Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance and recognition of the life of Sarid Chaim Shahdaiah, and Quincy Gemal Williams two very accomplished young men who tragically lost their lives in a car accident on December 3, 2014. Many parents, teachers, neighbors and young people hope to find the kindness and dedication that these two young men exhibited regularly as sons, students, friends and incredibly well-rounded, commendable young men. The achievements these young men earned far exceed the highest expectations of any proud parent or community member in awe of exceptional young leaders in today's America. I understand as well, that in recognition and honor of his pursuit of excellence, several highly esteemed universities expressed interest in Sarid, hoping that he would join their respected student bodies. I was thoroughly impressed to learn that, through his dedication to his studies, Sarid earned a grade point average of 3.6 and was inducted into the National Society of High School Scholars. As a highly accomplished student-athlete, he served the U.S.A. International Football Team as Captain, Team Ambassador and starting linebacker, in addition to exalting fervent school pride, during his junior year as a highly valued teammate of the DeKaney Wildcats, his high school varsity track and football teams. Expanding the bounds of his requisite studies, he explored his curiosities for the world of science becoming a member of the Texas High School Engineering Career and Technology Council. I join his family and many admirers in genuinely celebrating Sarid's life and outstanding contributions. Quincy was a beaming light of talent and happiness. Affectionately called by his parents a ``Junior'', Quincy was one of the most outgoing, lovable kids that a parent could ever want. Quincy was one of the world's best comedians. He had the ability to make anyone who came into contact with him laugh. All who knew Quincy admired his prowess for presentation--deemed one of the ``sharpest'' brothers you'd meet. Although young in body Mr. Williams was old in song; He was a profound lover of any and all Motown Performers and would listen to them regularly. While at Andy DeKaney High School Quincy became branded as the ``Soul Brother'' of the football team. Quincy was also a highly valued teammate of the DeKaney Wildcats high school varsity track team. Quincy and Sarid were not only classmates and teammates, they were bonded and talented friends who earned the love and respect by all those who knew them. These two young men cultivated their efforts, positioning themselves to successfully matriculate in May of 2016; and, but for their ill- fated passing, would by all accounts have celebrated their well- deserved accomplishments with their families as a milestone achievement in their young lives. While I have no doubt they would have realized countless ambitions, we are left to accept that their dreams of immeasurable magnitude now rest with them. These young men worked hard and touched many lives with their ambition and dedicated commitments to their families, friends, school and their community. I cannot think of a more solemn manner of celebrating their life than to honor their efforts by bestowing upon their families recognition of the achievement for which they so ardently strode. In the words of Booker T. Washington ``character is power''. Character truly is power and that power was present in the lives of these prolific young men. Yes, their lives were cut short, but with what time they did have they effectively made the best of it. Heaven has truly gained a dynamic pair of angels, while young Sarid and Quincy's families lost their most promising stars. Please join me in a moment of silence for the life of Sarid Chaim Shahdaiah and Quincy Gemal Williams.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance and recognition of the life of Sarid Chaim Shahdaiah, and Quincy Gemal Williams two very accomplished young men who tragically lost their lives in a car accident on December 3, 2014. Many parents, teachers, neighbors and young people hope to find the kindness and dedication that these two young men exhibited regularly as sons, students, friends and incredibly well-rounded, commendable young men. The accomplishment these young men earned far exceed the highest expectations of any proud parent or community member in awe of exceptional young leaders in today's America. I understand as well, that in recognition and honor of his pursuit of excellence, several highly esteemed universities expressed interest in Mr. Shahdaiah, hoping that he would join their respected student bodies. I was thoroughly impressed to learn that, through his dedication to his studies; Mr. Shahdaiah earned a grade point average of 3.6 and was inducted into the National Society of High School Scholars. As a highly accomplished student-athlete, he served the U.S.A. International Football Team as Captain, Team Ambassador and starting linebacker, in addition to exalting fervent school pride, during his junior year as a highly valued teammate of the Dekaney Wildcats, his high school varsity track and football teams. Expanding the bounds of his requisite studies, he explored his curiosities for the world of science becoming a member of the Texas High School Engineering Career and Technology Council. I join his family and many admirers in genuinely celebrating Mr. Shahdaiah's life and outstanding contributions. Quincy was one of the world's best comedians; he had the ability to make anyone who came into contact with him laugh. All who knew Mr. Williams admired his prowess for presentation. Deemed one of the ``Sharpest'' brothers you'd meet. Mr. Williams was affectionately called by his parents a ``Junior''; and was one of the most outgoing, lovable kids that a parent could ever want. Although young in body Mr. Williams was old in song; he was a profound lover of any and all Motown Performers and would listen to them regularly. While at Andy Dekaney High school Quincy became branded as the ``Soul Brother'' of the football team. These two young men cultivated their efforts, positioning themselves to successfully matriculate in May of 2016; and, but for their ill- fated passing, would by all accounts have celebrated their well- deserved accomplishments with their families as a milestone achievement in their young lives. While I have no doubt they would have realized countless ambitions, we are left to accept that their dreams of immeasurable magnitude now rest with them. These young men worked hard. I cannot think of a more solemn manner of celebrating their life than to honor their efforts by bestowing upon their families recognition of the achievement for which they so ardently strode. In the words of Booker T. Washington ``Character is power''. Character truly is power and that power was present in the lives of these prolific young men. Yes, their lives were cut short, but with what time they did have they effectively made the best of it. Heaven has truly gained a dynamic pair of angels, while young Mr. Shahdaiah's and Mr. Williams families lost their most promising stars. Please join me in a moment of silence for the life of Sarid Chaim Shahdaiah and Quincy Gemal Williams.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, during this season when the American people are selecting the next Commander in Chief, I would like to offer that this is a time to discuss the issues of economic opportunity, a time for discussion of furthering health care, and working to create jobs for the American people. This is not the time for the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party to call for debates that are frivolous and for entertainment. We in the United States Congress have to do our jobs. We need to confirm the next United States Supreme Court Justice. The Senate needs to do its job under the Constitution. We need to pass $1.9 billion for the Zika virus because right now 200-plus pregnant women are infected with the Zika virus here in the United States of America, and one child born with the impact of brain damage, no brain, will cost us $10 million, $1 million a year. It is time now that we respond in a responsible manner, and those who are seeking the Presidency of the United States must stop the frivolousness and the downgrading of the Constitution and the denigrating of the people of the United States of America. I look forward to a vigorous debate, and I look forward to an election in November befitting the American people.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the ranking member, Ms. Kaptur, her staff, and the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Simpson, and staff and others because they have been working hard. I want to emphasize that this is an amendment that was approved and adopted in an identical form on April 29, 2015, during the 114th Congress, as an amendment to H.R. 2028, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. I do this amendment because I do believe it is extremely important. If you travel around this country, whether it is Silicon Valley, whether it is NASA, whether it is dealing with energy resources, renewable and otherwise, you realize the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math. Twenty years ago, Mr. Chairman, on February 11, 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, directing Federal agencies to identify and address the disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their actions on minority and low- income populations. The Department of Energy seeks to provide equal access to these opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM, including minorities, Native Americans, and women. We need professionals in these areas to be able to assess the various impacts, environmental impacts, on the minority community. But, more importantly, we also need our organizations, such as Historically Black Colleges and other colleges, to make sure to include opportunities for minority and women students. They make up 70 percent of college students, but only 45 percent of undergraduate STEM degree holders. This large pool of untapped talent is a great potential source of STEM professionals. As the Nation's demographics change, I think it is imperative that we emphasize in the various Federal agencies that we need to provide and extend opportunities for minorities in science, technology, engineering, and math. Earlier today, I had the opportunity to visit with Scott Kelly. One would call him the miracle astronaut, spending over 300 days on the International Space Station. The International Space Station was the entity built some years ago when I was on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. But to realize that a human being tested himself to stay, an American making history. I believe science, technology, engineering, and math commemorates and celebrates the giant work of Scott Kelly, but it produces more Scott Kellys. I applaud Energy Secretary Moniz's commitment, which will increase the Nation's economic competitiveness and enable more of our people to realize their full potential. I would ask my colleagues to support this amendment, as it has been supported in the past, to again, through this legislation, emphasize the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math. I ask support for the Jackson Lee amendment. Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity to describe my amendment, which simply provides that: ``None of the funds made available by this Act for `Department of Energy--Energy Programs--Science' may be used in contravention of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.).'' This amendment was approved and adopted in identical form on April 29, 2015, during the 114th Congress as an amendment to H.R. 2028, the Energy and Water Resources Appropriations Act of 2016. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their stewardship in bringing this legislation to the floor and for their commitment to preserving America's great natural environment and resources so that they can serve and be enjoyed by generations to come. Mr. Chair, twenty years ago, on February 11, 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, directing federal agencies to identify and address the disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their actions on minority and low-income populations. The Department of Energy seeks to provide equal access in these opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM, including minorities, Native Americans, and women. Mr. Chair, women and minorities make up 70 percent of college students, but only 45 percent of undergraduate STEM degree holders. This large pool of untapped talent is a great potential source of STEM professionals. As the nation's demographics are shifting and now most children under the age of one are minorities, it is critical that we close the gap in the number of minorities who seek STEM opportunities. I applaud the Energy Secretary Moniz's commitment which will increase the nation's economic competitiveness and enable more of our people to realize their full potential. Mr. Chair, there are still a great many scientific riddles left to be solved--and perhaps one of these days a minority engineer or biologist will come-up with some of the solutions. The larger point is that we need more STEM educators and more minorities to qualify for them. The energy and science education programs funded in part by this bill will help ensure that members of underrepresented communities are not placed at a disadvantage when it comes to the environmental sustainability, preservation, and health. Through education about the importance of environmental sustainability, we can promote a broader understanding of science and how citizens can improve their surroundings. Through community education efforts, teachers and students have also benefitted by learning about radiation, radioactive waste management, and other related subjects. The Department of Energy places interns and volunteers from minority institutions into energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The DOE also works to increase low income and minority access to STEM fields and help students attain graduate degrees as well as find employment. With the continuation of this kind of funding, we can increase diversity, provide clean energy options to our most underserved communities, and help improve their environments, which will yield better health outcomes and greater public awareness. But most importantly businesses will have more consumers to whom they may engage in related commercial activities. My amendment will help ensure that underrepresented communities are able to participate and contribute equitably in the energy and scientific future. I ask my colleagues to join me and support the Jackson Lee Amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, my previous amendment dealt with the Investigations account, which is the predecessor to the Construction account. Before I begin the discussion, let me say that I took to the floor of the House in May, after the floods occurred in Houston, and had a moment of silence for the eight people who had died in those floods. Mr. Chair, this was not a hurricane, and it was not a tornado. It was hard rain that caused individuals in their cars to drown. It was very, very tragic. Some going to work, some nurses, some students who were drowning in their cars. This is what it looked like in my district. It looked the same way in 2015 and again in 2016. The Construction account, for which I want to thank Ms. Kaptur and Mr. Simpson, has $1.94 billion. I believe the Construction account is very important to Members across the Nation. Certainly, it is important to the Houston-Harris County region, with other counties around. As the Federal agency that collects and studies basic information pertaining to river and harbor flood and storm damage and shore protection, this is important construction money that will be vital to preventing this kind of catastrophe--first a study, then the construction. The areas that may be impacted by the Army Corps' resources include Sims Bayou, Greens Bayou, Brays Bayou, White Oak Bayou, Hunting Bayou, and Clear Creek Bayou. These are the areas that spilt over and caused the enormous damage. On April 15, 2016, an estimated 240 billion gallons of water fell in the Houston area over a 12-hour period, which resulted in several areas exceeding the 100- to 500-year flood event. That is why these construction dollars are so important. The areas that experienced these historic rainfalls were west of I-45, north of I-10 and Greens Bayou-- my congressional district, among others. Finally, during the May 2015 Houston flood, 3,000 homes were flooded, and eight people died. During the April 2016 Houston flood, 5,400 homes were flooded, and, again, eight deaths were recorded. As for my previous numbers, April 15, 2016, was when they had this constant rain--240 billion gallons. The economic damage caused by the 2015 Houston flood is estimated at $3 billion. This Construction account is so very important. I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment, which is the broader view of how these dollars can be utilized to save lives, in particular in regions that I happen to live in, which is the Houston-Harris County area. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for shepherding this legislation to the floor and for their commitment to preserving America's great natural environment and resources so that they can serve and be enjoyed by generations to come. My amendment speaks to the need for robust funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ``Construction'' account by redirecting $100 million for increased funding for critical construction projects, like those current and future projects proposed for the Houston/Harris County metropolitan area. Mr. Chair, I am pleased that H.R. 5055 provides $1.945 billion for the Construction account. As the federal agency that collects and studies basic information pertaining to river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and conducts detailed studies, plans, and specifications for river and harbor, and flood and storm damage reduction, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plays a critical role in building, maintaining, and expanding the most critical of the nation's infrastructure. We understand this very well in my home state of Texas and the Eighteenth Congressional District that I represent. The Army Corps of Engineers has been working with the Harris County Flood Control District since 1937 to reduce the risk of flooding within Harris County. Current projects include 6 federal flood risk management projects: 1. Sims Bayou 2. Greens Bayou 3. Brays Bayou 4. White Oak Bayou 5. Hunting Bayou, and 6. Clear Creek In addition to these ongoing projects, the Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains the Addicks and Barker (A&B) Detention Dams in northwest Harris County. Such a study is certainly needed given the frequency and severity of historic-level flood events in recent years in and around the Houston metropolitan area. It is clear that much more needs to be done to minimize the vulnerability of the nation's 4th largest metropolitan area and economic engine from the flood damage. On April 15, 2016, an estimated 240 billion gallons of water fell in the Houston area over a 12 hour period, which resulted in several areas exceeding the 100 to 500 year flood event record. The areas that experienced these historic rainfalls were west of 1- 45, north of I 10, and Greens Bayou. Additionally, an estimated 140 billion gallons of water fell over the Cypress Creek, Spring Creek, and Addicks watershed in just 14 hours. Mr. Chair, during the May 2015 Houston flood, 3,015 homes were flooded and 8 persons died; during the April 2016 Houston flood, 5,400 homes were flooded and 8 deaths recorded. The economic damage caused by the 2015 Houston flood is estimated at $3 billion; the 2016 estimate is being compiled and is estimated to be well above $2 billion. Mr. Chair, minimizing the risk of flood damage to the Houston and Harris County metropolitan area, the nation's 4th largest, is a matter of national significance because the region is one of the nation's major technology, energy, finance, export and medical centers: 1. Port of Houston is the largest bulk port in the world; 2. Texas Medical Center is a world renowned teaching, research and treatment center; 3. Houston is home to the largest conglomeration of foreign bank representation and second only to New York City as home to the most Fortune 500 companies; and 4. The Houston Watershed Assessment study area sits within major Hurricane Evacuation arteries for the larger Galveston Gulf Coast region. I ask my colleagues to join me and support the Jackson Lee Amendment. I thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their work in shepherding this bill to the floor. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, allow me again to thank Mr. Simpson and Ms. Kaptur for their work on this energy and water bill that is so very important, and emphasize the importance of this legislation to many and all regions of the United States of America. My amendment speaks to the need for robust funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers investigations account. Let me be very clear. It speaks to the general need for robust funding for the investigations account, and it speaks to it in terminology of redirecting $3 million for increased funding for postdisaster watershed assessment studies, like the one that is being contemplated for the Houston/Harris County metropolitan area. It does this to emphasize the importance of the investigations account, not to single out a particular project, but for describing a project, which I will take time to do. I am pleased that H.R. 5055 provides $120 million for the investigations account. This is very important to the Army Corps of Engineers. As a Federal agency that collects and studies basic information pertaining to river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and conducts detailed studies, plans, and specifications for river and harbor, and flood and storm damage reduction, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plays a critical role in building, maintaining, and expanding the most critical of the Nation's infrastructure. We understand this very well in my home State of Texas and the 18th Congressional District. Over the last 2 years, Mr. Chairman, 2 years around the exact same time, we didn't have something called a hurricane. We had a heavy rain in April-May of 2015 and April of 2016. 2016 had 20 inches of rain, which was enormous. The damage was unbelievable. Let me cite for you the words from the Greater Houston Partnership that supports this amendment: ``Perhaps the most telling statistic of all: based on the 7,021 calls the United Way of Greater Houston has received through its 2-1-1 line, 1,937 calls have been requests for `food replacement.''' The amount of money that was lost was $1.9 billion in damage during the weeks that followed the storm, which includes damage to homes, cars, schools, parks, churches, roadways, and other important elements of our infrastructure. This is what we faced in Houston, Texas. I am recounting that and indicating that we believe this investigations account is so very important. It will have the opportunity, through a $3 million study, to deal with the bayous that are located in the larger Houston/Harris County area: Sims Bayou, Greens Bayou, Brays Bayou, White Oak Bayou, Hunting Bayou, and Clear Creek. Again, let me be very clear. As the Army Corps of Engineers works through their work study program, this investigations account will be enormously important. We have also received a letter from Members of the United States Congress supporting the study of all of the bayous in our community. We want to ensure that the account is robust to provide that possible opportunity. Let me indicate to my colleagues again, the investigations account is $120 million. We rise to support it. We also rise to acknowledge the need for the utilization of those funds all over America, and certainly in Houston/Harris County, Texas, and the surrounding counties, which will help us, through a study, have a better pathway to how we fix this, how do we not have this be Houston next year in 2017. Let me thank my colleagues. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the distinguished gentleman and the distinguished gentlewoman for their courtesies. I want the chairman to know that I have acknowledged in my written statement the funds that he has placed in the legislation. Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment as a very fine statement that contributes to this bill, to the people of the Nation, but also to the people of Texas and Houston. Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for shepherding this legislation to the floor and for their commitment to preserving America's great natural environment and resources so that they can serve and be enjoyed by generations to come. My amendment speaks to the need for robust funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ``Investigations'' account by redirecting $3 million for increases funding for post-disaster watershed assessment studies, like the one that is being contemplated for the Houston/Harris County metropolitan area. Mr. Chair, I am pleased that H.R. 5055 provides $120 million for the Investigations account. As the federal agency that collects and studies basic information pertaining to river and harbor, flood and storm damage reduction, shore protection, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and conducts detailed studies, plans, and specifications for river and harbor, and flood and storm damage reduction, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer plays a critical role in the building, maintaining, and expanding the most critical of the nation's infrastructure. We understand this very well in my home state of Texas and the Eighteenth Congressional District that I represent. The Army Corps of Engineers has been working with the Harris County I Flood Control District since 1937 to reduce the risk of flooding within Harris County. Current projects include 6 federal flood risk management projects: 1. Sims Bayou 2. Greens Bayou 3. Brays Bayou 4. White Oak Bayou 5. Hunting Bayou, and 6. Clear Creek In addition to these ongoing projects, the Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains the Addicks and Barker (A&B) Detention Dams in northwest Harris County. Mr. Chair, I am pleased that the bill provides that the Secretary of the Army may initiate up to six new study starts during fiscal year 2017, and that five of those studies are to consist studies where the majority of the benefits are derived from flood and storm damage reduction or from navigation transportation savings. I am optimistic that one of those new study starts will be the Houston Regional Watershed Assessment Flood Risk Management Feasibility study. Such a study is certainly needed given the frequency and severity of historic-level flood events in recent years in and around the Houston metropolitan area. On April 15, 2016, an estimated 240 billion gallons of water fell in the Houston area over a 12 hour period, which resulted in several areas exceeding the 100 to 500 year flood event record. The areas that experienced these historic rain falls were west of 1- 45, north of I-10, and Greens Bayou. Additionally, an estimated 140 billion gallons of water fell over the Cypress Creek, Spring Creek, and Addicks watershed in just 14 hours. The purpose of the Houston Regional Watershed Assessment is to identify risk reduction measures and optimize performance from a multi- objective systems performance perspective of the regional network of nested and intermingled watersheds, reservoir dams, flood flow conveyance channels, storm water detention basins, and related Flood Risk Management (FRM) infrastructure. Special emphasis of the study, which covers 22 primary watersheds within Harris County's 1,756 square miles, will be placed on extreme flood events that exceed the system capacity resulting in impacts to asset conditions/functions and loss of life. Mr. Chair, during the May 2015 Houston flood, 3,015 homes were flooded and 8 persons died; during the April 2016 Houston flood, 5,400 homes were flooded and 8 deaths recorded. The economic damage caused by the 2015 Houston flood is estimated at $3 billion; the 2016 estimate is being compiled and is estimated to be well above $2 billion. Mr. Chair, minimizing the risk of flood damage to the Houston and Harris County metropolitan area, the nation's 4th largest, is a matter of national significance because the region is one of the nation's major technology, energy, finance, export and medical centers: 1. Port of Houston is the largest bulk port in the world; 2. Texas Medical Center is a world renowned teaching, research and treatment center; 3. Houston is home to the largest conglomeration of foreign bank representation and second only to New York City as home to the most Fortune 500 companies; and 4. The Houston Watershed Assessment study area sits within major Hurricane Evacuation arteries for the larger Galveston Gulf Coast region. I ask my colleagues to join me and support the Jackson Lee Amendment for the Environmental Justice Program. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time. Greater Houston Partnership, May 26, 2016. Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative Jackson Lee, as you know, on April 18, 2016, the Houston region experienced unprecedented rain and flooding. According to an estimate prepared by BBVA Compass, Houston experienced over $1.9 billion in damage during the weeks that followed the storm, which includes damage to homes, cars, schools, parks, churches, roadways and other important elements of our infrastructure. For many, the recent storms have affected every aspect of their quality of life. Perhaps the most telling statistic of all: based on the 7,021 calls the United Way of Greater Houston has received through its 2-1-1 line, 1,937 calls have been requests for ``food replacement.'' We greatly appreciate your leadership ensuring the Houston area receives appropriate federal funding to help Houston heal and make it more resilient in the future. To that end, we are supportive of the requested $3 million for a study by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to investigate flood risk management opportunities in the Houston metropolitan area by analyzing the watersheds as a system of systems. Sincerely, Bob Harvey, President and CEO.

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, again I thank Mr. Simpson for recounting that information and Ms. Kaptur for the leadership that she has given and the understanding of the plight that we are in. Flood control is critical to dams and harbors, and it is most critical of all as infrastructure. That is what the construction funding will do. We understand that this now will give us the opportunity for long overdue projects that are dealing with major flooding. The previous amendment giving us a work plan through the Army Corps of Engineers will again be instructive and helpful to saving lives and reducing the enormity of loss and the enormity of damage that has been caused to these areas. I ask for support of the Jackson Lee amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as we go home for the Memorial Day commemoration to honor the fallen in battle, as we go home to commemorate the next step in the lives of many of the graduates in our district, it is shameful that we have not completed our work on the full funding to fight the Zika virus crisis and respond to the President's request for $1.9 billion. Before I left my district on Monday, we had a major press conference with the mayor, the county commissioner, doctors, and others expressing their apprehension and concern about the dangerousness of the Zika virus. We are trying to inform our constituents, but we are also pleading for resources to clean up sitting water and tires and to be able to continue the research for a vaccine. One of our experts indicated that they didn't know how dangerous the Zika virus will be. Madam Speaker, it is important that we do our job. It is appropriate to take the President's request and pass it--$1.9 billion--to do our job to fight the Zika virus.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I was detained in my district on official business on May 24, 2016, and I missed the following rollcall votes: Rollcall vote No. 238, I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall vote No. 237, I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall vote No. 236, I would have voted ``yes.'' Rollcall vote No. 235, I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall vote No. 234, I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall vote No. 233, I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall vote No. 232, I would have voted ``no.'' Rollcall vote No. 231, I would have voted ``no.'' Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, May 24, 2016, I was attending to representational duties in my congressional district and was not present for Roll Call Votes 231 through 238. I ask the record to reflect that had I been present I would have voted as follows: 1. On Roll Call 238, I would have voted yes. (H.R. 2576--On Concurring in the Senate Amendment with an Amendment to Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act) 2. On Roll Call 237, I would have voted no. (H.R. 897--On Passage of the Zika Vector Control Act) 3. On Roll Call 236, I would have voted yes. (H.R. 897--On Motion to Recommit with Instructions the Zika Vector Control Act) 4. On Roll Call 235, I would have voted no. (H.R. 5077--On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017) 5. On Roll Call 234, I would have voted no. (H. Res. 742--On Agreeing to the Resolution Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2576) to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 897) Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, and for other purposes) 6. On Roll Call 233, I would have voted no. (H. Res. 742--On Ordering the Previous Question Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to the bill (H.R. 2576) to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act, and for other purposes, and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 897) Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act, and for other purposes) 7. On Roll Call 232, I would have voted no. (H. Res. 743--On Agreeing to the Resolution Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5055) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, and for other purposes) 8. On Roll Call 231, I would have voted no. (H. Res. 743--On Ordering the Previous Question Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 5055) making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2017, and for other purposes)

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support of full funding for the Zika Response Appropriations, because the House appropriations measure fell short of what is needed to aggressively address the enormity of the Zika Virus threat to the Americas and the United States, with particular concern for Puerto Rico the House needs to act. I thank President Obama for his leadership in requesting $1.9 billion to address the threat of the Zika Virus, and facing congressional delay he took funds from Ebola response to prepare the nation to face the Zika Virus threat. Let us not forget--Ebola was on our doorstep last year before Congress acted and there are still Ebola hot spots that are occurring, which have to be addressed, but we now lack the resources to deal with that ever present threat. I am committed to doing everything I can to address the threat of Zika Virus, but I am not supportive of tricks or misguided strategies to get legislation to the House floor in the name of Zika prevention that will do too little; and funding that will abruptly end on September 30, 2016. As the founder and Chair of the Children's Caucus and a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I am acutely aware of how dangerous the Zika Virus is to women who may be pregnant or may become pregnant should they be exposed to the disease. Houston, Texas, like many cities, towns, and parishes along the Gulf Coast, has a tropical climate hospitable to mosquitoes that carry the Zika Virus like parts of Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. For this reason, I am sympathetic to those members who have districts along the Gulf Coast. These Gulf Coast areas, which include Houston, the third largest city in the nation, are known to have both types of the Zika Virus carrying mosquitoes: the Aedes Aegypti and the Asian Tiger Mosquito; which is why I held a meeting in Houston on March 10, 2016 about this evolving health threat. I convened this meeting with Houston, Harris County and State officials at every level of responsibility to combat the Zika Virus and to discuss preparations that would mitigate it. The participants included Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine and Dr. Dubboun, Director of the Harris County Public Health Environmental Services Mosquito Control Division who gave strong input on the critical need to address the threat on a multi- pronged approach. The potential for the Zika Virus outbreaks in the United States if we do not act is real, and the people on the front lines are state and local governments who must prepare for mosquito season, establish community oriented education campaigns, provide Zika Virus prevention resources to women who live in areas where poverty is present, and environmental remediation of mosquito breeding near where people live. The assumption that everyone has air conditioning; window and door screens that are in good repair or present at all; does not take into consideration the pockets of poverty that are present in every major city including many towns, counties, parishes, and cities along the Gulf Coast. The 18th Congressional District of Texas, which I represent, has a tropical climate and is very likely to confront the challenge of Zika Virus carrying mosquitoes before mosquito season ends in the fall. Dr. Dubboun, Director of the Harris County Public Health Environmental Services Mosquito Control Division stressed that we cannot spray our way out of the Zika Virus threat. He was particularly cautious about the over use of spraying because of its collateral threat to the environment and people. We should not forget that Flint, Michigan was an example of short- sighted thinking on the part of government decision makers, which resulted in the contamination of that city's water supply. The participants in the meeting I held in Houston represented the senior persons at every state and local agency with responsibility for Zika Virus response. The expert view of those present was that we need a unity of effort plan to address the Zika Virus in the Houston and Harris County area that will include every aspect of the community. The collective wisdom of these experts revealed that we should not let the fear of the Zika Virus control public policy. Instead we should get in front of the problem, then we can control the Zika Virus from its source--targeting mosquito breeding environments. The real fight against the Zika Virus will be fought neighborhood by neighborhood and will rely upon the resources and expertise of local government working closely with State governments supported by federal government agencies. The consensus of Texas, Houston, and Harris County experts is that we make significant strides to stay ahead of the arrival of mosquito transmission of Zika Virus if we act now. The CDC said that for the period January 1, 2015 to May 11, 2016, the number of cases are as follows: The United States Travel-associated cases reported: 503; Locally acquired through mosquito bites reported: 0; Total: 503. Pregnant: 48; Sexually transmitted: 10; Guillain-Barre syndrome: 1. U.S. Territories Travel-associated cases reported: 3; Mosquito acquired cases reported: 698; Total: 701. Pregnant: 65; Guillain-Barre syndrome: 5. There are 49 countries and territories in our hemisphere where mosquito borne transmission of the Zika Virus is the primary way the virus is spread include: American Samoa; Aruba; Belize; Barbados; Bolivia; Brazil; Bonaire; Cape Verde; Central America; Colombia; Costa Rica; Cuba; Curacao; Dominica; Dominican Republic; El Salvador; Ecuador; Fiji; French Guiana; Grenada; the Grenadines; Guatemala; Guadeloupe; Haiti; Honduras; Islands Guyana; Jamaica; Martinique; Kosrae (Federated States of Micronesia); Marshall Islands; Mexico; Nicaragua; New Caledonia; the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Panama; Papua New Guinea, Paraguay; Peru; Samoa, a U.S. territory; Saint Barthelemy; Saint Lucia; Saint Martin; Saint Vincent; Saint Maarten; Suriname; Tonga; Trinidad and Tobago; U.S. Virgin Islands, Venezuela and particular note is made by the CDC by listing the 2016 Summer Olympics (Rio 2016) separately. As of May 11, 2016, there were more than 1,200 confirmed Zika cases in the continental United States and U.S. Territories, including over 110 pregnant women with confirmed cases of the Zika virus. The Zika virus is spreading in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa and abroad, and there will likely be mosquito-borne transmission within the continental United States in the coming summer months. The most important approach to control the spread of Zika Virus is poverty and the conditions that may exist in poor communities can be of greatest risk for the Zika Virus breeding habitats for vector mosquitoes. The spread of disease is opportunistic--Zika Virus is an opportunistic disease that is spread by 2 mosquitoes out of the 57 verities. We should be planning to fight those 2 mosquitoes in a multi-pronged way with every resource we can bring to the battle. Poverty is where the mosquito will find places to breed in great numbers, but these mosquitoes will not be limited to low income areas nor does the disease care how much someone earns. The Aedes Aegypti or Yellow Fever mosquito has evolved to feed on people for the blood needed to lay its eggs. This mosquito can breed in as little as a cap of dirty water; it will breed in aquariums in homes; plant water catching dishes; the well of discarded tires; puddles or pools of water; ditches; and children's wading pools. Although water may evaporate mosquito eggs will remain viable and when it rains again or water is placed where they are in contact with eggs the process for mosquitos development resumes. The enablers of Zika Virus are those who illegally dump tires; open ditches, torn screens, or no screens; tropical climates that create heat and humidity that force people without air conditioning to open windows or face heat exhaustion. It might be hard for people who do not live in the tropical climates along the Gulf Coast to understand what a heat index is--it is a combination of temperature and humidity, which can mean that temperatures in summer are over 100 degrees. Zika Virus Prevention Kits like those being distributed in Puerto Rico, which are vital to the effort there to protect women, will be essential to the fight against Zika Virus along the Gulf Coast. These kits should include mosquito nets for beds. Bed nets have proven to be essential in the battle to reduce malaria by providing protection and reducing the ability of biting insects to come in contact with people. Mosquito netting has fine holes that are big enough to allow breezes to easily pass through, but small enough to keep mosquitoes and other biting insects out. The kits should also include DEET mosquito repellant products that can be sprayed on clothing to protect against mosquito bites. Madam Speaker, there is no need to be alarmed, but we should be preparing aggressively so that this nation does not have a reoccurrence of what happened during the Ebola crisis--when the Federal government seemed unprepared because this Congress was unmoved by the science, until domestic transmission of the disease were recorded. The Zika Virus is a neurogenic virus that can attack the brain tissue of children in their mother's womb. The Zika Virus will be difficult to detect and track in all cases because 4 in 5 people who get the disease will have no symptoms. We know that 33 states have one or both of the vector mosquitoes. Dr. Peter Hotez said that we can anticipated that the Americas including the United States can expect 4 million Zika Virus cases in the next four months and to date there are over a million cases in Brazil. The virus has been transmitted through sexual contact. We know that the evidence of the Zika Virus in newborns in the United States may not become apparent until we are in the late fall or winter of next year. The most serious outcome the Zika Virus exposure is birth defects that can occur during pregnancy if the mother is exposed to the Zika Virus. Infections of pregnant women can result in: Still births; The rate of Microcephaly based on Zika Virus exposure far exceeds that number. Microcephaly is brain underdevelopment either at birth or the brain failing to develop properly after birth, which can cause: Difficulty walking; Difficulty hearing; and Difficulty with speech. Researchers and scientists at the CDC; NIH and HHS do not know how the disease attacks the nervous system of developing babies. They cannot answer what the long term health prospects are for children born with such a severe brain birth defect. They have not discovered the right vaccine to fight the disease-- which requires care to be sure that it is safe and effective especially in pregnant women or women who may become pregnant. The do not know what plan will work and to what degree if a tight network of mosquito control is established in areas most likely to have the Zika Virus carrying mosquitoes. How the Zika Virus may evolve over time and what they may mean for human health. I urge my colleagues to reject anything less than full support of the President's request for $1.9 billion to fight the Zika Virus threat.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is certainly time for Congress to do its job. Just last week we were briefed by the Centers for Disease Control regarding the Zika virus. Earlier today in my congressional district in Houston, one of the infectious disease specialists called Houston and the Gulf region the epicenter of the Zika virus. It is well known that treatment for any child that is infected will cost $10 million. Frankly, the brain is literally destroyed by the virus. So the deformity is the fact that there is no brain functioning in these children. This map indicates the whole Gulf region. That is clearly in the eye of the storm. This map indicates that Houston, among other big cities, is number one as it relates to the Zika virus. So my call today is for us to fully fund the President's emergency supplemental. This is a picture of the mosquito causing these impacts. We discussed today a task force, which I created in my district. Finally, just to leave this information, this is the mosquito. Use DEET. This is a serious matter. We need full funding to combat the Zika virus and save lives.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me thank the distinguished gentleman from New York, who shows that the issues of voter empowerment are nationwide. Let me also thank the gentlewoman from Ohio, who has been steadfast on important issues that deal with the empowerment of all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I note that my colleague from Texas made his presentation, Congressman Veasey, who everyone knows was the plaintiff in Texas for the voter ID law. I wanted to come this evening very briefly to, one, submit a full statement into the Record and to make this point. And let me read the headline or the topic again: Democracy in Crisis: The Reckless Republican Assault on the Right to Vote in America. It did not have to be, for it is evident that we have dealt with voter empowerment in a bipartisan way. It is the very difficult journey that Lyndon Baines Johnson took in 1965 after the foot soldiers and Dr. Martin Luther King and others made their momentous march and statement, including a letter from a Birmingham jail that captured the history or the sentiment and the movement of the civil rights movement in the very basic words: Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. With that power behind him, he was able to frame the Voting Rights Act in a bipartisan manner with Republicans from the North and with whom we used to call Dixiecrats from the South. It can be done. Then, in 2006 and 2007, I was privileged to have another Texan, George W. Bush, as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, after 15,000 pages of testimony with a Republican chairman, and we went and passed a vote reauthorization of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Let me close with these points about the pointedness, Mr. Jeffries, of what voting power actually means. What it means is that we would not have the North Carolina set of voting laws, if you will, that cut Sunday voting or early voting. It had one of the most horrific voter ID laws. We would not have the Texas voter ID law that disenfranchised thousands upon thousands of Hispanics because of no DPS officers-- Department of Public Safety officers--in their locations. We would not have an attempt to cut billions of dollars from food stamps and an attempt to cut trillions of dollars from education for our children and the status that we are in right now of trying to seek the full funding of the President's emergency funding of $1.9 billion for the Zika virus. This is what ``voting power'' means. Finally, after the Supreme Court instructed the Congress or told the Congress that we needed to have a new bill, we would not have the predicament we are in now. We need voting power, and that is what voting rights are all about. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-OH) who are anchoring this Special Order on Democracy in America and the Reckless Assault on Minority Voting Rights. I thank all of my colleagues on the Congressional Black Caucus for their leadership on fighting back against voter suppression and holding this important special order to discuss what we can do to protect our voices and democracy. I applaud my colleagues here today for their commitment to being the change that we all wish to see in America--today and for generations to come. I also want to thank my colleague from Texas, Mr. Veasey for his leadership in forming the Voting Rights Caucus. As a Vice Co-Chair, I look forward to working with the Members of this new Caucus and my colleagues of the CBC Voting Rights Task Force as we continue in this movement to elevate our voices and rights as citizens that we have long fought for and earned. We are at a pivotal time to protect and embrace the power that we hold in restoring and maintaining our democracy. The 2016 election season is already in full swing. As voters in a number of states face new restrictions for the first time in a presidential election, we've already seen problems in primaries across the country. A new photo ID requirement led to long lines in Wisconsin. A reduction in polling places forced some to wait five hours to vote in Arizona. New rules created confusion in North Carolina. And in my home state of Texas, last minute changes to polling locations in Harris County resulted in long lines, confusion and for some, the inability to vote. The challenge of voting in fewer polling locations without adequate notice, along with the implementation of long-contested voter ID law changes, created unnecessary and burdensome obstacles for voters in a county that is home to more minorities and non-English speaking residents than that of greater state of Texas or the nation. In a county that ranks third in the nation in terms of population, critical changes impacting the ability of individuals to exercise their right to vote must be reviewed to ensure that any violation of federal law is addressed and corrected. This could be an early glimpse of problems in November--as voters face the first presidential election in 50 years without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act, which was designed to prevent discrimination in voting. In 2016, 17 states will have restrictive voting laws in effect for the first time in a presidential election. Restrictions in most of these 17 were passed before this year. The new measures range from strict photo ID requirements to early voting cutbacks to registration restrictions. Those 17 states are: Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin. We cannot afford to turn back the clock--we must continue to forge ahead and push back against these egregious and painful laws. The Voting Rights Act is still needed. Let me put it this way: in the same way that the vaccine invented by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1953 eradicated the crippling effects but could not eliminate the cause of polio, the Voting Rights Act succeeded in stymying the practices that resulted in the wholesale disenfranchisement of African Americans and language minorities but did not eliminate entirely. Or as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated in her dissent of the Court's ruling: Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet. As stated by my predecessor, Barbara Jordan, a civil rights and voting rights icon and a woman of many firsts--I know that perhaps the greatest and most important battle to be fought is on behalf of the right to vote, the most precious right of all because it is a preservative and passage of all other rights. We must be vigilant in this movement to elevate our voices and rights as citizens that we have long fought for and earned. Fifty years ago, America was preparing for the first national election following passage of the Voting Rights Act--the crucial legislation for which Martin Luther King, Jr. and civil rights activists toiled for years. Today, we're preparing for our first election in half a century in which these essential voter protections will not be available. Voting rights were ascendant in 1966--today voter suppression tactics are spreading throughout the nation. Congress was increasingly an ally in 1966--now in 2016, it's conspicuously absent. Regressive state voter suppression laws--including Voter ID laws, Voter caging, elimination of polling places, elimination of early or Sunday voting, refusal to locate sites in low-income areas, last-minute changes to polling locations--are the clear culprits. In the immediate aftermath of the Supreme Court's disastrous Shelby ruling--which eliminated the requirement that areas with histories of discrimination receive preclearance for any changes to voting laws-- there was hope that Congress would act to mitigate the damage. But those hopes have been diminished. There has been no Congressional action to repair the VRA to date. At face value, a voter ID law might not look as egregious as a poll tax. But, considering the hurdles that they present--including the need to procure a birth certificate or visit a far-away DMV during severely- limited operating hours--the obstacles are comparable. These laws are especially prohibitive for elderly or low-income people who have difficulty traveling. Recent studies reveal that state voter suppression could stop approximately 1.3 million from voting in competitive election states. Thirty-six states have promulgated new laws that disproportionately impact minority citizens in response to fabricated issue of ``voter impersonation.'' Sixteen of these states will see their plans go into effect for the first time in the 2016 elections. An analysis by Nate Silver for the New York Times shows that these laws can decrease turnout by between 0.8 and 2.4 percent--a potentially decisive amount in highly competitive elections. As The Nation's Ari Berman and others have methodically reported, the efforts to suppress votes through Voter ID laws, the purging of voter rolls, and the elimination of polling places are already having their impacts. The 2016 primaries have been marked by long lines in several states and severe hurdles to voting. According to Ari Berman, voters disenfranchised by new laws include: a man born in a German concentration camp who lost his birth certificate in a fire; a woman who lost use of her hands but was not allowed to use her daughter as power of attorney at the DMV; and a 90-year-old veteran of Iwo Jima, who was not allowed to vote with his Veterans ID. We need to translate widespread outrage about voter suppression into momentum for an actionable voting rights agenda. While proponents of voter ID laws point constantly to a looming ``crisis'' of voter impersonation to justify barriers to accessing the polls, they've yet to demonstrate empirical evidence. Where is the proof? We now have empirical evidence, gathered from academic experts at University of California at San Diego and other leading institutions, that voter suppression laws disproportionately impact minorities and immigrants. Fixing the VRA is just the start of the fight to secure voting rights. We must also deal with issues including aging and insecure voting machines, problems with absentee ballots, willful misinformation, felon disenfranchisement, partisan election administration, untrained election staff, and many others. As we know, the Voting Rights Act is one of the most fundamental pieces of American legislation, designed to prevent the disenfranchisement of black and minority voters by prohibiting voting practices and procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group. In signing the Voting Rights Act on August 6, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson said: The vote is the most powerful instrument ever devised by man for breaking down injustice and destroying the terrible walls which imprison men because they are different from other men. Since its passage in 1965, and through four reauthorizations signed by Republican presidents (1970, 1975, 1982, 2006), more Americans, especially those in the communities we represent, have been empowered by the Voting Rights Act than any other single piece of legislation. Section 5 of the Act requires covered jurisdictions to submit proposed changes to any voting law or procedure to the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. for pre- approval, hence the term ``preclearance.'' Under Section 5, the submitting jurisdiction has the burden of proving that the proposed change(s) are not retrogressive, i.e. that they do not have the purpose and will not have the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race or color. In announcing his support for the 1982 extension of the Voting Rights Act, President Reagan said, ``the right to vote is the crown jewel of American liberties.'' And Section 5 is the ``crown jewel'' of the Voting Rights Act. But a terrible blow was dealt to the Voting Rights Act on June 25, 2013, when the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Shelby County v. Holder, 537 U.S. 193 (2013), which invalidated Section 4(b), the provision of the law determining which jurisdictions would be subject to Section 5 ``pre-clearance.'' In 2006, the City of Calera, which lies within Shelby County, Alabama, enacted a discriminatory redistricting plan without complying with Section 5, leading to the loss of the city's sole African-American councilman, Ernest Montgomery. In compliance with Section 5, however, the City of Calera was required to draw a nondiscriminatory redistricting plan and conduct another election in which Mr. Montgomery regained his seat. In 2010, Shelby County filed suit in federal court in Washington, D.C., seeking to have Section 5 declared unconstitutional. In 2011, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia upheld the constitutionality of Section 5, holding that Congress acted appropriately in 2006 when it reauthorized the statute. And in 2012, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed the district court ruling by a vote of two to one. However, on June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court held that Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act, which sets out the formula that is used to determine which state and local governments must comply with Section 5's preapproval requirement, is unconstitutional and can no longer be used. Thus, although the Court did not invalidate Section 5, it will have no actual effect unless and until Congress can enact a new statute to determine who should be covered by it. According to the Supreme Court majority, the reason for striking down Section 4(b): ``Times change.'' Now, the Court was right; times have changed. But what the Court did not fully appreciate is that the positive changes it cited are due almost entirely to the existence and vigorous enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. And that is why the Voting Rights Act is still needed. Let me put it this way: in the same way that the vaccine invented by Dr. Jonas Salk in 1953 eradicated the crippling effects but could not eliminate the cause of polio, the Voting Rights Act succeeded in stymying the practices that resulted in the wholesale disenfranchisement of African Americans and language minorities but did not eliminate entirely. Or as Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stated in her dissent of the Court's ruling: Throwing out preclearance when it has worked and is continuing to work to stop discriminatory changes is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet. Before the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965, the right to vote did not exist in practice for most African Americans. And until 1975, most American citizens who were not proficient in English faced significant obstacles to voting, because they could not understand the ballot. Even though the Indian Citizenship Act gave Native Americans the right to vote in 1924, state law determined who could actually vote, which effectively excluded many Native Americans from political participation for decades. Asian Americans and Asian immigrants also suffered systematic exclusion from the political process. In 1964, the year before the Voting Rights Act became law, there were approximately 300 African-Americans in public office, including just three in Congress. Few, if any, black elected officials were elected anywhere in the South. Because of the Voting Rights Act, there are now more than 10,000 black elected officials, including 46 members of Congress, the largest number ever. The Voting Rights Act opened the political process for many other minorities, including over 6,000 Latino elected officials and almost 1,000 Asian American elected officials. Native Americans and others who have historically encountered harsh barriers to full political participation also have benefited greatly. Aided by Section 5, the Voting Rights Act was successful in preventing the states with the worst and most egregious records of voter suppression and intimidation from disenfranchising minority voters. So successful in fact that the Supreme Court apparently saw no harm in invalidating the provision that subjected those states to the federal supervision responsible for the success it celebrated. Now to be sure, the Supreme Court did not invalidate the preclearance provisions of Section 5; it only invalidated Section 4(b). But that is like leaving the car undamaged but destroying the key that unlocks the doors and starts the engine. According to the Court, the coverage formula in Section 4(b) had to be struck down because the data upon which it was based--registration rates and turn-out gaps--was too old and outdated. But my colleagues in Congress and I refused to let the Voting Rights Act die--as states all across the nation had already begun implementing restrictive voting laws that would keep thousands of citizens away from the polls. After months of hard work, consultation, negotiation, and collaboration, we were able to produce the ``Voting Rights Amendment Act'' which sets out to achieve these goals. I was an original cosponsor when this bill was first introduced in 2014 (H.R. 3899), and again when it was reintroduced in 2015 (H.R. 885). To be sure, this legislation is not perfect, no bill ever is. But--and this is important--the bill represents an important step forward because it: is responsive to the concern expressed by the Supreme Court; and establishes a new coverage formula that is carefully tailored but sufficiently potent to protect the voting rights of all Americans. First, the Voting Rights Amendment Act specifies a new coverage formula that is based on current problems in voting and therefore directly responds to the Court's concern that the previous formula was outdated. The importance of this feature is hard to overestimate. Legislators and litigators understand that the likelihood of the Court upholding an amended statute that fails to correct the provision previously found to be defective is very low and indeed. The Voting Rights Amendment Act replaces the old ``static'' coverage formula with a new dynamic coverage formula, or ``rolling trigger,'' which works as follows: For states, it requires at least one finding of discrimination at the state level and at least four adverse findings by its sub-jurisdictions within the previous 15 years; For political subdivisions, it requires at least three adverse findings within the previous 15 years; but Political subdivisions with ``persistent and extremely low a minority voter turnout,'' can also be covered if they have a single adverse finding of discrimination. The effect of the ``rolling trigger'' mechanism effectively gives the legislation nationwide reach because any state and any jurisdiction in any state potentially is subject to being covered if the requisite number of violations are found to have been committed. Prior to Shelby Co. v. Holder, the Voting Rights Act covered 16 states in whole or in part, including most of the states in the Deep South. The states that would be covered initially under the new bill are: Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina. To compensate for the fact that fewer jurisdictions are covered, our bill also includes several key provisions that are consistent with the needs created by a narrower Section 5 trigger. For example, the Voting Rights Amendment Act: Expands judicial ``bail-in'' authority under Section 3 so that it applies to voting changes that result in discrimination (not just intentional discrimination); Requires nationwide transparency of ``late breaking'' voting changes; allocation of poll place resources; and changes within the boundaries of voting districts; Clarifies and expands the ability of plaintiffs to seek a preliminary injunction against voting discrimination; and Clarifies and expands Attorney General's authority to send election observers to protect against voting discrimination. This bipartisan compromise legislation is not ideal--but on the balance, it represents a step forward as we continue to fight for enforcement of our most fundamental right: the right to vote. Additional measures introduced to help protect and enforce our right to vote include the Voter Empowerment Act and the Coretta Scott King Mid-Decade Redistricting Prohibition Act. The Voting Empowerment Act was introduced to help ensure equal access to the ballot for every eligible voter. The Voting Empowerment Act was designed to protect voters from suppression, deception and other forms of disenfranchisement by modernizing voter registration, promoting access to voting for individuals with disabilities, and protecting the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for Federal office. This legislation would expand and protect citizens' access to the polls and would increase accountability and integrity among elected officials and poll workers. It would also expand eligibility to allow all ex-offenders who have been released from prison (even those who may still be on probation on parole) the opportunity to register and vote in federal elections. Outlined in 13 Title sections, this bill prioritizes access, integrity and accountability for voters. I have also introduced H.R. 75 (originally introduced in 2013 as H.R. 2490) which prohibits any state whose congressional districts have been redistricted after a decennial census from carrying out another redistricting until after the next decennial census, unless a court requires such state to conduct a subsequent redistricting to comply with the Constitution or enforce the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is no ordinary piece of legislation. For millions of Americans, and many of us in Congress, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a sacred treasure, earned by the sweat and toil and tears and blood of ordinary Americans who showed the world it was possible to accomplish extraordinary things. Please know that I am as committed to the preservation of the Voting Rights Act and I will not rest until the job is done. As I stated in 2006, during the historic debate in Congress to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act of 1965: I stand today an heir of the Civil Rights Movement, a beneficiary of the Voting Rights Act. I would be breaking faith with those who risked all and gave all to secure for my generation the right to vote if I did not do all I can to strengthen the Voting Rights Act so that it will forever keep open doors that shut out so many for so long. With these legislative priorities and principles at the forefront, I intend to work with my colleagues and advocates to do all I can to protect the voting rights of all Americans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentleman from Texas for his persistence, his determination, and for this exciting commemoration of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016. Let me thank the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus and co-chair Jim Costa, along with Congressman Poe, Judge Poe, who famously has said, ``And that is just the way it is,'' and I see all of us seemingly adopting those words. So he has now put the English language in a form that we just can't help ourselves. So I thank Judge Poe so very much. I remember his beginning. I want to thank him for a year or 2 ago when he joined me and Chairman McCaul for a Committee on Homeland Security human trafficking hearing in Houston, Texas. I believe we have had other hearings since then because we know that Houston, Texas, Harris County, and in Texas has been called one of the center points of human trafficking, to our dismay. Many stories have come to our attention. I think it was about 2 years ago, Judge Poe, when they found a stash house out in the county. I actually went to that site where teams of-- when I say teams, tens upon tens of individuals, including children, were in that particular place. We had to shut down a cantina in and around the inner city that had been used for human trafficking in the city of Houston. The one point that is very important that I will make--and I will comment on some other aspects that are in this bill--is that human trafficking is profitable. Human trafficking is profitable. That means that slavery is not dead. Human trafficking is profitable. The reason is, tragically, the young child, the young teenager, the preteen, the young woman, or the young man or boy is recycled, tragically, over and over again, which makes human trafficking more than profitable and vicious and vile. They have to keep that human being who needs to be free and enjoy the freedom of being a child and enjoy the various special things of being a child, like being loved and nurtured, going to picnics, going to school, they have to keep that young woman, that young man in bondage. That is what this bill, as spoken of previously, and certainly among other things, speaks to today. In the many bills that were incorporated in this bill, it was to eliminate, if you will, the pain and viciousness of human trafficking. Let me quickly say that I want to congratulate the fact that this bill reduces the rape kit backlog and provides resources for forensic labs in cities all over America. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, we were hearing the stories about backlogs of rape kits. So this bill requires at least 75 percent of amounts made available to the DOJ for forensic testing and to be used for direct testing of crime scene evidence, including rape kits. It improves the sexual assault nurse examiner program by incentivizing the hiring of full-time nurses, particularly in rural and underserved areas, and reauthorizes and improves the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants, which awards grants to States and local governments to improve the quality of forensic science services, which is so very important. I also say that I acknowledge that numerous studies have shown that at least 75 percent of youths involved in the justice system have experienced traumatic victimization, making them vulnerable to mental health disorders and perceived behavioral and noncompliance and misconduct. This legislation deals with best-evidence research to be able to help our youth as well, and to ensure that they get the kind of treatment they need, particularly after sexual assault, which is what human trafficking mostly is, besides the heinousness of being held by another human being. So I am very glad that we are moving forward on the reauthorization for Justice for All for 2016. So many things have been made better. I want to cite one example as I close. I am reminded of this because of the floods that we dealt with recently. There were incidences of women living in places where their name was not on the lease. So, for example, if a man gets evicted for abusing his live-in girlfriend, the girlfriend who is not a named tenant on the lease, but is a resident, would automatically be evicted. That is so very important. Many times, that girlfriend is living there with her children. She would be permitted to stay for a reasonable time to establish her own eligibility to remain in the public housing unit. Let me say this: this is not a one-size-fits-all, but it is not one community. It is not any race of people, it is not any economic level of people. It is people who are egregiously abusing and violating another human being. In many instances, Judge Poe, it is a child. So I want to thank you for this legislation. Let us continue to walk this pathway together in a bipartisan manner. Certainly, as a very valued member of the Judiciary Committee, a lot of your work is part of that legislative agenda, and I am very glad to join in. A lot of your work is also on the Foreign Affairs Committee. Let us work together to save lives and to protect our children. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my colleagues of the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) and Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) who are anchoring this Special Order in support of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016. The Justice for All Act, which I co-sponsored in 2004, enhanced protections for victims of Federal crimes, provided resources to improve the use of DNA and forensic technology to combat crimes, and established safeguards to prevent and reverse wrongful convictions. This legislation reauthorizes and improves many of the programs created by the original law and responsibly reduces overall funding in response to current economic conditions. The bipartisan Justice for All Act of 2004 increased resources devoted to DNA and other forensic technology, established safeguards to prevent wrongful convictions, and enhanced protections for crime victims. This legislation builds on the Justice for All Act to improve the criminal justice system and ensure public confidence in it. The Justice for All Act of 2016 increases access to restitution for crime victims and requires that interpreters be available to all federal crime victims who wish to participate in a court proceeding. Reauthorizing important programs used to notify crime victims of their right to be heard in court, this legislation provides them with legal assistance. Additionally, the bill improves housing rights for domestic violence victims and protects Violence Against Women Act (VA-WA) funding from federal penalties. The bill makes payment of restitution a mandatory condition of supervised release for any defendant convicted of a Federal felony or misdemeanor and ordered to pay restitution. The bill will also amend the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to give the court authority to appoint an interpreter for any victim present during proceedings. Importantly, this legislation supports programs that inform crime victims of their rights and helps ensure that those rights are enforced by reauthorizing the Crime Victims Legal Assistance Grants and Crime Victims Notification Grants. Reducing current Rape Kit Backlog, the Justice for All Act requires that at least 75% of amounts made available to the Attorney General for local, state, and Federal forensic activities must be used for direct testing activities described in the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program. Requiring law enforcement agencies to conduct audits of their backlogged rape kits, this law also creates tracking mechanisms, and prioritizes testing in cases in which the statute of limitations will soon expire. The Act also amends the Sexual Assault Forensic Exam Program Grants to give preference to entities which will: operate or expand forensic nurse examiner programs in rural areas or for underserved populations, hire full-time forensic nurse examiners, or support training programs for forensic nurse examiners. Critically, the Act provides community health centers, colleges and hospitals with information about resources available to address domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. Clarifying requirements for housing protections in the Violence Against Women Act, the act will extend protection against automatic eviction to any ``resident'' in a public housing unit--who is not a tenant listed on the lease--in situations where the named tenant is evicted. For example, if a man gets evicted for abusing his live-in girlfriend, the girlfriend, who is not a named tenant on the lease but is a resident, would not automatically be evicted. She would be permitted to stay for a reasonable time to establish her own eligibility to remain in the public housing unit. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 strengthens the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). PREA currently requires that all states to comply with its requirements or suffer a 5% reduction in DOJ funds they would receive for ``prison purposes.'' States can still receive the funds however, even if they are not in compliance, if the Governor submits an ``assurance'' that the state will reallocate 5% of those funds to PREA implementation. To ensure compliance, states are required to have all of their prisons audited for at least once every three years. The bill requires Governors to submit with their annual certification or assurance information about the state's PREA implementation efforts, including which correctional facilities were audited in the most recent audit year, a proposed schedule for completing an audit of all prison during the next three audit years, and all final audit reports. Numerous studies have also shown that at least 75% of youth involved in the justice system have experienced traumatic victimization, making them vulnerable to mental health disorders and perceived behavioral non-compliance and misconduct. Over the years, clear evidence has emerged from federal investigations, class-action lawsuits or authoritative reports written by reputable media outlets or respected public or private agencies showing that youth corrections facility across the country have repeatedly failed to protect youth from violence by staff or other youth, sexual assaults and/or excessive use of isolation or restraints. (Annie E. Casey Foundation--Maltreatment Report, 2015). Despite costly law suits and periods of federal supervision, inhumane conditions of youth confinement remains rampant and a national epidemic. Despite national outcry for compliance with PREA, Many states have failed to implement and enforce its standards for youth in correctional and detention facilities. Current law provides that states not conforming to required protocols will lose 5% of all funds they receive from the U.S. DOJ grant programs. However, financial penalties will not begin until 2017, and expected that DOJ will extend deadline and/or disperse funds to non-compliant states (provided they use the money toward implementing PREA requirements). (AECF Report). Further, the bill requires the Attorney General to post all final audit reports on its website and to update the site at least annually. Expanding the reach of these valiant efforts, the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 clarifies that grants authorized for victim assistance may be used to support nonprofit entities which assist victims of crime on a nationwide basis or Americans abroad who are victims of crimes committed outside of the United States. Truly, improving the administration of criminal justice programs, the bill increases accountability for federal funds spent by state and local governments by requiring that states receiving funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program develop a strategic plan detailing how the funds will be spent. The bill directs the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to promulgate best practices for evidence retention within eighteen months of enactment and requires NIJ to assist state, local, and tribal governments wishing to adopt those best practices. Because this bill has tremendous potential to improve victims' access to justice, support law enforcement, exonerate the innocent, and strengthen and improve the criminal justice system, we urge the committee to bring this bill up for timely consideration and passage. As a member of the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, I thank my colleagues Congressman Ted Poe (R-TX) and Congressman Jim Costa (D-CA) ) for hosting this Special Order in support of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016. It is an invaluable and much needed effort.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I express my appreciation for being a member of the Victims' Right Caucus because it is bipartisan. I should say it is multicommunities. All different people. Let me thank the gentleman for mentioning Mayor Turner. This is an exciting effort. If you don't take notice, you are not going to be able to solve the problem. And that is what the city is doing. It is taking notice and putting in infrastructure for being helpful. Let me close by simply saying that, as Judge Poe knows, in the last couple of days of Houston we have been mourning the killing of an 11- year-old child on his way home from school. We have not determined who it is, but all I can say to you is that even our children are vulnerable, whether by a heinous individual that maybe was trying to pick the child up--we don't know--but the child is now deceased. My sympathies to his family, the Flores family in my congressional district. All I can say is that it is our responsibility to protect these children and not for little Josue to have died in vain in the tragic way that he lost his life. Again, I thank the gentleman for allowing me to offer sympathy to his family and his community and say that we are doing the right thing by trying to protect those who are most vulnerable.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Con. Res. 88 reaffirming the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) and the six assurances as cornerstones of the United States-Taiwan relations. Since its enactment, the TRA has played an indispensable role in shaping U.S.-Taiwan relations, resulting in a mutually-beneficial relationship that encourages strong security, cultural, and economic ties. The TRA is unique because it is the only law to govern nearly every aspect of U.S. relations within a foreign government in the absence of diplomatic relations. Taiwan's story is unique in that it is an example to the world of the potential of a country. Indeed, Taiwan and the United States share many values including: 1. a commitment to democracy; 2. a commitment to human rights and the rule of law; and 3. a commitment to economic prosperity. Maintaining and deepening our strong relations with Taiwan is an important part of U.S. engagement in Asia, a region of great and growing importance to the United States. This includes a vital security and strategic interest within the Taiwan Strait, where United States troops are stationed within the Taiwan Strait region. Further, Taiwan has grown to become America's ninth-largest overall trading partner and our seventh-largest destination for agricultural exports. Indeed, I am particularly proud that as a Member of the Congressional Caucus on Taiwan, my colleagues and I can serve an important role in strengthening bilateral relations by engaging our counterparts in Taiwan. Not too long ago, we commemorated the 37th anniversary of the enactment of the Taiwan Relations Act. I encourage my colleagues to continue to join me in support of and in promotion of our bilateral relations with Taiwan. Mr. Speaker, I commend the speech delivered by Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on March 30, 2016, in which he emphasized the strong and abiding friendship between Taiwan and the United States, which was integral to Taiwan's transformation into the free, prosperous, and just society it is today. President Ma also spoke of Taiwan's future through the lens of three key issues: 1. cross-strait relations; 2. energy; and 3. economic development. President Ma also mentioned that through the effort to seek peace, Taiwan has become a peacemaker and provider of humanitarian aid. I also want to congratulate Taiwan on the January 16, 2016 election of the first female President to be elected--Dr. Tsai Ing-wen. Mr. Speaker, the inauguration of President Dr. Tsai Ing-wen is the third peaceful transition of power in Taiwan's democratic history. The United States congratulates the people and government of Taiwan on the election of President Tsai Ing-wen and Taiwan's enduring and strong commitment to nurturing democracy, human rights and the rule-of- law. This is why I support and urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 88.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer the Jackson Lee amendment that clearly recognizes the importance of those who have served and their lives after. My amendment says none of the funds made available by this act for the Department of Veterans Affairs may be used in contravention of subchapter III of chapter 20 of title 38 of the U.S. Code, which refers to the benefits for homeless veterans in training and outreach programs. Texas and Florida and California happen to be some of the States that have the highest number of homeless veterans. These are individuals who put on the uniform unselfishly. Now they are homeless for a variety of reasons. I hope that this amendment will reinforce and reemphasize the importance of ensuring that the rate of homelessness among veterans in the United States does not increase. As well, my amendment will remind us of our obligation to provide our veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness, which includes adequate funding for programs like the Veterans Administration Supportive Housing that provides case management services, adequate housing facilities, mental health support, and addresses other issues that contribute to veterans' homelessness. I have, on my staff, a wounded warrior. We work a lot with homeless veterans. We visit their centers. We provide them with a sense that their commitment to this Nation will never be forgotten. Today in our country there are approximately 107,000 veterans, male and female, who are homeless on any given night, and perhaps twice as many, 200,000, experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. I remember dealing with one of my nonprofits that was renting a space just to help three or four or five veterans. Unfortunately, the landlord was not sensitive to the fact that he did not have all the moneys to pay his rent. He was ultimately evicted. But it wasn't just he who was evicted, who was trying to be the Good Samaritan, it was veterans who called that place home. Many other veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because of their poverty and lack of support from their family. In my hometown of Houston, for example, we have had large numbers of homeless veterans, but we have begun to work on it. I hope that this amendment will remind people of supportive service programs, residential rehabilitation programs, and HUD VA programs. I ask support of my amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Bishop), the distinguished ranking member and a strong supporter of veterans and leadership on the MILCON bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, reclaiming my time, let me thank Mr. Dent and Mr. Bishop for their leadership, and certainly the appropriators, the full committee chairman and ranking member, on the tasks that they have before them. We are not going to end homelessness for veterans if we do not invest in programs that will help them. My amendment is to ensure that we are reminded that these veterans can be rehabilitated and can be provided a new pathway in life. It is simply a continuing way to say thank you. Whenever I speak before veterans, whenever I speak before the United States military, I remind them--though they do not need to be reminded--that they unselfishly put on the uniform without question. They put on the uniform without question, and they followed orders. They followed the orders of the Commander in Chief. So now I hope that we, as Members of Congress, will follow orders and increase investment in the HUD-VASH program allocated to communities with the highest numbers of homeless veterans, support all council agencies to promote and give incentives to local coordination or plans and have our local communities own these plans so that they will bring down the cost of homelessness or the size of homelessness to prevent or to provide, if you will, for the homeownership that is so very important that our veterans desire. But the most important point is, why don't we stand and salute and stand at attention and say to our veterans: we hear you. Homelessness must not exist among our veterans. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. It reminds us of funding for veterans who are homeless, as well as for programs for veterans who are homeless. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. It is Jackson Lee Amendment No. 350. Thank you for this opportunity to describe my amendment, which simply provides that: ``None of the funds made available by this Act for the Department of Veteran Affairs--Benefits for Homeless Veterans and Training and Outreach Programs may be used in contravention of the title 38, Part II, Chapter 20, Subchapter II and III of the U.S. Code This amendment will help ensure that the rate of homelessness among veterans in the United States does not increase. I thank Subcommittee Chairman Dent and Ranking Member Bishop for their hard work in shepherding this important legislation to the floor. I offer the Jackson Lee Amendment because I believe reducing and eliminating homelessness among veterans, those who risked their lives to protect our freedom, should also be one of the nation's highest priorities. Homelessness among the American veteran population is on the rise in the United States and we must be proactive in giving back to those who have given so much to us. My amendment will help remind us of our obligation to provide our veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness, which includes adequately funding for programs Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) that provide case-management services, adequate housing facilities, mental health support, and address other areas that contribute to veteran homelessness. VASH is a jointly-administered permanent supportive housing program for disabled Veterans experiencing homelessness in which VA medical Centers provide referrals and case management while Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) administer the Section 8 housing vouchers. Mr. Chair, our veterans deserve the best services available, and I believe that we could be doing much more for them. Today, in our country, there are approximately 107,000 veterans (male and female) who are homeless on any given night. And perhaps twice as many (200,000) experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. Many other veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because of their poverty, lack of support from family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap hotels or in overcrowded or substandard housing. While significant progress has been made, ending homelessness among veterans remains a big challenge. In my hometown of Houston for example, between the years 2010 and 2012, the number of homeless veterans increased from 771 to 1,162. We must remain vigilant and continue to fight for those who put on the uniform and fought for us. Providing a home for veterans to come home to every night is the very least we can do. Mr. Chair, programs like VASH have succeeded in changing lives. In 2012 alone, 35,905 veterans lived in the public housing provided by VASH. I have seen the impact of such grants in my home state of Texas, and within my congressional district in Houston, and I am sure that this funding has positively impacted many communities across this country. In Texas, there are committed groups in Houston, working to eradicate the issue of homelessness. For example, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has been involved in changing veterans' lives in a mighty way by providing Veterans and their families with access to affordable housing and medical services that will help them get back on their feet. Mr. Chair, we cannot let this issue of homelessness continue. I urge my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee Amendment and commit ourselves to the hard but necessary work of ending veteran homelessness in America. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his kindness. I want to briefly join in the gentleman's recounting of our history, and I want to remind people of the eloquent statement of the Attorney General, Attorney General Lynch, who indicated that civil rights is a very large tent, and it embraces all Americans. Whether it is religious freedom or religious rights, or whether it is civil rights issues dealing with the race and ethnicity of Americans, we have always overcome. I believe that the men and women of the United States military deserve better than to have the kind of poisonous amendments that undermine the very reason that they put on the uniform, for us to be free, to speak freely, to associate, and to stand as who we are. I am saddened because my history is a reminder that I did not stand equal in this Nation, either as a woman or an African American, or even as an immigrant, which my grandparents were. So I join in pleading with this House to not, in any way, strip us of civil rights and tear up the Constitution, the 14th Amendment, the Fifth Amendment of due process. That would be shame on us. I join the gentleman in his amendment, and I ask that we consider those who we like and who we dislike. They are Americans, and they deserve the right to be respected under the law. I would ask that the gentleman's amendment be accepted, voted on, respected; and let us be the Americans that our Constitution dictates and our flag says we are.