Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, to recognize the holiday of Cinco de Mayo commemorating the victory of the Mexican Army 1862 over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The fifth day of May, or Cinco de Mayo, is a special day because it represents the importance of freedom, liberty and determination for the people of Mexico and for Mexican-Americans. It was on that day, May 5, 1862, that untrained, outnumbered, and outgunned Mexican forces--determined to protect their land-- successfully defended the town of Puebla against the French. The quest for an independent Mexico started on September 16, 1810, when the people of Mexico, following the will to become a free nation, refused to submit to Spanish rule. The struggle went on for 10 years. Finally, in 1821, the first independent Mexican government was established. But being an independent nation was not easy. Over the years, Mexico received economic support from several nations, France and England among them. Later on, even Spain supported the new country. Thus, Mexico became heavily indebted to foreign powers. Due to ongoing political unrest caused by many groups struggling for power, Mexico was not able to pay back the loans. On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all-foreign debt payments would be suspended for a period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume. In 1862, France, Spain, and England dispatched their fleets to Mexican shores pursuing not only money but also land an rights as payment for their loans. A government representative greeted them and explained that Mexico acknowledge its debts, but had no funds to pay them. They were offered payment warrants in exchange. The Spaniards and the British decided to accept the warrants and withdrew from the scene. But the French government's representative did not accept the offer and ordered his troops to invade the country and head toward Mexico City, the nation's capital. They had to cross through the state of Puebla to get to the capital. Mexican President Benito Juarez, reacted immediately and prepared the defense. He commanded Ignacio Zaragoza, a young and brave General, to fortify the City of Puebla and repel the French invaders. The battle was by no means even. France, under Louis Napoleon's rule, had the most world's powerful army, and sent more than six thousand men to invade Mexico. But the courage and the love of freedom impelled the Mexican people to fight back. General Ignacio Zaragoza led 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians called Zacapoaxtlas. On the 5th of May 1862, the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe, in the city of Puebla, became the scene of the historical defeat of the great European army. Against overwhelming odds, they managed to drive back the French army, achieving a total victory over soldiers deemed among the best trained and equipped in the world and embarking on the end of the European domination in America. For Mexico, this day has come to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism in the history of Mexico. In our country, Cinco de Mayo is also a celebration of the rich cultural heritage Mexican Americans have brought to the United States. Hispanics are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. According to the most recent data available, the estimated Hispanic population in the U.S. is 42.7 million--constituting 14 percent of our nation's population. Hispanics now own a record number of small businesses--1.6 million, with annual revenues of more than $221 billion. Small businesses create two-thirds of American jobs, and the fastest- growing small business sector is Latino-owned firms. Today, there are 32 Hispanic Members in the United States Congress, including 3 Senators and 29 House Members, many of whom are Mexican- American, representing constituencies in all regions of the country, from California to New York, from Arizona to Illinois, from Colorado to Florida. These gains and numbers tell us that Hispanics are a driving force in our country--economically, socially and politically. Hispanics share the common goals with all other Americans of freedom, opportunity, and a chance to build a better life. In pursuing these aspirations, Hispanics have made important contributions to life in the United States in the fields of culture, sports, entertainment, business enterprise, science, politics and others. Today, millions of Americans will join our neighbors to the south in celebrating Cinco de Mayo. On this day, we are reminded that all people--regardless of their race, color, or gender--have enriched cultures and are worthy of respect and self-determination. I am happy to be here today to celebrate this momentous day and to recognize the values, traditions, and positive contributions of the Mexican culture.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 108th observance of Mother's Day. As a mother of two children myself, I understand the hardships and difficulties that so many mothers face every day in our country. We honor ourselves and mothers in the United States when we revere and emphasize the importance of the role of home and family as the true foundation of the Nation. I want to pay tribute to my late mother, Ivalita Jackson, who stood the test of time in raising and rearing her children. To the mothers of Houston, too many to name here, I salute you for your dedication to raising and saving your children. Today, thousands of mothers in this country have become active and effective participants in public life and public service, promoting change and improving the quality of life for men, women, and children throughout the Nation. Mothers continue to rise to the challenge of raising their families with love, understanding and compassion, all while overcoming the challenges of modern society. I want to congratulate and praise all of the mothers in America for all of their hard work. Mothers have a huge influence on our everyday lives; as William Ross Wallace's famous poem reminds us: ``the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.'' It is in the same breath that I commend all mothers, including those giving birth to infants who will take their first breath and suckle first from mothers behind prison bars. These infants' lives are just as valuable as those of any young Americans upon whom we will come to rely on, in building the next great generation. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the infants of mothers across the nation die at a rate of 5.96 deaths per 1,000 births. Those deaths increase to a devastating 7.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births for Hispanic mothers when they are incarcerated, and an appalling 14.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births among African American mothers behind bars. Other studies have documented that incarceration of mothers elevates the risk of their children dying by 29.6% for the average infant, concentrating effects during the post-neonatal period. If these mothers' children are to grow strong and resilient, we must ensure that they have access to the nourishment and sustenance that only their mothers can provide, body and soul, in order to sustain their formidable futures for which we, alongside their mothers, hope and pray. Cognizant of the dangerous phenomenon affecting these mothers and snipping at the heels of the life to which they give young Americans, I recently introduced H.R. 5130 the, ``Stop Infant Mortality and Recidivism Reduction Act of 2016,'' or the ``SIMARRA Act,'' to expand healthcare and wellness services in Critical Stage Development Nurseries for infants and their mother-inmates. H.R. 5130 allows infants, born to female inmates in federal prisons, to remain with their mothers in specialized housing units during the critical stages of their development in efforts to reduce infant mortality amongst this population, and to reduce recidivism rates amongst their mothers once they have completed their sentences. Many of these mother-inmates self-report being born themselves to mothers in prison; but instead of retaining necessary physiological and psychological bonds with their mothers, many were wrenched apart and placed in the fledgling foster-care system. Eleven percent of those children separated from incarcerated mothers and placed into foster care experienced at least two changes in caregivers during the period of the mother's incarceration; and sometimes these mothers, even when they have short prison sentences, never see their child again--forever lost to the foster-care system. As a mother, I cannot imagine being unable to contribute to the sustainability of my child's life and wellness. This practice is devastating the wellbeing and safety of America's infants, denying them the ability to lactate, bond and thrive with their mothers, as healthy infants require during the critical stage of development. Just as we commemorate Mother's Day, it is time that our nation recognizes a long-persistent need to break the cycle of generational, institutional incarceration amongst mothers convicted of non-violent crimes and the children they birth behind prison bars. H.R. 5130, the, ``SIMARRA Act of 2016,'' gives those infants born to incarcerated mothers a chance to succeed in life. ``SIMARRA'' is not merely yet another second chance program, demanding leniency from the criminal justice system for repentant mothers. Instead, H.R. 5130 asks our national criminal justice system what it can do for those mothers' children--young Americans born and relegated to a life of nearly impossible odds of survival. ``SIMARRA'' provides that first chance--a first chance for American infants--that many of their mothers, born themselves to mothers behind bars, never received. We have a unique opportunity to nurture infants by uniting them with their mothers through the ``SIMARRA Act of 2016,'' better preparing them to endure the harsh realities of this world. Further, H.R. 5130 simultaneously implements risk and needs assessments, risk reduction incentives, and risk and recidivism reduction programs to address the healthcare, safety and rehabilitative needs of new-mother-inmates while they serve their sentence. The most likely long-term mechanism through which imprisonment affects infant mortality is through its effects on maternal health. Mothers are fighting to keep their children alive and we, as guardians, have an opportunity to say that the buck stops here when it comes to the next generation--any sins that the mother may have committed need not be visited upon her child. Mr. Speaker, as a nation we do not have a person to waste, so we must embrace practices that nurture the bonds between mother and child. In observance of May 8, 2016, we will honor mothers, grandmothers, mothers-in-law, stepmothers, foster mothers and godmothers who take in children, mothers who adopt, those who act as mothers, and those women who have no relations by blood, but who give the gift of mothering to children. In hindsight, we can never thank our mothers enough for all the sacrifices they have made for us. Thus, in our reflection, let us include the children of all mothers regardless of the circumstances under which they came to walk the Earth. I wish every mother a safe and happy Mother's Day this Sunday and hope to echo the message that we value your contributions and will safeguard your efforts because they benefit us all.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, last Friday I introduced the ``Stop Infant Mortality and Recidivism Reduction Act of 2016,'' or the ``SIMARRA Act,'' which will help the Federal Bureau of Prisons to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Federal prison system for pregnant offenders, by establishing a pilot program of critical-stage, developmental nurseries in Federal prisons for children born to inmates. It is time that our nation recognizes a long-persistent need to break the cycle of generational, institutional incarceration amongst mothers convicted of non-violent crimes and the children they birth behind prison bars. H.R. 5130, the ``SIMARRA Act of 2016,'' gives those infants born to incarcerated mothers a chance to succeed in life. ``SIMARRA'' is not merely yet another second chance program, demanding leniency from the criminal justice system. Instead, H.R. 5130 asks our national criminal justice system what it can do for those young Americans born and relegated to a life of nearly impossible odds of survival. ``SIMARRA'' provides that first chance--a first chance for American infants--that many of their mothers, born themselves to mothers behind bars, never received. We have a unique opportunity to nurture infants with the ``SIMARRA Act of 2016,'' providing them a true head start. A 2015 article in the National, estimated that at least 10,000 babies are born to American prisoners annually. This issue is affecting more children and women than we realize. The New York Times reported that approximately 25 percent of incarcerated women are pregnant, carrying children, on admission to prison, or gave birth during the previous year, still requiring special medical and nutritional resources for the health of their infants, as well as themselves. Current Federal Bureau of Prison policy dictates that, in most cases, incarcerated mothers relinquish their children immediately after giving birth, handing them over to friends or family members, and most often to the foster care system. Eleven percent of those children separated from incarcerated mothers and placed into foster care experienced at least two changes in caregivers during the period of the mother's incarceration; and sometimes these mothers, even when they have short prison sentences, never see their child again--forever lost to the foster-care system. This practice is devastating the wellness and safety of American infants, denying them the ability to lactate, bond and thrive with their mother's host body, as healthy infants require during the critical stage of development. Children born to mothers in prison and removed to social services programs also experience parental separation, and often illicit substance use, mental illness, and domestic violence, all of which are adverse childhood experiences associated with morbidity and premature mortality. Neo-natal health science tells us that positive social interactions in a child's early years are considered critical to the development of healthy social relationships and personality growth. Studies indicate that, upon entering early childhood educational programs, children born to incarcerated women are at higher risk of behavioral health problems than their peers. It should not surprise anyone familiar with the juvenile criminal justice system that children of incarcerated women are more likely to be caught up in the criminal justice system themselves, deflating the upward trajectory of their life's potential. The writing is on the wall: there is a positive, statistically significant correlation between the total incarceration rate and the infant mortality. Studies reveal that newborn babies separated from their mothers, due to confinement, suffer health and psychological complications such as weakened attachment, bonding and abandonment at exponentially compounded rates. Ten states currently operate successful similar programs and studies have shown that 71 percent of the babies served attained attachment goals with their inmate-mothers while in a prison nursery setting, a percentage greater than that reported by most low-risk, community children whose mothers had no criminal history or involvement. Nursery participants also had a lower recidivism rate compared to non-participating mothers. In spite of the fact that the mothers of most of these children had not internalized secure attachment in their own childhoods, 71 percent of the babies achieved secure attachment with their own mothers while in the prison nursery setting. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the national infant mortality rate is 5.96 deaths per 1,000 births, increasing to 7.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births for Hispanic inmates, and 14.3 infant deaths per 1,000 live births among African American inmates. Other studies have documented that parental incarceration elevates the risk of early infant death by 29.6 percent for the average infant, concentrating effects during the post-neonatal period. The data demonstrates that incarceration compounds women's depression and the risk of contracting infectious or chronic stress-related illnesses, which may harm infant health through numerous mechanisms also increasing infant mortality rates. The ``SIMARRA Act'' will decrease unprecedentedly high current infant mortality rates and allow inmate mothers to provide healthy and safe gestation to protect their unborn, as well as bond with infants during their first 30 months of life, designated by the CDC as one of the most critical stages of development. Further, H.R. 5130 simultaneously implements risk and needs assessments, risk reduction incentives, and risk and recidivism reduction programs to address the healthcare, safety and rehabilitative needs of new-mother-inmates as they serve their sentence. Mass incarceration not only fosters inequality but also diminishes a child's chances of surviving its first year of life, which combined together can further hinder a child's life chances. The most likely long-term mechanism through which imprisonment affects infant mortality is through its effects on maternal health. Mr. Speaker, as a nation we do not have a person to waste, so we must embrace practices that nurture the bonds between mother and child. The ``SIMARRA Act'' will provide resources and programming to ensure a healthy and safe environment for these children during their critical stages of development. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in sponsoring and supporting H.R. 5130, the ``Stop Infant Mortality and Recidivism Reduction Act of 2016'' or the ``SIMARRA Act.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as I listened to my good friend--and I think it is important that we note that our colleagues are good friends and Americans who care. That is why I have come to the floor to challenge the hearts and minds of my colleagues, for my discussion today, as the gentleman that preceded me, will be in the Congressional Record for my colleagues to peruse and for the American people to peruse. I do take note of the fact, as the gentleman recounted the history of budgets--and I might say that I, too, spent time working on the 1997 budget. I have been privileged to serve from that time when a bipartisan effort--with everyone, in essence, putting down their obstructionist perspectives--generated one of the best health insurance programs for our children, called CHIP, that the Nation has seen, that millions of American children are now insured. But it is important to note that the present Republican majority failed to put a budget on the floor for us to vote up or down, primarily because there were Members in their own conference that would not vote because the cuts were not sufficient, even though trillions of dollars were cut from education and many other services that the American people need. Now, I know that the American people are very independent. There are States that have worked very hard to ensure that their particular citizens in their State are well taken care of, but the one thing I know about the Federal Government, it is the umbrella on a rainy day. I will go home to my district, having suffered the terrible impact of major flooding, 20 inches of rain devastating young families, devastating people who flooded just less than a year ago in May of 2015. Oh, we pulled ourselves up by our bootstraps, tore out carpet, threw out all of our personal possessions, but we needed the umbrella, FEMA, that is en route to my district now to help those who cannot help themselves or those who had never flooded in 50 years. So we cannot discount the role of the Federal Government. The United States military is the finest in the world. The Affordable Care Act, yes, needs to be fixed in certain areas, but 20 million Americans have gotten insurance, and more Americans have private insurance because they said, you know what, it is the right thing to do. So it troubles me when we talk about a budget that should have been put on the floor that was a combination of the efforts of Democrats and Republicans, and when we listen to the President and work together, but no budget has come because they realize the draconian budget that is slashing government, throwing people out in the streets is not a budget that America can even tolerate. They could not overcome those that didn't even want that budget. They wanted to cut and slice education, resources to our military, health care, and the environment even more. So I stand in the backdrop of that challenge to challenge this Congress again. I was one of the first Members of Congress to deal with raising the need for serious attention to the Ebola virus as it hit Texas in Dallas. The first American to be diagnosed was in our State of Texas. I began as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security to ask what our airports were doing, how are we assessing those who are traveling into our country, and making sure that the Centers for Disease Control were at my airports, both in Dallas and in Houston, Texas. Now 1 year later or a couple of years later, we are now facing this issue called the Zika virus. I want to be very clear, we are not paying the attention to this that we should. A headline reads: ``Scarier Than We Initially Thought.'' The CDC, the Centers for Disease Control, sounds a major alarm, a warning regarding the Zika virus. ``Public health officials used their strongest language to date in warning about a Zika outbreak in the United States, as the Obama administration lobbied Congress for $1.9 billion to combat the mosquito-borne virus.'' What did I start out by saying? The Federal Government should not run our lives, but it is the umbrella on a rainy day. It is the only entity that can muster the stakes and resources to deal with what the CDC has said is a far more serious issue. If we look at Puerto Rico, they are the eye of the storm. Texas, the eye of the storm. Florida, the eye of the storm. It is important to note that we have not done what we should be doing. As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, which has a core mission of emergency preparedness of State and local governments to be equipped to react to emergencies, I am acutely aware of the potential for the Zika virus to be a real challenge for State and local governments in the coming months. You need our help. This House has done nothing to respond to the President's request for $1.9 billion in emergency funds. My friends, this is not a frivolous request. What do emergency funds mean? Someone said, just go write a check out of the operating budget of the United States. You want us to be more fiscally responsible than that. We have a budget. We have funding that we have to obligate to the other needs of this Nation. The reason why the President rose to the level of the emergency funding, because emergency funding can come immediately outside of the budgeting process and begin to get these dollars to community health entities in our States and the Centers for Disease Control, who will have to be dispatched to our States to help if the epidemic becomes uncontrollable. No action. One leader in this House said they are doing absolutely nothing in response to the President's request. They don't want to give him the money. Thank goodness the Senate has just passed a compromise, the other body, $1.9 billion in emergency funding for this important effort that we must have. I come from Houston that has a tropical climate, with many climatic similarities with other States along the Gulf Coast, parts of Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Tropical climates are hospitable to mosquitoes that carry the Zika virus. In addition, Houston has a large and very diverse population that travels to many parts of the Zika virus-impacted zones located throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean where mosquito transmission of the Zika virus is a primary means of exposure to the illness. People coming back and forth into the United States, citizens, those who have legal documents will travel across this Nation. There is no reason to point to these individuals and make them scapegoats. We should be prepared. What about vacationers? No matter how much you have spoken about the Zika virus, there will be vacationers who will still be going to places because they planned their vacation. They are going right into the heart of the storm. As we well know, those women who will become pregnant will be the prime target for a devastating impact on their embryo, their baby that may be born with severe brain damage, lifelong brain damage. We held a hearing early in March because I knew that I could not wait to educate my community. I called the Zika virus planning meeting along the Gulf Coast that would include doctors, agency officials, community service and faith-based organizations to start to build the bridges between those communities to defeat Zika. As you well know, the summer Olympics will be held this year, and all of our American athletes will be going to Brazil. Brazil is also one of the serious sites of the Zika-carrying mosquito. It is a very serious and important effort. Communities across America should not be panicking, but they should be preparing their community health centers, their public health system to confront the Zika virus if it comes to their community either by way of an individual who needs treatment or by chance of this mosquito. So I have called for a national task force on the prevention of Zika virus infections in order to target funding for tropical climate areas, like Houston, south Texas, Florida, and other places in the southern region of the United States that have a tropical population, and to focus on the environmental cleanup of city water and trash near populated areas. Most people are aware of the extreme flooding--20 inches of rain-- that hit my community just 10 to 15 days ago. There were large amounts of sitting water and trash in a tropical area, tires. I visited a site in my district after the rains that had sitting water. It was just an open, welcoming place for the Zika-carrying mosquito. I have also asked for public education campaigns targeting all public and private pediatric clinics and OB/GYN services for pregnant women. I need them to be educated that any mosquito repellant that does not have the DEET name on it is not sufficient. If you are traveling overseas, your mosquito repellant must say the word ``DEET,'' which was work that I did in the United States Congress a few years ago when mosquito repellants did not have that word on them. We worked legislatively and with the EPA to ensure that you knew if it had that component. And you must be careful in using that as well. We want to provide DEET repellant free to certain high-risk populations, in cooperation with private companies. Demand for DEET products will likely increase because the Zika virus is in the news. We may run out. So it is important that companies need to be alerted to set aside products for tropical areas along the south Texas coast and other States along that tropical area going along the Gulf Coast: Alabama, as I have said, Florida, Mississippi, and others. And keep children's wading pools empty of water, my friends. These are goals that should be met. I encourage stakeholders to be calm, but to meet with your infectious disease physicians, who are in all of your communities, along with your public health leaders, faith leaders, and others, to educate about this particular disease. It is important that we move on this call by the President. This is not frivolous. This is an effort that is as clear as if we had called a battalion into operation--the United States military--because we were under attack. This is prevention--being prepared for potential devastating impact. These are not my words. One of the most renowned infectious disease doctors that we have the privilege of hosting in Houston at the Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and professor of pediatrics and molecular virology and microbiology at the Baylor College of Medicine, said the following points: Zika virus infections will increase over the next few months. Effects of the infections on pregnant women in the first trimester will be, certainly, dangerous. It will impact on the poor. Leadership to fight the spread of the Zika virus must be local and must start now. Dr. Peter Hotez said that this particular mosquito is the greatest killer of people in the world. They are also called the yellow fever mosquito. Now they are acquiring the Zika virus. Dr. Hotez says we are expecting 4 million Zika cases in the next 4 months, and to date, there are over a million cases in Brazil. Remember, we are traveling back and forth. As all of you know, this is a small world. No one is kept from traveling internationally. We don't close our borders, in terms of Americans traveling on business or other responsibilities that they have. Pregnancy, during the first trimester of pregnancy if the mother is exposed to the Zika virus, it can invade the central nervous system. Let me say this more clearly. In pregnancy, if the mother is infected in the first trimester of pregnancy, it can invade the central nervous system of the developing baby and inhibit brain development, which can result in stillbirths and brain damage. It occurs in 1 of every 10,000 births. And the rate for Zika virus exposure far exceeds that number. Brain damage undermines the development either at birth, or the brain fails to develop properly after birth. The child will have difficulty in walking, difficulty in hearing, and difficulty with speech. Not all developmental consequences are known. This is Dr. Hotez: Three factors together make Zika virus a threat to poor communities: high concentrations of poverty--sitting trash and tires that may be found in many of our more depressed areas--the presence of the mosquitos; environmental conditions that support mosquito breeding near people; and the lack of resources for people to isolate themselves from mosquitos, such as screens, replants, and air-conditioning. Now, we all know that on the continent of Africa they have been able to bring down the epidemic of malaria by making sure that charities like the United Nations and the Gates Foundation give mosquito nets to the people to assist them. Well, in the United States, I know a lot of people think everybody has air-conditioning and that their doors and windows are closed. That is not true. There are people who have no air-conditioning and have their windows open or they have screens that have holes in them. It is sad to think, but it is true. Or they are outdoors. They are walking along places that have this kind of circumstance--not because we want it to be that way, but after a terrible and devastating storm like we had in Houston, we have mounds of trash. I want to thank the mayor of the city of Houston and the Harris County Judge for working diligently on why I asked for extra money for these areas: to clean up these trash areas. Now we have extra trash because we had this terrible flood. People are still out of their homes, and trash is still piled up in many places. We need partnerships critical to defeating the Zika virus-carrying mosquitos. Zika virus control requires more than spraying for mosquitos. Mosquito and animal control need to use the best methods for preventing the spread of the disease. We can no longer say that disease is a problem from a foreign country, because it will be a problem here. Dr. Umair Shah said the important lesson from Ebola and Zika is that there is a strong connection between global health and domestic health. So, my friends, I am sounding the alarm not for panic, but preparation and preparedness, education, outreach, personal precaution, and understanding how to move around during this time, to cover up to prevent mosquito bites day and night--prevent the bites day and night-- environmental cleanup. If you do not have the spray, use a mosquito net that you can purchase. It is important to note that the Zika virus is not a local mosquito population, but it will travel. Travelers must be educated regarding the Zika virus. And if you are wondering about our local atmosphere, let me tell you of the latest news. Thirteen Zika virus cases are now reported in Virginia. Two new cases were reported on Thursday, both of them in the northern region of Virginia, according to the Virginia Department of Health. I did not say Brazil. I said Virginia. There are now 388 cases nationwide as of Thursday. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 33 with the virus are pregnant. This is an action that we cannot avoid. For anyone that has not seen the Zika virus-carrying mosquito, this is a mighty powerful mosquito. And don't in any way have me suggest that this is the size of it, but you can see the elements of it; and what we are taught is that it is a pretty strong mosquito, not to be deterred. We must get prepared. So, as we look to the elements of preparedness, let me share some other issues that I think need to be addressed. I thought this was so important. The national media has helped us try to bring it to people's attention. I put an article in Time magazine myself, ``Congress Must Act Immediately to Combat Zika Virus.'' We are serious about this and have to get serious. We cannot have the Senate in a compromise of $1.1 billion on the emergency supplemental that the President has asked for, yet this House has not done anything. We are now going for the district work recess. I will be going home to my district to visit those individuals who are underwater, whose properties are outside of their home, mosquito gathering sites where trash is left not because they want to, but because so much has been torn up because of the water and we are waiting for it to be picked up. My community, my city needs these resources to do massive pickup of tires, massive cleanup of sitting water. The Aedes mosquito is the most dangerous of the various Zika-carrying mosquitos. You can see that it is none too friendly looking. That is why I came to the floor today. I want to leave with information directly to pregnant women, to give the information that we know to provide them with the importance of the issues that we are confronting. I include in the Record letters, Mr. Speaker, that I wrote in March to the Secretary of Health and Human Services pleading for the task force. As well, I include a number of other items. I also ask President Obama to look closely at the southern region and rim, where States like Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida are, because they will be the epicenter. Even though there are now 388 cases nationwide, 13 in Virginia, as the summer goes on, this is going to be of serious concern. Let me suggest to you that this is a situation where women who are pregnant are taking heed. Pregnant women in Houston and their doctors weigh the risks of the Zika virus. This is a very real circumstance. And our climate is very tropical. This mother, Tracy Smith, and her children are at their home. Smith is pregnant with twins, and she is worried about the approach of the mosquito season. So OB/GYN doctors are now having to prepare their mothers. What kind of protection should they take? What kind of mosquito repellant should they utilize? And what measures? Should they have mosquito nets inside their house, even though they may be living in an air-conditioned facility? But what you say for one mother who may have a more economic level of opportunity than others, you need to say for the entire population of pregnant women, because there is no doubt. Dr. Hotez has said this is going to be a season where we have to be extremely concerned about the Zika virus and the Zika-carrying mosquito. So what we are suggesting is mosquito traps. And they will be in these areas that are attractive to their environment and their trends: sitting water, dirty water, wading pools. They are not prohibited, if I might say, from getting an airplane ticket. They will get here on their own. We have to take it very seriously. So, I want an immediate response by this House to pass the President's emergency supplemental and to work with the Senate on the $1.1 billion that has been requested. It is money to save lives of Americans. It is money to give pregnant women comfort that their newborn child can be born in this country with the best opportunity for survival and, of course, to reach their fullest potential. Many of you have seen the video, tragically, of those babies with small brains that have now been born in countries in South and Central America. It is a sentence, although we love everyone, that we should not render to an unborn child. And to that mother who is looking forward to raising that child, either her first or along with her other children, let me tell you what the Zika virus will do. Pregnant women can be infected with the Zika virus, as I said. The primary way that pregnant women get the Zika virus is through the bite of an infected mosquito. Zika virus can be spread by a man in sex partners. A pregnant woman can pass Zika virus to a fetus. Zika virus can be passed from a pregnant woman to a fetus during pregnancy or at delivery and then that impact comes at a later time. If a pregnant woman is exposed, we don't know how likely she is to get Zika. If a pregnant woman is infected, we still don't know how the virus will affect her or her pregnancy. We don't know how likely it is that Zika will pass to a fetus. We don't know, if the fetus is infected, if the fetus will develop birth defects. It means that they cannot cure this in the womb. We don't know whether her baby will have birth defects. We don't know if sexual transmission of the Zika virus poses a different risk of birth defects than mosquito-borne transmission. So, because we have all these questions, we need the $1.9 billion that the President asked, but we need it to begin to answer these questions and we need to be able to have doctors like Dr. Hotez, a major leader in infectious disease, begin the research to know what is the best repellent not in terms of mosquito repellent, but what is the best scientific response to this dastardly and predictable potential of the Zika-carrying mosquito coming to the United States and having an impact on all of those who are excited about looking forward to the birth of a newborn baby. I hope that, as we return from our work recess, this House and the Republican leadership, as was said earlier on the floor, end any partisan bickering, any debate or disagreement with the President of the United States, and accept the fact that he is the Commander-in- Chief and that his experts, the Centers for Disease Control, who are the entity to which all of us in our respective communities immediately turn for assistance on infectious diseases or natural disasters as it relates to health care--we call upon them to come to our districts and our States. We ask them to help us and to make sure that we and our healthcare system are doing all that we can to be able to be helpful. I do want to end by saying the reason why we are in such an alarm is there is now no vaccine to prevent or medicine to treat the Zika infection so that, if you are infected, as a mother, there is nothing right now. So we have to work on the research and the preventative aspect in order to protect these unborn children. The illness can be mild, with symptoms lasting for several days to a week. But it is that unborn child right now and the larger impact we have yet to understand. People may not be sick. They may not be sick enough to go to the hospital. They may not die. For this reason, people might not realize that they have been affected. That means we don't know whether their infection can cause someone else to be infected because we need to do more research. We know it is transmitted by this mosquito. We need to make sure we understand whether there is any other kinds of transmissions that we have. We know that there have been Zika travel advisory notices. We know that this is not a happy experience for the countries that we have listed. But I feel compelled to say that the Zika virus has been noted in Cape Verde, the Caribbean, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. territories St. Maarten, St. Vincent, The Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Zika virus is in Central America--Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama--Mexico, the Pacific islands, American Samoa, the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Tonga. The Zika virus is in South America: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guinea, Guyana, Paraguay, Surinam, and Venezuela. I am not condemning these places. I am only asking that travelers take caution. And pregnant women need to take counsel from their OB- GYN. So, my friends, our job and task here in this country is to be the umbrella on a rainy day. It is to ensure that the American people have all of the information that will help them make very important decisions. It is to make sure that our health system and our doctors who are in their offices, in general medicine or internal medicine, have all the information and tools to be able to determine whether a woman has been infected and happens to be pregnant. So my task here today is to say that we cannot wait. I am disturbed that we now have a week and we have not yet passed the emergency supplemental to help our friends in Puerto Rico, which, as I indicated, have a serious, serious opportunity to be without the resources that they need in the tropical climate that they are in to be able to confront the Zika virus. That is a U.S. territory. How unfair that is. To my friends in this House, you cannot wait any longer. When we come back, there needs to be on the floor of the House a bill passing the Senate compromise or the $1.9 billion emergency supplemental that the President has asked for, as the Commander-in-Chief. We need to roll up our sleeves. We need to ensure that the American people are taken care of. And I just want to add this: Our military personnel are in tropical climates. We can treat them with limited dignity absolutely not. They must have both the medical personnel and the equipment to either be of assistance to places where they are, where the epidemic may be, as they did when they were sent to Africa to help set up a hospital structure that did not exist. We don't know where this will be the worst, and I can assure you that our military personnel may be called on, working with the Centers for Disease Control. Are we going to leave them without the resources they need? I hope not. I take my role on the Homeland Security Committee very seriously. It is our responsibility to deal with the security of this Nation. We have excellent Members who are working hard, such as my dear friend Donald Payne, who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications. We work together to ensure that America is prepared. Right now this Zika-carrying mosquito has the potential for being here in the United States and creating havoc among pregnant women and possibly others. What is our task? It is, Mr. Speaker, to do our job and to prepare the American people. We owe that to the great and wonderful people of this Nation, to the mothers and fathers expecting that bundle of joy. We owe that to all of them. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, which has a core mission of emergency preparedness of state and local governments to be equipped to react to emergencies make me acutely aware of the potential for Zika Virus to be a real challenge for state and local governments in the coming months. This emerging health issue is a matter of great importance and one that must be addressed in timely way through a coordinated effort by federal, state and local government joined with community partners. Houston Texas has a tropical climate with many climatic similarities with other states along the Gulf Coast; parts of Central and South America as well as the Caribbean. Tropical climates are hospitable to mosquitoes that carry the Zika Virus. In addition, Houston has a large and very diverse population that travels to many of the Zika Virus impacted zones located throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean where mosquito transmission of the Zika Virus is the primary means of exposure to the illness. I have identified shared concerns among state, and local agency officials regarding a need to have a plan to address Zika Virus in the Houston and Harris County area that would include every aspect of the community. For these reasons, I called the Zika Virus planning meeting along the Gulf Coast that would include doctors, agency officials, community service and faith based organizations to start to build the bridges between these communities to defeat Zika whether it was contracted through travel or mosquito borne transmissions. Houston is fortunate to have diverse community of pastors who serve people in need throughout the area. Part of the Zika Virus response must be to ensure that we are doing all that we can and should be doing to reach every community. Congresswoman Jackson Lee's work on environmental mosquito mitigation issues: As Congresswoman I worked with the EPA to get the word DEET on labels for mosquito repellant that contained the ingredient that remains the most effective mosquito repellant on the market. CDC recommends that DEET is safe for use on children 2 months of age or older. Congresswoman Jackson Lee's Action Plan: National Taskforce on Prevention of Zika Virus infections; Target Funding to Tropical Climate areas--like Houston and South Texas in the U.S.; Focus environmental cleanup of sitting water, and trash (tires) near populated areas; Public Education campaign targeting all public and private pediatrics practices and OB/GYN service for pregnant women; DEET Repellent; Provide DEET Repellent free to certain high risk populations incorporation with private companies [Demand for DEET products will likely increase because of Zika Virus in the news.]; Companies need to be alerted to sit aside product for tropical areas along the South Texas Coast that will have the strongest need for the products; and Keep children's wading pools empty of water. Goals of the Meeting of Congresswoman Jackson Lee's March 10 Meeting in Houston Texas: Engage stakeholders in a planning discussion on combating Zika Virus: 1. Learn what each agency is doing to address Zika Virus 2. Calm the community through information 3. Engage key stakeholders outside of government and health care in advance of Mosquito Season 2016 4. Outline the strategy to defeating Zika Virus breeding areas 5. Learn what needs to be done to effectively communicate with every community in the Houston/Harris County area 6. Discuss the emergency supplemental appropriations proposed by President Obama What is Zika Virus: Zika Virus is spread primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes [A-dees] species mosquito. It is important to remember that 80% of those who get the Zika Virus will feel no symptoms. The most common symptoms of Zika [Zee-Ka] are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The CDC reports based on what they know about the virus to date--Zika virus illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don't get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections. What is being done to address Zika Virus: Federal: President Obama is seeking $1.6 Billion in emergency supplemental appropriations to fund Zika Virus mitigation; response, local and state federal agency programs that address environmental clean up; public education, community engagement, testing; and mosquito abatement. CDC has a disease surveillance unit at Bush Intercontinental Airport. Importance of advocating for the President's request: Congresswoman Jackson Lee advised that offices that will benefit from the resources to fight Zika Virus in their communities should make their views known regarding the emergency supplemental appropriations. Speakers: Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, said. 4 Key points: 1. Zika Virus infections will increase over the next few months 2. Effects of the infections on pregnant women (first trimester) 3. Impact on the poor 4. Leadership to fight the spread of Zika Virus must be local Dr. Peter Hotez said that Aedes Aegyptus mosquitoes are the greatest killer of people in the world. They are also called the yellow fever mosquito. Dr. Peter Hotez we are expecting 4 million Zika Virus cases in the next four months and to date there are over a million cases in Brazil. Pregnancy during the first trimester of pregnancy if the mother is exposed to the Zika Virus it can invade the central nervous system of the developing baby and inhibit brain development, which can result in: Still births; Microcephaly [occurs in about 1 in every 10,000 births] the rate for Zika Virus exposure far exceeds that number. Microcephaly is brain under development either at birth or brain fails to develop properly after birth: Difficulty walking, Difficulty hearing, Difficulty with speech. [Not all developmental or health consequences are known] There are no tests to detect the virus, but not vaccine or cure. Three factors together make Zika Virus a threat to poor communities: High concentrations of poverty; the presence of the Aedes mosquitoes; environmental conditions that support mosquito breeding near people and a lack of resources for people to isolate themselves from mosquitoes [screens, replants, air conditioning, etc.]. Zika virus disease in pregnant women in Bahia, Paraiba, and Pernambuco states, supports an association between Zika virus infection during early pregnancy and the occurrence of microcephaly. Primary source of the virus is through infected mosquito bites. People to people transmissions are rare, but can occur if the virus load in the body is high sexual contact can spread the virus. Leadership must be local; the CDC is only serving in a technical advisory role to local and state governments. Dr. Umair Shah Executive Director for Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services, said: Key points: 1. Partnerships are critical to defeating Zika Virus carrying mosquitoes 2. Zika Virus control requires more than spraying for mosquitoes 3. Mosquito and animal control use the best methods for preventing the spread of disease Dr. Umair Shah said that the important lesson from Ebola and Zika is there is a strong connection between global health and domestic health. We can no longer say that disease is a problem from that foreign country, because it will be a problem for the United States if it is not addressed wherever it might originate. He said that you can only effectively clap with two hands. The partnerships that must be developed among local, state and federal agencies as well as community leaders are critical to the success of winning a fight against the Zika Virus. Mosquito control will not be enough to deal with Zika Virus because the host mosquito that is a primary carrier has evolved to live on human blood--even when given a choice of animal or human blood the Aedes Egypti will choose human blood. It lives near the ground--so spraying in the air will not work; it likes to be near people; it requires very little water to breed; it can hide under leaves, and will seek out homes where people live. Zika Virus response requires a new approach: Education; Outreach; Personal precaution: Cover up to prevent mosquito bites day and night: Slogan ``Prevent the bite day and night'' Environmental cleanup--removing things that will hold water, small wading pools for children, gutters, grills, tires, toys, trash, etc. If you do not have air conditioning use a WHOPES approved net like Pramax (156 holes per square inch and long enough to tuck under the mattress) Permethrin-treated bed nets provide more protection--do not wash them or expose them to sunlight, which would break down an insecticide that kills mosquitoes and other insects. Important to note: Zika Virus is not in the local mosquito population yet. All domestic Zika cases except one have been linked to travel. Travelers must be educated regarding Zika Virus. They should know the symptoms and should seek care. They should not fear being shunned for having the virus. Dr. Dubboun, Director of the Harris County Public Health Environmental Services Mosquito Control Division, prior to his current public service he served 25 years in the military. Harris County Health Department Zika Website: http://www.hcphes.org/ publications/hcphes responds/ 2016 zi ka virus/ Key points: 1. Get rid of the mosquito breeding habitat. 2. Ecologically people are the preferred food source for Aedes mosquitoes. 3. No need to panic. 4. The solution to Zika Virus is community involvement. Dr. Dubboun traveled to Brazil to join others in his field to sharing information on mosquito control with the hope of determining the best practices to achieve better results. Dr. Dubboun said that the best approach to ending the threat of Zika virus is to get rid of the habitat that is used by the mosquito to breed. Ecologically people are the preferred food source for the Aedes mosquitoes. He said that there was no need to panic because the weather right now (March 10, 2016-April 30, 2016) is not great for mosquito breeding, which means we have time to address environmental issues that support Aedes mosquito breeding. Spraying will not work to control the Aedes aegypti mosquito because this mosquito does not fly in the air--it stays close to the ground; can breed in very small amounts of water; and hide very well. The solution to fighting the Zika Virus is community involvement in working to minimize the habitats that allow Zika Virus carrying mosquitoes to breed. Dr. Gruber, Assistant Commissioner from Regional and Local Health Services for the State of Texas: Key points: 1. Number of cases in Texas and nearly have are in Harris County they are travel related except one; 2. Core ways to address key elements of a stop Zika effort. Dr. Gruber said that he was there from the state to listen to what was being said and to communicate that the state was planning to support communities in combating Zika Virus. On April 14 the state of Texas there have been 31 confirmed cases of Zika Virus, we know this because the patients were ill enough to seek medical attention and the tests were positive. Twelve of those cases were in Harris County. It is important to note that 80% of people who will be infected will have no symptoms, which means it is not possible to know how many people have returned from travel with the virus or antibodies after having been exposed. 1. Core ways to address the existence of Zika Virus: a. Health community communication with the public; b. Correct vector control; c. Surveillance; d. Planning; e. Keep yards clean; i. Communicate to authorities any needs for services to assist with clean up or to address environmental issues related to Zika. f. The battle against Zika must be viewed as a community fight--we must enroll people to become members of the Public Health Army. Bishop James Dixon, Community of Faith Church: Key points: 1. The poor are not equipped to protect themselves from anything; 2. Education is key; 3. Access to the Community is essential; 4. Many churches have Haiti Missions that must be educated on this issue; 5. Larger forum to engage the community on the issues of Zika Virus 6. See others in the world as our neighbors, not as foreigners. Bishop Dixon said that we must stop seeing the people of other nations as foreigners but neighbors. People who are poor do not have the means of helping themselves. By the very definition of poverty--it is not just a state of being, but a state of existence, a state of mind, and the source of our ability to be compassionate, not just think compassionately. Education is key to reaching those who are most in need, but breaking through the barriers of poverty will require a great deal of effort. People must come from outside of these communities into them to knock on doors, pick up trash, hang mosquito netting, hand out DEET and show people how to use it, help the elderly who cannot do their own yard clean up, share with people the city and county numbers to call to remove trash and tires, and teach people how to police their yards for items that will allow mosquitoes to breed. Prevention of Zika Virus transmission to humans must be the goal. Houston has a very diverse community of pastors, ministers and religious community leaders who should be part of this discussion and the solution. Dr. S.J. Gilbert Houston Metropolitan said that he wanted to bring the Zika Virus issue to the attention of the diverse ministers community and would support efforts by Congresswoman Jackson Lee. Dr. Raouf Arafat Houston Health and Human Services Office of Surveillance and Public Health Preparedness said: Key points: 1. Houston routinely deals with medical or health related emergencies; 2. The talent in the city and county government health departments are unmatched in other locations around the nation; 3. We work well together and see each other as partners; 4. The Laboratory serves the entire area with testing services; 5. Training of public health workers is essential; and 6. Communication is essential. City of Houston Website on Zika: http://www.houstontx.gov/health/ Epidemiology/Zika_Virus.html. Dr. Arafat said that through surveillance and public health efforts that Houston routinely responds to and effectively addresses emergencies that never see the light of day because they are well managed. Disease control and prevention are areas where Houston excels and very few areas of the country have a combination of very talented people working in city and county government on the issue of public health. We have laboratory services that can test for Zika Virus, but only in cases where the CDC guidelines are met, e.g., recent travel to a region with the virus, symptoms consistent with the infection, etc. As I have said the virus carrying mosquitoes are not in the Houston area. My purpose in working on this issue is to make sure that Houston along with other Gulf Coast communities is prepared for the 2016 mosquito season. The U.S. has the experience and we should use it to help other nations, by doing so we also help ourselves. The strength of the U.S. approach is the systems that have been built up and developed over time. These systems allow for us in Houston and Harris County to know if something serious is occurring in the city. On January 1, 2016 people in this field of disease control expressed a position that it was important to start working on Zika Virus issues, but no one else was thinking about the virus. By January 29 everyone was talking about Zika Virus. Stephen Williams, Director of Houston Health Department, said: Key points: 1. There is no need to be alarmed; 2. We have been thinking about this for some time; 3. The key to success will be personal responsibility; and 4. Environmental work has already begun. Community action is important to meeting the challenge and each person must play a part in the overall success of the plan. The school education plans for Zika Virus in Houston Texas will begin in early to late April. During this same period they will be doing a visibility campaign for the public to learn about protecting themselves from the virus, which will include multipurpose centers and community health clinics. There is no need for alarm about the topic of Zika, we deal with and take care of situations on a daily basis that no one ever knows about that are serious. We will be successful in Houston if the funding the President requested are approved by Congress. The city of Houston began ramping up waste cleanup in low income areas like the 3rd Ward located in my District by going after illegal dump sites. However, breeding sources in yards is not something the city or county can take care of. If the trash is in a vacant lot or on the side of the road that is the government's responsibility, but private property is the owner's or occupant's responsibility. Houston has organized an incident command structure to combat Zika Virus, which is the effort to better coordinate resources and planning across agencies. Houston Sanitation Department is part of that effort. Dr. David Persse, Physician Director, Emergency Medical Services, Houston Public Health Authority, said: Key points: 1. Houston Emergency Command Center; 2. Solid Waste Collection efforts; 3. Phase I of Zika Virus Response; 4. Phase II of Zika Virus Response. Dr. Persse said Houston's Emergency Command Center has been ramped up, which includes Houston Department of Solid Waste, Department of Housing and Air Port Authorities, etc. Dr. Persse said Houston and Harris County are in Phase I of the Zika Virus preparation where there is no virus in mosquitoes in the area and the only cases are coming from those who have traveled to areas where the infection is transmitted by mosquito bite. During this phase Houston and Harris County will focus on environmental cleanup of breeding sites and education of homeowners about breeding mosquito sites on their property. Goal: Get rid of breeding sites. Phase II will focus on mosquito breeding and will start in mid-to late April into May. Julie Graves, (Confirmed) MD, MPH, PhD Regional Medical Director Health Service Region 6/5S Texas Department of State Health Services, said: Dr. Graves said that the need to coordinate among all agencies responsible for Zika Virus preparation, public education, remediation and control was critical. She said that chikungunya virus spread in the Caribbean was attributed to the lack of cooperation among governments and agencies. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. [TIME, Apr. 20, 2016] Congress Must Act Immediately To Combat Zika Virus Local governments need federal funding to prevent outbreaks (By Sheila Jackson Lee) Members of Congress recently received news so chilling that it is imperative that they take immediate action to approve the about $1.9 billion in emergency funding for Zika preparedness requested by the Obama administration. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Disease, the mosquito that carries the Zika virus, which is already spreading rapidly in Latin America and the Caribbean, has been detected in nearly 30 states and could infect hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico. In Brazil, Zika has been identified as the cause in many recent cases of microcephaly, a birth defect resulting in babies being born with small heads and developmental problems. Zika poses a special risk for pregnant women since the virus can be transmitted through the bloodstream to the fetus. Previously, it was thought that Zika was only a problem during the first trimester of pregnancy, but according to officials at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, it has now been learned that the virus is likely to be a problem throughout the term of pregnancy. In February, the Obama administration requested Congress to approve about $1.9 billion in emergency Zika prevention funding, but to date Republican congressional leadership has not acted. If Congress does not act to approve the urgently needed funding, federal public health agencies will be forced to divert funding away from research into malaria, tuberculosis and a universal flu vaccine. It is outrageous that the Republican congressional leadership is putting at risk the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of persons by refusing to do its job. The impact of that failure of responsibility is likely to be felt most severely in the congressional districts like the one I represent in Houston, Texas. Because the summer months in areas along the Gulf Coast and the southwest region of the United States are unusually long and hot, Houston is expected to be an epicenter of any Zika outbreak in the U.S. In impoverished areas of the city and county, there are many open ditches in residential areas and lots where tires are illegally dumped. These are ideal breeding habitats for Aedes aegypti, the mosquito species that carries the Zika virus. Experts now know that it can also be transmitted in other ways, including sex. Mosquito control will not be sufficient to limit the spread of the Zika virus because the Aedes aegypti has evolved to live on human blood, which it will choose over animal blood whenever it has the opportunity to do so. This breed of mosquito lives near the ground and near people, which limits the effectiveness of areole spraying. The Aedes aegypti mosquito can breed in a habitat as small as a cup of dirty water, it can hide under leaves, and it will seek out homes where people live. To combat the threat posed by Zika, it is essential that the public be enlisted as the first line of defense. But for this effort to be successful, resources must be available to implement community-based mosquito control and abatement programs. That is why I have called upon the Republican congressional leadership to approve the requested about $1.9 billion emergency Zika prevention funding immediately, with $100 million dedicated to support local government efforts to conduct environmental cleanup activities to remove items in populated areas that promote mosquito breeding. This funding would also support coordinated public-education campaigns to encourage proactive efforts to seek early medical care when Zika virus symptoms are present, or early in a pregnancy. The funding would also provide the resources to teach community residents how to check for and safely address mosquito breeding areas; repair or replace broken or torn door and window screens; and provide DEET mosquito replant products to low-income communities and mosquito netting for beds in homes that have no air conditioning. Last month, I convened the first of what are planned to be several strategic planning sessions with state and local officials to prevent any outbreak or spread of the Zika virus. Here in Houston and Harris County we are prepared to meet this serious challenge to public health and safety with determination and resolve. All we are lacking is the federal funding needed to succeed. And that is why Congress must act immediately.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to express my support for National Infertility Awareness Week, which has been federally recognized since 2010, and in support of the millions of people in this country, both men and women, who currently suffer from the inability to start a family because of infertility. Infertility is a disease of the reproductive system that affects men and women equally, and as many as 12 percent of reproductive-aged couples in America suffer from this devastating disease. It is also among the most frequently misunderstood diseases. We observe National Infertility Awareness Week to increase public awareness and encourage honest and candid dialogue among lawmakers and health professionals, in an effort to address this painful disease and seek cures that will allow every American the opportunity to have a family. In addition to the millions of couples of reproductive age who suffer from infertility, countless more who are diagnosed with cancer also face the probability of becoming infertile due to the effects of the treatment for cancer. Imagine facing not only a cancer diagnosis, but learning that the very treatment will render you unable to have children. An untold number of military veterans, including those returning from combat duty, suffer injuries that render them unable to have a baby without medical treatment. The good news is that treatment for infertility has advanced sharply in the last two decades, and includes in vitro fertilization, or ``IVF,'' now considered the standard of care for many couples being treated for infertility. Despite such 21st century advances, however, many states still do not provide insurance coverage for IVF; in fact, only 15 states currently provide coverage for even basic treatment for infertility. For many patients, IVF not only increases the chance of having a baby, it significantly reduces the incidence of multiple births. A reduction in multiple births decreases health care and other costs both for insurance companies and families, and studies by the American Society of Reproductive Medicine show this treatment results in healthier babies. I want to congratulate RESOLVE, the nation's oldest fertility advocacy organization, and the important and necessary work they are doing to raise awareness about the devastating effects caused by disease of infertility. I urge all Members to join me in commemorating National Infertility Awareness Week.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as I begin my remarks, I know that the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia would understand my sense of pride in acknowledging that, in my district, the Victory Early College High School, which is in the Acres Homes neighborhood and a part of the Aldine Independent School District, a public school, will be celebrating the National Blue Ribbon award ceremony this morning. I offer them congratulations and express my disappointment for not being there. Obviously, they have been recognized as one of two schools in Houston nationally to earn the distinction of a National Blue Ribbon School at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., for closing the achievement gap. May I remind my colleagues that that is a public school system. So I rise in opposition and join my colleague from the District of Columbia to oppose H.R. 4901, which would reauthorize the District of Columbia private school voucher program and the Opportunity Scholarship Program for 5 years. The OSP program came about in 2004. In 2011, Congress reauthorized the OSP through fiscal year 2016. Under the SOAR Act, D.C. households with incomes that do not exceed 185 percent of the poverty line may receive an annual maximum voucher payment per student of $8,000 for grades K-8 and $12,000 for grades 9-12. We all know that private schools are much more expensive than that. So, in essence, this creates a small class that pays money to schools that have not been assessed as to whether or not they are quality schools. Private schools can cost as much as $50,000. Are we giving them $50,000 while we are dumbing down the public school system? What is so disturbing is: Where is the data? This bill, in particular, makes a significant change. The bill prohibits a control study group in making evaluations of the OSP and requires a less rigorous quasi-experimental research design than under the SOAR Act. Since 2004, almost $200 million has been spent on D.C. voucher schools. Can you imagine what we would be able to do if that money was invested?

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, can you imagine what that could do? I hear that 50 percent of D.C. children are in charter schools, but 50 percent of children in D.C. are using The Choice Program. What are we doing in America? By using this as a scapegoat, we are suggesting that we are not invested in public schools. Finally, the D.C. Mayor and City Council members, as I understand, were only advocating that: If you don't fund the voucher program, don't leave us out for the public and charter school program. There is a vigorous Choice Program in D.C. This bill undermines the public school system for all of us, and we should oppose the bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am always reminded of the greatness of America. When the word came: Go west, go west. A little church, a little general store, and a school. I am excited this morning to honor the Victory Early College High School in Acres Home, sponsored by the Aldine Independent School District. And I thank Dr. Bamberg, the superintendent; the trustees; and, as well, Dr. Phyllis Cormier, for they are celebrating right now the National Blue Ribbon Award ceremony--yes, a public school. Victory Early College High School is one of two schools in Houston and one of 335 schools nationally to earn the distinction of a National Blue Ribbon School at an award ceremony hosted by the Department of Education. They exemplify overall academic excellence. Yes, inner-city children, poor children, are showing progress and closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. This particular school has been exemplary in both areas. We are also celebrating Senior Signing Day because each of our graduating seniors will graduate under the distinguished high school plan, and all have been accepted to a 4-year university. They will announce their schools at this event--a public school. The mayor will be there. I am in Washington. I wanted to pay tribute to them. And I want to thank Aldine for letting their M.O. Campbell Center be used for a shelter for those who are fleeing the flood.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus to celebrate and recognize the importance of educational opportunities that HBCU institutions create for thousands of young men and women from all walks of life. As a member of the Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus which promotes and protects the interest of HBCUs by: creating a national dialogue, educating Members of Congress and their staffs about the issues impacting HBCUs, drafting meaningful bipartisan legislation to address the needs of HBCUs, and supporting students and graduates of HBCUs by increasing access and career opportunities. As Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I am particularly concerned about the events of the last few weeks and months that highlight a national problem that involves the health and wellbeing of young African American boys and young men. One important solution must be access to affordable quality education for every person in this nation. I am proud to count Texas Southern University, as a constituent, a great HBCU--located in my home city of Houston. I routinely partner with Texas Southern University to promote education opportunities and collaborate on community projects routinely. I led the initiative to get Financial Aid Relief for the students and campus of Texas Southern University in the amount of $13 plus million dollars. I continue to keep the university community informed about major issues impacting citizens of the city of Houston, state of Texas. Issues like Health Care, Economic Development, Education, and Social Security are of great importance to TSU academic programs. I initiated the digitization projects for former U.S. Members of Congress Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland who both have permanent archives at Texas Southern University. I helped establish the Barbara Jordan Medallion to be awarded each year at a ceremony held at Texas Southern University to an individual who advocates for the community. I also assisted with the establishment of several scholarship Endowments at Texas Southern University. I created a partnership with Comcast at TSU's School of Communication, which offers scholarships, internships and in-kind marketing. I established the Center for Transportation, Training and Research in TSU's College of Science, Engineering, and Technology. On September 14, 1927, the Houston Public School Board agreed to fund the development of two junior colleges: one for whites and one for African-Americans. On September 14, 1927, the Houston Public School Board provided $2,800 in seed capital to form a Junior College for African American students. The initial enrollment for the first summer was 300 students. On June 1, 1951, the name of the school was changed from Texas State University for Negroes to Texas Southern University after students petitioned the state legislature to remove the phrase ``for Negroes.'' When the university opened its doors in September 1947, it had 2,300 students, two schools, one division and one college--the Law School, the Pharmacy School, the Vocational Division, and the College of Arts and Sciences. In 1973, the 63rd Legislature designated Texas Southern University as a ``special purpose'' institution for urban programming, which added four more academic units: the College of Education, the School of Public Affairs, the School of Communications and the Weekend College. Today, Texas Southern University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in the following academic colleges and schools: the College of Liberal Arts and Behavioral Sciences; the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; the College of Science and Technology; the College of Education; the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs; the School of Communication; the Thurgood Marshall School of Law; the Jesse H. Jones School of Business; the Thomas Freeman Honors College; and the College of Continuing Education and the Graduate School. Currently, Texas Southern University is staffed by approximately 1,000 faculty members and support personnel. HBCU's have come a long way to be where they are today. The most significant milestone for HBCU's was the 1954 Supreme Court decision in Brown v. The Board of Education. Howard University School of Law graduates successfully argued against the constitutionality of ``separate but equal,'' opening the door for greater access to resources for institutions dedicated to education was a critical step forward. However, it was not until the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that the federal government had the capacity and focus to enforce desegregation. Two years ago in our nation's Capital--Washington DC--we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King's ``I have a Dream'' speech given at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In that speech Dr. King spoke of a world where race would mean much less than the content of a person's character. Martin Luther King said, ``The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education.'' HBCUs do not just educate--they build character. The Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus will create and explore legislation that will increase support for HBCUs, such as the Higher Education Act, America COMPETES, and Appropriations. The Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus will also work to connect HBCUs to funding opportunities that ensure schools have the resources needed to educate and prepare students for the global workforce. My focus is to support and continue my work with Texas Southern University and other HBCUs by: finding growth opportunities for HBCU students and graduates; working with private industry to connect students to jobs, internships, and scholarships; and opening up doors to HBCU students interested in coming to Capitol Hill. Each Congressional Black Caucus member works to expose HBCU students to global experiences to learn about other cultures. My office worked to assist students in my district in going on a trip to China--for many it was their first travel outside of the state of Texas. That one experience transformed their lives--by expanding their horizon from being local to global.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.J. Res. 88, a joint resolution disapproving the rule promulgated by the United States Department of Labor relating to the definition of the term ``fiduciary.'' I oppose this resolution because it seeks to nullify a rule that was years in the making and which provides common sense protections for consumers by simply requiring retirement advisors to put the best interests of their clients above their own financial interests. Currently, these retirement advisors are only required to recommend ``suitable'' investments, which means they can recommend investments that offer them a higher commission even where an otherwise identical investment with a lower commission is available. Under current rules and regulations, this is all perfectly legal--but highly unfair, especially middle-class seniors dependent upon the investment income from the hard-earned money they saved during their working years and entrusted to a financial advisor. Because those outdated regulations did not ensure that financial advisers act in their clients' best interest when giving retirement investment advice, some firms have found it profitable to incentivize their advisers to steer clients into products that have higher fees and lower returns at a cost to American families of approximately $17 billion a year. The Fiduciary Rule issued and published by the Department of Labor (DOL) on April 8, 2016, bans these practices and removes the incentive for financial advisors to put their pecuniary interest ahead of their client's proprietary interest. Mr. Speaker, it is worth noting that DOL's Fiduciary Rules was thoughtfully, responsibly, and transparently crafted over several years in conjunction with hundreds of meetings on the rule with industry professionals and the public and after considering more than 3,000 public comments over a six-month period from the American people. In comparison, House Republicans quickly convened a markup only two days after H.J. Res. 88 was introduced and only thirteen days after the rule was finalized and published. This clearly shows that Republicans in Congress are more interested in attacking the Obama Administration than acting to safeguard the hard-earned retirement savings of the American people and working to ensure those savings are protected. The DOL's fiduciary rule simply guarantees that those entrusted with the savings of millions of Americans act in the best interests of their clients. The Department of Labor has done right by the American people. Now it is time for this House to do right by the American people by rejecting H.J. Res. 88 and leaving the DOL Fiduciary Rule in place. Mr. DeFAZIO, Mr. Speaker, investment advisors in my district have contacted me expressing concern that the Department of Labor's fiduciary rule as currently written would make it difficult to continue serving clients with smaller portfolios. However, every investor deserves to be protected from bad actors who sell them products that do not fit their needs. The Department of Labor should continue to work with all stakeholders to craft a fair rule. The bill before us would do nothing to correct the rule, tying the Department's hands from establishing safeguards that work for everyone. It's unlikely the Senate will act on the bill. If they do, the President has indicated he will veto it. Our time would be better spent improving the rule to make certain investors are protected without diminishing advisors' ability to serve their clients.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it's with mixed emotion that I rise in remembrance of Tiffany May Joslyn, one of the most beloved, talented, and effective members of the House Judiciary Committee staff, whose life tragically was cut short on March 5, 2016, in a car accident that sadly also claimed the life of her brother, Derrick. She was just 33 years old. Although the years of Tiffany's life were short, the life of Tiffany's years was full. In a journey of a little more than three decades, Tiffany May Joslyn, traveled from the little schoolgirl who was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, on November 9, 1982, to Deputy Chief Counsel of House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, where she played a central role in crafting pioneering legislation to reform the nation's broken criminal justice system. Tiffany was a Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude graduate of Clark University. She graduated with honors from The George Washington University Law School and was admitted to the Massachusetts and Rhode Island Bars after serving clerkships with the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Before bringing her exceptional talent and servant's heart to Capitol Hill, Tiffany was Research Counsel for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers in Washington, D.C., where she was the lead researcher and principal investigator for several major studies of the criminal justice system. Her work for the NACDL was so outstanding that she earned the reputation as one of the most thoughtful and forward- thinking policy experts of her generation in the area of criminal justice reform, which brought her to my attention when I became Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations. Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful that I was able to secure for the Judiciary Committee, and this House, the services of Tiffany Joslyn. In the short time she was with us, she left an indelible impression on the Members of the Committee, her staff colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and most importantly on the criminal justice reform legislation produced by the Committee on the Judiciary. Tiffany was a brilliant writer and was highly respected for her expertise, energy, dedication, loyalty, kindness, and perhaps, most of all, her persuasiveness as an advocate. Mr. Speaker, Tiffany had a passion to help the most vulnerable and those who were caught up in the criminal justice system unfairly, but also those who deserved restoration and rehabilitation. Together we were on a journey to continue to find a way to reform the criminal justice system. She made great progress. Two of the bills we worked on have already passed out of the Judiciary Committee, and I am praying that they come to the floor not only in her name, but in the names of all the vulnerable people that would benefit from her great work. I hope Tiffany's family can take comfort during the difficult days ahead in the knowledge that Tiffany and Derrick were the light of so many lives. May God bless them. Mr. Speaker, to quote Maximus Decimus Meridus: ``What we do in life echoes in eternity.'' In her too short sojourn on this earth, Tiffany May Joslyn did so much good that I can say with confidence, and in the certain knowledge, that the glory of Tiffany's work will echo in eternity. I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory of Tiffany Joslyn.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me start by saying that this is evidence of the important commitment that the Judiciary Committee has to the issues of criminal justice, but as well recognizes the title of this committee that covers crime, terrorism, homeland security, and investigations. So I want to thank the chairman, Mr. Goodlatte, for working with me and his staff, along with Mr. Conyers, the ranking member, and his staff, and, of course, Mr. Ratcliffe for his support for my legislation, H.R. 4240, the No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act. I particularly want to thank the staff because as they well know, my late staff, Tiffany Joslyn, worked very hard with staff members as well on this legislation. So here we are today with an important initiative coming out of the Judiciary Committee working collaboratively, and I believe that is extremely important. As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the ranking member of the House Committee on the Judiciary's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, the topic of threats to homeland security has always been of particular concern to me. But over the last couple of months, maybe over the last couple of years, as we have seen ISIL raise its ugly head, we have heard of Americans going for the fight, joining and being a part of the caliphate. We have heard of ISIS members moving around, particularly in Europe, moving from country to country. Some may say that they are crossing in a number of modes of transportation, but we also know they are using aviation modes of transportation. Therefore, they pose a serious threat. I initially introduced the No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act after the investigation of an attempt to detonate explosives on a Northwest Airlines Flight on Christmas Day, 2009. Yes, Mr. Speaker, that was a long time ago. An investigation of the incident revealed that counter-terrorism agencies had information that raised flags about this individual referred to as the ``underwear bomber,'' but the dots were not connected and he was not placed in the Terrorist Screening Database, or the TSDB. This incident shone a light on potential gaps in our watching and screening process, and that resulted in significant improvements. That said, questions about the system remain. In fact, it is not uncommon to see news of a flight being diverted or an emergency landing because a passenger happened to be on the no-fly list, but there was a delay getting that information. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to really ensure that we get it right because one wrong time again jeopardizes maybe hundreds of thousands of lives. It is even more common to read articles about the frequency of false positives and individuals being mistakenly identified as being on the list, causing them and their fellow passengers significant delay and frustration. I remember, having been on the Committee on Homeland Security since the heinous and tragic terrorist acts of 9/11, in those early days, Members of Congress, United States Senators, and others were on the no-fly list. While it may, after the fact, be a little bit humorous, it is not. So we must get it right. The issue of false positives is something that I know many of my colleagues on the committee are particularly interested in, as well as groups such as the ACLU who was kept very busy by so many people being on wrongly. In light of the events of the last 12 months, however, the issue of homeland security and, in particular, the accuracy of our screening and watch listing process has become even more significant to me. More than 30,000 foreign fighters from at least 100 different countries have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight with ISIL since 2011. I want to say that number again: 30,000 foreign fighters have traveled. That means they may return and move throughout Europe or attempt to come to the United States. In the last 18 months, the number of foreign fighters traveling to Syria and Iraq has more than doubled. If those individuals try to go throughout places in Europe or elsewhere or to the United States, the mode of transportation would be aviation. In the first 6 months of 2015, more than 7,000 foreign fighters have arrived in Syria and Iraq. Of those traveling to Syria and Iraq to fight for the Islamic State terrorist group, it is estimated that at least 250 hold U.S. citizenship. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, we only need one. The accuracy of our terrorist screening tools is more critical now than ever before. That is why I worked with the chairman, Mr. Ratcliffe, and Mr. Conyers to introduce H.R. 4240, which mandates an independent review of the TSDB's operation and administration. Although the Inspector General for the Department of Justice conducts annual audits of the TSDB, there has not been an independent review since the GAO study after the 2009 incident. H.R. 4240 directs the GAO to conduct an independent review of the operation and administration of the TSDB and subsets of the TSDB, to assess whether past weaknesses have been addressed, the extent to which existing vulnerabilities may be resolved or mitigated through additional changes. This legislation is drafted broadly to allow the GAO to conduct a comprehensive review not just of the TSDB's accuracy, but its entire operation and administration in the name of securing the American people. Following its study, the GAO will submit a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees with its findings and any recommendations for improvements. I am very glad that my colleagues joined me in shortening that timeframe in which a report is to come back so that we can quickly move to urge any changes that need to be made in the list to be accurate and to secure the Nation. Let me close by thanking the members of this committee who are cosponsors of H.R. 4240 and urge my colleagues to vote to send this critical and timely bipartisan legislation to the House floor, which we are now. Mr. Speaker, let me begin by extending my appreciation to Chairman Goodlatte, Ranking Member Conyers, and Mr. Ratcliffe for your support of my legislation, H.R. 4240, the ``No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act.'' As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security & Investigations, the topic of threats to homeland security has always of particular concern to me. I initially introduced the ``No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act'' after the investigation of an attempt to detonate explosives on a Northwest Airlines Flight on Christmas Day 2009. Investigation of the incident revealed that counterterrorism agencies had information that raised red flags about this individual, referred to as the ``underwear bomber,'' but the dots were not connected and he was not placed in the Terrorist Screening Database or the TSDB. This incident shone a spotlight on potential gaps in our watching and screening process and that resulted significant improvements. That said, questions about the system remain. In fact, it is not uncommon to see news of a flight being diverted or an emergency landing because a passenger happened to be on the No Fly list but there was a delay getting that information. It is even more common to read articles about the frequency of false positives and individuals being mistakenly identified as being on the list--causing them and their fellow passenger significant delay and frustration. The issue of false positives is something that I know many of my colleagues on the Committee are particularly interested in, as well as groups such as the ACLU. In light of the events of the last 12 months, however, the issue of homeland security and, in particular, the accuracy of our screening and watchlisting process has become even more significant to me. More than 30,000 foreign fighters from at least 100 different countries have traveled to Syria and Iraq to fight for ISIL since 2011. In the last 18 months, the number of foreign fighters traveling to Syria and Iraq has more than doubled. In the first six months of 2015, more than 7.000 foreign fighters have arrived in Syria and Iraq. Of those traveling to Syria and Iraq to fight for the Islamic State terrorist group, it is estimated at least 250 hold U.S. Citizenship. The accuracy of our terrorist screening tools is more critical now than ever before. That is why I worked with the Chairman and Mr. Ratcliffe, to introduce H.R. 4240, which mandates an independent review of the TSDB's operation and administration. Although the Inspector General for the Department of Justice conducts annual audits of the TSDB, there has not been an independent review since the GAO study after the 2009 incident. H.R. 4240 directs the GAO to conduct an independent review of the operation and administration of the TSDB, and subsets of the TSDB, to assess: (1) whether past weaknesses have been address; and (2) the extent to which existing vulnerabilities may be resolved or mitigated through additional changes. This legislation is drafted broadly, to allow the GAO to conduct a comprehensive review not just of the TSDB's accuracy, but of its entire operation and administration. Following its study, the GAO will submit a report to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees, with its findings and any recommendations for improvements. I would like to thank the many Members of this Committee who are co- sponsors of H.R. 4240 and urge my colleagues to vote to send this critical and timely bipartisan legislation to the House floor. Mr. Speaker, I want to conclude by also thanking the many individuals who work tirelessly to make the Terrorist Screening Center an asset to our homeland security infrastructure. We want to make certain that those men and women have the tools they need to continue to keep this nation safe. H.R. 4240 is the next step in ensuring that the screening and watchlisting process works as it is intended. I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan measure. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the distinguished ranking member who now is the dean of this House.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in concluding, a lot of thanks go to, as I indicated, the chairman, Chairman Goodlatte; Ranking Member Conyers; Mr. Ratcliffe, who is a member of the committee; and my colleagues on Homeland Security as well, who have a great interest in this legislation. Our commitment in this legislation is to leave no stone unturned, no page unturned, and no iota of information that will be necessary to make this list a more viable and secure list. That work now will be done by this legislation, the No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act. It will help to make the Terrorist Screening Center a further asset to our Homeland Security infrastructure. We want to make certain that those men and women have the tools they need to continue to keep the Nation safe. With 30,000 foreign fighters and others going every day, 250 Americans who have gone to the caliphate, have gone to the fight, individuals who may have an interest in returning to this country and doing us harm, doing us damage, I believe H.R. 4240 is the next step in ensuring that the screening and watch-listing process works as it was intended to have worked and works without as many errors as possible--errorless, if you will--because that is what we need to secure this Nation. I urge all my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 699, the Email Privacy Act. This is an important and long negotiated bill that will update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, a law that both protects the privacy of our email communications and provides a critical tool for law enforcement to investigate crime. I want to thank Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Ranking Member John Conyers for their leadership and for working together on this legislation to accomplish the goals of this bill for the benefit and protection of citizens, law enforcement, and communications providers. I am an original cosponsor of this bill, which has 314 cosponsors, enjoying overwhelming bipartisan support. The Electronic Communications Privacy Act, or ECPA, was enacted in 1986. The statute is outdated and provides unjustifiably inconsistent standards for law enforcement access to stored communications. The law was designed at a time when few of us used email or could have imagined a world in which we could securely share information and edit electronic documents online with others, or where businesses could input, store, process, and access all data related to their operation. The outdated, inconsistent, and unclear aspects of this statute undermine both our privacy interests and law enforcement goals. It is critical that we enact the central reforms provided by this bill. For instance, a probable cause standard should apply to the government's ability to compel a communications provider to disclose a customer's email message--no matter how old the message is. Currently, the statute requires the government to obtain a warrant based on probable cause to compel disclosure of an email that is in storage for 180 days or less. However, the statute only requires a subpoena for the government to obtain email messages that are older than 180 days. This makes no sense because citizens have the same, reasonable expectation that these stored communications are private. Therefore, we must change the law so that the higher standard applies regardless of the age of these communications, and H.R. 699 would accomplish this. In addition, the law does not adequately protect communications stored ``in the cloud'' by third parties on behalf of consumers, and a probable cause warrant should be required for government access. ECPA additionally provides a lesser standard for some cloud storage than it does for many communications stored by electronic communications services. To further complicate matters, many companies provide both communications services and remote storage, making the services to the same customer difficult to separate for purposes of determining which standard applies. Applying inadequate and unclear standards to government access to cloud communications undermines consumer confidence in cloud privacy and threatens to hamper the development of this important engine of economic growth. H.R. 699 addresses this issue by providing a clear and consistent probable cause standard for access to the contents of stored communications for which customers have a reasonable expectation of privacy. H.R. 699 would accomplish these fairly straightforward reforms and that is why it has the support of privacy advocates and electronic communications companies. I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan measure.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 1890, the ``Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016''. S. 1890, amends the, ``Economic Espionage Act of 1996,'' to create a federal civil remedy for trade secret misappropriation, and expedite ex parte seizure of trade secrets to preserve evidence or prevent dissemination, without preempting state law. ``Trade secrets'' are the form of intellectual property that protect confidential information, including: marketing data and strategies, manufacturing processes or techniques, confidential and chemical formulae, product design, customer lists, business leads, pricing schedules, and sales techniques. Trade secret law offers protection from trade secret ``misappropriation,'' which is the unauthorized acquisition, use, or disclosure of such secrets obtained by some improper means. Under U.S. law, trade secrets consist of three parts: (i) information that is non-public; (2) the reasonable measures taken to protect that information; and (3) the fact that the information derives independent economic value from not being publicly known. American companies are at the forefront of innovation and have some of the largest trade secret and patent portfolios in the world tied to numerous goods and services offered to governments, commercial enterprises, and consumers around the globe. In fact, patent portfolios often grow as a result of the ideas and products that originated as trade secrets. President Obama's Administration identified the importance of this legislation and, ``strongly supports the Defend Trade Secrets Act,'' because he recognizes that as the United States continues to shift from a manufacturing, to a knowledge- and service-based economy, businesses increasingly depend on trade secrets to protect their confidential know-how. A 2009 estimate placed the value of trade secrets owned by U.S. companies at five trillion dollars, demonstrating that trade secrets have become an increasingly important part of most companies' overall assets. But, the global economy creates a competitive environment in which companies struggle to safeguard this information in light of innovative technologies, such as cell phones, which allow nearly anyone to photograph or otherwise record data and send information nearly instantaneously. A 2013 report, by the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, estimated that the American economy loses more than $300 billion annually as a result of theft of intellectual property, largely trade secrets, leading to a loss of up to 2.1 million jobs each year. The same theft is slowing U.S. economic growth and diminishing the incentive to innovate that we celebrate today. Our companies pour billions of dollars into research and development, creating products and services that ultimately become the backbone of their businesses. And rightly so, those trade secrets produced through research and development increasingly have become the attractive envy of competitors in other countries. In addition, advances in technology now make it easy to copy trade secret materials onto a jump drive or laptop computer that in a world of less advanced technology would have taken reams of paper to reproduce. Modernization of trade secrets law is long overdue if our legislation is to keep pace with the rapid developments of premier American companies and the technologies and methodologies used by the criminals who target them. The patchwork of state trade secrets laws, while effective for local theft, fail to meet the demands of the global nature of today's trade secret misappropriations. In addition, trade secrets do not enjoy the same federal protections as other types of intellectual property. While it is a federal crime to steal a trade secret, unlike patents, copyrights and trademarks, there is no current federal civil remedy. This confidential business information can be protected for an unlimited time, unlike patents, and requires no formal registration process. But unlike patents, once this information is disclosed it instantly loses its value and the property right itself ceases to exist, demonstrating a stark difference in the potential consequences of securing patent protections versus keeping an innovation as a trade secret. When an inventor seeks patent protection, he or she agrees to disclose to the world their invention and how it works, furthering innovation and research, as well as securing a 20-year exclusive term of protection, and the right to prevent others from making, using, selling, importing, or distributing a patented invention without permission. However, in contrast by maintaining it as a trade secret, an inventor could theoretically keep their invention secret indefinitely (ex: formula for Coca-Cola; the KFC Colonel's Secret Recipe); but, the downside is there is no protection if the trade secret is uncovered by others through reverse engineering or independent development. Trade secrets must be valiantly guarded because discovery of a trade secret by fair, lawful methods, such as reverse engineering or independent development, is permitted. As a result, the threat posed to American trade secrets has increased and theft of these secrets robs our economy of growth and innovation. S. 1890, provides a solution to these problematic gaps by making federal law more comprehensive and providing trade secrets owners with remedies that all forms of intellectual property should be afforded. With both a federal criminal and a federal civil cause of action, large and small companies alike will have access to more of the tools that they need to effectively combat trade secret theft and help to ensure future innovation continues to occur within the United States. While trade secret protection is important domestically, as American companies expand in the global marketplace, this protection is also paramount worldwide. As we operate in other countries and work with them to encourage strong intellectual property protection within their own borders, the ``Defend Trade Secrets Act'' will serve as a model for effective protection. S. 1890 will prevent the occurrence of (1) trade secret theft occurring in the United States and around the world; and (2) trade secret theft harming owner companies and their employees; while allowing the ``Economic Espionage Act of 1996'' to continue to apply broadly to protect trade secrets from theft. I thank the House Judiciary Committee for quickly approving this legislation, and look forward to seeing this bill pass in the House to move to the President's desk to become law. Mr. Speaker, I thank our Leadership for its prowess on intellectual property protection and urge you and your colleagues to support S. 1890. Chamber of Commerce, United States of America, Washington, DC, April 26, 2016. To The Members of the U.S. House of Representatives: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations, and dedicated to promoting, protecting, and defending America's free enterprise system, strongly supports S. 1890, the ``Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016,'' and urges the House to expeditiously pass this bill. Intellectual property sector industries generate 35% of all U.S. Gross Domestic Product and are responsible for two- thirds of all exports and over forty million good-paying jobs. The threat of trade secrets theft is of increasing concern to U.S. economic security and domestic jobs, and S. 1890 would provide companies with an effective tool to combat this growing problem. Creating a federal civil cause of action to complement existing criminal remedies and providing a uniform system and legal framework would enable companies to better mitigate the commercial injury and loss of employment that often occur when trade secrets are stolen. The Chamber appreciates the House's attention to this important issue that impacts companies that depend on intellectual property to spur innovation, create jobs, and bring new products to market that benefit consumers. By creating a federal civil remedy for trade secrets theft, this bill would help ensure the trade secrets of U.S. companies are given similar protections afforded to other forms of intellectual property including patents, trademarks, and copyrights. The Chamber urges you to support S. 1890 and may consider votes on, or in relation to, this bill in our annual How They Voted scorecard. Sincerely, R. Bruce Josten.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I was detained with a meeting off campus at the White House. I would like to indicate my vote on the Waters amendment. For the Waters amendment, I would have voted ``aye''; for final passage of H.R. 4498, Helping Angels Lead Our Startups Act, I would have voted ``no''; and for S. 1890, Defend Trade Secrets Act, I would have voted ``aye.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate Earth Day, the day set aside to honor our planet and formerly renamed as International Mother Earth Day, in 2009 by the United Nations. For more than four decades, Earth Day has brought Americans together to honor our moral responsibility to preserve our planet, protect our environment, and address the pressing challenge of climate change. Across the country, families and students spend this day serving their communities, cleaning up their neighborhoods, promoting conservation, and participating in the effort to ensure clean air, clean water, and a cleaner planet. The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, originating in the United States, and becoming recognized worldwide by 1990. On the very first Earth Day, 46 years ago, 20 million people gathered in the streets of America to protest the environmental damage caused by industrialization and gave birth to the environmental movement. Every year on April 22, men, women, and children collect garbage, plant trees, clean up coral reefs, hold teach-ins, sign petitions, and plan for a better future for our planet. I commend the schools and communities celebrating Earth Day for a whole week to expand the time frame that people focus on the earth and how they can preserve it. On Earth Day 2012, more than 100,000 people rode bikes in China to reduce CO2 emissions and save fuel. In an Earth Day celebration in 2011, 28 million trees were planted in Afghanistan by the Earth Day Network. In Panama, 100 endangered species of orchids were planted and maintained to prevent their extinction in honor of Earth Day. This Earth Day we must take the opportunity to act to keep America number one in science, technology, and renewable energy. For Congress, Earth Day must be a moment to build on American efforts to invest in clean energy jobs, to strengthen industries of innovation, to decrease harmful emissions, to cut energy costs for consumers, and to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. This day must represent a clarion call to renew our commitment to defend our natural resources and reverse the ill effects of climate change. On Earth Day, Democrats and Republicans should commit to working side-by-side with the American people to create a future of sustainability for our children and grandchildren, prosperity and opportunity for our families and communities, and security and energy independence for generations to come. I urge all Members to join me in celebrating our planet and assuring a longer and healthier life for all creatures inhabiting her bountiful realm.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to H.R. 4820, the ``Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act of 2016,'' because regrettably the bill was not improved as I had hoped and expected between the Committee markup and, floor consideration. Specifically, Section 2 of H.R. 4820, directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, inter alia, to employ ``Counter-messaging of foreign terrorist organization communications and narratives.'' However, the bill is silent on the issue of domestic terrorists and the threat they pose to the safety and security of Americans. This was a point raised by the minority members during the markup, but an agreement could not be reached to include the words ``and domestic terrorist'' in the bill. As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security and Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I appreciate the concerns the bill is intended to address but in my view the bill's scope is too limited in view of the number and frequency of violent domestic extremist attacks such as the one occurring in the evening of June 17, 2015 at the historic Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Combating violent extremism is too important to become the subject of partisan political disputes. Instead, we should work together to find common ground that reconciles the competing interests of collective security and individual liberties. We must not focus on one religion as being a threat--this would be wrong and counterproductive. Mr. Speaker, there have been other attacks by foreign and domestic violent extremists. The Fort Hood Texas attack committed by Major Nidal Malik Hasan, who opened fire and killed 13 U.S. military personnel. The Boston Marathon attackers were two Chechen brothers Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and Tamerlan Tsarnaev who carried out a bombing that took 3 lives and injured 264 others. Later, the brothers killed university police officer Sean A. Collier. On December 2, 2015, 14 people were killed and 22 were seriously injured in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, which consisted of a mass shooting and an attempted bombing. The perpetrators, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik, a married couple living in the city of Redlands, who the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health training event and holiday party, of about 80 employees. This threat of attack by foreign terrorists on American soil is real and substantial and requires vigilance by the Administration and this Congress. However, threats of domestic terrorist attacks are also real. Mr. Speaker, we cannot be unmindful of the fact that since September 2001, there have been 250 deaths at the hands of home grown violent extremists as opposed by 50 by foreign terrorists. The seminal act of homegrown domestic terror occurred in 1995, when the domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh detonated the truck bomb that destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 persons and injured over 680 people. At the time, it is the largest loss of American lives at the hands of a domestic terror group since the Civil War. Today, the challenge is countering the messages of violent extremism no matter the source and not to fall for thinking that one type of violent extremism is less of a threat than another type of violent extremism. Radical and extremist groups, both domestic and international, systematically prey upon the vulnerabilities of young persons by offering inducements such as financial assistance, familial-like bonds, or the promise of an exciting and heroic life. In some cases, youth have been forcibly recruited or tricked into participating in terrorist activities, including suicide bombings. The heinous attack in Mother Emmanuel Church was a defining moment in our nation's history for many reasons, but the final chapter will be written by those who are charged with keeping our nation and its people safe while preserving the way of life that terrorist seek to change. One of the enduring challenges for members of the Homeland Security Committee is how we guide the work of the Department of Homeland Security. I hosted DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson in Houston for two days of discussions, and tours that were insightful and probing on a range of regional and national homeland security issues. The issue of violent extremism is one of several efforts that the Department of Homeland Security has prioritized and begun efforts to address both the international threat and the domestic threats. DHS defines ``Domestic Terrorism'' as: ``Any act of violence that is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critical infrastructure or key resources committed by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or its territories without direction or inspiration from a foreign terrorist group.'' Groups and individuals inspired to commit terrorist acts are motivated by a range of personal, religious, political, or other ideological beliefs--there is no magic formula. Further, the complexity of adding social media as a new source of recruitment for violent extremists is complicating the efforts of law enforcement, domestic security and national defense. The line between lawfully protected speech and activity that may be a threat should be clearly defined by law. Taking care to protect civil liberties and constitutional rights means that our system of laws must acknowledge that reading, writing, or speaking of one's views or beliefs even when they are unpopular is not a crime. Hate speech is not a crime--while an act of violence motivated by hate is. Violent extremist threats within the United States can come from a range of violent extremist groups and individuals, including Domestic Terrorists and Homegrown Violent Extremists (HVEs). The troubling violent nature of the attack at Mother Emanuel AME Church, its location in the South, on a night devoted to prayer services, by a young man still in his twenties awaken fears that many of us who represent majority minority congressional districts had hoped were receding with the passage of time. In the wake of the killings at Mother Emanuel in Charleston, several African American Churches have fallen victim to fires. Historically, African American churches are the center of religious, social, cultural and political life for the communities they serve. Since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, members serving in this body were mindful of the history that we worked not to repeat. Today, we are still working to assure the public that appropriate checks must be made certain in how increased in government authority is controlled. The demographics of young persons' becoming involved in terrorist groups also appear to be changing. In many cases the persons implicated are younger than reported in the past and there appear to be more female youth joining the ranks of terrorist organizations. Additionally, more young supporters are coming from Western countries that are further removed from actual conflict areas. The Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas have recruited children as young as thirteen to be suicide bombers and children as young as eleven to smuggle explosives and weapons. During 2003, thirteen-year-old twin sisters who had been recruited by al-Qaeda linked groups were caught attempting to commit a suicide bombing against Western businesses and local government buildings in Morocco. Counter-recruitment and counter-radicalization initiatives should be tailored locally, and should engage members from across the community who are in a position to address specific underlying factors or identify potential radicalization indicators. Counter-recruitment and radicalization initiatives must evolve with the young audiences they are intended to reach, adapt along with the adversaries, incorporate new developments in technologies, and address changes within environments where young persons are susceptible. I encourage my colleagues to withdraw this bill and allow for it to be considered under an open rule or for the bill to be sent back to the committee for further consideration.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4698, the ``Securing Aviation from Foreign Entry Points and Guarding Airports through Enhanced Security Act of 2016.'' As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, and a former chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Security, I have been committed to protecting and improving the security of our nation's airways. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) needs all the support we can provide to aid them in protecting our nation against security threats. The critical work of TSA agents around the country provides security for the nation's airports, maintains a security force to screen all commercial airline passengers and baggage, and works with the transportation, law enforcement and intelligence communities to ensure safety. In 2015, TSA officers screened 708,316,339 million passengers (more than 1.9 million per day) at more than 450 airports across the nation-- which is 40,780,330 million more passengers than for the same timeframe in 2014. In addition to screening more than 708 million passengers last year, TSA officers also screened 1.6 billion carry-on bags, 432 million checked bags and 12.9 million airport employees. Obtaining critical information about TSA's procedures and planning while handling enhanced security screenings throughout the country will only make us stronger and safer. The Congressional District I represent in Houston, Texas is home to two of the world's busiest airports. The Bush International and the William P. Hobby Airports are essential hubs for domestic and international air travel for Houston and the region. Nearly 40 million passengers traveled through Bush International Airport (IAH) and an additional 10 million traveled through William P. Hobby (HOU). IAH is the 11th busiest airport in the U.S. for total passenger traffic with more than 650 daily departures. Since January, IAH has seen a significant increase in both international and domestic travelers. International travel in the first half of 2015 increased by 3.9 percent compared to the same period last year. More than 5.1 million international passengers boarded flights out of IAH. It is estimated that at the current rate, IAH could see nearly 10.2 million international passengers by the end of the year. In October 2015, in an effort to re-establish the airport's daily international air service, the William P. Hobby Airport opened a new 280,000 foot complex that includes five gates for its international concourse. This addition is expected to support travel service for nearly 7,500 international passengers and 25 departing flights a day. Enhanced security protects our economic interests, more importantly; implementing this bill will protect our citizens. H.R. 4698 will direct the TSA to conduct a comprehensive security risk assessment of all last point of departure airports with nonstop flights to the United States. H.R. 4698 will also require TSA to submit to Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) a plan to: --enhance collaboration, coordination, and information-sharing about international-inbound aviation between the United States and domestic and foreign partners in order to enhance security capabilities at foreign airports, --assess TSA ability to enter into a mutual agreement with a foreign government entity to permit TSA representatives to conduct inspections of foreign airports without prior notice. Through H.R. 4698: GAO will review TSA efforts to enhance security capabilities at foreign airports and secure international-inbound aviation. TSA will submit to Congress a comprehensive workforce assessment of all TSA personnel within its Office of Global Strategies or whose primary professional duties contribute to the TSA's global efforts to secure transportation security, including whether they are assigned in a risk-based, intelligence-driven matter. TSA may donate security screening equipment to a foreign last point of departure airport operator if the equipment can be expected to mitigate a specific vulnerability to U.S. security or U.S. citizens. TSA may evaluate foreign countries' air cargo programs to determine whether they provide a level of security commensurate with that required by U.S. air cargo security programs. Mr. Speaker, we cannot wait until our security is breached by terrorists before we act, otherwise we would not have learned the lessons of September 11, 2001. I urge my colleagues on the Committee to join me in supporting this important step forward to protecting our airports.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee and Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I rise in support of H.R. 3583, the PREPARE Act, a bill that provides an important additional tool in preparing for attacks and responding to emergencies. I support this legislation, because it requires multiple emergency agencies to coordinate and improve overall preparedness for attacks and emergencies. Specifically, H.R. 3583 amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Federal Emergency management Agency (FEMA) to enter into memoranda of understanding with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, the Office of Emergency Communication (OEC), the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement, the Countering Violent Extremism Coordinator, the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, and other Department of Homeland Security offices and components to delineate their responsibilities for awarding grants to: Public Transportation Agencies to improve security under Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. High-risk urban areas and state, local, and tribal governments to protect against terrorism under the UASI and the State Homeland Security Grant Program. Implementation of Area Maritime Transportation Security Plans and facility security plans, provide port security services, and train law enforcement personnel. The PREPARE Act is a smart bill that will enable the Department of Homeland Security to establish a social media working group to identify and provide guidance and best practices for the emergency preparedness and response community. The social media group will submit an annual report that includes: A review and analysis of social media technologies used to support preparedness, response, and recovery activities. A review of best practices and lessons learned. Recommendations to improve DHS's use of social media technologies for emergency management purposes. Recommendations to improve public awareness of the type of information disseminated through such technologies, and recommendations on how to access such information during emergencies. A review of available training for government officials. A review of coordination efforts with the private sector to discuss and resolve legal, operational, technical, privacy, and security concerns. In today's increasingly advanced and complex technology, social media is easily and heavily utilized by terrorists as a dangerous recruiting tool. Mr. Speaker, the PREPARE Act will equip the Department of Homeland Security with vital tools and resources to prevent and remove social media threats and recruitment tactics implemented by terrorist groups. The PREPARE Act will further require FEMA to integrate the needs of children into its activities to protect against natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters, including by appointing a technical expert to coordinate such activities. This is a comprehensive bill that will protect all Americans in every corner of this nation. I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 3583.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, in Houston, Harris County, and surrounding counties last week, eight of our fellow citizens lost their lives. I want to offer our thoughts and prayers on behalf of the families of German Antonio Franco, Claudia Melgar, Sunita Vikas, Malhara Singh, Pedro Rascon Morales, Charles Edward Odum, Suresh Kumar Talluri, and Teri White Rodriguez. They are all loving members of families, who now have lost their lives, and the families are saddened by their loss. In the course of this, I want to thank the first responders for their courageous efforts in, one, seeking to find these individuals, and also helping those who have been impacted by the flooding. The efforts of Houstonians who came to the aid of neighbors and strangers during the flooding saved more lives and provided comfort to those impacted. We offer a special thanks to the diverse religious communities that responded with generosity, by feeding and helping thousands of households left homeless. We are also very grateful for the presence and laudable work of the American Red Cross and, as well, the City of Houston and Harris County, the mayor and county judge, all who were participating in this effort along with other elected officials. When tragedy strikes, we come together, congressional persons, State persons, local elected officials, because we are Texans. It was very sad to lose this many people in a storm that was unexpected. In Ecclesiastes Chapter 3: ``To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.'' I would ask, as we begin to try and rebuild our lives, that we have a moment of silence; if my colleagues would stand in a moment of silence for those names that I have called: German Antonio Franco, Claudia Melgar, Sunita Vikas, Malhara Singh, Pedro Rascon Morales, Charles Edward Odum, Suresh Kumar Talluri, and Teri White Rodriguez.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise on behalf of my colleagues in the Texas Congressional Delegation in remembrance of those who lost their lives during the Flooding tragedy that occurred in the city of Houston and the surrounding area. Our thoughts and prayers are offered on behalf of and for the families of: 1. German Antonio Franco 2. Claudia Melgar 3. Sunita Vikas 4. Malhara Singh 5. Pedro Rascon Morales 6. Charles Edward Odum 7. Suresh Kumar Talluri 8. Teri White Rodriguez I thank all of the first responders for their courageous and effective efforts to bring assistance and support to those impacted by the flooding last week. The efforts of Houstonians who came to the aid of neighbors and strangers during the flooding saved lives and provided comfort to those impacted. We offer a special thanks to the diverse religious community of Houston who responded with generosity and compassion to over 1000 households left homeless by the flooding. We are also very grateful for the presence and laudable work of the American Red Cross whose volunteers some of which were also victims of the flooding immediately began to offer aid and assistance to flood victims. As elected officials we share a common bond with our constituents that motivate our work on their behalf each day. When tragedy strikes we in the Texas Delegation cease to see the victims as being from a city, town or rural community but as Texans who are in trouble or in need of help. Ecclesiastics Chapter 3: To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven . . . A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. This past week has been a time of weeping for far too many Houstonians and those impacted in the State of Texas by flooding, which caused more than $5 billion in damage and loss of life. Today the House stands as one to express our condolences to those impacted by the flooding and to show our commitment that we will do all that we can to ease the suffering of those affected and work to minimize the damage caused by flooding in our State of Texas and every other state. I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory of those who perished in the Houston floods.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is with a deep sadness and heavy heart that I rise today in tribute to Prince, whose extraordinary talent, creativity, innovation, and imagination touched the hearts and moved the feet of millions of music lovers in America and around the world. Prince transitioned from this life on Thursday, April 21, 2016, at Paisley Park, his Chanhassen, Minnesota residential and recording complex. He was just 57 years young. Mr. Speaker, it seems inadequate to note that Prince was a singer, songwriter, musician, producer, performing artist, and actor. Whoever said that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts had to be talking about the artist who was formerly known as, but will always be remembered simply as Prince by the legions of fans who loved the way he made them feel about themselves. So renowned were Prince's innovations, so electrifying was his guitar playing, so soul-affirming were the songs he penned, and so mesmerizing was his stage presence and unmatched vocal range that Rolling Stone Magazine lists Prince as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. Prince's musical career began in 1978, when his debut album ``For You'' was released, launching one of the most influential and culture shaping careers in the history of the music industry. Prince produced some of the most memorable music of his generation, including the signature anthem, the soul-stirring ``Purple Rain,'' regarded by many as the greatest song of the 1980s. Prince's unwavering courage and talent lifted him to a realm rarely accessible to musicians. Although his prolific body of work was the focus his fame, Prince was a citizen of the world and humanitarian whose life could be best summed up by the lyrics in ``Diamonds and Pearls,'' the hit single he penned: ``If I could I would give you the world.'' Prince anonymously supported and funded many community improvement organizations, such as ``Yes We Code,'' which worked with over 15 major technology companies to provide technology training to marginalized inner city youth. Due to his faith as a Jehovah's Witness he would not speak publicly about his numerous good works but all that knew him celebrated his tireless efforts to make the world a better place. Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling artists of all time, and the recipient of seven Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and the Academy Award for Best Music Original Score. Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Prince was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, in his first year of his eligibility. In addition to possessing one of the world's most distinctive voices and dance moves, Prince was a virtuoso on every instrument he played-- guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards, and Linn drum. Mr. Speaker, witnessing in person a performance by Prince was an incredible and unforgettable experience. Prince was proudly different and he inspired generations of fans to unapologetically embrace, celebrate, and love their authentic selves. My heart goes out to Prince's family and friends and the infinite number of fans mourning the loss of this music icon, this unique spirit, this incredible force of nature. Mr. Speaker, this is truly what it sounds like when doves cry. With the passing of Prince, the world has lost one of the greatest gifts of all; the pure joy we felt whenever Prince performed one of those songs that made us go crazy and party like it's 1999, Yes, Prince left us too soon; just like that little red corvette. As Horatio said of Hamlet: ``Good night sweet Prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.'' Mr. Speaker, I request that the House observe a moment of silence in memory of the dearly beloved Prince. We will always remember him and in our hearts will always see him laughing in the Purple Rain.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, just a few days ago in Harris County, in Houston, and in my congressional district and many other places, again, the State of Texas experienced a terrible rain. It was not a hurricane and it was not a tornado, but it was a downpouring of 20 inches-plus of rain. Our bayous overran, people were standing on furniture, babies had to be rescued, and people died. Today, I want to call the names of seven people who died untimely in this terrible, terrible storm. Next week, I will ask my colleagues to stand with me for a minute of silence, but I wanted in this week to call their names. They were mothers and fathers, truck drivers, mechanical engineers, teachers. They were Americans, they were Houstonians, they were Texans, and, unfortunately, they died. The government must work better to ensure that there are flashing lights on underpasses and toward many other solutions. We look forward to the declaration of disaster to help the people remaining. My sympathy to their families: German Antonio Franco, Claudia Melgar, Sunita Vikas Malhara, Pedro Rascon Morales, Charles Edward Odom, Suresh Kumar Talluri, Teri White Rodriguez. Mr. Speaker, may they rest in piece. God bless their families in this terrible, terrible time.