Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as Members of Congress we know well, perhaps better than most, how blessed our nation is to have in reserve such exceptional young men and women who will go on to become leaders in their local communities, states, and the nation in the areas of business, education, government, philanthropy, the arts and culture, and the military. We know this because we see them and benefit from their contributions every day. Many of them work for us in our offices as junior staff members, congressional fellows, or interns and they do amazing work for and on behalf of the constituents we are privileged to represent. Mr. Speaker, I believe there is no higher calling than the call to serve a cause larger than ourselves. That is why I ran for public office. I was inspired to serve by President Kennedy who said, ``Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,'' and by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said: ``Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.'' By this measure, there are several other great young men and women who served as volunteers this year in my offices. They may toil in obscurity but their contributions to the constituents we serve are deeply appreciated. That is why today I rise to pay tribute to six extraordinary young persons for their service to my constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas and to the American people. They are: Erin Wallace from Texas Tech University; Tyler Ford from North Carolina State University; Brandon Jester from Georgia Southern University; Benjamin Warheit from University of California at Santa Barbara; Talha Jilani from Sidwell Friends School; and Asad Moten from Harvard University and the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. Mr. Speaker, the energy, intelligence, and idealism these wonderful young people brought to my office and those interning in the offices of my colleagues help keep our democracy vibrant. The insights, skills, and knowledge of the governmental process they gain from their experiences will last a lifetime and prove invaluable to them as they go about making their mark in this world. Because of persons like them the future of our country is bright and its best days lie ahead. I wish them all well. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that such thoughtful committed young men and women can be found working in my office, those of my colleagues, and in every community in America. Their good works will keep America great, good, and forever young.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Conference Report to H.R. 22, the ``Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2015,'' a bill to authorize Federal Funding for highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs. I thank Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Shuster, Ranking Member DeFazio and the House and Senate Conferees for their work in bringing the Conference Report for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act to the floor for a vote. It is good to see the spirit of bipartisanship return to the process of funding our nation's transportation needs. As the former Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, I am well aware of the importance of our nation's transportation system. A well-functioning transportation system is critical to the nation's prosperity. Whether it is by road, transit, aviation, rail, or waterway, we rely on our transportation system to move people and goods safely, facilitate commerce, attract and retain businesses, and support jobs. Houston is the fourth most populous city in the country; but unlike other large cities, we have struggled to have an effective mass transit system. Over many decades Houston's mass transit policy was to build more highways with more lanes to carry more drivers to and from work. The city of Houston has changed course and is now pursuing mass transit options that include light rail. This decision to invest in light rail is strongly supported by the increased use by Houstonians in the light rail service provided by previous transportation appropriations bills. The April 2014, Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority report on weekly ridership states that 44,267 used Houston's light rail Service-- representing a 6,096 or 16% change in ridership in April of last year. This increase in light rail usage outpaced ridership of other forms of mass transit in the city of Houston: metro bus had a 2.3% increase over April 2013; metro bus-local had a 1.3% increase over April 2013; and Metro Bus-Park and Ride had an 8.0% increase over April 2013. On February 5, 2013, the Houston Chronicle reported on the congestion Houston drivers face during their daily commute to and from work. The article reported that Houston commuters continue to experience some of the worst traffic delays in the country, according to the 2012 urban mobility report. Houston area drivers wasted more than two days a year, on average, in traffic congestion, costing them each $1,090 in lost time and fuel. Funds made available by the legislation will be available for the construction of the University rail line and support of local government decisions by the Houston Metropolitan transit Authority and the city of Houston to expand rail service. More needs to be done to address the transportation needs of our nation from rural communities to major metropolitan areas. I appreciate that two Jackson Lee Amendments are included in the underlying bill. The first Jackson Lee Amendment ensures that the goals of improving transportation efficiency and safety take into consideration the topic of public safety, a rest stop, and public parking that is funded by this bill. The Jackson Lee Amendment requires the Transportation Secretary to report to Congress on the security of locations that are intended to encourage public use of alternative transportation, as well as personal transportation parking areas. An essential part of the success of public transportation usage is the ability of automobile drivers to park their vehicles in safety. More than 1 in 10 property crimes occur in parking lots or garages. The report will provide an opportunity for Congress to do more to enhance the safety of parking areas that are used by students, women, seniors, disabled, and other vulnerable members of the public. The Bureau of Justice Statistics provides a detailed report on the place of occurrence for violent and property crimes from 2004 through 2008. For example, purse snatchings and pocket pickings typically occur away from home. According to Bureau of Justice Statistics 28.2% of purses snatched occur in open areas such as the street or on public transportation. The inclusion of this Jackson Lee Amendment will lead to enhanced safety of car pool parking lots, mass transit parking; local, state, and regional rail station parking; college or university parking; bike paths, walking trails, and other locations the Secretary deems appropriate. The Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that victimization and property crimes occurring between 2004 and 2008 in parking lots and garages include: 213,540 victimization crimes that occurred in noncommercial parking lots and garages; and 864,190 property crimes. The Bureau's report on victimization crimes that occur at public transportation or in stations was 49,910 and property crimes was 132,190. The Jackson Lee Amendment will make surface transportation travel safer. More importantly, it will increase safety of the traveling public, especially women, seniors, students, disabled persons, and children. The second Jackson Lee Amendment included in the Conference Report provides a report to Congress from the Secretary of the Department of Transportation on the ``Internet of Things'' (IoT) and its potential to improve transportation services to the elderly and persons with disabilities as well as assist local, state and federal transportation planners in achieving better efficiencies and cost effectiveness, while protecting privacy and security of persons who use IoT technology. The IoT refers to the wireless environment that will support networking of physical objects or ``things'' embedded with wireless electronic components, software, sensors, and network connectivity technology, which enables these objects to collect and exchange data on people, places and things. The IoT will introduce the functionality of computing into physical space as computing technology is integrated into devices and systems. It will also challenge the privacy and security of users of the technology if precautions are not taken to ensure that information on these devices is not protected. This Jackson Lee Amendment will allow Congress to take into consideration how IoT technologies can be used to make public transportation, safer, more convenient to the elderly and disabled, and how it may improve mass and personal transportation efficiency. The ability to include wireless technology into physical things or support communication among digital devices that may be nearby or at distances will offer many benefits to consumers. IoT products are already being deployed for personal, recreational, city planning, public safety, energy consumption management, healthcare, and many other applications. Today, local governments are working to incorporate IoT services into transportation; garbage pickup, as well as the provision of wireless connectivity for their residents. The Jackson Lee Amendment will help ensure that we harness the benefits of the ``Internet of Things'' for the travelling public and minimize the threats to privacy and cybersecurity presented by this new and exciting technology. This is a good bill and I encourage my colleagues to support its passage.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I offer amendment No. 9, and I ask unanimous consent that it be modified in the form I have placed at the desk.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me express my appreciation to Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone and the Rules Committee for allowing this amendment to come to the floor. Let me thank Chairman Sessions and Ranking Member Slaughter of the Rules Committee as well. As I begin, let me acknowledge that I think we have a collective commitment and need to continue to assess the electric grid. According to a Department of Energy report on the economic benefits of increasing the electric grid resilience, the electric grid in the State of Texas is highly vulnerable to severe weather, cyber attacks, vandalism, and terrorism. Mr. Chairman, Texas is only an example. I hold in my hand a letter from the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations that has come to my attention and the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs to take note of the vulnerability. I use this letter from the State to only say that other States are in the same category. That is why the Jackson Lee amendment is very relevant, because it requires a report to be promulgated upon our Nation's preparedness for challenges in energy as it pertains to cyber attacks, vandalism, terrorism, and severe weather. I sit on the Homeland Security Committee's Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies Subcommittee, and we see every day vulnerabilities to the cybersecurity or the infrastructure. The importance of this amendment was underscored, as I indicated, in a letter that I received. My amendment offers the option of the utilization of geothermal power, in addition to other renewable strategies, to address some of the energy insecurities faced by this Nation. In today's world of natural and manmade disasters in the energy sector, seeking and implementing complementary alternative measures, such as that proposed in my amendment, will help address some of the insecurity issues triggered by these disasters. The natural disasters suffered in many of our home States, whether it is tornados or hurricanes, we know that the grid is an important survival asset for the Nation. According to the DOE report, the average yearly cost of power outages from severe weather in the U.S. is between $18 billion to $33 billion. Cold weather in a number of States caused two emergencies that knocked out 9,355 megawatts. These events warn us that key infrastructure facilities along the Gulf Coast and many other places continue to stress our grid. Thus, this amendment seeks to facilitate the United States' exploration of possibilities, strategies, and utilities of promoting energy infrastructure. I would ask my colleagues to join me in ensuring through this report that we are in front of it, if we can be, to strengthen our electric grid, to look for alternatives, to be ahead of cybersecurity attacks, vandalism, weather conditions, and assure the American public that they do have a resilient system that will last during times of great disaster. I ask my colleagues to support the amendment. Mr. Chair, let me express my appreciation to Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone for their leadership and commitment to American energy infrastructure development, security, independence and economic growth. I also wish to thank Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Slaughter, and the members of the Rules Committee for making in order Jackson Lee Amendment Number 9. Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to explain my amendment, which provides:

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I include for the Record this letter from the Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations of the State of Texas and the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs. Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs & Military Installations and House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs, November 12, 2015. Dear Honorable Jackson Lee: On behalf of the Texas Senate Committee on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations and the House Committee on Defense and Veterans' Affairs, we are writing to ask for your support for the development of geothermal energy along the Gulf Coast to provide onsite power and increased energy independence to critical infrastructure facilities that include Military bases such as Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Naval Air Station Kingsville, and the Ports of Corpus Christi and Brownsville. The August 2013 Report of Economic Benefits of Increasing Electric Grid Resilience authored by the Department of Energy determined that in addition to cyber-attacks, vandalism, and terrorism, the electrical grid is highly vulnerable to severe weather. The average yearly cost of power outages from severe weather in the U.S. is between $18-$33 billion. Cold weather in Texas caused a level two emergency that knocked out 9,355 MW of power that drastically increased wholesale electricity prices 100 times the normal rate in January 2014. Additionally in 2014, there were approximately eight major power outages in the Corpus Christi area, three of which affected the nearby Navy bases. Key infrastructure facilities along the gulf coast operate 24/7/365 and their ongoing power demands are enormous; however, the need for cleaner and more cost effective renewables is also increasing. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), who supports the military's renewable energy goal, published a study in April 2012 that determined a minimum of 2,500 MW of geothermal power potential within the gulf coast region and more recent review by geothermal energy developers have doubled that estimate. Our committees were briefed recently on a conceptual plan to generate as much as 10MW of geothermal power within a 2-acre area at NAS Corpus Christi and up to 5MW at NAS Kingsville. The Corpus Christi Army Depot who is a tenant on NAS Corpus Christi is also considering a plan through its Energy Service Company (ESCO) to utilize geothermal power with a MicroGrid on-site to enhance its energy security in case of power outage. This MicroGrid would complement other off-site renewable power sent from the local grid. From a regulatory stand-point, the Energy Act of 2005, Presidential Executive Orders 13423 and 13513, and the Department of the Navy's own Renewable Energy Security Goals established by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in October 2012 are some of the other drivers that are encouraging the military's use of any geographically available onsite renewable sources by 2015 and 2020 respectively. The Navy's 2012 report only considered 1.2MW Solar PV for on-site generation at NAS Corpus Christi; however we understand their renewable energy team has acknowledged Geothermal is an option that has still not been implemented. Texas' Geothermal resources can complement both off-site wind and solar projects and leverage the earth's constant heat in gulf coast geopressured zones and eliminate dependency on external fuel sources. This unlimited resource will provide relief to facilities in need of clean, stable power and set a new standard for sustainability while fostering renewable energy growth in Texas and adding military value to our defense installations. As Chairs of the Texas military affairs committees, we ask for your support and advocacy of this approach to military leaders in Washington D.C. It will improve military value for our defense installations, create new jobs in the energy sector, and benefit the State of Texas as a whole. If you would like more information on the potential projects in Texas, please feel free to contact staff of either Committee. Sincerely, Senator Donna Campbell, Chair, Senate Veteran Affairs & Military Installations Committee. Representative Susan L. King, Chair, House Defense & Veterans' Affairs Committee.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me conclude by simply saying I thank both Mr. Upton and Mr. Pallone for joining in the unanimous consent to revise the amendment simply to say that this report on increasing methods to increase the electric grid resilience with respect to all threats, including cyber attacks, vandalism, terrorism, severe weather, will go to the Congress. I thank them very much. I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I just want to take a moment, Mr. Chairman, as we have been debating important energy issues on the floor of the House, to offer my deepest sympathy to the families who have lost loved ones in San Bernardino and hope that we will come together as a country and find solutions to this terrible tragedy. Mr. Chairman, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to introduce this amendment because it talks about the goodness of this Nation and the wonderment of our youth. My amendment particularly is called the Youth Energy Enterprise Competition. It asks the Secretaries of Energy and Commerce to jointly establish an energy enterprise competition to encourage youth to propose solutions to the energy challenges of the United States and to promote youth interests and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math, especially those fields that relate to energy. As a member of the United States Congress, I have had the privilege of being on the Congressional Award Board that provides medals to young people across the country for their public service, for their volunteerism. I can see when they come to Washington the excitement and the future of this Nation. I truly believe that the future of this Nation is in energy independence. Economic growth, national security, expanding opportunities, and diversifying the energy sector workforce are critical issues we must invest our time and talent in. Across America, colleges, community colleges, high schools, and middle schools are talking about science, technology, engineering, and math. We are trying to introduce our children to the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math. I do it by introducing my young people to NASA, NASA Johnson, inviting them down to the space center and watching their eyes open in amazement, or my annual Toys for the Kids effort, a big Christmas party, and the most popular entity is the astronaut and the space exhibit. So I know it is in our children. My amendment is consistent with the administration's commitment to promoting our national economic and homeland security interests and empowering our youth. It asks the Secretaries of the Energy and Commerce Departments to develop a challenge so that our young people can compete with their ideas about the energy challenges of America. It is a good approach to getting ideas to those of us who are policymakers or maybe even to the world of the energy industry, from those in Silicon Valley--and when I say that, dealing with high tech-- to the hard-nosed energy in our Midwest, and certainly down to Houston, Texas, where we are dealing with LNG, natural gas, and oil and looking for new ways to produce that product in a safe and environmentally secure way. I think this competition will bring forth new ideas, excited young people, maybe starting from elementary or middle school, certainly working with young people in high school and rewarding them for their talent. Mr. Chairman, this is a number of pictures from my district. One exhibits a community garden but really is teaching young people about soil and the idea of how you raise trees and dealing with the science of farming. Then you have them also dealing with a drone, knowing the technology of that and using it in a good way. I have faith in America's youth, and I believe that this amendment will help us bring to the forefront their talent and bright new ideas to make this Nation the kind of strong and powerful nation that we know it is but, more importantly, using the genius of our youth to face the 21st century energy challenges. I ask my colleagues to support my amendment. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk. It is listed in the Committee Report as Jackson Lee #35. Let me express my appreciation to Chairman Upton and Ranking Member Pallone for their leadership and commitment to American energy infrastructure development, security, independence and economic growth. I also wish to thank Chairman Sessions, Ranking Member Slaughter, and the members of the Rules Committee for making in order Jackson Lee Amendment #35. Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to explain my amendment, which provides:

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Michigan. I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. If I may, Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Mr. Upton for his enthusiasm. Dean Kamen is a hero of all of us. As I said, the greatest joy that I have seen in my young people when I invite them out is going to NASA Johnson out in Houston and, as well, when I bring the astronauts either to their schools or, more importantly, when NASA goes out to the schools. But when I have this big Christmas party, Santa Claus comes, but I will tell you that the astronauts are enormously popular. I want to thank Mr. Pallone, as well, for being committed to the energy and the dreaming and the inspiration and talent of our young people. That is what this amendment is about. I hope we can work together to find the funding but, more importantly, to get our young people engaged. I think they will have a lot of answers. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support to S. 1177, which is a sea change that moves the nation's education system away from ``No Child Left Behind.'' I thank Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Scott, and all the members of the House and Senate Conference Committee for their work in bringing the Every Child Succeeds Act. As the founding member and Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I am in support of this bill because it places the education of our nation's children first. I am pleased that the Jackson Lee Amendment offered during the House consideration of this bill intended to fight bullying in education settings is included in S. 1177. The Jackson Lee Amendment supports accountability-based programs and activities that are designed to enhance school safety, which may include research-based bullying prevention, cyberbullying prevention, and disruption of recruitment activity by groups or individuals involved in violent extremism, and gang prevention programs as well as intervention programs regarding bullying. Statistics on Bully: Consider the daily reality for too many of our children who are threatened and hurt daily and will not tell adults about their pain or shame: 1 in 7 Students in Grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying. 90 percent of 4th to 8th Grade Students report being victims of bullying of some type. 56 percent of students have personally witnessed some type of bullying at school. 71 percent of students report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school. 15 percent of all students who don't show up for school reported being out of fear of being bullied while at school. 1 out of 20 students has seen a student with a gun at school. 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month. Consequences of bullying: 15 percent of all school absenteeism is directly related to fears of being bullied at school. According to bullying statistics, 1 out of every 10 students who drops out of school does so because of repeated bullying. Suicides linked to bullying are the saddest statistic. The Jackson Lee Amendment also addresses growing concerns regarding violent extremism and student social media use. As the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, as well as a Senior Member of the Homeland Security Committee, I believe that we must address emerging threats where they are, and do so as early as possible. The Every Student Succeeds Act reflects the core principles for what today's children need to be prepared to succeed. The bill includes support for students and schools in state accountability plans to create an opportunity for great transparency in making sure the classroom experiences of students will prepare them for higher education or employment opportunities by: (1.) reducing the amount of standardized testing in schools and decoupling high-stakes decision making and statewide standardized tests; and, (2.) ensuring that educators' voices are part of decision making at the federal, state and local levels. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Congress passing the landmark Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It is appropriate that Congress is taking this important bipartisan step in education reform that is drawing broad support from leading organizations, including the following: (1.) National Education Association; (2.) Leadership Conference on Civil Rights; (3.) National Council of La Raza; (4.) Teach for America; (5.) U.S. Chamber of Commerce; and (6.) Business Roundtable. The bill before the House will move the nation toward an education policy built for success from the classrooms to the workplace. In 2011, the number of children enrolled in elementary, middle schools and high schools nationally is 54,876,000, which included 38,716,000 in elementary schools and 16,160,000 in high schools. Access to a great education is the best medicine for our nation's disparities in our economic system and social justice challenges. A major reason for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act was the unanimous, landmark ruling of the United States Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Supreme Court held that education ``is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.'' A great education lifts all aspirations and opens doors of opportunity for every student in communities across the nation. Today lifelong learning is an imperative for workers to remain current and viable in the employment market place. A great education today yield benefits far into the future as it produces inventors, thinkers, artists, and leaders. It is well past time to correct flaws in the ``No Child Left Behind'' law and focus on facilitating this growth and laying the foundation for student success. According to a 2011 report by the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program, ``The Hidden STEM Economy,'' 26 million jobs, or 20 percent of all occupations, required knowledge in one or more STEM areas. The same report stressed that fully half of all STEM jobs available to workers without a 4 year degree and these jobs pay on average $53,000 a year, which is 10 percent higher than jobs with similar education requirements. The economy is changing rapidly and our education system needs the guidance and support provided by H.R. 1177. I urge all members to join with me in voting in support of H.R. 1177.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak today about what the House will face on educational changes in bringing forward S. 1177, the Every Child Succeeds Act, which takes us away from No Child Left Behind. I am very delighted that the Jackson Lee amendment offered during the House consideration of the bill dealing with bullying is now in this bill. It is now the law of the land once we pass it. It supports accountability-based programs and activities that are designed to enhance school safety, which may include research-based bullying prevention, cyberbullying prevention, disruption of recruitment activity by groups or individuals involved in violent extremism, and gang prevention programs as well as intervention programs. CNN had a report just last night, I believe, that talked about the extensiveness of cyberbullying. One in seven students in grades K-12 is either a bully or a victim of it; 90 percent of fourth to eighth grade students report being victims of bullying; 56 percent of students have personally witnessed some type of bullying; 71 percent of students report incidents of bullying as a problem; 15 percent of all students who don't show up for school report they have been bullied; 1 out of 20 students has seen a student with a gun at a school; and 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month. This is something that is a key part of education. To be in an education environment where you want to learn and where you are protected is key. Let me ask everyone to support this legislation. I am delighted that we have been able to come together in particular around this issue of preventing bullying and cyberbullying in our schools.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, World AIDS Day affords us an opportunity to reflect on our progress in the fight against the global AIDS pandemic and to rededicate ourselves to ending the disease once and for all. We have come a long way since the first World AIDS Day in 1988 by dramatically expanding investments in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment, and research. Strong advocacy has paved the way for the Ryan White Act, the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS Initiative, growing investments in NIH research, and an end to the ban on federal funds for syringe exchange. Beyond our borders, our efforts have extended care to millions in the developing world, through increased resources for PEPFAR and the Global Fund. Our investments have saved lives--preventing millions of new HIV cases, expanding access to improved treatments, and enabling medical advances that help HIV/AIDS patients live longer and healthier. Here and across the globe, AIDS deaths are on the decline, and studies are pointing the way to new approaches to limit the spread of the disease, with treatment as prevention. While our efforts have grown, we still only reach half of all people eligible for HIV treatment; and more must be done. Working together, we must continue to strengthen--not weaken--our national and international efforts to combat AIDS and other infectious diseases. We must work to achieve the Obama Administration's goal of an AIDS- free generation. We must honor the memory of those we have lost and act on our hope, optimism, and determination to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. We must continue to work with programs and clinics, like the Harris County Hospital District (HCHD), who are treating and caring for patients with HIV/AIDS. In 1989, HCHD opened Thomas Street Health Center, the first free- standing facility dedicated to outpatient HIV/AIDS care in the nation. The center has become the cornerstone of all HIV/AIDS care available to Harris County residents. The Thomas Street Health Center has dedicated their services to about 25 percent of Harris County's HIV/AIDS. Annually, the health center, along with HCHD, serves 4,463 unique patients for about 37,000 patients' visits. We will continue to fight a tough fight against HIV and AIDS. We will continue to strengthen and support centers like Thomas Street Health Center who work diligently with HIV/AIDS patients. Our focus on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness will be to ensure all of our friends, relatives and children live healthy and full lives.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say that I join my colleagues in asking for the James Zadroga bill to be passed in honor and tribute to our first responders after the tragedy and heinous terrorist act of 9/11. And then, of course, today is World AIDS Day. I want to congratulate my constituents. I join the city of Houston, Harris County, in honoring the President's 2020 initiative, which is to encourage all of us to surge back into education and prevention of HIV/AIDS. So many of us have lost too many. Today in my district as well, the Thomas Street Clinic and a number of other organizations will be acknowledging those who still live with AIDS. It is certainly our responsibility to fight to ensure the stopping of HIV/AIDS in this Nation. I also rise to speak of the intelligence bill that will be on the floor today. What I would like to note is that I am glad that some of the issues have been resolved. Particularly, I am concerned and glad that it will provide critical resources for the fight against ISIL, emphasize collection to monitor and ensure compliance with the Iranian nuclear agreement, which some have been very concerned about, that intelligence is very important, and as well it promotes foreign partner capabilities such as helping our allies in France. Mr. Speaker, as I close, let me say my concern, however, still remains on the authority limited of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board. It is a bill that we all should consider.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and Ranking member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I rise in support of H.R. 4127, the ``Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016,'' for several reasons. With bipartisan legislative changes negotiated and incorporated, H.R. 4127, is an improved and acceptable bill that will provide critical funding for our nation's 16 intelligence agencies. While this measure is not perfect, H.R. 4127 corrects many of the provisions that were objectionable by providing a more balanced and realistic budget for our Intelligence Community. The revised Intelligence Authorization Act makes cuts to less effective programs, adds money to underfunded ones, and requires intelligence agencies to keep Congress abreast of their activities to ensure responsible and lawful spending practices. More specifically, I am pleased that this bill will: provide critical resources for the fight against ISIL; emphasize collection to monitor and ensure compliance with the Iranian nuclear agreement; provide the necessary means to counter threats from nation-state actors, particularly in cyberspace, space and the undersea environment, and furthermore helps to shore up our counter-proliferation and counter- intelligence capabilities; support our overhead architecture through the funding of critical space programs, invests in space protection and resiliency, preserves investments in cutting-edge technologies, and enhances the oversight of contracting and procurement practices; promotes foreign partner capabilities; and enhance human intelligence capabilities and oversight throughout CIA's reorganization process. H.R. 4127 will provide funding that is 7% above last year's enacted budget level, and only 1% less than President Obama's budget request. Importantly, this version of the bill corrects the over-reliance on short-term Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) funding to evade Budget Control Act caps, which proved problematic in the earlier version. I applaud my colleagues for working together to reach agreement on a fair and balanced budget framework that does not harm our economy or require draconian cuts. Additionally of concern in the prior measure, to the extent intelligence funds might be used in an effort to shutter the Guantanamo facility, the Guantanamo-related language in the current version will merely subject those funds to restrictions identical to those imposed by the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, recently passed and signed into law by the President. Lastly, while a provision of H.R. 4127 still curtails the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board's (PCLOB) ability to access information regarding covert action, it does not alter the PCLOB's broader jurisdiction or mission to provide independent oversight and to ensure that the U.S. appropriately protects privacy and civil liberties in its counter terrorism programs. With respect to covert actions, the language of H.R. 4127 has been reworded to emphasize that such actions are subject to presidential approval and reporting to Congress pursuant to existing law. The balance between liberty and security must be respected to preserve our way of life and the values that countless generations have fought to preserve. This includes taking precautionary measures to ensure that lives are safe from eminent danger and terrorist threats both domestically and abroad. On balance, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4127 contains more salutary than objectionable provisions, and for that reason I support this bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3279, the ``Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act,'' a bill to amend titles 5 and 28 of the United States Code to direct the Administrative Conference of the United States (ACUS) to prepare an annual report to Congress on fees and other expenses awarded to prevailing parties under the Equal Access to Justice Act. As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, former municipal judge and staunch believer and advocate for equal justice, I support this bill because it will provide Congress with valuable insight and comprehensive data needed to assess the actual effectiveness of the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). Specifically, H.R. 3279 will amend the EAJA and the federal judicial code to require the Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States to report to Congress annually on the amount of fees and other expenses awarded to prevailing parties other than the United States in certain administrative proceedings and civil action court cases (excluding tort cases) to which the United States is a party, including settlement agreements. Pursuant to the EAJA, these litigation fees include the reasonable expenses of expert witnesses, the reasonable cost of any study, analysis, engineering report, test, or project which is found by the agency to be necessary for the preparation of the party's case, and reasonable attorney or agent fees. If enacted, H.R. 3279 will require the ACUS to provide the number, nature, and amount of awards, the claims involved in the controversy, as well as any other relevant information that may assist Congress in assessing the scope and impact of such fees awarded. H.R. 3279 further directs that such information be made available by establishing an online searchable database including the name of the agency involved, the name of each party to whom the award was made, the amount of the award, and the basis for finding that the position of the agency concerned was not substantially justified. In collecting and providing this data, this bill addresses concerns about the implementation of EAJA and whether Congress needs to intervene and amend it. For more than three decades, however, the EAJA has served as an important vehicle to enhance parties' ability to hold government agencies accountable for their actions and inactions. Simply speaking, the EAJA was designed to help the underdog or those with limited resources stand up against government transgressions. EAJA allows individuals, small businesses and nonprofits to recover critical litigation costs and attorney fees from the federal government in cases that may otherwise be financially intimidating or restrictive. The EAJA is used to vindicate a variety of federal rights, including access to Veterans Affairs and Social Security disability benefits, as well as to secure statutory environmental protections. The EAJA is an important tool that promotes public involvement in laws that have a significant impact on the public health and safety, such as the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act. EAJA also helps deter government inaction or erroneous conduct and encourages all parties, not just those with resources to hire legal counsel, to assert their rights. Generally, it has been concluded by policy experts that EAJA has been cost-effective, applies only to meritorious litigation and that existing legal safeguards and the independent discretion of federal judges will continue to ensure its prudent application. Nonetheless, the good intentions that brought the EAJA into law have been overshadowed by re-occurring accounts of misuse by a small percentage of large environmental groups. A 2011 GAO study (requested by House Republicans) of cases brought against EPA found: 1. most environment lawsuits (48%) were brought by trade associations and private companies; 2. attorney fees were awarded only about eight percent of the time; 3. among environmental plaintiffs, the majority of cases were brought by local groups rather than national groups; and 4. the average award under the EAJA was only about $100,000. Thus, while claims of misuse and abuse are largely misplaced, I urge my colleagues to support this request for further review and analysis, so that we may gain a better understanding and congressional clarity on the functional benefits and necessary workings of the EAJA.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3490, the Strengthening the State and Local Cyber Crime Fighting Act, which amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the Department of Homeland Security a National Computer Forensics Institute. As the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations, as well as a senior Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I am well aware of the threats that our nation faces in cyberspace. H.R. 3490 directs the U.S. Secret Service to disseminate homeland security information related to the investigation and prevention of cyber and electronic crime, including threats or acts of terrorism, to educate, train, and equip state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges. I am pleased that H.R. 3490 includes two important amendments that I offered during the Homeland Security Markup. The first Jackson Lee Amendment provides local, state, territorial and tribal law enforcement access to the cybercrime expertise of the Secret Service in collecting, retaining and processing evidence found on digital devices. This amendment makes vital federal cybercrime investigative resource available to local, state, territorial and tribal law enforcement. The U.S. Secret Service maintains Electronic Crimes Task Forces focusing on identifying and locating international cyber criminals connected to cyber intrusions, bank fraud, data breaches, and other computer-related crimes. The Secret Service's Cyber Intelligence Section has directly contributed to the arrest of transnational cyber criminals responsible for the theft of hundreds of millions of credit card numbers and the loss of approximately $600 million to financial and retail institutions. The Secret Service also runs the National Computer Forensic Institute, which provides law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges with cyber training and information to combat cybercrime. The second Jackson Lee Amendment to H.R. 3490 provides assurances that nothing in this Act shall be construed to abridge or impair the rights of persons in the United States protection by the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the United States Constitution. As the work law enforcement and national security personnel must rely more and more on their ability to access information in cyber space or what might be stored on personal devices, it is important that the public knows and understands that their Constitutional rights must and will be protected. I know that the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security, and many other colleagues have worked side-by-side to assure that our efforts to combat terrorism at home do not diminish the liberties that we all cherish. I urge all Members to vote for H.R. 3490.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1755, a bill which modifies the congressional charter for the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to expand the purposes of the organization to include educating the public about the sacrifices and needs of disabled veterans, as well as educating disabled veterans about the benefits and resources available to them. If enacted into law, H.R. 1755 modifies the DAV charter to make explicit that the organization is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, a change that would allow the DAV to qualify as a ``public charity'' under the Internal Revenue Code. The legislation also provides that upon dissolution or final liquidation of the Disabled American Veterans, any assets remaining would be transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the care of disabled veterans. Since its founding in 1920, the Disabled American Veterans has been dedicated to a single purpose: empowering disabled veterans to lead high-quality lives with respect and dignity. Mr. Speaker, under DAV's existing congressional charter, an individual generally is eligible for membership in the organization if he or she was wounded, gassed, injured or disabled in the line of duty during time of war while serving in the U.S. military. DAV works to ensure that veterans and their families can access the full range of benefits available to them and advocates for the interests of America's injured heroes and their families. Most important, DAV educates the public about the great sacrifices and needs of veterans transitioning back to civilian life. On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we leave no veteran behind. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1755 because it is an important affirmation of our commitment to honor the service of disabled veterans with actions that fulfill our commitment to them and their families, and which are worthy of a grateful nation. This is also the reason that I co-sponsored the H.R. 333, the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act, which increases veteran's pay and disability compensation and maintains secure, dependable and reliable veterans' programs, especially for disabled veterans is very important. And it is why I also strongly supported and voted to pass H.R. 3202, the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014, which expands access to health care for veterans, addresses the shortage of health professionals in the VA, ensures access to care for rural veterans, and provided funding to establish 27 new VA clinics, including a new research facility in Houston. And it is why as Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, I championed the Helping Heroes Fly Act (H.R. 1344), which improves airport security screening for wounded and severely disabled service members and veterans by ensuring personal privacy and consistent application of efficient screening procedures so that our selfless disabled veterans never again have to face lengthy, invasive, and even humiliating screening procedures at our airports. I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 1755.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in support of S. 1170, the ``Breast Cancer Research Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2015.'' I would like to recognize Senator Feinstein for her commendable leadership in fighting for greater awareness of breast cancer and finding cures and treatment through breast cancer research. This is a simple yet incredibly power piece of legislation. S. 1170 will reauthorize through December 31, 2019, the Breast Cancer Research Stamp, which will require the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special postage stamp for first-class mail that costs more than the regular first-class stamp in order to raise funds for breast cancer research. Importantly, agencies receiving these funds from the Postal Service must use them on breast cancer research. Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 4 cancer diagnoses among women in this country. This is an astonishing statistic that cannot be overstated--it must be stopped. Breast cancer is also the most commonly diagnosed cancer among African American women. As an African American woman and I am a breast cancer survivor and I know these statistics all too well. As a Member of Congress, a mother, grandmother, sister and wife, it is my responsibility and duty to fight to insure that every American can win in the fight against cancer. I understand first-hand how important proper and adequate funding is to defeat breast cancer. As a proud cancer survivor, I am also proud to have secured adoption of an amendment to the FY 2014 Defense Appropriation Act that increased funding for breast cancer research by $10 million. We must continue to raise funds for research in order to ensure that the women of our nation no longer have to suffer. This bill will ensure that additional funds will be used towards life-saving research to protect all of our grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters, aunts and love ones. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey and the gentlewoman from Illinois but I want to specifically say Chicago. I join my colleagues. Mr. Speaker, I think this is, again, an important statement of the value of the Congressional Black Caucus. I am glad our tone is such that we are compassionate, we have emotion, but we are detailed. With the remaining time, let me try to be concise on the value of the Congressional Black Caucus in American history, its place in this Congress to be the provocative orators and articulators of the conscience of this Nation. Let me first of all say that I have been privileged but certainly have mourned May 15, when all of us paid attention to fallen law enforcement officers who are honored here in the United States Capitol. Any number of us has gone to the grounds, and we have hugged those from our districts, we have honored families, and we have recognized the pain. I think many of you recall that there was an assassination of sorts of a deputy sheriff in Houston, a number of unfortunate assassinations or shootings of police in New York, and I saw the Nation mourn. I think it is important to say this because, often, when we say ``Black lives matter,'' it seems conflicted. People raise the issues that African Americans or the Nation seem to be hesitant about law enforcement officers, and that is not true. I want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus and Chairman Butterfield because we started out this year with a criminal justice agenda. I just want to quickly go down memory lane or to reflect very quickly to say that it was the leadership and the combined Members who raised a number of issues that have brought us to the point that we have actually passed in the Senate and in the House Judiciary Committee criminal justice sentencing legislation. We are not where we need to be, but the Sentencing Reform Act will reduce mass incarceration by 11,500. Of those who are currently incarcerated, it will give retroactive relief, and an additional 4,000 will benefit each year. Combined with that, it will be 50,000 over 10 years. We are beginning to look at the criminal justice system in a way that speaks to the whole idea of Blacks, minorities, Hispanics, and others being the fodder for the criminal justice system. In my district in Houston, Texas, Black and Hispanic youth make up over 75 percent of the male population age 10 to 24 years, but Black and Hispanic youth account for 85 percent of the youth admitted in our detention centers. We are working on the reduction of sentencing, and I think with the help of this bipartisan legislation, which has been initiated and brought to the attention of this Congress by members of the Congressional Black Caucus in working with other Members of this body, both Republicans and Democrats, we have legislation that should pass. As we all know and as we have been mystified and mourning this tape, I know that Congresswoman Kelly in her hometown has been a champion for justice, along with her fellow colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus, Bobby Rush and Danny Davis, who have been front and center on these issues. So we must continue the journey of dealing with the juvenile justice. Might I say that I hope we will come around the issues of the RAISE Act, of the Fair Chance for Youth Act, and of Kalief's Law, ending solitary confinement for young people in the juvenile justice system, banning the arrest record, and, of course, giving alternative sentencing to these young people. I want to quickly get back to this horrific shooting, because what ``Black Lives Matter'' speaks to is coming together around an improved law enforcement system. That is why I came to the floor today--to be able to say, unless we move forward on legislation that deals with best practices in our police departments, we are going to continue the tension that should not exist. There is no explanation or no answer to the video that has been shown. I wonder what the sentencing or the reaction or the ultimate result would have been if there were a video of Darren Wilson and Michael Brown. There was not. I still believe that with Michael Brown, an unarmed youth, his actor, who happened to be a law enforcement person, should not have gone unpunished. In this instance, we see a video that was completely mischaracterized, or, in essence, the story was characterized completely contrary to the video that was shown. So what is the answer? Law enforcement officers who I work with all the time will indicate that there are bad apples, and they are right. Then work with us to pass the Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act, which provides the roadmap and the incentive for all of these departments to be accredited and to have officers go through the specific training that documents how you address the question of the street. It includes video cameras. It includes community-oriented policing. It includes grants to incentivize better training and better training practices. We must find an answer in this term of Congress. We should not end this Congress without a complete and reformed criminal justice system, including dealing with law enforcement, which is clearly what the Congressional Black Caucus has been working on. So I am hoping that we can find this common ground because there is no explanation that is reasonable or rational of the actions of the officer in Chicago. There is no reasonable explanation to the officer in the Sandra Bland case. Ladies and gentlemen, you remember this young woman dying in a jail. They have yet to come up with an indictment or a response. They have yet to have an answer of the jail that standards were an embarrassment in Waller County. The District Attorney has yet to come forward in the Sandra Bland case. The family has not been notified. The lawyer doesn't know what is going on. We met with those individuals not to direct them, but to ensure that they were going to respect this death. Nothing has happened about the stop that we saw in the video. Nothing has happened about the jail incarceration. I simply have come to the floor to indicate to my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, to work with us on a number of issues that those in the Congressional Black Caucus reach out in the spirit of bipartisanship, dealing with the Voting Rights Reauthorization in section 5, providing opportunities for Historically Black Colleges which we have been at the leadership realm of, making sure that the criminal justice system addresses the overincarceration of our youth, dealing with the question of policing, which the Black Lives Matters speaks to it eloquently. We should not be condemned for the massive protests of 10,000 people down this wonderful Michigan Avenue as: There they go again. We have got to find a place at the table to be able to reorient, if you will, how we do policing in America. I would ask my colleagues that we move swiftly in this term in this Congress to be able to address this. Let me finish on this one last point. The violence of guns is outrageous. I want to speak very quietly about the Planned Parenthood incident because I don't want to provoke, but I believe it is important to note we always say for those who don't want to hear us about gun safety closing the gun show loophole, banning assault weapons which the individual had. However it plays out, the individual may be determined to have a mental health concern or condition, but he had an automatic rifle of some sort. And, unfortunately, we lost several persons in the course of the incident, although the investigation is still ongoing. It also happens in Black-on-Black crime. My friends, our community doesn't ignore that. But what we say is that guns are involved in most of these deaths. Not only are guns involved, but we must understand that, when a gun is used by an officer, it is distinct from Black-on- Black crime because it is under color of law. The Congressional Black Caucus comes to the table to ensure that these very sensitive issues are handled with the greatest delicacy, but with the greatest commitment and passion that we want to stop the killing, stop the deaths, and have the decency to reflect on a parent like Mr. Payne, a parent like Ms. Kelly, a parent like myself. Black lives matter. Our children matter. The Congressional Black Caucus wants to work to ensure that we have the answers that the American people have asked us for and that they deserve. As a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security as well as the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Investigations, I am pleased to join my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus for this Special Order to speak to the issues that members of the 114th Congress must address. No other country imprisons a larger percentage of its population than the United States or spends anywhere near the $6.5 billion that we spend annually on prison administration. We now know that the cost of imprisoning so many non-violent offenders is fiscally unsustainable and morally unjustifiable and it will take the combined efforts of policy makers, reform advocates, legal professionals, and private citizens to solve the problem. Congress took a giant step forward on the road to reform with a law I co-sponsored, the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, which eliminated the crack versus powder disparity. Earlier this month, the House took another big step when its Judiciary Committee favorably reported another bill I sponsored, the Sentence Reform Act of 2015 (H.R. 3713), which will help reform a criminal justice system that often seems less effective at reforming criminals and more effecting in inflicting collateral damage on families and communities. Specifically, the Sentence Reform Act will reduce mass incarceration by making over 11,500 individuals, who are currently incarcerated, eligible for retroactive relief and an additional 4,000 will benefit each year. Combined, this is over 50,000 in ten years. These estimates are conservative, as not all the positive reforms can be quantified. Today, we know also that more and more young children are being arrested, incarcerated, and detained in lengthy out-of-home placements. Our youth easily encounter law enforcement through the mass transit on the way to school, the school resource officer at school, and patrol officers on the way home. A youth experience behavior issues when encountered should not be arrested but assessed for underlying issues that can nearly always be handled without ever having contact with the justice system. At least 75 percent of children within the juvenile justice system have experienced traumatic victimization, making them vulnerable to mental health disorders and perceived behavioral non-compliance and misconduct. Numerous studies have also shown that as many as 70-80 percent of youth involved in the justice system meet the criteria for a disability. In my district in Houston, Texas, Black and Hispanic Youth make up over 75% of the male population aged 10-24 years. Yet, Black and Hispanic Youth account for 85% of youth admitted in our detention centers. A majority of these admissions into detention are for minor and misdemeanor offenses--behavior that should not require locking youth up. Especially when the rate of detention continues to reflect disproportionate minority contact and criminalization of minority youth. As we look to reform our juvenile and criminal justice system, and be what President Obama has called upon us be: ``My Brother's and Sister's Keeper''--we must move away from the engrained culture of criminalization as the answer to our problems. These include: I have introduced 13 additional pieces of legislation this Congress pertaining to Criminal Justice Reform. The RAISE Act (H.R. 3158) which helps young people in the federal system by providing judges more flexible sentencing options, encourages diversion, increases home confinement opportunities, ends mandatory life without parole, mandates housing and programming specific to the needs of youth, and creates youth-specific diversion and pilot programs. The Fair Chance for Youth Act (H.R. 3156) better enables young people to reenter and contribute to our communities by creating a mechanism for sealing or expungement of certain youth criminal records. If we are ever to stop the cycle of recidivism, we must give our young people a real chance to succeed after they have paid their debt to society. Kaliefs Law (H.R. 3155). named in memory of Kalief Browder, to establish more humane rules for incarcerated youth by banning the use of solitary confinement, mandating certain minimum standards and procedural protections for pretrial detention and speedy trial rights, and ending the shackling of youth at federal court appearances. I am also a co-sponsor of the Fair Chance Act that aims to prohibit Federal agencies and Federal contractors from requesting that an applicant for employment disclose criminal history record information before the applicant has received a conditional offer, and for other purposes. There now exists a broad and bipartisan consensus that our criminal justice system is broken and a historic opportunity to pass meaningful legislation reform the system so that it works for everyone--the general public, law enforcement personnel, taxpayers, crime victims, and offenders who have served their time, paid their debt to society, and anxious to redeem the second chance so they can ``pay it forward.'' It is past time for us to Ban the Box! Missouri has lately taken center stage when it comes to racial tensions: the unrest in Ferguson and the protests at the University of Missouri. Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed on Aug. 9, 2014, by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in Ferguson, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis. The shooting prompted violent protests and helped form the Black Lives Matter Movement. The unrest in Ferguson likely comes from Missouri's acute levels of racial segregation. The African-American population is heavily concentrated in the segregated cities of St. Louis and Kansas City. St. Louis is the fifth-most racially segregated city in the United States. The state poverty is located mostly within predominantly black areas. The racial segregation that is rampant in the ``Show Me State'' stems from white hostility towards African Americans and that hostility magnifies itself on college campuses, including the University of Missouri. Protests have been on-going in Columbia, MO since October in response to racist incidents that further the rampant racism in the state. For example, in 2010, two white students were arrested for dropping cotton balls in front of the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center and in 2011 a student was given probation for racially charged graffiti in a student dormitory. On September 12, 2015, a Facebook post by the student government president Payton Head complained of bigotry and anti-gay sentiment around the college campus, which gained widespread attention. The Mizzou football team announced on November 8th that they would boycott playing until the administration took drastic steps. The University President Tim Wolfe and Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin both stepped down on November 9th but the protests are ongoing. October 20, 2014 is an unforgettable day because a young man named Laquan McDonald was fatally shot 16 times in the middle of the street by Chicago Police officer Jason Van Dyke. Sadly, October 20, will serve as a yearly reminder of the unambiguous slaying of a young man who will never have the chance to grow old. More than 500 protesters marched through Chicago for nearly 9 hours after officials released the chilling dash-cam video showing the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald. Protesters marched along Chicago's famous Michigan Avenue the day after Thanksgiving, demanding the resignations of the city's top leaders. The Protesters stood in harmony with locked arms outside the doors of major retailers chanting ``Stop the cover-up'' and ``16 shots! 16 shots'' which was the number of times the officer fired upon Laquan McDonald. Other Police killings include: The death of 43-year-old Eric Garner resulting from the application of a NYPD police chokehold occurred in the Northeast and the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown and the resulting events in Ferguson occurred in the border state of Missouri. The killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice by a Cleveland police office occurred in the Midwest and death of unarmed 26-year-old Jordan Baker by an off-duty Houston police officer occurred in Texas. In Phoenix, Arizona, Rumain Brisbon, an unarmed black father of four, was shot to death in when a police officer allegedly mistook his bottle of pills for a gun. In Pasdena, California, 19-year-old Kendrec McDade was chased and shot seven times by two police officers after a 911 caller falsely reported he had been robbed at gunpoint by two black men, neither of whom in fact was armed. And, of course, on April 4, the conscience of the nation was shocked by the horrifying killing of 50-year-old Walter Scott by a North Charleston police officer in the southern state of South Carolina. Nearly 1,000 people in Minneapolis, Minnesota marched to City Hall less than a day after five protesters were shot near a Black Lives Matter demonstration. This shooting which is seen to be a racially motivated attack has pushed Minneapolis into the national spotlight. The events in Minneapolis reminded us that we cannot and we must not allow tensions, which are present in so many neighborhoods across America, to go unresolved. Beyond Broke: Why Closing the Racial Wealth Gap is a Priority for National Economic Security uses the most recently available data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) along with the National Asset Scorecard in Communities of Color (NASCC) to highlight the current state of America's racial wealth gap. The report findings include: Between 2005 and 2011, the median net worth of households of color remained near their 2009 levels, reflecting a drop of 58 percent for Latinos, 48 percent for Asians, 45 percent for African Americans but only 21 percent for whites. Hispanic households experienced the largest drop in net worth following the recession. More than half of whites own four or more tangible assets, compared to 49 percent of Asians and only one in five of African Americans and Latinos. African Americans (38 percent) and Latinos (35 percent) are over twice as likely as whites (13 percent) to hold no financial assets at all and to have no or negative net worth. At no point in our nation's history has a single human been more capable of inflicting massive death and misery, and our society is producing more individuals who seek to employ such means to carry out their ill intentions. While it is certainly true that violent crime and homicide rates in this country have been declining in recent years, they are still far above those in other industrialized nations. Most recently, the horrible attack on a Planned Parenthood in Colorado Springs that took the lives of 3 Americans, including a mother and an Iraqi war Veteran. That is just one horrific example of why we must act now to stop gun violence, protect citizens, and end the urban warfare. And we have a plan of action. 1. Require universal background checks to keep guns out of dangerous hands; an estimated 40% of gun transfers--6.6 million transfers--are conducted without a background check. 1/3 of ``want-to-buy'' ads online are posted by people with a criminal record. More than 4 times the rate at which prohibited gun buyers try to buy guns in stores. That would equate to 25,000 guns in illegal hands. 2. Ban military-style assault weapons; 3. Closing of the gun-show loophole; and 4. Increase access to mental health services. We must work to reduce access to firearms for people with suicidal tendencies. 90% of suicide victims should have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. Firearms are the most common method of suicide--51%. We need to ensure that mental health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence--even as we acknowledge that someone with a mental illness is far more likely to be the victim of a violent crime than the perpetrator. Every day, 48 children and teens are shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, and police intervention. Every day, 7 children and teens die from gun violence. Over 17,000 (17,499) American children and teens are shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, or by police intervention each year. 2,677 kids die from gun violence each year. Every day, 297 people in America are shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, and police intervention. Every day, 89 people die from gun violence. Over 108,000 (108,476) people in America are shot in murders, assaults, suicides & suicide attempts, unintentional shootings, or by police intervention. 32,514 people die from gun violence each year. The senseless killings in Bamako, Mali, Beirut, and the Bataclan Theater in Paris are the most current examples of global terrorism. The terror attacks that unfolded across Paris continue to tear at the hearts of all Americans. Those who think that they can terrorize the people of France or the values that they stand for are wrong. The American people draw strength from the French people's commitment to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. In response to these disgusting attacks, I call on my colleagues to pass my bill H.R. 48 the No Fly for Foreign Fighters Act. This would require the Director of the Terrorist Screening Center to review the completeness of the Terrorist Screening Database and the terrorist watch list utilized by the Transportation Security Administration. Despite the recent terrorist attacks around the world, ISIS is not the most deadly terrorist organization. The 2015 Global Terrorism Index found that Boko Haram in Nieria killed 6,644 people in 2014. 77% of deaths were private citizens. This compared to 6,073 at the hands of ISIS. Boko Haram was formed in 2002 and became armed in 2009. In the last six years, Boko Haram has carried out more than 500 violent attacks against a broad array of targets: Christian and Muslim communities, government installations, schools, hospitals and medical facilities, aid workers, and journalists. Their latest attack on Yola, Nigeria, left more than 30 people dead. Boko Haram became well-known on a global stage when they kidnapped 200 school girls. During my visit to Nigeria over the summer I met with government officials, including President Muhammadu Buhari, and others to discuss what is currently being done to bring these girls back to their families as soon as possible. Children's rights are human rights, and these types of attacks, specifically targeting of schools, are strictly prohibited under international law and cannot be justified under any circumstances. Girls and young women around the world absolutely must be allowed to go to school peacefully and free from intimidation, persecution and all other forms of discrimination. I have introduced H. Res. 528, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding to the Victims of the Terror Protection fund, which expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: Boko Haram and other terrorist organizations be declared an existential threat to the human rights and security of the Nigerian people and their regional neighbors; the global strategy for ending the suffering and creating solutions for displaced persons in Africa includes a Victims of Terror Protection Fund, which should provide humanitarian assistance to Boko Haram victims; military technical assistance be provided to Nigeria and its neighbors; and the Victims of Terror Support Fund should be modeled after the cases of Khazakhstan and Equatorial Guinea where prior kleptocracy initiatives have been created to benefit communities and victims in need of support. I also wear red every Wednesday to stand in solidarity with Representative Wilson in our combined effort to #BringBackOurGirls. A terrible blow was dealt to the Voting Rights Act on June 25, 2013, when the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Shelby County v. Holder, 537 U.S. 193 (2013), which invalidated Section 4(b), the provision of the law determining which jurisdictions would be subject to Section 5 ``pre-clearance.'' The reason the Court gave for its ruling ``times have changed.'' Times have changed, but what the Court did not fully appreciate is that the positive changes it cited were due almost entirely to the existence and vigorous enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. In the 50 years since its passage in 1965, the Voting Rights Act has safeguarded the right of Americans to vote and stood as an obstacle to many of the more egregious attempts by certain states and local jurisdictions to game the system by passing discriminatory changes to their election laws and administrative policies. I am a sponsor of the H.R. 2867, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015, a bill that restores and advances the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by providing a modern day coverage test that will extend federal oversight to jurisdictions which have a history of voter suppression and protects vulnerable communities from discriminatory voting practices. I am also a sponsor of H.R. 12, the Voter Empower Act of 2015, which protects voters from suppression, deception, and other forms of disenfranchisement by modernizing voter registration, promoting access to voting for individuals with disabilities, and protecting the ability of individuals to exercise the right to vote in elections for federal office. This year I had the honor to present the Barbara Jordan Gold Medallion for Public-Private Leadership to a pioneer in her own right Hillary Rodham Clinton. This prestigious award is presented annually to a woman of demonstrated excellence in the public or private sector whose achievements are an example and inspiration to people everywhere, but especially to women and girls.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I associate myself with the gentleman from Massachusetts because I think it is important for my colleagues to understand that, when you talk about process, you talk about responding in the right way to crisis. Let me be very clear. The inquiry that my friends on the other side of the aisle are making is correct, to find out how we can ensure the safety and security of the American people. I sit on the Homeland Security Committee and, like my friend from New Jersey, from the very beginning, the tragedy of 9/11. I am the ranking member on the Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee. There is no way that I would stand here and jeopardize the security of the American people. Let me also say, I represent the Catholic diocese, Catholic Charities, Lutheran Services, Interfaith Ministries in my district, and I would ask my colleague on the other side of the aisle to query them about whether or not they support this legislation. There are people who understand the burdensomeness and the wrongness of the direction in which we are going. Is it appropriate to inquire and have a report to Congress to ensure that there are strictures in dealing with those coming to this country from Syria or anywhere else? Yes, it is. But is it ridiculous to ensure or to insist that this 5-year-old little girl must be individually certified by the FBI, the DNI, Counterterrorism, and the CIA, and a long litany of others? That is what we are saying. First of all, there were 23,000 who were recommended by the United Nations, Syrians, to come into the United States. The Department of Homeland Security selected only 7,000 to interview. In that 7,000, only 2,000 have gone through the process through an 18- to 20-month period. We are saying to the American people, if you want to get rid of ISIS, take the fight to ISIS. That is what we are doing with our allies, to destroy and eliminate ISIS. But to be able to say to our allies around the world that we are putting a stop sign on our refugees from Syria that look like mothers and fathers and old people is absolutely absurd. The inquiry is correct; the process is wrong. Let us not distort this to the American people and tell them an untruth, that one side of the aisle is against the security and the other side is not. Take the fight to the caliphate.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. This is an improper approach. You cannot certify a 5-year-old girl from Syria. She will never get in. The process is extensive, it is definite, it is secure, and we are securing the American people. Let's work together, as my friend on the other side of the aisle has said, and do it right.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in opposition to the rule governing debate on this bill and the underlying bill H.R. 4038, the ``American Security Against Enemies Act of 2015'' (America SAFE Act). This bill represents a rush to judgement. It has been rushed to the floor without the regular order deliberative process promised by the House Leadership. H.R. 4038 was introduced on Tuesday, November 17, 2015, in violation of House Rules, without consideration or review by the House oversight committees. Today, November 19, 2015 it is on the floor for debate and votes. This bill does not further the national security interest of our country--in fact it harms those interests. The United States does have an urgent need to deal with the humanitarian crisis that is unfolding in the wake of ISIS/ISIL aggression in Syria and Iraq. There are 60 million displaced persons because of the war. The Syrian/Iraqi conflict has claimed over 240,000 lives. Mr. Speaker, this bill is written as if no process exists for vetting Iraqi or Syrian refugees. In fact a very rigorous process is in place that has been honed over the past several years by intelligence and law enforcement agencies. They have established and perfected an intense form of screening for Syrians called the ``Syrian Enhanced Review.'' The American SAFE Act requires a FBI background check for every refugee from Iraq and Syria who applies for asylum in the United States, when a much better process is in place that requires the intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense to vet applicants. This bill provides that no refugee from Iraq or Syria can be granted asylum in the United States unless the Director of the FBI, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and the Director of National Intelligence each make an independent determination and concur unanimously that the applicant for asylum poses no threat to the national security of the United States. The FBI is a domestic law enforcement agency--they have an international presence, but their focus is domestic. The agencies with an international focus such as the State Department, DoD, and intelligence agencies under the leadership of DHS are the experts. The House process for the consideration and deliberation of legislation is intended to prevent bad bills from coming to the floor for a vote. This bill was drafted in haste--in application it would require a 5 year old child who is Syrian to have to get the FBI, DHS, DoD, and DNI to agree that she poses no threat to the United States or its people. This bill is doing damage to our nation's foreign policy interest by sending a signal to our allies, who are doing much more than the United States is doing to relieve the suffering of Syrian refugees, while also facing the threat of terrorism every day. Mr. Speaker, let me commend Homeland Security Committee Chairman McCaul, the lead sponsor of the bill before us, with whom I have worked closely and reached agreement on many matters critical to the security of our homeland. Homeland Security Committee Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Thompson and Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration Ranking Member Lofgren are dedicated public servants whose actions are always motivated by their commitment to keep our nation safe and secure. This bill is purported by supporters as not stopping the refugee process for Iraq and Syria. The bill in its language does stop the process--some like to call it a pause, but is a dead stop in the processing of applications from Iraqi and Syrian refugees. They have not read the bill or they do not understand the consequences of the language that requires certification by the FBI, DHS, DoD, and DNI that a refugee poses no threat'' in the legislation if they believe that this bill would not end the refugee process for Iraqi and Syrian applicants. The bill calls for 100% certification by the FBI, DHS, DoD, and DNI that no refugee is a threat. No professional security or law enforcement professional will give anyone a 100% guarantee about anything. They will not provide a 100% guarantee because they believe that something or someone is a threat--they will not provide a guarantee because it is grossly unprofessional to do so and we should never ask them to do this. On its face H.R. 4038 would end any hope of asylum in the United States for any refugee from Iraq or Syria. The U.S. screening process in place is focused upon applications from women with children, orphans, the seriously ill and the elderly. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4038 is not necessary at this time because our nation already has in place the world's most rigorous screening process for refugees seeking asylum. Mr. Speaker, there are other alternatives to the draconian approach of H.R. 4038, takes such as the bill introduced by Ranking Members Thompson and Lofgren. The President is another solution for those who seek reassurance that every precaution is being taken--he is in a position to certify to the Congress and the American people that the process is prudent and careful in its actions regarding refugees seeking entrance into the United States. It is helpful to recount briefly the critical elements of that screening process. Every applicant for asylum must: 1. register with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; 2. provide background information, including what caused him or her to flee their home country (a ready means of comparing information provided by more than one million refugees to further verify the validity of the information provided); 3. meet one of five legal qualifications: threat of violence based on race, religion or faith or national origin; political beliefs; or membership in a targeted social group. 4. undergo a rigorous background check during which investigators fact-check the refugee's biography to ensure consistency with published or documented reports of events such as bombings or other violence; 5. be subjected to biometric tests conducted by the Department of Defense, in conjunction with other federal agencies (the U.S. military has an extensive biometric data base on Iraqis from its time in Iraq); and 6. sit for intensive in-person interviews, which may take months or years before they are conducted. If, during the screening process, a person from Syria gives responses that raise red flags he or she is selected for more intense examination by U.S. intelligence agencies. The process for those refugees from the conflict area who have entered the United States began with the High Commissioner for Refugees who referred 22,000 applicants to the United States for consideration. The United States through its process only allowed 7,000 for further consideration for admittance and in its final decision permitted 2,000 individuals to be cleared for entrance into the country. The demographic breakdown of those Syrians who have been approved for refugee status to come to the United States is as follows: children, 50%; persons over the age of 60, 25%; combat age males, 2%. H.R. 4038 has come to the floor too fast for such a serious decision and without considering the arduous process that is in place to screen all refugees, not just those from Iraq and Syria. The last thing a terrorist would want is to be a refugee--living in the harsh environment of a refugee camp for two years. Refugees are the victims of terrorists--ISIS/ISIL does not love them--they want to murder every last one of them, because they will not bow to them. This rule for this bill troubles me because it has been constructed on tools that allow Congress to act during times of crisis or emergencies. Mr. Speaker a 2-year process does not pose any emergency by any definition that can be devised. I cannot support this bill, but I an committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to find common ground.