projects, NHA partnerships generate increased economic impact for regions in which they are located. In 2012, a nationally respected consulting firm (Tripp Umbach) completed a comprehensive economic impact study of six NHA sites in the Northeast Region that also included an extrapolation of the economic benefit of all 49 NHA sites on the national economy. The annual economic impact was estimated to be $12.9 billion. The economic activity supports approximately 148,000 jobs and generates $1.2 billion annually in Federal revenues from sources such as employee compensation, proprietor income, indirect business tax, households, and corporations. The study quantified the economic impacts of individual NHAs based upon a case study approach and found that the economic impact of the three National Historic Areas in Arizona, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania showed: 1. Essex National Heritage Area (MA) generates $153.8 million in economic impact, supports 1,832 jobs, and generates $14.3 million in tax revenue. 2. Oil Region National Heritage Area (PA) generates $21.2 million in economic impact, supports 314 jobs, and generates $1.5 million in tax revenue; and 3. Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area (AZ) $22.7 million in economic impact, supports 277 jobs, and generates $1.3 million in tax revenue. Mr. Chair, as I said there are 49 NHA across the nation but, surprisingly, none in my state of Texas. We hope to rectify this in the not too distant future. Texas is the largest and second most populous state in the nation and has a unique story in American history with its diverse geographic landscape, natural resources, and population. From Galveston's port, East Texas' farms and forestry, and the Buffalo Soldiers, Texas has a rich multi-cultured heritage and history. To honor Texas' heritage, I will be working with my colleagues to establish the ``Emancipation Trail National Heritage Area Corridor'' that stretches across historically significant and landmark sites from Galveston to Houston and East Texas into Central Texas. The Emancipation Trail National Heritage Area will be a corridor focusing on and highlighting the area's rich history and culturally significant events, places, and natural sites, as well as roadways, businesses, residential and farm districts that unite Texas' heritage from the first settlers to modern times. Mr. Chair, as we approach the 51st anniversary of the passage of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, we want to preserve and unite the legacy stories of some of our state's most revered sites. Currently underway in Houston is the revitalization of the historic Emancipation Park, a pivotal site in the state's social and cultural development and African American legacy. The future Emancipation Park, when brought to fruition and designated as a part of the proposed Emancipation Trail National Heritage Corridor, represents a unique opportunity to tell a comprehensive story about the great State of Texas. Of course, there is much work to do to bring this project to fruition, including necessary reclamation and restoration operations in areas adversely affected by Hurricane Harvey. That is why H.R. 3686, the Hurricane Harvey Supplemental Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which I introduced earlier this week allocates $800 million to the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund. To conclude, National Heritage Areas (NHAs) are both a good investment and national treasure providing economic benefits to communities and regions through their commitment to heritage conservation and economic development. For all these reasons, Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of the Jackson Lee Amendment. I thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their work in putting together this legislation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, on this, the 16th anniversary of the attack launched against the United States on September 11, 2001, I rise to remember the victims of that horrific tragedy and those first- responders who risked, and in too many cases, sacrificed their lives to rescue the occupants of the besieged World Trade Center Towers. The morning of September 11, 2001 is, and will always be, a day like no other. It is a day all living Americans will remember because not since Pearl Harbor had there been such a dastardly and deadly attack on American soil. As I stand here today, my heart still grieves for those who perished on flights United Airlines 93, American Airlines 77, American Airlines 11, and United Airlines 175. When the sun rose on the morning of September 11, none of us knew that it would end in an inferno in the magnificent World Trade Center Towers in New York City and the Pentagon and in the grassy fields of Shanksville, Pennsylvania. I stand here remembering those who still suffer, whose hearts still ache over the loss of so many innocent and interrupted lives. My prayer is that for those who lost a father, a mother, a husband, a wife, a child, or a friend will in the days and years ahead take comfort in the certain knowledge that they have gone on to claim the greatest prize, a place in the Lord's loving arms. And down here on the ground, their memory will never die so long as any of the many of us who loved them lives. Mr. Speaker, as hard as it is to believe, out of a tragedy so overwhelming and horrific, something good and great emerged in the aftermath of September 11. On that day there were no Republicans or Democrats. There were no Northerners or Southerners or West or East Coasters. We were not Red State or Blue State. We were all simply Americans. On that day, we were united in our shock and anger and sadness. We were united in our resolve to defend our country and protect the freedoms that have made America the greatest country in the history of the world. We lit candles, held hands, helped neighbors, and prayed for our country and its leaders. A united America can never be defeated as Operation Enduring Freedom showed. The brave and valiant armed forces of the United States swiftly toppled the Taliban and liberated Afghanistan. As President George W. Bush announced to the American people and to the world: ``Whether the terrorists are brought to justice or justice is brought to the terrorists, justice will be done.'' And though he ran and hid for almost ten years, Osama bin Ladin could not hide forever and evade the long arm of American justice, which, under the leadership of President Barack Obama, caught up with him on May 2, 2011. Mr. Speaker, Americans take care of their own. Americans cherish freedom. Americans cherish liberty. And Americans want peace. Not just for themselves alone, but all persons in every corner of the globe. Mr. Speaker, ensuring that America is safe and secure and protected from another attack on American soil is the least we owe to the heroic passengers on Flight 93 and to the brave firefighters of the FDNY and officers of the NYPD and the officers and civilians we lost in the Pentagon who gave faithful service to our nation. I believe all Americans want their country to remain safe, free, and invulnerable to another cowardly attack like the one we witnessed sixteen years ago today. We owe that much to the Americans who lost and gave their lives. We owe it to them to ensure that their children and loved ones will never again experience such pain, suffering, and loss. We can do this. We must do this. After all, we are Americans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the supplemental appropriations for disaster relief, and I thank the appropriators and all of my colleagues. I reflect on the bipartisan meeting of our Texas delegation. We said we would not be divided and we would not be divided amongst our friends from Florida and those who may be in need with Hurricane Irma. I do want to acknowledge that when we got up that Sunday morning and 12 inches had fallen at that time, part of the 50 inches of the most catastrophic storm on the Continental United States, Hurricane Harvey, we saw the lives of people disappear--some who died, some who were in shelters as these pictures depict. The road to recovery is going to be long. I introduced a $174 billion hurricane appropriations bill to be able to address Hurricane Harvey. I am grateful for the $15.3 billion that gives us money for housing. That is the greatest need, along with the infrastructure, and if we can begin to expedite those dollars into our cities and counties, our mayors and county leaders will be grateful. There are people who are homeless now, there are people whose homes are in despair, there are people who do not have insurance. The reason is because these individuals were flooded in a 500-year flood area and 1,000-year flood area. It is important to note at the same time, Mr. Speaker, that these individuals are elderly and disabled. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 601, which provides $15.3 billion in supplemental appropriations as the Congress's initial response to the massive damage inflicted on Southeast Texas and Louisiana by Hurricane Harvey and authorizes appropriations to continue funding for federal government operations through December 8, 2017. The legislation also suspends the current $19.8 trillion limit on federal borrowing through December 8, 2017, which will enable the Treasury to continue to borrow money to pay bills, and set the new debt limit as the amount reflecting all outstanding U.S. debt as of December 9, 2017. I also strongly support the legislation before us because it extends through December 8, 2017, FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which offers insurance policies to property owners in areas with significant flood risks. The bill authorizes FEMA to borrow as much as $30.4 billion from the Treasury general fund if it does not collect sufficient revenue from premiums and surcharges to cover claims payments. Without this extension, FEMA would not be able to issue new flood insurance policies after September 30, 2017, and its borrowing authority will be reduced to $1.5 billion. That would be particularly devastating to many of the constituents I represent who have or will be seeking flood insurance policies under the FEMA Flood Insurance Program. Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the bipartisan leadership of both chambers for the speed with which the Hurricane Harvey relief package and the FY2018 Continuing Resolution was negotiated, drafted, and shepherded to the floor. This bodes well for the major challenges that must be met and overcome if the victims of Hurricane Harvey are to recover from the storm's awful wrath and rebuild their decimated communities. I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Lowey, and Speaker Ryan and Democratic Leader Pelosi, and their Senate counterparts because this initial Hurricane Harvey aid package sends a strong signal to the people of Texas and Louisiana that the American people stand in solidarity with them in their moment of heartbreak and anguish. On Wednesday, September 6, 2017, the House approved $7.85 billion for relief efforts in Texas and Louisiana, consisting of $7.4 billion for the FEMA Disaster Recovery Fund (DRF) and $450 million for the SBA Disaster Loan program. To this amount the Senate added $7.4 billion in funds to be distributed to states and communities through HUD's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. These CDBG funds can be used for disaster relief, long-term recovery, infrastructure restoration, housing, and economic revitalization. FEMA's DRF funding is mostly allocated for three programs: 1. Public Assistance Program, which helps communities cover the costs of repairing and replacing public buildings, infrastructure, and utilities, as well as emergency costs for debris removal and other needs; 2. Individual Assistance Program, which provides funding for temporary housing, property repairs, medical treatment, moving costs, and other needs; and 3. Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which offers funding to reduce damages from future disasters. Typically, FEMA covers 75 percent of the costs for DRF-funded projects so I am very pleased that the President agreed that in the unprecedented circumstances of this case, a higher reimbursement level was warranted and acceded to my request that FEMA be authorized and directed to reimburse Harris County and other affected local governments 90% for debris removal, including direct Federal assistance; and 100% percent for emergency protective measures for 30 days from the start of the incident period and at 90% thereafter. Mr. Speaker, it is not an exaggeration to regard as unprecedented the damage wrought on Southeast Texas by Hurricane Harvey beginning 14 days ago, on August 25, 2017, when it made landfall for the first time in the state of Texas, just north of the city of Corpus Christi. Before it was finished, Hurricane Harvey dropped 21 trillion gallons of rainfall on Texas and Louisiana, most of it on the Houston Metroplex. To put in perspective the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey, the volume of water that fell on Houston and other affected areas of Texas and Louisiana could fill more than 24,000 Astrodomes or supply the water for the raging Niagara Falls for 15 days. Whole sections of Houston, Beaumont, Bayou City, Port Arthur, and other cities were underwater for days. Hurricane Harvey was a 1,000 year storm that has to date claimed the lives of at least 30 persons, including a 34-year veteran of the Houston Police Department and a family of six who perished in Greens Bayou while trying to evacuate their flooded home and community. It also claimed the life of a Dreamer, Alonso Guillen, a young Houstonian who came to Texas from Mexico as a teenager, and who died when his boat capsized while he was rescuing survivors of the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. Neither Houston nor any city in the nation has ever experienced flooding of the magnitude caused by Hurricane Harvey. The statistics are staggering. 21 trillion gallons of rainfall fell in Texas and Louisiana in the first five days of the storm. The estimated maximum sustained winds exceeded 130 miles per hour as the hurricane made landfall near Rockport, Texas on August 25. A record 4,323 days, which is nearly 12 years, elapsed since a major hurricane (Category 3 or above) made landfall in the United States prior to Hurricane Harvey; the last Category 3 hurricane to hit the United States was Hurricane Wilma in 2005, the same year Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans. The city of Cedar Bayou received 51.88 inches of rainfall, breaking the record for rainfall from a single storm in the continental United States; my city of Houston received more than 50 inches of rainfall. More than 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area and more than 30,000 persons are expected to be forced out of their homes due to the storm. More than 8,800 federal personnel were staff deployed to help respond to Hurricane Harvey, supplying approximately 2.9 million meals, 2.8 million liters of water, 37,000 tarps, and 130 generators. In the first three days of the storm, more than 49,000 homes that had suffered flood damage and more than 1,000 homes were completely destroyed in the storm. And today, two weeks later, thousands of Texans are still without permanent and stable housing situations. That is why the additional $7.4 billion in CDBG funding provided in the legislation is desperately needed. Mr. Speaker, valiant emergency responders in my state worked to exhaustion, with an invaluable assist from citizen volunteers, to rescue their neighbors and save lives. That is who Texans are and this is what we do. We do not yet know the full cost in human lives exacted by Hurricane Harvey. But what we do know is that the costs of recovery and reconstruction will far exceed any natural disaster in memory; best estimates place the cost in the range of $150-$200 billion. Mr. Speaker, there is much more work to be done in my city of Houston, and across the areas affected by the terrible, awesome storm that will be forever known simply as Hurricane Harvey. That is why I strongly support the legislation pending before us appropriating $15.3 billion as the initial response of the Congress to the damage caused by an epic storm. I must emphasize that what we are considering here is the initial response because much more funding will be needed for Houston--the nation's fourth largest city--and Southeast Texas to recover and rebuild. And it is also why I have introduced, joined by more than 40 House colleagues, H.R. 3686, the Hurricane Sandy Supplemental Appropriations Act, which, when passed by Congress and signed into law, would provide $174 billion in aid to assist the areas affected by Hurricane Harvey recover, rebuild, and restore their communities to their previous greatness. I urge all Members to join me in support of H.R. 601 and to commit to providing our fellow Americans in Texas and Louisiana all of the help and support they need to restore their communities to their previous greatness.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise to express my strong and unwavering support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) and unyielding opposition to the President's decision, announced by the Attorney General, to rescind a policy that liberated 800,000 young persons--124,000 of them in Texas--from the shadows of life, welcomed them into the mainstream, and encouraged them to realize their potential and achieve the American Dream. At the heart of the Trump Administration's cruel, and heartless, and misguided decision to rescind DACA is the specious claim that President Obama lacked the constitutional and statutory authority to take executive actions to implement the DACA policy. That is why I offered an amendment to Division C of Rules Committee Print 115-31 that would prohibit the Administration from using appropriated funds to implement its decision to rescind DACA. Specifically, that Jackson Lee Amendment provided the following section at the end of Division E of the bill: SEC.___. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Memorandum of September 5, 2017, from the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security pertaining to ``Rescission of the June 15, 2012 Memorandum Entitled ``Exercising Prosecutorial Discretion with Respect to Individuals Who Came to the United States as Children.'' Regrettably, this Jackson Lee Amendment was not made in order by the Rules Committee. There was no need for the President to make any decision about DACA right now; there was pending no real deadline, no actual court case, no legal requirement. Florida is bracing for the impact of Hurricane Irma and Houston is still struggling to recover and rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, one of the most catastrophic weather events in the nation's history. And in my congressional district, we are mourning the loss of the heroic DREAMER, Alonso Guillen, who came to the U.S. from Mexico as a child, and died here his boat capsized while he was rescuing survivors of the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area. The President and Attorney General should have focused on the crisis at hand and not created another one because of a made up deadline. There is no heart in ending DACA and leaving the fate of 800,000 young persons in limbo and at the mercy of a Republican Congress that has passed no major legislation and has no guarantee that the President would even sign a bill if they do. Republicans in Congress need to bring H.R. 3440, the Dream Act of 2017, to the floor right now and vote for it so it can pass both houses of Congress with a veto-proof majority. Mr. Chair, now let me briefly discuss why the executive actions taken by President Obama are reasonable, responsible, and within his constitutional authority. Pursuant to Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution, the President, the nation's Chief Executive, ``shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.'' In addition to establishing the President's obligation to execute the law, the Supreme Court has consistently interpreted the ``Take Care'' Clause as ensuring presidential control over those who execute and enforce the law and the authority to decide how best to enforce the laws. See, e.g., Arizona v. United States; Bowsher v. Synar; Buckley v. Valeo; Printz v. United States; Free Enterprise Fund v. PCAOB. Every law enforcement agency, including the agencies that enforce immigration laws, has ``prosecutorial discretion''--the inherent power to decide whom to investigate, arrest, detain, charge, and prosecute. Thus, enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), properly may exercise their discretion to devise and implement policies specific to the laws they are charged with enforcing, the population they serve, and the problems they face so that they can prioritize our nation's resources to meet mission critical enforcement goals. Mr. Chair, deferred action has been utilized in our nation for decades by Administrations headed by presidents of both parties without controversy or challenge. In fact, as far back as 1976, INS and DHS leaders have issued at least 11 different memoranda providing guidance on the use of similar forms of prosecutorial discretion. Executive authority to take action is thus ``fairly wide,'' and the federal government's discretion is extremely ``broad'' as the Supreme Court held in the recent case of Arizona v. United States, 132 S. Ct. 2492, 2499 (2012), an opinion written Justice Kennedy and joined by Chief Justice Roberts: ``Congress has specified which aliens may be removed from the United States and the procedures for doing so. Aliens may be removed if they were inadmissible at the time of entry, have been convicted of certain crimes, or meet other criteria set by federal law. Removal is a civil, not criminal, matter. A principal feature of the removal system is the broad discretion exercised by immigration officials. Federal officials, as an initial matter, must decide whether it makes sense to pursue removal at all. If removal proceedings commence, aliens may seek asylum and other discretionary relief allowing them to remain in the country or at least to leave without formal removal.'' (emphasis added) (citations omitted). The Court's decision in Arizona v. United States, also strongly suggests that the executive branch's discretion in matters of deportation may be exercised on an individual basis, or it may be used to protect entire classes of individuals such as ``[u]nauthorized workers trying to support their families'' or immigrants who originate from countries torn apart by internal conflicts: ``Discretion in the enforcement of immigration law embraces immediate human concerns. Unauthorized workers trying to support their families, for example, likely pose less danger than alien smugglers or aliens who commit a serious crime. The equities of an individual case may turn on many factors, including whether the alien has children born in the United States, long ties to the community, or a record of distinguished military service. Some discretionary decisions involve policy choices that bear on this Nation's international relations. Returning an alien to his own country may be deemed inappropriate even where he has committed a removable offense or fails to meet the criteria for admission. The foreign state may be mired in civil war, complicit in political persecution, or enduring conditions that create a real risk that the alien or his family will be harmed upon return. The dynamic nature of relations with other countries requires the Executive Branch to ensure that enforcement policies are consistent with this Nation's foreign policy with respect to these and other realities.'' Exercising thoughtful discretion in the enforcement of the nation's immigration law saves scarce taxpayer funds, optimizes limited resources, and produces results that are more humane and consistent with America's reputation as the most compassionate nation on earth. Mr. Chair, a DREAMER (an undocumented student) seeking to earn her college degree and aspiring to attend medical school to better herself and her new community is not a threat to the nation's security. Law abiding but unauthorized immigrants doing honest work to support their families pose far less danger to society than human traffickers, drug smugglers, or those who have committed a serious crime. President Obama was correct in concluding that exercising his discretion regarding the implementation of DACA enhances the safety of all members of the public, serves national security interests, and furthers the public interest in keeping families together. Mr. Chair, according to numerous studies conducted by the Congressional Budget Office, Social Security Administration, and Council of Economic Advisors, the DACA generates substantial economic benefits to our nation. For example, unfreezing DAPA and expanded DACA is estimated to increase GDP by $230 billion and create an average of 28,814 jobs per year over the next 10 years. That is a lot of jobs! Mr. Chair, in exercising his broad discretion in the area of removal proceedings, President Obama acted responsibly and reasonably in determining the circumstances in which it makes sense to pursue removal and when it does not. In exercising this broad discretion, President Obama did nothing was novel or unprecedented. Let me cite a just a few examples of executive action taken by American presidents, both Republican and Democratic, on issues affecting immigrants over the past 35 years: 1. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan used executive action in 1987 to allow 200,000 Nicaraguans facing deportation to apply for relief from expulsion and work authorization. 2. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter exercised parole authority to allow Cubans to enter the U.S., and about 123,000 ``Mariel Cubans'' were paroled into the U.S. by 1981. 3. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush issued an executive order that granted Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) to certain nationals of the People's Republic of China who were in the United States. 4. In 1992, the Bush administration granted DED to certain nationals of El Salvador. 5. In 1997, President Bill Clinton issued an executive order granting DED to certain Haitians who had arrived in the United States before Dec. 31, 1995. 6. In 2010, the Obama Administration began a policy of granting parole to the spouses, parents, and children of military members. Mr. Chair, because of President Obama's leadership and visionary executive action, 124,000 undocumented immigrants in my home state of Texas have received deferred action. 91 percent of these immigrants are employed or in school and contribute $6.3 billion annually to the Texas economy and $460.3 billion to the national economy. Mr. Chair, let me note that DACA was and is a welcome development but not a substitute for undertaking the comprehensive reform and modernization of the nation's immigration laws supported by the American people. Only Congress can do that. America's borders are dynamic, with constantly evolving security challenges. Border security must be undertaken in a manner that allows actors to use pragmatism and common sense. Comprehensive immigration reform is desperately needed to ensure that Lady Liberty's lamp remains the symbol of a land that welcomes immigrants to a community of immigrants and does so in a manner that secures our borders and protects our homeland. Instead of wasting time scapegoating DREAMERS, we should instead seize the opportunity to pass legislation that secures our borders, preserves America's character as the most open and welcoming country in the history of the world, and will yield hundreds of billions of dollars in economic growth.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of my amendment to Division A of H.R. 3354, the ``Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2018.'' Let me also thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their leadership in shepherding this bill to the floor. Among other agencies, this legislation funds the Smithsonian Institution, which operates our national museums, including the Air and Space Museum; the Museum of African Art; the Museum of the American Indian; and the National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian also operates another national treasure: the National Zoo. Mr. Chair, my amendment is simple but it sends a very important message from the Congress of the United States. The Jackson Lee Amendment simply provides that: ``Sec.___. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to limit outreach programs administered by the Smithsonian Institution.'' This amendment is identical to an amendment I offered to the Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for FY2008 (H.R. 2822) that was approved by voice vote on July 7, 2016. Mr. Chair, the Smithsonian's outreach programs bring Smithsonian scholars in art, history and science out of ``the nation's attic'' and into their own backyard. Each year, millions of Americans visit the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. But in order to fulfill the Smithsonian's mission, ``the increase and diffusion of knowledge,'' the Smithsonian seeks to serve an even greater audience by bringing the Smithsonian to enclaves of communities who otherwise would be deprived of the vast amount of cultural history offered by the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian's outreach programs serve millions of Americans, thousands of communities, and hundreds of institutions in all 50 states, through loans of objects, traveling exhibitions, and sharing of educational resources via publications, lectures and presentations, training programs, and websites. Smithsonian outreach programs work in close cooperation with Smithsonian museums and research centers, as well as with 144 affiliate institutions and others across the nation. The Smithsonian's outreach activities support community-based cultural and educational organizations around the country. They ensure a vital, recurring, and high-impact Smithsonian presence in all 50 states through the provision of traveling exhibitions and a network of affiliations. Smithsonian outreach programs increase connections between the Institution and targeted audiences (African American, Asian American, Latino, Native American, and new American) and provide kindergarten through college-age museum education and outreach opportunities. These outreach programs enhance K-12 science education programs, facilitate the Smithsonian's scholarly interactions with students and scholars at universities, museums, and other research institutions; and disseminate results related to the research and collections strengths of the Institution. The programs that provide the critical mass of Smithsonian outreach activity are: 1. the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES); 2. the Smithsonian Affiliations, the Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies (SCEMS); 3. National Science Resources Center (NSRC); 4. the Smithsonian Institution Press (SIP); 5. the Office of Fellowships (OF); and 6. the Smithsonian Associates (TSA), which receives no federal funding. To achieve the goal of increasing public engagement, SITES directs some of its federal resources to develop Smithsonian Across America: A Celebration of National Pride. This ``mobile museum,'' which will feature Smithsonian artifacts from the most iconic (presidential portraits, historic American flags, Civil War records, astronaut uniforms, etc.) to the simplest items of everyday life (family quilts, prairie schoolhouse furnishings, historic lunch boxes, multilingual store front and street signs, etc.), has been a long-standing organizational priority of the Smithsonian. SITES ``mobile museum'' is the only traveling exhibit format able to guarantee audience growth and expanded geographic distribution during sustained periods of economic retrenchment, but also because it is imperative for the many exhibitors nationwide who are struggling financially yet eager to participate in Smithsonian outreach. For communities still struggling to fully recover from the economic downturn, the ability of museums to present temporary exhibitions, the ``mobile museum'' promises to answer an ever-growing demand for Smithsonian shows in the field. A single, conventional SITES exhibit can reach a maximum of 12 locations over a two- to three-year period. In contrast, a ``mobile museum'' exhibit can visit up to three venues per week in the course of only one year, at no cost to the host institution or community. The net result is an increase by 150 in the number of outreach locations to which SITES shows can travel annually. And in addition to its flexibility in making short-term stops in cities and towns from coast-to-coast, a ``mobile museum'' has the advantage of being able to frequent the very locations where people live, work, and take part in leisure time activities. By establishing an exhibit presence in settings like these, SITES will not only increase its annual visitor participation by 1 million, but also advance a key Smithsonian performance objective: to develop exhibit approaches that address diverse audiences, including population groups not always affiliated with mainstream cultural institutions. SITES also will be the public exhibitions' face of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture, as that new Museum comes online. Providing national access to projects that will introduce the American public to the Museum's mission, SITES in FY 2008 will tour such stirring exhibitions as NASA ART: 50 Years of Exploration; 381 Days: The Montgomery Bus Boycott Story; Beyond: Visions of Planetary Landscapes; The Way We Worked: Photographs from the National Archives; and More Than Words: Illustrated Letters from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art. To meet the growing demand among smaller community and ethnic museums for an exhibition celebrating the Latino experience, SITES provided a scaled-down version of the National Museum of American History's 4,000- square-foot exhibition about legendary entertainer Celia Cruz. Two 1,500-square-foot exhibitions, one about Crow Indian history and the other on basket traditions, will give Smithsonian visitors beyond Washington a taste of the Institution's critically acclaimed National Museum of the American Indian. Two more exhibits, ``In Plane View'' and ``Earth from Space,'' provided visitors an opportunity to experience the Smithsonian's recently opened, expansive National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. For almost 30 years, The Smithsonian Associates--the highly regarded educational arm of the Smithsonian Institution--has arranged Scholars in the Schools programs. Through this tremendously successful and well-received educational outreach program, the Smithsonian shares its staff--hundreds of experts in art, history and science--with the national community at a local level. The mission of Smithsonian Affiliations is to build a strong national network of museums and educational organizations in order to establish active and engaging relationships with communities throughout the country. There are currently 138 affiliates located in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Panama. By working with museums of diverse subject areas and scholarly disciplines, both emerging and well-established, Smithsonian Affiliations is building partnerships through which audiences and visitors everywhere will be able to share in the great wealth of the Smithsonian while building capacity and expertise in local communities. The National Science Resources Center (NSRC) strives to increase the number of ethnically diverse students participating in effective science programs based on NSRC products and services. The Center develops and implements a national outreach strategy that will increase the number of school districts (currently more than 800) that are implementing NSRC K-8 programs. The NSRC is striving to further enhance its program activity with a newly developed scientific outreach program introducing communities and school districts to science through literacy initiatives. In addition, through the building of the multicultural Alliance Initiative, the Smithsonian's outreach programs seek to develop new approaches to enable the public to gain access to Smithsonian collections, research, education, and public programs that reflect the diversity of the American people, including underserved audiences of ethnic populations and persons with disabilities. For all these reasons, Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of the Jackson Lee Amendment and thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their courtesies, consideration, and very fine work in putting together this excellent legislation. Mr. Chair, I also want to thank you for this opportunity to speak in support of my amendments to Division A of H.R. 3354, the Interior and Environment Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2018 and to commend Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their leadership in shepherding this bill through the legislative process. Among other agencies, this legislation funds the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park System, and the Smithsonian Institution, which operates our national museums including the National Zoo. Mr. Chair, my amendment is simple but it sends a very important message from the Congress of the United States. The Jackson Lee Amendment emphasizes the importance of Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships and urban forests, and preserves our ability to return urban areas to healthy and safe living environments for our children. Similar amendments were offered and accepted in the Interior and Environment Appropriations Acts for Fiscal Year 2017 (H.R. 2822), Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 2643), and Fiscal Year 2007 (H.R. 5386), and were adopted by voice vote. Mr. Chair, surveys indicate that some urban forests are in serious danger. In the past 30 years alone, we have lost 30 percent of all our urban trees--a loss of over 600 million trees. Eighty percent (80 percent) of the American population lives in the dense quarters of a city. Reforestation programs return a tool of nature to a concrete area that can help to remove air pollution, filter out chemicals and agricultural waste in water, and save communities millions of dollars in storm water management costs. I have certainly seen neighborhoods in Houston benefit from urban reforestation. In addition, havens of green in the middle of a city can have beneficial effects on a community's health, both physical and psychological, as well as increase property value of surrounding real estate. Reforestation of cities is an innovative way of combating urban sprawl and deterioration. Mr. Chair, a real commitment to enhancing our environment involves both the protection of existing natural resources and active support for restoration and improvement projects. Several years ago, American Forests, a leading conservation group, estimated that the tree cover lost in the greater Washington metropolitan area from 1973 to 1997 resulted in an additional 540 million cubic feet of storm water runoff annually, which would have taken more than $1 billion in storm water control facilities to manage. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide, and produce oxygen. People breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. A typical person consumes about 38 lb of oxygen per year. A healthy tree, say a 32 ft tall ash tree, can produce about 260 lb of oxygen annually--two trees supply the oxygen needs of a person for a year! Trees help reduce pollution by capturing particulates like dust and pollen with their leaves. A mature tree absorbs from 120 to 240 lbs of the small particles and gases of air pollution. Trees help combat the effects of ``greenhouse'' gases, the increased carbon dioxide produced from burning fossil fuels that is causing our atmosphere to ``heat up.'' Trees help cool down the overall city environment by shading asphalt, concrete and metal surfaces. Buildings and paving in city centers create a heat-island effect. A mature tree canopy reduces air temperatures by about 5-10 degrees Fahrenheit. A 25 foot tree reduces annual heating and cooling costs of a typical residence by 8 to 12 percent, producing an average annual savings of $120 per American household. Proper tree plantings around buildings can slow winter winds, and reduce annual energy use for home heating by 4-22 percent. Mr. Chair, trees play a vital role in making our cities more sustainable and more livable. The Jackson Lee Amendment simply provides for continued support to programs like Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnerships that reforest our urban areas. For all these reasons, Mr. Chair, I urge adoption of the Jackson Lee Amendment and thank Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member McCollum for their courtesies, consideration, and very fine work in putting together this legislation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I want to quickly thank the gentlewoman from the great State of Minnesota, thank the gentleman from California, and just very quickly say that I come with my amendments, but I also come just to acknowledge the pending storm in Florida and Hurricane Harvey because our arts communities were underwater, and they are still underwater. I offered amendments that deal with preservation of heritage areas, urban reforestation, and the Smithsonian outreach. I thank my colleagues for putting it in the en bloc. But as I do so, I want to take note of, again, all of the debris and be able to say that, in the course of hurricanes, historic entities are impacted. We are looking to establish an emancipation trail, and one of my most important amendments is to ensure that there is national policy to preserve, for public use, historic sites, buildings, and objects of national significance for the inspiration and benefit of people of the United States. My community is looking for that emancipation trail, but it starts from Galveston. We have not yet been able to assess whether any of those historic markers and places were destroyed by Hurricane Harvey. So the funding for the Interior Department and the aspects that come under the Interior Department, the jurisdictional issue is very important to us because we will have to look to see if our historic entities have been preserved. In the midst of debris and danger that our constituents face, this is equally important, and it is equally important to restore the symphony, to restore the ballet and our theater, all of them underwater in my congressional district. I hope, as we move forward, H.R. 3686, Hurricane Harvey supplemental appropriation that we have filed that will embrace all of these issues, will be considered. I thank my colleagues for those amendments. And, again, in the course of a storm, the history of people is jeopardized, and my amendments deal with preserving the history of our people. Maybe, as we come out of this, we will create the emancipation trail that is part of my amendment.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the Speaker, and I thank the gentlewoman from New York. Having known the devastation of hurricanes just a couple of years ago, I thank her, and along with her as the ranking minority member, the chairman as well, both coming from the region where they faced the same devastation. We come together united. We come bipartisan. We come as friends. As I said at the NRG shelter just a few days ago, we have hope. We have hope. We are grateful that we are beginning the process of recovery with the over $7 billion now being allotted for disaster recovery, $450 million of that being for small businesses. The need is great. Twelve days ago, on August 25, Hurricane Harvey hit this coast, and it hit Texas in a very hard way. To put in perspective the devastation brought by Hurricane Harvey, the volume of water that fell on Houston and other affected areas of Texas and Louisiana could fill more than 24,000 Astrodomes. Hurricane Harvey was a thousand-year storm. It claimed many, many lives. Twenty-one trillion gallons of rainfall fell in Texas. Sustained winds exceeded 130 miles an hour. I cannot thank, enough, those who gathered and helped, from the local officials, from Mayor Sylvester Turner and Judge Emmett, to Mayor Aaron in Humble, to Mayor Diaz in Jacinto City--cities in my congressional district--to the many volunteers, the Cajun Navy. And might I thank the Texas National Guard--they were standing up--the Marines, the Navy, and, of course, the Army. We traveled with them. I thank the Military Museum of Armed Forces that traveled with me to give out food. We are still in need. Thousands of people without apartments who have been evicted have been told to go. As I walked the streets of Humble, Texas, in my district, piles and piles and piles of rubbish, people's homes and possessions, even though they had their family and lives, all of their possessions out on the front. This is a time for us to rise without obstacles. This is a time for us to ensure that all people can be protected. I would like to highlight the DREAMer that died, Alonso Guillen, who came all the way from Lufkin, Texas, just be able to save those who he saw were in need. We need to be able to ensure that he is not discriminated against or my constituents in certain parts of my district who are afraid to seek help simply because they are unstatused. My friends, I know we can find a pathway forward. I know that we can find a pathway to reauthorize DACA and to do it as soon as possible in tribute to Alonso Guillen, who died with friends when he brought his boat, of his own accord, to be able to come and save those. Let me tell you what we need. We need housing resources. We need to ensure that we have housing resources to make sure that the people who were evicted can make sure that they have a way to have a home. We need small business resources. I want to thank the gentlewoman for her time, and I know that we will be working together and making a difference for those who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey. My prayers for those who are impacted by Hurricane Irma. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3672, which provides $7.85 billion in supplemental appropriations as the Congress's initial response to the massive damaged inflicted on Southeast Texas and Louisiana by Hurricane Harvey. The speed with which the bipartisan leadership drafted and shepherded this legislation to the floor bodes well for the major challenges that must be met and overcome if Congress if the victims of Hurricane Harvey are to recover from the storm's awful wrath and rebuild their decimated communities. I thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Lowey, and Speaker Ryan and Democratic Leader Pelosi, for bringing this initial supplemental funding bill to the floor in a timely manner and which lets the people of Texas and Louisiana know that the American people stand in solidarity with them in their moment of heartbreak and anguish. Mr. Speaker, just 12 days, on August 25, 2017, Hurricane Harvey made landfall for the first time in the state of Texas, just north of the city of Corpus Christi. Before it was finished, Hurricane Harvey dropped 21 trillion gallons of rainfall on Texas and Louisiana, most of it on the Houston Metroplex. To put in perspective the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey, the volume of water that fell on Houston and other affected areas of Texas and Louisiana could fill more than 24,000 Astrodomes or supply the water for the raging Niagara Falls for 15 days. Whole sections of Houston, Beaumont, Bayou City, Port Arthur, and other cities were underwater for days. Hurricane Harvey was a 1,000 year storm that has to date claimed the lives of at least 30 persons, including a 34-year veteran of the Houston Police Department and a family of six who perished in Greens Bayou while trying to evacuate their flooded home and community. It also claimed the life of a Dreamer, Alonso Guillen, a young Houstonian who came to Texas from Mexico as a teenager, and who died when his boat capsized while he was rescuing survivors of the flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. Neither Houston nor any city in the nation has ever experienced flooding of the magnitude caused by Hurricane Harvey. The statistics are staggering. 21 trillion gallons of rainfall fell in Texas and Louisiana in the first five days of the storm. The estimated maximum sustained winds exceeded 130 miles per hour as the hurricane made landfall near Rockport, Texas on August 25. A record 4,323 days, which is nearly 12 years, elapsed since a major hurricane (Category 3 or above) made landfall in the United States prior to Hurricane Harvey; the last Category 3 hurricane to hit the United States was Hurricane Wilma in 2005, the same year Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans. The city of Cedar Bayou received 51.88 inches of rainfall, breaking the record for rainfall from a single storm in the continental United States; my city of Houston received more than 5o inches of rainfall. More than 13,000 people have been rescued in the Houston area and more than 30,000 persons are expected to be forced out of their homes due to the storm. More than 8,800 federal personnel were staff deployed to help respond to Hurricane Harvey, supplying approximately 2.9 million meals, 2.8 million liters of water, 37,000 tarps, and 130 generators. In the first three days of the storm, more than 49,000 homes that had suffered flood damage and more than 1,000 homes were completely destroyed in the storm. Mr. Speaker, valiant emergency responders are overextended and citizen rescues have become a critical source of assistance in saving lives. Local authorities closed major freeways, airports, and schools. Emergency shelters are filled to capacity and efforts to rescue residents continue around the clock. The anticipated cost of removing debris is expected to dwarf the $70 million spent by Houston removing debris after Hurricane Ike in 2008. We do not yet know the full cost in human lives exacted by Hurricane Harvey. But what we do know is that the costs of recovery and reconstruction will far exceed any natural disaster in memory; best estimates place the cost in the range of $150-$200 billion. Mr. Speaker, there is much work to be done in my city of Houston, and across the areas affected by the terrible, awesome storm that will be forever known simply as Hurricane Harvey. That is why I strongly support the legislation pending before us appropriating $7.85 billion as the initial response of the Congress to the damage caused by an epic storm. I must emphasize that what we are considering here is the initial response because much more funding will be needed for Houston--the nation's fourth largest city--and Southeast Texas to recover and rebuild. For that reason, I urge all Members to join me in support of H.R. 3672 and to commit to providing our fellow Americans in Texas and Louisiana all of the help and support they need to restore their communities to their previous greatness.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, to the distinguished gentlewoman, I come now to just stand on behalf of our delegation to be able to say, as I said earlier, I acknowledge the pain of Sandy. But I now come to make sure that we all understand that this first crunch is only the beginning. We are going to put in legislation that asks for $180 billion, recognizing the hard work of appropriators, and letting you know that people's lives, as we walk through the debris that is in front of every house--it is painful. It is long lasting. So I just wanted to come to give my thanks and to ask: Will you please stand with me for the long journey that is going to be needed for the infrastructure we build; new dams that are 30 years old; and housing issues that will not end today; and the massive eviction of people in apartments? Not cruelly, I hope, but they are getting eviction notices with no place to go. Mr. Speaker, so I ask that we as Americans join for the long haul, the long destiny, with prayers for all. I thank Mrs. Lowey for yielding to me so that we can talk about the long haul. God bless America.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect Deyanira, a DACA recipient, who is in my State, who is majoring in neuroscience at the University of Texas at Austin.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his leadership, and the manager of this appropriations process. I cannot start a discussion of my particular amendment, very briefly--and I thank my colleagues for the amendment being included in the en bloc--without again mentioning the devastation in the Gulf Coast region and the need that we have on all aspects of recovery, and will look forward to an effective investment for the long haul. My amendment contributes to that aspect, and that is that the amendment makes a modest $500,000 increase to the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Research and Education Activities account. The intent of the amendment is to enable the NIFA to increase funding by $500,000 to 1890 institutions, which are HBCU land grant colleges, to support education, research, and scholarship at HBCUs. The amendment is paid for by an offset of $944,000 in the chief information officer account. The offset is budget neutral and reduces outlays by $1 million, according to the CBO. This particular amendment supports the work of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture by making a modest increase that will help our land grant colleges. It will help our land grant colleges in the context of them contributing, one, to a better understanding of food deserts, better understanding of expanding opportunities for research, economic analysis, extension in higher education, and it also will be supportive of colleges that, in many instances, are impacted by natural disasters. The HBCUs have been leaders in agricultural research.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Some of the colleges that I am speaking of will be major contributors in the concept of expanded food access for many of our communities. Mr. Chair, I want to thank the gentleman for extending the time to me. The amendment is a good amendment and it would benefit rural, suburban, and urban areas by maximizing the potential for farming activity in those areas where green space is limited or land is underused. Again, the combination of agricultural fighting against food deserts, which many of my constituents are facing now after Hurricane Harvey, is an important extended impact that I think will be helpful as we go forward. I thank my colleagues for their support of the Jackson Lee amendment No. 13.

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