Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me thank the ranking member for yielding and, as well, the chairperson, and let me collectively add my appreciation for the two leaders of this committee. They have committed themselves, without question, to the security of this Nation. I thank them for their collaboration. Mr. Rogers, I thank you for the work that you have done for the Nation and, certainly, for the commitment that you have made to the very important business of this committee. Mr. Ruppersberger, let me thank you for your friendship as well and for the continued collaboration on an issue of great concern to me, but I will speak generally about this legislation and will, again, acknowledge some of the issues that you have looked at and considered and have even included in this legislation as it comes forward. Mr. Chairman, I agree that detecting and disrupting and preventing a national security crisis is of paramount responsibility for this committee and many others, including the committee that I serve on, the Committee on Homeland Security. For that reason, I have interfaced with this committee on a number of issues. I am very glad to note, in particular, that the issue of dealing with the expansive use that has been used, which I will talk about in the en bloc amendment, is clearly something that we should have considered, and in this bill, it did. It got its hand around the enormous use of outside contractors in the intelligence business, and it emphasized recruitment and training. That is positive. There are young, bright persons who I know are willing to serve their country, and this legislation has committed itself to doing that. Now, particularly with this legislation, I also want to appreciate the collaboration between the Judiciary Committee and this committee on the USA FREEDOM Act, and I want to say to America that we have corralled the megadata collection. We have done it in a bipartisan manner, and we will do more and do better. So it is with appreciation for this legislation and in thanking the committee for working with my staff on my amendment that I ask my colleagues to support this legislation. Mr. Chair, I rise to speak on H.R. 4681, the Intelligence Authorization Act for fiscal year 2014. I want to thank the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for including my amendment in an en bloc. My amendment to H.R. 4681 is simple and will be an important addition to the legislation, which I believe can be supported by every member of this Committee. My amendment seeks greater transparency to Congress on the people who the Nation relies upon to perform certain types of work required of the Intelligence Community. The Jackson Lee amendment requires the Director of the Office of National Intelligence to conduct an assessment of the reliance of intelligence activities on contractors to support Government objectives, including an assessment of contractors performing intelligence activities, which would include intelligence analysis. The amendment would seek information on the skills necessary to perform intelligence related work and whether Federal employees had these skills. The amendment would also seek statistics on contractors preforming intelligence related work for agencies under the purview of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Something is very wrong when the process for screening and vetting government contractors does not identify someone who would have access to--as well as the ability to collect and remove sensitive information from government computers and publicly disclose that information. If each person working in an intelligence role within the government decided to act on their own thoughts for their own purposes on whether they would or would not keep their oath to defend and protect our Nation's secrets then there would be chaos. Our Nation suffers harm in ways we can see, as well as ways that we cannot see when unauthorized disclosures regarding intelligence resources occur. It harms our ability to work with other nations who rely on our ability to keep secret the information they share with our Nation's intelligence agencies. If our global assets and allies cease to trust our ability to keep their work with our intelligence, national defense or diplomatic agencies secret then they will not cooperate with us in our efforts to defend our Nation and our interest around the world. Reckless disclosures make us vulnerable to our Nation's enemies who could make changes to how they hide information because the disclosure of national secrets reveals means and methods. The world is a dangerous place--we have seen within the last 18 months--a bombing during the Boston Marathon, the rise in sectarian violence in Syria that included incidents involving the use of nerve gas; and Boko Haram which kidnapped nearly 300 girls from their school in northern Nigeria. According to the United States Department of State Country Report on Terrorism 2013, published in April of this year indicates that there are 53 Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). Designation of FTOs is important to our Nation's fight against terrorism and is effective in cutting off support for those groups so designated. In 2013, Ansar al-Dine, Boko Haram, and Jama'atu Ansarul Muslimina Bi Biladis-Sudan were added to the list of FTOs. FTOs are legally defined under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which states the group must be: a foreign organization; engage in terrorist activity or retain the capacity and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism; and participating in terrorist activity or terrorism that threatens the security of the United States or its citizens. United States' National security encompasses national defense, foreign relations, or economic interest. The unauthorized intelligence disclosures last year impacted U.S. national security. The intelligence breach came as a result of a government contractor making public sensitive information is still resonating both internationally and within the United States, where an important debate on privacy and civil liberties is still ongoing. But also around the world the consequences of the unauthorized release of international activity by intelligence agencies is still playing out. The timing of the release of information on the non-U.S. activity of our intelligence agencies caused tremendous tension in our relations with allies at a time when the United States was working to form a global response to the use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria. In addition to frustrating our efforts to form a strong global response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria it also caused economic harm to U.S. companies internationally. Congress is not able to fully investigate the circumstances that resulted in last year's intelligence breach because the person with many of the answers to questions many of us have is now living in Russia. However, we can look prospectively on how the work of the Intelligence Community under the direction of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence should fill positions that require security clearances. The intelligence work by contractors and Federal employees is critical to the protection of the United States and our interest both domestically and around the world. We should approach the work of the intelligence community as we do when considering the work of the Department of Defense. The work that our Intelligence professionals perform is critical, and a defense in depth approach is necessary to assure that no matter the challenge or the circumstances there will be well trained professionals in place to do what must be done to defend and protect the nation. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence 2013 Report on Security Clearance Determinations provides information on the number of persons with security clearance levels of Confidential, Secret, or Top Secret and had access to classified information as well as those who were favorably adjudicated but did not have access to classified information. I would like to acknowledge the work of the Special Security Directorate (SSD) of the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive for compiling and processing the data for this report. The 2013 Report on Security Clearance Determinations states that by October 1, 2013 the Nation had 3,738,026 Federal agency employees working for the: Office of the Director of National Intelligence Scattered Castles; Department of Defense; Joint Personnel Adjudication System; Office of Personnel Management; and Central Verification System (CVS). In addition to surveying these agencies a special data call was made to the seven intelligence community agencies with delegated authority to conduct investigations or adjudications to fulfill specific reporting requirements directed by the fiscal year 2010 Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. These agencies were the: Central Intelligence Agency; Defense Intelligence Agency; Federal Bureau of Investigation; National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; National Reconnaissance Office; National Security Agency; and Department of State. In 2013, the total number of persons with a Confidential, Secret or Top Secret security clearance totaled 5,150,379 individuals--of this number 3,738,026 were government agency personnel, 1,056,309 were contractors and 356,044 were categorized as other. Between January and October 1, 2013 there were 777,168 security clearances approved--152,490 were government agency employees and 131,209 were contractors with an additional 12,785 designated as other. Congress must have the ability to make decisions regarding how intelligence agencies fill positions that require security clearances because it has implications for the appropriations process. The Information Security Oversight Office of the National Archives 2012 Report to the President focuses on the classification practices of intelligence agencies. The report addresses the power of ``original classification authorities'' also called ``original classifiers,'' which are individuals designated with Top Secret original classification authority to classify information. Only original classifiers are authorized to determine what information, if disclosed without authorization, would be expected to cause damage to national security. The original classification authority process comes before all other aspects of the security classification system. In 2004, the total number of original classifications was 351,150 and in 2012 the number was 74,477. The cost of government security classification in 2005 was $7.66 billion and in 2011 the total was $11.36 billion. The amount expended in 2011 included: 5.65 billion for protection maintenance; 1.53 billion for security management oversight and planning; 502.51 million for professional education, training and awareness; 352.4 million for classification management; and 52.76 million for declassification. These costs cited are not all encompassing, but were generated by 41 executive branch agencies including the Department of Defense. The funds expended do not include activity by the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, Office of the Director for National Intelligence, the National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the National Security Agency. The focus on training is critical in the work of the Intelligence Community and it is important that this is a high priority for the agencies represented in the National Archive report. The work by the Intelligence Community to address classification in an evenhanded way can help create and maintain a firm basis for classification of information that is sustainable can go a long way in addressing questions regarding what secrets are critical to our nation's national security and what the public has a right to know. I thank my colleagues on the Intelligence Committee for their hard work in bringing this bill before the full House for consideration. I ask that members of the Congress vote in favor of this bipartisan en bloc amendment to H.R. 4681.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Chair, let me again thank the ranking member and the chairman. Let me also acknowledge the very fine men and women that work in our intelligence community in the United States and around the world. I would like to thank the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence for their efforts to include the Jackson Lee amendment in the en bloc amendments and thank them for working with my staff in a very cooperative manner. The Jackson Lee amendment seeks greater transparency to Congress on the people the Nation relies upon to perform certain types of work for the intelligence community. The Jackson Lee amendment requires the Director of the Office of National Intelligence to conduct an assessment of the reliance of intelligence activities on contractors to support government objectives, including an assessment of contractors performing intelligence activities, which would include intelligence analysis. This complements the underlying bill, because the underlying bill has determined to assess the utilization and reduce the number of private contractors. In a Time article dated Monday, July 19, 2010, a comment says: Explosion of contractors in the intelligence community. And that has been the case. It is important that we recognize that contractors can be useful. But like the President stated publicly on August 26, 2013: It is important that we have so many extraordinarily capable folks in our military and our government who can do this--and probably do it cheaper. Well, I agree with the President and this committee. I also take note of an article that cites NSA contractors using LinkedIn profiles to cash in on national security. I believe that with the work that we are doing here in this legislation, along with my amendment, we will get our hands around the idea of outsourcing our intelligence work and develop a pathway of excellence, as we have in the past. We will utilize our veterans, we will utilize military personnel, we will utilize young persons who are interested in this as a career, and we will have the finest intelligence staffing that we have ever had, as we have had in the past. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. I again thank the chairman and ranking member for including this in the en bloc amendments. I think we are on a pathway of greater success in securing this Nation. Mr. Chair, I support H.R. 4681, the ``Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2014,'' a bill Authorizing appropriations for our nation's intelligence agencies for Fiscal Year 2014 through Fiscal Year 2015. The bill provides funds for the conduct of intelligence and intelligence-related activities. My thanks to the House Rules Committee for making my amendment in order under the rule for H.R. 4681. I appreciate the work of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence efforts to include the Jackson Lee Amendment in the En Bloc. My amendment is simple and makes an important contribution to the bill. The Jackson Lee Amendment seeks greater transparency to Congress on the people the nation relies upon to perform certain types of work for the Intelligence Community. The Jackson Lee Amendment requires the Director of the Office of National Intelligence to conduct an assessment of the reliance of intelligence activities on contractors to support Government objectives, including an assessment of contractors performing intelligence activities, which would include intelligence analysis. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) 2013 Report on Security Clearance Determinations said that on October 1, 2013, the total number of persons with a Confidential, Secret or Top Secrete security clearance totaled 5,150,379 individual. According to the ODNI 3,738,026 were government agency personnel, 1,056,309 were contractors and 356,044 were categorized as other. Between January and October 1, 2013 there were 777,168 security clearances approved--152,490 were government agency employees and 131,209 were contractors with an additional 12,785 designated as other. The cost of government security classification in 2oo5 was $7.66 billion and in 2011 the total was $11.36 billion. The amount expended included: 5.65 billion for protection maintenance; 1.53 billion for security management oversight and planning; 502.51 million for professional education, training and awareness; 352.4 million for classification management; 52.76 million for declassification. The assessment provided for through the Jackson Lee amendment would shed light on the work that our federal agency Intelligence professionals and the role contractors play in protecting our nation. President Obama stated publicly on August 6, 2013 that it is important that we have so many 'extraordinarily capable folks in our military and our government who can do this, and probably do it cheaper.' I agree. That is why I introduced H.R. 4110, the HERO Transition from Battlespace to Workplace Act of 2014. This legislation addresses the problem of underemployed veterans in obtaining positions that take maximum advantage of their skills and experience. For some time I have worked to make sure that transparency, accountability and oversight were firmly established to guide the work of intelligence agencies, including introducing legislation such as H.R. 2434. I thank my colleagues on the Intelligence Committee for their hard work in bringing this bill before the full House for consideration. I ask my Colleagues in the House to vote for this en bloc. [From Time, Jul. 19, 2010] Time To Tame Washington's Intelligence Beast (By Robert Baer) I asked a former colleague who retired from the CIA not long ago what he thought about the Washington Post article Monday, July 19, on the explosion of contractors in the intelligence community. ``It's a horror,'' he said, ``my tax money blowing around Washington like confetti.'' But he reserved his angriest comments for the contractor-driven bureaucracy that allowed a Nigerian would-be suicide bomber-- as alleged by a resulting federal indictment--to board a Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit in December. In spite of the billions and billions of dollars we've showered on contractors, consultants and corporate contracts since 9/ 11, no one managed to disseminate a warning from the Nigerian's father that his son had reportedly become a terrorist. The raw numbers in the Post tell the story. Since 9/11, America's intelligence budget has more than doubled, to $75 billion. The number of people working at the Defense Intelligence Agency has gone from 7,500 to 16,500. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces have trebled in number, rising from 35 to io6. Personnel at the National Security Agency has doubled. There are 854,000 people with top-secret security clearances, including contractors--almost 1\1/2\ times the population of Washington. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that the Nigerian slipped through the cracks: there are so many more cracks now. But we shouldn't reduce the problem to our having become a country saddled with a bureaucratic Frankenstein of timeservers and people cashing in on 9/11. Recently I've been giving talks at government agencies working on counterterrorism. With almost no exceptions, I've found my audiences, including contractors, better informed, more dedicated and better educated than the generation I served with in the CIA. (As I've said elsewhere, if I were applying to the CIA today, I wonder whether I'd make it in.) The problem is that I came away from these talks with the impression that the post-9/11 workforce is bored and even adrift--at least in the sense that there are too many people chasing too little hard intelligence. It's a tooth-to-tail problem. CIA Director Leon Panetta has gone on the record as saying there are only a couple hundred al-Qaeda dead-enders in the mountains between Paldstan and Afghanistan, most of whom are dormant, hiding in caves. With a prey so small and elusive and a bureaucracy so Washington- bound, it shouldn't come as a surprise that we're tripping over ourselves. Nor should it come as a surprise that more money and more contractors aren't a problem of diminishing returns but rather one of adding to the risk. It would be considerably different if we could put this new workforce in the field--for instance, in Afghanistan, a country that demands years and years of on-the-ground experience for a young American intelligence officer to understand it. But our bases there are already overflowing with combat forces, and anyhow, it's too dangerous for Americans to get outside the wire to meet Afghans. Not unlike in Washington, they're stuck behind desks and forced to look at the country from a distance. No one intended to create a monster bureaucracy after 9/ 11--Washington has always thrown money and people at a problem rather than good ideas. But now someone has to seriously calculate the damage the outsourcing of intelligence is causing. The story I keep hearing over and over is that the bright young people who came to Washington to fight terrorism--civil servants and contractors alike-- have become disillusioned, and they will soon turn away from idealism and begin to transform their jobs into comfortable careers. In the case of the contractors, it means more contracts and more contractors. It's all the worse because there are now contractors writing their own contracts. For Washington to retake control of intelligence, it needs to remember that intelligence is inherently a governmental function, no different from the courts, the police or legislation. I wish Washington good luck in taking back ground from the contractors, and I hope it can move faster than the next would-be suicide bomber.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and remember one of the most remarkable figures of the 20th Century and an example of a life well lived for those coming of age in the 21st Century. Dr. Maya Angelou died this morning at her home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 years old. I first met Dr. Maya Angelou when I was a student at Yale University. No matter how busy she was--and she was always in demand--Maya Angelou always had time to share with you; as a mentor, a teacher, a social activist, a mother, a sister, a woman of light. She had a knack of making you feel better about yourself and life's possibilities. I thank God for her voice, her survival and her spirit and for teaching little girls--with long hair, short hair, curly hair, afros or straight hair--the beauty of all people. Dr. Maya Angelou epitomized what it is to be a great American who came from a unique and different background. Dr. Maya Angelou was an American original, a phenomenal writer, woman of insight, eloquence, and artistry who gave voice to the rawness and loftiness of our history and our humanity. From the struggles of her youth, through her work in the civil rights movement, to her success as an author and her time as the Poet Laureate of the United States, Maya Angelou embodied personal, moral, and artistic courage. Dr. Maya Angelou reminded us of the beauty of diversity and the importance of the black experience. She wrote of the cry for freedom, the experience of womanhood. Her story is the story of America. In the early 1960s, Dr. Angelou moved to Cairo, Egypt, where she became the associate editor of a magazine, The Arab Observer. Dr. Maya Angelou went on to help Malcolm X establish the Organization of Afro-American Unity in 1964. Since 1981, she held the Reynolds Professorship of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston- Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Maya Angelou once said: ``I have created myself. I have taught myself so much.'' Dr. Angelou defied simple labels. She was a walking list of careers and passions. In addition to authoring books, she was an actress, director, playwright, composer, singer and dancer. And if that was not enough she was the first female and first black streetcar conductor in San Francisco. In November 2013 Dr. Angelou stole the show at the National Book Awards in New York when she was presented an award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. She was introduced that night by her friend, the famed author Toni Morrison, who said of Dr. Maya Angelou: ``Suffering energized and strengthened her, and her creative impulse struck like bolts of lightning.'' Mr. Speaker, today we lost one of the ``great souls'' which Dr. Angelou often wrote about. I hope it is a comfort to her family that so many around the world mourn with them at this sad time. But through our sadness, we draw strength from the enduring power of her own words: ``Just like hopes springing high, still I'll rise.'' On a personal note, who can imagine a child who silenced herself for five years because of a brutal experience in her young life? That silence could have ruined her life or been a rebirth of her life. It was a rebirth. Just like a butterfly she was reborn and throughout her life she gave us the gift of her genius. So instead of saying good-bye, I say, as Dr. Maya Angelou said on January 20, 1993, at the inauguration of President Clinton, in her remarkable poem, ``A Rock, A River, A Tree'': Here on the pulse of this new day You may have the grace to look up and out And into your sister's eyes, into Your brother's face, your country And say simply Very simply With hope Good morning. So long my friend. We will never forget you or all you did to make our world a better place.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to congratulate the service of retiring Admiral Robert Papp, Jr., the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and to acknowledge the coming on board, if you will, of Commandant Paul F. Zukunft; to thank them for their collective service and to acknowledge Admiral Robert Papp, Jr., for his commitment to a rising and excelling United States Coast Guard. In every hearing that the Coast Guard appears before us, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee and a ranking member on Border Security and Maritime Security, I acknowledge that sight of Coast Guard helicopters rescuing thousands during Hurricane Katrina, plucking them out of the raging waters and saving lives. Many people don't remember 1,000 died. Today, that ceremony is occurring. I pay tribute to them, and I hope that many of us will have the opportunity to congratulate both of them. Thank you for your service to this Nation. You are remembered.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me take this moment to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Wolf, for his longstanding service and commitment to so many issues that so many of us have worked on for such a very long period of time, helping the most vulnerable and helping those who often cannot help themselves. Let me associate myself with the remarks that have been made by the author of this amendment, and also the ranking member, Mr. Fattah, who spoke to the question of justice. Mr. Chairman, I have served on the reiterations of the Legal Services Corporation in my own community way before coming to the United States Congress. I am reminded of the early words of the Constitution that said that we organize to create a more perfect union. Then I matched that with our Bill of Rights that so many people, if they cannot recite all of them, they know issues like due process, right to a trial by jury, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of access and movement. All of those things are deprived to persons in many instances who cannot access the courts. I remember, in particular, my Gulfcoast Legal Services Corporation, which worked extensively on issues dealing with housing, for good hardworking people sometimes come up against a brick wall, a hard wall, where they have done everything they could but they are facing eviction, they have come upon difficulty. There is relief for that eviction if they can get to the courthouse either to explain to their landlord or find some relief. Many have experienced housing discrimination, but they do not have access to the courts or to resources necessary to provide them with a lawyer to be able to address their injustice or their indignity. I too am a strong supporter of the DEA. I sit on the House Judiciary Committee. I was hoping that we could find some pathway to move forward in recognizing that the numbers of those needing Legal Services Corporation dollars is mounting. Lawyers in law firms have come to me who are members of the State Bar of Texas, the American Bar Association, and begged for the funding of the Legal Services Corporation. I believe that all of us on this floor have good intentions, and I know that we have a respect for the Legal Services Corporation. I am hoping we can find a way to work with the gentleman's amendment and support it because I am, in essence, providing the documentation that I have seen firsthand, where people have stood under the scales of justice emptyhanded. They were not balanced, they did not receive support, because they could not access the courthouse, a vital and important part of democracy in America. With that, Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, again, let me offer my appreciation to Mr. Wolf and Mr. Fattah for leading this appropriations legislation. Commerce, Justice, Science--Commerce, Justice, Science--the reason I say it in that way is because many of us are on the authorizing committee that is impacted greatly by the appropriators. I sit on the Judiciary Committee and have sat on the Foreign Affairs Committee and now sit on Homeland Security, which has a very, very important commitment to fighting human trafficking. Just a few weeks ago, on March 20, in Houston, Texas, we held a field hearing on human trafficking. Interestingly, the day before, 115 people were found in a stash house, women and children, all compounded, living in dire and devastating conditions. The witness testimony was overwhelming. I know the leadership that both the chairman and ranking member have given to this issue. I want to thank them for their funding of the Violence Against Women Act, as it has grown to provide more resources for those who are impacted by domestic violence, but also by human trafficking. My amendment is very straightforward. In the testimony given to us by law enforcement officers, one of the local law enforcement officers--in fact, local sheriff--indicated the importance of providing local law enforcement officers the training needed to ensure that these victims who are traumatized will be willing to testify against a perpetrator, and the perpetrators are vile, they are vile. This has become one of the largest businesses in this Nation, billions of dollars, human trafficking and sex trafficking. It is an ugly thing to say, but in sex trafficking the product can be used over and over again, as interpreted by the person who has the business. Houston has been known to be called the epicenter of human trafficking, sex trafficking. But it is a scourge on this Nation. My amendment strengthens the ability by providing a half a million dollars to the Violence Against Women Act. It strengthens the ability of State and local law enforcement to identify, apprehend, and prosecute domestic child traffickers by requiring the Attorney General to make available the training and education that will empower them to gain the cooperation and active assistance of victims of human trafficking, who would otherwise refuse for fear of reprisal. This, in fact, as I indicated, was clear in all testimony that was given and explained by those who were victims who were witnesses in this hearing and others. Just recently, in the Border Security markup, I added an amendment to address the question of human trafficking resources in another agency, Department of Homeland Security. But trafficking in humans, and especially domestic child trafficking, has no place in a civilized society. In fact, it has been called ``modern day slavery.'' Those who engage in this illicit trade should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We need the cooperation of victims. Sometimes they are scared. There are various resources, such as visas for nonimmigrant persons who are fearful of their present condition. That means we need to ensure that State and local law enforcement agencies have the tools, resources, and the training necessary to identify, apprehend, and prosecute criminals who ruthlessly traffic in children and young persons. I think it is important that Commerce, Justice, Science is involved in this particular area and covers this particular area. As I said, my amendment would cover the education on the availability of certain nonimmigrant visas for victims trafficked who cooperate in the investigation or the prosecution of the crime which the individual was a victim of. So, in essence, this helps the victims. It gives them time, it gives them the ability to understand. It starts sometimes with local law enforcement. In the instance of these 115 persons in Houston, the arrest came, the notice came, or the call came to the local law enforcement, who later called ICE and others. I would hope that this amendment would be passed because it, again, adds to our commitment to eliminate human trafficking, and it commits us to recognizing the vileness of child trafficking and sexual abuse of these individuals who come and the repetitiveness of this. In the instance of Houston, 99 were men; 16 were women, one of whom was pregnant; and 19 were juveniles. This happens over and over again. The Jackson Lee amendment does strengthen the idea of making sure we are linked to local law enforcement, and that we are committed not only in the Federal system but we are committed in the system that we are in locally. Let me conclude, Mr. Chairman, by indicating that I hope that my colleagues will support this amendment. With that, I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. Chair, let me offer my appreciation and thanks to Ranking Member Fattah and to Chairman Wolf for their work on this legislation and decades long commitment and advocacy on behalf of victims of crime, especially child victims, who are the most vulnerable and innocent victims. Trafficking in humans, and especially domestic child trafficking, has no place in a civilized society. Those who engage in this illicit trade should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. That means we need to ensure that state and local law enforcement agencies have the tools, resources, and training necessary to identify, apprehend, and prosecute criminals who ruthlessly traffic in children and young persons. And one of the most effective resources in bringing criminals to justice is the cooperation and assistance of their victims. Perpetrators of crime know that they are more likely to evade detection and punishment when their victims refuse to assist or cooperate with law enforcement. That is why they make it a point to instill fear in their victims--for their own safety or that of family and loved ones. My amendment strengthens and complements the bill by providing another tool in law enforcement's arsenal to tip the balance in favor of victims. The Jackson Lee Amendment will help ensure that: The U.S. Attorney General shall provide training for State and local law enforcement agencies on the immigration law that may be useful for the investigation and prosecution of crimes related to trafficking in persons, including education on the availability of certain nonimmigrant visas for victims of trafficking who cooperate in the investigation or prosecution of the crime of which the individual was a victim. In 2007, Congress passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (VTVPA), which created the T-Visa, and reserved it for those who are or have been victims of human trafficking. The Nonimmigrant Status (``T-Visa'') protects victims of human trafficking and helps law enforcement by allowing victims to remain in the United States to assist in the investigation or prosecution of human traffickers. Unfortunately, many victims of crime and victims of human trafficking are unaware of the existence and availability of this temporary relief. And that is in part because many local and state law enforcement officers are not fully aware of the legal requirements governing this relief. The Jackson Lee Amendment is intended to help fill this information gap by providing the informational resources to local law enforcement who will be able in turn to share that information with the victims. On March 20, the Homeland Security Committee, of which I am a senior member, held a field hearing in my home city of Houston on ``Combating Human Trafficking in Our Major Cities.'' It was a fitting venue because, regrettably, Houston is the human trafficking capital of the United States. Ninety-nine were men, 16 were women, one of whom was pregnant, and 19 were juveniles. All of them had been kidnapped or smuggled into the United States. Who knows what those women and children may have faced had they not been rescued and the perpetrators caught? The Jackson Lee Amendment strengthens the bill by strengthening the hand of state and local law enforcement in combating the scourge of human trafficking. By helping them, we will catch more human trafficking criminals. And we help rescue and save children from becoming victims. I urge my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee Amendment.

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me, again, express my appreciation for this appropriation and make a statement regarding some of the jurisdiction that comes under Commerce and Justice that is not particularly being discussed at this moment, but I thought it was appropriate because we do have discussions regarding civil rights. I wanted to mention that, over the last couple of months, we have had some unfortunate discussions around the National Basketball Association regarding issues of discriminatory conversations that were not responsible to the vastness of the NBA or its regulatory scheme. We regulate, on Judiciary, the National Basketball Association, the NFL, and Major League Baseball and many other sports. Over the years, we have had the opportunity to raise questions about diversity and about the outreach into minority communities. Today, in Houston, Major League Baseball is having what they call the civil rights weekend. I will be looking forward to calling in Major League Baseball to address some of the questions of diversity and race in their particular support. It is interesting that they are having an event in Houston now, with not one local elected official present, or respected or asked to be present. To me, that raises the question of whether or not Major League Baseball even gets it. We are delighted that they have chosen to honor some icons, and I honor them as well and will, hopefully, have the opportunity to recognize them by way of my office tomorrow. Again, as we talk about justice questions, as I sit on the Judiciary Committee, over the years, have dealt with players' associations and antitrust issues, questions of discrimination that cross the gamut of sports organizations, it is really disturbing that we come to the 21st century and 2014 and have these same issues being raised again. Just as I turn, for a moment, to the NBA, I just want to make the point that, as there is a decision to look at options for the Clippers, I am not from the area, but I would hope that, as there are options to look at a purchase of the Clippers, that it is not done without opportunities for minority purchasers to be involved--investors. We are not where we need to be, and, again, the Justice Department deals with civil rights, and Major League Baseball is not where it needs to be when it comes to a city, has an event on civil rights, and has no local elected officials that are engaged, no outreach programs that are extensive the way they need to be. I thank the chairman for allowing me to raise this point regarding the question of civil rights that falls under the jurisdiction of this committee, the funding of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, but also, under my authorizing committee, and raise a concern that we have work to do, not only in this Congress, but we have work to do into these major sports organizations that represent diversity, but they don't really have diversity. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time. Amendment Offered by Mr. Kilmer

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentleman's amendment and will add the point that many of these Federal workers are women who are the head of their household, and, therefore, the undermining of their compensation based upon overtime and the theft of wages because they are not paid fully for their work and hours really undermines the family. So I believe that this is a very important amendment, and I ask my colleagues to support the gentleman.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, my amendment is a simple amendment, as well, that I can imagine nothing more than bipartisan support for. First of all, I want to again thank the chairman, Mr. Wolf, and the ranking member, for their steadfastness and leadership on this appropriations bill, and to again acknowledge Mr. Wolf in his service and tenure not only to his district, but to the Nation. I believe that we all have come for the common understanding that this Nation is founded on principles of due process and justice, and as well the recognition that we have a system of criminal justice laws that there are people who will be incarcerated. I am very glad that I serve on the Judiciary Committee, where my chairman, Chairman Goodlatte, along with Ranking Member Conyers, established an overcriminalization task force. With that in mind, it is to discuss how you look at laws and be fair to the individual that may be the victim, but also the person that was the perpetrator, or to look at the different charges and various offenses and determine whether or not today, in 2014, they are still appropriate. My amendment is an amendment that addresses the question of the existing authority of the Attorney General to manage executive responsibilities under 28 U.S.C. 509 and 28 U.S.C. 510 as relates to authorizing the performance by any other officer and as it relates to all functions of agencies and employees. It speaks to the question of prison overcrowding. It is straightforward, as I indicated. It makes a positive contribution to the problem. The United States incarcerates nearly 25 percent of the world's inmates, even though it only has 5 percent of the world's population. Thirty years ago, there were less than 30,000 inmates in the Federal system. Today, there are nearly 216,000--an increase of 800 percent. Mr. Chairman, I have worked on this issue for almost two decades. In the early 1990s, I offered an amendment for good time, early release legislation, to look at providing relief to inmates who had been in the Federal system and reached the age of 45, had in fact not been engaged in any violent crime with a weapon, and had no violent incidents while they were incarcerated. We made the recommendation that we would have the opportunity to release those older inmates. I am very glad to say that Senator Kennedy had the same kind of legislation. Over the years, we managed to get it into the authorization bill. But, as I indicated, no other country imprisons a larger percentage of its population. The prison system costs $6.5 billion. That is part of the appropriations today. My amendment will alleviate this overcrowding by clarifying that nothing in this bill prohibits the Attorney General from exercising his statutory authorities to expand the use of executive clemency to address prison overcrowding and redress sentencing injustices, so long as he does so in a manner consistent with the law and the Constitution. Much of the overcrowding of our Federal prison system is a direct and proximate result of a proliferation of offenses carrying mandatory minimums. That is the basis of the Over-Criminalization Task Force. Again, I applaud the Judiciary Committee for that. Heretofore, we had the 100 to 1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine. We in the Judiciary Committee changed that, along with the Senate. The President signed that legislation. We now know the cost of imprisoning so many nonviolent offenders is fiscally unsustainable and morally unjustifiable. Remember, my emphasis has been that which is within the context of the law. And the legislation that I offered for the good time, early release was for nonviolent offenders. It will take the combined efforts of policymakers, reform advocates, legal professionals, and private citizens to solve the problem. I can assure you there is a bar of lawyers that are interested in making sure that their clients come under the law and are treated fairly under the law. My amendment gives life to this question by allowing the Attorney General, whoever it might be, to act within the law. Just quickly, I give an example of Clarence Aaron of Mobile, Alabama, who was arrested in 1992 with 20 kilograms of power cocaine and distributed it as crack cocaine. It was in 1992. He received an enormous sentence. He was a first-time offender, and received a life sentence. These are the kinds of issues that can be addressed if we are acting within the law. My amendment simply says to act within the law using the authority that is given and to be able to address these questions of the overincarceration of persons and to give people a second chance. I ask my colleagues to support my amendment. Thank you for this opportunity to briefly explain my amendment. Let me offer my appreciation and thanks to Ranking Member Fattah and to Chairman Wolf for their work on this legislation and decades long commitment to the administration of justice and to developing sensible reforms to make our criminal justice system better. Thank you for the opportunity to explain my amendment, which is simple, straightforward, and makes a positive contribution to the problem of overcrowding in our federal prisons. The United States incarcerates nearly 25 percent of the world's inmates, even though it only has 5 percent of the world's population. Thirty years ago, there were less than 30,000 inmates in the federal system; today, there are nearly 216,000, an increase of 800 percent! 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. The Jackson Lee Amendment will help alleviate this overcrowding by clarifying that nothing in the bill prohibits the Attorney General from exercising his statutory authorities to expand the use of executive clemency to address prison overcrowding and redress sentencing injustices so long as he does so in a manner consistent with law and the Constitution. Text of Amendment At the end of bill, before the short title, add the following new section: Sec. __. None of the funds made available by this Act for the ``DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE--ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW AND APPEALS'' may be used in contravention of sections 509 and 510 of title 28, United States Code. Much of the overcrowding of our federal prison system is the direct and proximate result of proliferation of offenses carrying mandatory minimums and the prior unjust and discriminatory 100 to 1 disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentences in federal law. We now know 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. There is no shortage of stories about the damage done to the lives of thousands of individuals and their families by the draconian sentencing laws passed by Congress and state legislatures beginning in the late 1980s in the ``War on Drugs.'' An example is Clarence Aaron, of Mobile, Alabama who was arrested in 1992 by federal law enforcement officers and charged with conspiring to process 20 kilograms of powder cocaine and distribute it as crack cocaine. Even though this was his first offense, Clarence was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole because the judge was powerless to adjust the punishment to fit the crime because he was required by law to impose the sentence called for by the then-mandatory federal sentencing guidelines. The case of Clarence Aaron case is not an aberration. The sad fact is that half of all inmates in the federal system (52%) were incarcerated for drug offenses, a rate more than three times as great (17%) as found in the state penal system. And the racial and ethnic composition of federal inmates incarcerated for drug offenses is equally troubling because while whites and African Americans use drugs at similar rates, African Americans are much more likely to be arrested and sentenced for drug offenses. Indeed, African Americans and Hispanics comprise more than 6 in 10 federal inmates incarcerated for drug offenses. And African American offenders receive sentences that are 10 percent longer than white offenders for the same crimes and are 21 percent more likely to receive mandatory-minimum sentences than white defendants according to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. In 2010, after years of working to reform our drug sentencing laws, our efforts finally bore fruit when the Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the ``Fair Sentencing Act of 2010'' (P.L. 111- 220), which finally ended the discriminatory 100:1 sentencing ratio. But since the provisions of the ``Fair Sentencing Act'' are not retroactive there is still much work left to be done. We need to keep working for reform until all federal inmates sentenced under the old regime are afforded the opportunity to have their sentences reconsidered under the provisions of current law. Fortunately, Clarence Aaron will not be one of those who still must wait because after serving more than 20 years in federal prison, he was freed on April 17 because he was one of eight persons granted executive clemency, or a reduction in sentence, by President Obama on December 19, 2013. The power to grant a reduction in sentence is among the powers vested exclusively to, and committed to the sound discretion of, the President by the Pardon Clause (Art. II, Sec. 2, Clause 1) of the U.S. Constitution. In exercising clemency powers under the Constitution, the President typically relies upon the counsel and recommendations of the Attorney General. President Obama's grant of executive clemency to Clarence Aaron and seven others was an act of simple justice and a welcome development. So too is the announcement by the Department of Justice that it intends to be more aggressive in identifying and recommending to the President additional candidates for executive clemency consideration. Let me emphasize that executive clemency is not amnesty. These inmates have been incarcerated for many years. Applications for executive clemency that are most likely to receive favorable consideration are those submitted by non-violent, low-level drug offenders who were not leaders of, or had any significant ties to, large-scale organizations, gangs, or cartels. Mr. Chair, until and unless the provisions of the ``Fair Sentencing Act of 2010'' (P.L. 111-220), are made retroactive, the need for innovative and effective measures to reduce prison overcrowding and bring greater fairness to federal sentencing policy will remain great. The Jackson Lee Amendment ensures that Attorney General retains the latitude to develop and implement policies relating to requests for executive clemency for deserving petitioners, which will help reduce prison overcrowding and save the taxpayers millions of dollars. I urge my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee Amendment. [From Justice News] Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs--Announcing New Clemency Initiative, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole Details Broad New Criteria for Applicants As part of the Justice Department's new clemency initiative, Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole announced six criteria the department will consider when reviewing and expediting clemency applications from federal inmates. Under the new initiative, the department will prioritize clemency applications from inmates who meet all of the following factors: 1. They are currently serving a federal sentence in prison and, by operation of law, likely would have received a substantially lower sentence if convicted of the same offense(s) today; 2. They are non-violent, low-level offenders without significant ties to large scale criminal organizations, gangs or cartels; 3. They have served at least 10 years of their prison sentence; 4. They do not have a significant criminal history; 5. They have demonstrated good conduct in prison; and 6. They have no history of violence prior to or during their current term of imprisonment. ``For our criminal justice system to be effective, it needs to not only be fair; but it also must be perceived as being fair,'' said Deputy Attorney General Cole. ``Older, stringent punishments that are out of line with sentences imposed under today's laws erode people's confidence in our criminal justice system, and I am confident that this initiative will go far to promote the most fundamental of American ideals-- equal justice under law.'' In December 2013, President Obama commuted the sentences of eight individuals who were sentenced under an outdated regime--many of whom would have already paid their debt to society if they had been sentenced under current law. Since that time, President Obama has said he wants to consider more applications for clemency from inmates similarly situated. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 509: The Attorney General may from time to time make such provisions as he considers appropriate authorizing the performance by any other officer, employee, or agency of the Department of Justice of any function of the Attorney General. 28 U.S.C. Sec. 509: All functions of other officers of the Department of Justice and all functions of agencies and employees of the Department of Justice are vested in the Attorney General except the functions-- 1. vested by subchapter II of chapter 5 of title 5 in administrative law judges employed by the Department of Justice; 2. of the Federal Prison Industries, Inc.; and 3. of the Board of Directors and officers of the Federal Prison Industries, Inc.

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman. As indicated, the bill specifically contains an explicit prohibition on bulk collection of tangible things pursuant to section 215. The FREEDOM Act provides that section 215 may be used only where specific selection term is provided as the basis for the production of tangible things. Clearly, we worked very hard to contain what was an amoeba that would not end. Finally, I believe section 301 of the bill, as I indicated, was included, as it was in my amendment in H.R. 3773. Let me conclude by simply saying that the Bill of Rights lives. The Bill of Rights is for the American people, both the right to freedom, both the right in essence to privacy, and our respect for the gathering of intelligence to protect us from terrorists. This bill, the USA FREEDOM Act, is indeed an enormous step forward. Let us work together to move us even more, but today, we end megadata collecting as we know it. Mr. Speaker, I believe we have made a giant step forward for civil liberties, respect for the integrity of the American people, and their right to freedom, as well as for the protecting of all of us from terror. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and a co- sponsor, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3361, the ``USA Freedom Act,'' which is short for ``Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act.'' The USA Freedom Act is the House's unified response to the unauthorized disclosures and subsequent publication in the media in June 2013 regarding the National Security Agency's collection from Verizon of the phone records of all of its American customers, which was authorized by the FISA Court pursuant to Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Public reaction to the news of this massive and secret data gathering operation was swift and negative. There was justifiable concern on the part of the public and a large percentage of the Members of this body that the extent and scale of this NSA data collection operation, which exceeded by orders of magnitude anything previously authorized or contemplated, may constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy and threat to the civil liberties of American citizens. To quell the growing controversy, the Director of National Intelligence declassified and released limited information about this program. According to the DNI, the information acquired under this program did not include the content of any communications or the identity of any subscriber. The DNI stated that ``the only type of information acquired under the Court's order is telephony metadata, such as telephone numbers dialed and length of calls.'' The assurance given by the DNI, to put it mildly, was not very reassuring. In response, many Members of Congress, including the Ranking Member Conyers, and Mr. Sensenbrenner, and myself, introduced legislation in response to the disclosures to ensure that the law and the practices of the executive branch reflect the intent of Congress in passing the USA Patriot Act and subsequent amendments. For example, I introduced H.R. 2440, the ``FISA Court in the Sunshine Act of 2013,'' bipartisan legislation, that much needed transparency without compromising national security to the decisions, orders, and opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court or ``FISA Court.'' Specifically, my bill would require the Attorney General to disclose each decision, order, or opinion of a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), allowing Americans to know how broad of a legal authority the government is claiming under the PATRIOT Act and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to conduct the surveillance needed to keep Americans safe. I am pleased that these requirements are incorporated in substantial part as Sections 402 and 604 of the USA Freedom Act, which requires the Attorney General to conduct a declassification review of each decision, order, or opinion of the FISA court that includes a significant construction or interpretation of law and to submit a report to Congress within 45 days. I also am pleased that the bill before us contains an explicit prohibition on bulk collection of tangible things pursuant to Section 215 authority. Instead, the USA Freedom Act provides that Section 215 may only be used where a specific selection term is provided as the basis for the production of tangible things. Another important improvement is that the bill's prohibition on domestic bulk collection, as well as its criteria for specifying the information to be collected, applies not only to Section 215 surveillance activities but also to other law enforcement communications interception authorities, such as national security letters. Finally, I strongly support the USA Freedom Act because Section 301 of the bill continues the prohibition against ``reverse targeting,'' which became law when an earlier Jackson Lee Amendment was included in H.R. 3773, the RESTORE Act of 2007. ``Reverse targeting,'' a concept well known to members of this Committee but not so well understood by those less steeped in the arcana of electronic surveillance, is the practice where the government targets foreigners without a warrant while its actual purpose is to collect information on certain U.S. persons. One of the main concerns of libertarians and classical conservatives, as well as progressives and civil liberties organizations, in giving expanded authority to the executive branch was the temptation of national security agencies to engage in reverse targeting may be difficult to resist in the absence of strong safeguards to prevent it. The Jackson Lee Amendment, codified in Section 301 of the USA Freedom Act, reduces even further any such temptation to resort to reverse targeting by requiring the Administration to obtain a regular, individualized FISA warrant whenever the ``real'' target of the surveillance is a person in the United States. In retaining the prohibition on reverse targeting, Section 301 achieves honors the Constitution by requiring the government to obtain a regular FISA warrant whenever a ``significant purpose of an acquisition is to acquire the communications of a specific person reasonably believed to be located in the United States.'' I should that nothing in Section 301 requires the Government to obtain a FISA order for every overseas target on the off chance that they might pick up a call into or from the United States. Rather, a FISA order is required only where there is a particular, known person in the United States at the other end of the foreign target's calls in whom the Government has a significant interest such that a significant purpose of the surveillance has become to acquire that person's communications. Mr. Speaker, while the bill before is a good bill, it is not perfect. No legislation ever is. In particular, my preference would have been to retain the provision in the bill as originally introduced establishing an Office of the Special Advocate to vigorously advocate in support of legal interpretations that protect individual privacy and civil liberties. As initially contemplated, the Office of the Special Advocate would be authorized to participate in proceedings before the FISA Court and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court of Review, and to request reconsiderations of FISA Court decisions and participate in appeals and reviews. Regrettably, the provision establishing the Office of the Special Advocate fell victim to a compromise and replaced with a provision authorizing both the FISA court and the FISA Court of Review, if they deem it necessary, to appoint an individual to serve as amicus curiae in a case involving a novel or significant interpretation of law. Under this arrangement, the presiding judges of the courts must designate five individuals eligible to serve in that position who possess expertise in privacy and civil liberties, intelligence collection, telecommunications or any other area that may lend legal or technical expertise to the courts. The Office of the Special Advocate arrangement in my opinion is superior because it provides for mandatory participation of the public advocate rather than the discretionary involvement of court designated amicus curiae provided in the bill before us. Mr. Speaker, as I noted in an op-ed published way back in October 2007, nearly two centuries ago, Alexis DeTocqueville, who remains the most astute student of American democracy, observed that the reason democracies invariably prevail in any military conflict is because democracy is the governmental form that best rewards and encourages those traits that are indispensable to success: initiative, innovation, courage, and a love of justice. I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record a copy of that op- ed. I support the USA Freedom Act because it will help keep us true to the Bill of Rights and strikes the proper balance between our cherished liberty and smart security. I urge my colleagues to support the USA Freedom Act. NSA Reform Takes Its First Steps The USA FREEDOM Act takes steps to: End bulk collection under Patriot Act Section 215. The bill requires the government to show the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that the specific records it seeks from phone companies pertain to a specific email address, account number or other ``selection term'' before it can demand a customer's personal information. It creates a new collection authority for call records but takes meaningful steps to ensure that such records are not vacuumed up wholesale, as was happening under the secret programs revealed by Edward Snowden. Prevent bulk collection under FISA pen register and National Security Letter authorities. The bill also requires the government to use a ``selection term'' that uniquely describes its surveillance target and serves as the basis for collecting information from a telephone line, facility, or other account. This would help ensure that the government won't use pen registers and National Security Letters as convenient substitutes for the 215 program. Increase transparency. Finally, the bill requires the government to provide to Congress and to the public additional reporting on its surveillance programs, while enabling companies who receive national security informational requests to more fully inform customers about the extent to which the government is collecting their data. Additional governmental reporting requirements and more particularized third party reporting authorities, however, are needed in order to ensure that Congress and the public have the information they need to perform truly robust oversight. While the bill makes significant reforms to U.S. surveillance law, Congress clearly chose not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And, to be clear, more work needs to be done. Some of the additional reforms we are calling for, which were in the original USA FREEDOM Act, include: Ensuring that judges in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) have the authority to determine whether an application passes legal muster and do not return to being mere rubber stamps. Limiting the circumstances under which the government can gather records more than one ``hop'' out from a target to help ensure Americans' information is not unnecessarily swept up. Closing the ``back door'' search loophole in the FISA Amendments Act to prevent the government from searching information collected under Section 702 of FISA for the U.S. persons' communications content.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I thank the ranking member and the chairman for this work. I also thank Mr. Sensenbrenner, who we have worked with from the first stages of the PATRIOT Act, when the Judiciary Committee passed it out on a bipartisan basis after that terrible and heinous act of terror. Unfortunately, it was changed. Today, I want to announce that megadata collection as we know it has ended. That is a major tribute to the American people, and the Judiciary Committee and the Intelligence Committee heard them. More importantly, the Intelligence Committee and the Judiciary Committee stand united. Can we do more? Should there have been an open rule or a number of other amendments that Members wanted? Yes. I believe in participatory democracy. Today, we end bulk collection under the PATRIOT Act section 215. We can always do better. Today, we prevent the bulk collection under FISA pen register and National Security Letter authorities and vow to the American people that we increase the transparency. Let me make it very clear, when we first discussed and debated the PATRIOT Act, reverse targeting, to me, was heinous. It means that it captured an innocent American person as we were looking for someone who happened to be a terrorist. Today, in this bill, we have any communications as to which the sender and all intended recipients are determined to be located in the United States and prohibit the use of any discrete, nontarget communication that is determined to be to or from a United States person or a person who appears to be located in the United States, except to protect against an immediate threat to harm. It is eliminated. Reverse targeting is no longer. In addition, I introduced a bill some time ago called the FISA Court and Sunshine Act of 2013. In that bill, it required the Attorney General to disclose each decision, order, or opinion of the FISA Court, allowing Americans to know how broad of a legal authority the government is claiming under the PATRIOT Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to conduct surveillance needed to keep Americans safe. I am pleased that, in section 402 and 604 of the USA FREEDOM Act, it requires the Attorney General to conduct a declassification review of each decision, order, or opinion. It opens it up to the American people. That includes a significant construction of interpretation of the law and to submit to Congress within 45 days.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith for their work on this bill and their devotion to the men and women of the Armed Forces. I also thank them for including in En Bloc Amendment No. 1 the Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment, which makes three important contributions to the bill: 1. First, it strongly condemns the ongoing violence and the systematic gross human rights violations against the people of Nigeria carried out by the militant organization Boko Haram, especially the kidnapping of the more than 200 young schoolgirls kidnapped from the Chibok School by Boko Haram; 2. Second, it expresses support for the people of Nigeria who wish to live in a peaceful, economically prosperous, and democratic Nigeria; and 3. Third, it requires that not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment, the Secretary of Defense shall report to Congress on the nature and extent of the crimes against humanity committed by Boko Haram in Nigeria. Since 2013, more than 4,400 men, women, and children have been slaughtered by Boko Haram. The victims include Christians, Muslims, journalists, health care providers, relief workers and schoolchildren. I am confident that the international community working with the African Union will assist the Government of Nigeria in bringing an end to Boko Haram's reign of terror and ensuring that its crimes against humanity are documented so its leaders can be held accountable. Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record a letter to President Obama from myself and 15 House colleagues commending his decision to deploy American security experts and equipment in Nigeria to help locate and rescue the more than 200 Nigerian kidnapped schoolgirls and to work in concert with the Government of Nigeria and the African Union to bring Abubakar Shekau and other leaders of Boko Haram to justice. The Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment affirms that the United States stands with the civilized world in solidarity with the people of Nigeria. The Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment affirms that the United States is fully committed to the fundamental principle that women everywhere have a right to be free, to live without fear, and should not be forced to risk their lives to get the education they want and deserve. I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for including this amendment in En Bloc Amendment #1 and all Members to support it. Congress of the United States Washington, DC, May 8, 2014. President Barack Obama The White House, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. President: We are writing to commend your decision to deploy American security experts and equipment in Nigeria to help locate and rescue the more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by the terrorist group, Boko Haram. We support your action and we strongly urge you to work in concert with the Government of Nigeria and the African Union to achieve this objective and to bring Abubakar Shekau and other leaders of Boko Haram to justice. Boko Haram, a militant group designated by the State Department in November 2013 as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, has been conducting a reign of terror against innocent Nigerian women, children, and men since 2009, when it killed hundreds of persons during a raid of a police station in Maiduguri. In the last four years, Boko Haram has carried out more than 480 violent attacks against a broad array of targets: Christian and Muslim communities, government installations, schools, hospitals and medical facilities, aid workers and journalists. Since the beginning of 2013, more than 4,400 innocent persons have been killed and thousands more left homeless. According to media reports, the leader of Boko Haram has threatened to ransom or sell the girls into the human trafficking market for about twelve dollars each ($12.00 USD). This outrageous conduct cannot be tolerated or overlooked. Not only is it a violation of the girls' human rights, it is also contrary to United States policy supporting and promoting equal access to education and economic opportunity for women and girls. We know that terrorist groups cannot operate effectively without reliable and steady funding to support its criminal acts. Therefore, we urge you to work with the international community to detect, disrupt, and dismantle the funding networks financing Boko Haram, which published reports indicate has received as much as $70 million from other Islamist groups, including Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP), the Al Muntada Trust Fund, and the Islamic World Society. Additionally, we urge you to consider working with the Government of Nigeria to develop its own capacity to deploy specialized police and army units rapidly to rescue the schoolgirls and bring Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau to justice. Such units also can be deployed to prevent and combat sectarian violence in cities and around the country where there has been a history of sectarian violence. The creation of an elite highly-trained rapid response unit would appear to be a sound short-term strategy that the Government of Nigeria should employ in dealing with violent groups like Boko Haram. This approach was used to successful effect by the Indonesia Government in 2004 to neutralize the Laskar Jihad terrorist organization. Finally, we call upon you to take appropriate action to help the Government of Nigeria establish a Victim's Fund to provide humanitarian relief and economic assistance to the victims of attacks by Boko Haram so that they can rebuild their lives and communities. ``People are the great issue of the 20th century,'' declared, then-Senator Hubert Humphrey in 1948. The well- being of people remains the great issue of the 21st century. And there is no better measure of any society than the way its treats its women and girls. Boko Haram understands that when Nigerian girls are educated, Nigerian women can succeed; and when Nigerian women succeed, Nigeria succeeds. And that is why it is so important that the United States help Nigeria ensure that Boko Haram fails. Thank you for your leadership and your consideration of our recommendations. We stand ready to work with you to bring about the safe rescue of the kidnapped Nigerian schoolgirls and to reunite them with their families and loved ones. Sincerely, list of signatories Marcia L. Fudge, Karen E. Bass, Donald Payne, Jr., John Lewis, Yvette D. Clarke, Robin Kelly, Janice Hahn, Sheila Jackson Lee, Terri A. Sewell, Corrine Brown, Frederica Wilson, Gregory W. Meeks, Barbara Lee, Marc Veasey, Members of Congress.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, all that we do and all that America does is owed to the greatness of our Constitution and to men and women whom we will honor this coming Monday, Memorial Day. I call today upon Americans, wherever they may be, to stop for a moment to honor them. A few years ago, I passed unanimous legislation on this floor to honor all of those who had ever served in combat. But we honor those who fell in the line of duty. This coming week, we will remember them, as we should every year. As I go home, I will be visiting one of my veterans hospitals to be reminded of those who still stand, and to commit that we will fix every problem that denies or undermines the health care system of our veterans. I have introduced the Heroes Act to ensure that veterans who have gained many good skills in service can equate those skills to civilian work, that they are treated with respect and dignity as managers and leaders, because that is what they were when they served in the United States military. And so we honor our fallen soldiers and their families. We will gather today as Americans this weekend. We will stand united under the flag, saying thank you, for you have told all of us that freedom is not free.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of our nation's veterans and express my views regarding H.R. 4031, the Department of Veterans Affairs Management Accountability Act of 2014. This weekend the nation will mark the occasion of Memorial Day the time our nation pauses to recognize the valor, and self-sacrifice of our nation's veterans. We must remember that freedom is not free. That is why the timing of the disclosure is especially troubling regarding accusations made by a whistleblower about the treatment of veterans seeking healthcare at the Phoenix Veterans medical facility. Now, more than ever, we must renew our commitment to keep our promises to the nation's more than 2 million troops and reservists, their families, and 23 million veterans. The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center located in Houston, Texas serves the 32,477 veterans who I have the privilege of representing in my Congressional District. The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center serves as the primary healthcare provider for almost 130,000 veterans in southeast Texas. Veterans from around the country are referred to the DeBakey VA Medical Center for specialized diagnostic care, radiation therapy, surgery, and medical treatment including cardiovascular surgery, gastrointestinal endoscopy, nuclear medicine, ophthalmology, and treatment of spinal cord injury and diseases. DeBakey VA Medical Center provide vital healthcare services to Veterans in the Houston area and through the nation. The Medical Center houses: A Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinic; Network Polytrauma Center; an award-winning Cardiac and General Surgery Program; Liver Transplant Center; VA Epilepsy and Cancer Centers of Excellence; VA Substance Abuse Disorder Quality Enhancement Research Initiative; Health Services Research & Development Center of Innovation; VA Rehabilitation Research of Excellence focusing on mild to moderate traumatic brain injury; Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center; and one of the VA's six Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Centers. In late 2012, the MEDVAMC received official designation as a Kidney Transplant Center. Including the outpatient clinics in Beaumont, Conroe, Galveston, Houston, Katy, Lufkin, Richmond, Tomball and Texas City, MEDVAMC outpatient clinics log more than a million outpatient visits annually. Earlier this week I joined other members of the Congressional Women's Caucus for the Wreath Laying Ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery to remember the contributions of women who served our nation proudly in uniform. Veterans are told that the care that they need can be found at Veteran medical facilities around the nation and we must be certain that they have access to the care that is provided. The veterans who have served our nation deserve better than what we have been made aware of due to the disclosures related to the Arizona VA facility in Phoenix. It has been reported that physicians at the Phoenix Veterans Hospital ignored mandates to prioritize treatment of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The placement of veterans on secret waiting lists who later died is unconscionable and should be criminally investigated if proven to be true. The Veterans facilities serving veterans in Houston, to my knowledge, are not under investigation regarding these terrible reports related to accusations of mistreatment of our nation's veterans. I know that there are concerns regarding the implications of H.R. 4031 on civil service protection for federal employees at the Veterans Administration. I am mindful of those concerns, but I am also very focused on making sure that our veterans receive the healthcare that they need. Should this bill become law, I will make sure that veterans received the care they need, while monitoring how the authority provided under this bill is used. The intent of this bill should not be solely for the removal of people from federal service unless there is cause for such action--like in the case of the Phoenix reports if proven to be true. Falsifying federal records that may lead to the deaths or further degradation of health of our nation's veterans if true should disqualify a person from federal employment and the receipt of bonuses. Our nation's veterans need help now--not later. The work that Congress along with the Administration can do today to make sure that the promises made to our veterans and their families are kept should be done. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to remove any individual from the Senior Executive Service upon determining that such individual's performance warrants removal, and remove such individual from federal service or transfer the individual to a General Schedule position at any grade that the Secretary deems appropriate. A part of the important job of our Nation's Secretary of Veterans Affairs is to administer a national hospital system for our nation's veterans. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs needs more than just the power to fire, but the authority and means to hire hospital and facility administrators at competitive rates when compared to the private sector. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs needs the ability to make decisions regarding distribution of resources and facility management. The Secretary must have the ability to make decisions and the power to act on whether to open additional facilities or enter into agreements with private or other public hospital systems to meet the healthcare needs of returning Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans along with the needs of our aging veteran population who have increased need for healthcare. The Veterans Administration needs Congressional intervention by making sure that the Secretary can be held fully accountable for how the Department functions because they have the authority and the means to manage the agency as it should be managed. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs would always be ultimately accountable to the oversight of Congressional Committees, and must provide greater transparency to veterans and their families on what the agency is doing to meet the needs of veterans. But it is within our power as Members of Congress to make sure that our nation's veterans receive the best medical care that modern medicine has to offer to them and their families. In the State of Texas we have over a million Veterans under the age of 65 and nearly a half million who are over the age of 65. I believe that a message of unity is critical to the wellbeing of our men and women in uniform and those transitioning out of uniformed service to our nation. Veterans share a kinship in ways that too few Americans who have not served can understand. Our men and women in the military have fulfilled a commitment to this nation and to each other that we should imitate in our actions to work to provide for veterans now that their military service has ended. Today, I want to renew my commitment to our nation's veterans by encouraging my colleagues to act to keep the nation's promises to them. Congress must communicate its wholehearted support for the security of the nation by addressing mindless cuts created by sequestration. I firmly believe that Congress must act to care for our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen, both on and off the battlefield. I believe that the nation's concern for their wellbeing must be more than in words, but must be reflected in deeds. Veterans demonstrate a love of country and a measure of devotion making us proud as their Representatives, but we must offer to each veteran a level of comfort that the promises made to them will be kept. Their quiet dignity sets aside concerns for self because their vision is broader than the moments of partisanship that we see too often in Washington, DC. I ask that my colleagues remember the damage done to the budget of the Veterans Administration through cuts, sequestration, and the government shutdown. Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that the passion that I see in the actions and words of fellow Members of the House will translate into a long- term commitment to mend what is broken at the VA and strengthen what is working well. We should recognize the great work being done by a majority of doctors, nurses, therapists, and medical aides at the dozens of veterans medical facilities around the nation. We must remember that the leadership at Veterans Affairs needs the funding and authority to make decisions regarding implementing solutions to overcome challenges of providing the best care possible to our nation's veterans. We should seek reports on the ability of the VA to meet the challenge of the returning veterans from Afghanistan and Iraq as well as the needs of Veterans from previous wars with the current level of funding, personnel, offices, and medical facilities. I am in support of our veterans and seek a bipartisan solution to resolving the problems with VA backlogs and the treatment of veterans and their families.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Thank you so very much. Mr. Speaker, let me indicate that there are many reasons to be concerned about the rule. I am certainly concerned that we are not able to debate a very important issue dealing with Afghanistan. Having spent almost a decade-plus in dealing with provision 215 under the PATRIOT Act and in helping to construct the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet Collection, and Online Monitoring Act, it is imperative that we move the USA FREEDOM Act forward. For example, I introduced H.R. 2440, the FISA Court in the Sunshine Act of 2013. Specifically, my bill would require the Attorney General to expose the FISA Court, allowing Americans to know the broad, illegal authority it had, even having an advocate for the American people in sections 402 and 604. This is in the bill. In addition, I strongly support this act because section 301 of the bill continues the prohibition against reverse targeting, which is an amendment that I had in the RESTORE Act; then, of course, it goes forward with ensuring that this megadata--this bulk collection--does not occur. I am grateful that the Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee amendment that deals with Boko Haram is in this national defense bill because we have to stop the tragedy that is going on, but more importantly, the devastation of Boko Haram. Finally, I would have wanted the amendment that deals with the contracting out of our intelligence services. I believe it is too extensive. I believe that my amendment would have been effective in determining how much we use outside contractors. This is a rule that is, unfortunately, without a lot of point to it. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 590, the rule governing debate on H.R. 3361, the ``USA Freedom Act,'' and amendment to H.R. 4435, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. Regarding H.R. 3361, I support the rule and am a co-sponsor of the the underlying bill, the USA Freedom Act, which stands for ``Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet-collection, and Online Monitoring Act.'' The USA Freedom Act is the House's unified response to the unauthorized disclosures and subsequent publication in the media in June 2013 regarding the National Security Agency's collection from Verizon of the phone records of all of its American customers, which was authorized by the FISA Court pursuant to Section 215 of the Patriot Act. Public reaction to the news of this massive and secret data gathering operation was swift and negative. There was justifiable concern on the part of the public and a large percentage of the Members of this body that the extent and scale of this NSA data collection operation, which exceeded by orders of magnitude anything previously authorized or contemplated, may constitute an unwarranted invasion of privacy and threat to the civil liberties of American citizens. In response, many Members of Congress, including the Ranking Member Conyers, and Mr. Sensenbrenner, and myself, introduced legislation in response to the disclosures to ensure that the law and the practices of the executive branch reflect the intent of Congress in passing the USA Patriot Act and subsequent amendments. For example, I introduced H.R. 2440, the ``FISA Court in the Sunshine Act of 2013,'' bipartisan legislation, that much needed transparency without compromising national security to the decisions, orders, and opinions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court or ``FISA Court.'' Specifically, my bill would require the Attorney General to disclose each decision, order, or opinion of a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), allowing Americans to know how broad of a legal authority the government is claiming under the PATRIOT ACT and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to conduct the surveillance needed to keep Americans safe. I am pleased that these requirements are incorporated in substantial part as Sections 402 and 604 of the USA Freedom Act, which requires the Attorney General to conduct a declassification review of each decision, order, or opinion of the FISA court that includes a significant construction or interpretation of law and to submit a report to Congress within 45 days. Significantly, the USA Freedom Act contains an explicit prohibition on bulk collection of tangible things pursuant to Section 215 authority. Instead, the USA Freedom Act provides that Section 215 may only be used where a specific selection term is provided as the basis for the production of tangible things. Finally, I strongly support the USA Freedom Act because Section 301 of the bill continues the prohibition against ``reverse targeting,'' which became law when an earlier Jackson Lee Amendment was included in H.R. 3773, the RESTORE Act of 2007. ``Reverse targeting'' is the practice where the government targets foreigners without a warrant while its actual purpose is to collect information on certain U.S. persons. The Jackson Lee Amendment, codified in Section 301 of the USA Freedom Act, reduces even further any such temptation to resort to reverse targeting by requiring the Administration to obtain a regular, individualized FISA warrant whenever the ``real'' target of the surveillance is a person in the United States. I support the the USA Freedom Act because it will help keep us true to the Bill of Rights and strikes the proper balance between liberty and security. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying USA Freedom Act. Finally, I am pleased that the rule also makes in order the Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment to H.R. 4435, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2015. This amendment makes three important contributions to the bill: 1. First, it strongly condemns the ongoing violence and the systematic gross human rights violations against the people of Nigeria carried out by the militant organization Boko Haram, especially the kidnapping of the more than 200 young schoolgirls kidnapped from the Chibok School by Boko Haram; 2. Second, it expresses support for the people of Nigeria who wish to live in a peaceful, economically prosperous, and democratic Nigeria; and 3. Third, it requires that not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment, the Secretary of Defense shall report to Congress on the nature and extent of the crimes against humanity committed by Boko Haram in Nigeria.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. A little girl that I met today tells her story all the way from Nigeria, where her father was killed refusing to deny his faith, the brother was killed because they thought he might become a pastor, and the little girl was placed between the two bodies. The killing is going on, 300, 118--this amendment will focus our Nation and allow and continue the resources to collaborate with Nigeria and these other nations to bring the girls back to their families. It is a crisis. It is a crisis for the United States as it is for this entire region because Boko Haram is a terrorist group, and they must be brought to justice. The girls must be found. My amendment establishes that priority today, and I ask my colleagues to support it. I thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith for their work on this bill and their devotion to the men and women of the Armed Forces. I also thank them for including in En Bloc Amendment No. 1 the Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment, which makes three important contributions to the bill: 1. First, it strongly condemns the ongoing violence and the systematic gross human rights violations against the people of Nigeria carried out by the militant organization Boko Haram, especially the kidnapping of the more than 200 young schoolgirls kidnapped from the Chibok School by Boko Haram; 2. Second, it expresses support for the people of Nigeria who wish to live in a peaceful, economically prosperous, and democratic Nigeria; and 3. Third, it requires that not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment, the Secretary of Defense shall report to Congress on the nature and extent of the crimes against humanity committed by Boko Haram in Nigeria. This is about religious oppression and killing innocent women, men and children. Since 2013, more than 4,400 men, women, and children have been slaughtered by Boko Haram. Boko Haram kills because of religion and holds little girls as slaves. The victims include Christians, Muslims, journalists, health care providers, relief workers. And schoolchildren. I am confident that the international community working with the African Union will assist the Government of Nigeria in bringing and end to Boko Haram's reign of terror and ensuring that its crimes against humanity are documented so its leaders can be held accountable. The Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment affirms that the United States stands with the civilized world in solidarity with the people of Nigeria. The Jackson Lee-Wilson-Lee Amendment affirms that the United States is fully committed to the fundamental principle that women everywhere have a right to be free, to live without fear, and should not be forced to risk their lives to get the education they want and deserve. The violent modern day slavery and killing must end. I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member for including this amendment in En Bloc Amendment #1 and all Members to support it. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, May 8, 2014. President Barack Obama, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington,

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank both the distinguished ranking member and the distinguished chairman for their courtesies and as well my fellow cosponsors of this amendment, Congresswoman Barbara Lee from California and Congresswoman Frederica Wilson from Florida. This is a crisis. A couple of weeks ago, as you well know, across America we were stating these words, to find the girls, bring the girls back, #bringthegirlsback. Now we come some weeks later and we recognize that Boko Haram has to be a priority for the world. This amendment causes this issue to be a priority listed in the Defense Department to determine the extent of the crimes against humanity committed by Boko Haram in Nigeria. But as you can see, this is a larger issue, and now we face the idea of where these girls might be. So, in essence, this amendment expands the opportunity for the United States to work with clean battalions and Rangers that we know are established in Nigeria but also other resources around to rescue the girls but to also deal with the emerging terrorism of Boko Haram. This is a crucial issue. And if anyone knows many of the stories, one that I know of is where a little girl was placed between two dead bodies.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to stand on this floor in the midst of Military Appreciation Month and be from a State that had the highest numbers of young men and women returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, comparing to States like California and certainly some others. We are grateful for all, in all States, who have gone and put on the uniform unselfishly and stood in the line of danger for us. Let me thank the Veterans' Affairs Committee of this Congress. I have never seen a more bipartisan and dedicated group of men and women. If the committee was opened up to all of us, we would all stand up and serve. Today, as a family in the United States Congress, we have a problem. We have a disease problem, whether it is a heart attack or stroke or cancer, or whether or not it is the terrible injuries of war, posttraumatic stress disorder, or those who have lost limbs, who have suffered traumatic brain injury. We have men and women who have worked, and our veterans have now come in their later years who suffer the illnesses of age. All of us will take our fist and bang on this podium to be able to say that they are first and our priority. No one counters or accepts the death of those that may have died in Texas, died in Arizona, or places elsewhere. If this is a measure to begin that healing, to give the Secretary the ability to be able to focus in on those beyond the surgeons that are in the operating rooms, the nurses that I visit with along the hallways when I go to the veterans hospital in my area, then we should go forward. I stand with this legislation working toward making the system work. I want to make it work by curing the systemic and the problematic way that we have veterans wait on services. Let's cut it out, cut the red tape out. Embrace them this weekend, one of the most emotional days we serve with our veterans, and tell them we will not rest until we answer the concerns of families, until we pray over those who have lost their lives, until we cure this, not by one person or another. They may have to go, but let's fix the system that they will have no waiting time when they come with lung cancer or last stage, with their life to be extended if they just get in the door. I want all of them to be able to get in the door and to use those resources that we have expended, those large numbers that my colleague and friend from Florida, both from Florida, and from Maine, have spoken about, and we use those resources to break the barrier of confusion and red tape, and when they walk through those doors someone says: Come in, we are ready to serve.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me also indicate that it is important for the United Nations peacekeepers and the African Union and others to realize this is a much larger issue. Today I stand on the floor of the House and condemn Boko Haram, but ask that these girls be rescued and brought home safely. Mr. Speaker, as an original co-sponsor, a senior member of the Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, and, most important, a mother, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 573, a resolution condemning the abduction of female students by armed militants from the terrorist group known as Boko Haram in northeastern provinces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. I thank my colleague from Florida, Congresswoman Wilson, for introducing this bipartisan resolution and urge all Members to support it because it is important for the House to go on record in opposition to the brutal and outrageous assaults on human dignity and freedom committed by the Boko Haram, a militant group that has no respect for the rights of women and girls. Since 2013, more than 4,400 men, women, and children have been slaughtered by Boko Haram. The victims include Christians, Muslims, journalists, health care providers, relief workers. And schoolchildren. I urge our government, the United States of America, to assist the Government of Nigeria in developing its own capacity to deploy specialized police and army units rapidly to bring Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau to justice and to rescue the more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped from the Chibok School for Girls in Borno State on April 15, and the 11 schoolgirls kidnapped last night in the Warabe community of Borno, and reunited with their families and loved ones. Boko Haram's reign of terror must be brought to an end. I also call upon our government to work with the African Union and the international community to detect, disrupt, and dismantle Boko Haram's funding sources derived from other Islamist groups, including Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and to Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP), the Al Muntada Trust Fund, and the Islamic World Society. I commend President Obama on his decision to deploy American security experts and equipment in Nigeria to help locate and rescue the abducted schoolgirls and we applaud Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan for accepting that assistance. The leader of Boko Haram has threatened to ransom or sell the abducted schoolgirls into the human trafficking market for about twelve dollars each ($12.00 USD). I say to him: ``Don't you dare.'' Boko Haram's outrageous conduct will not be tolerated or overlooked for not only is it a violation of the girls' human rights, it is also contrary to United States policy which supports and promotes equal access to education and economic opportunity for women and girls. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. So we will not stand idly by. But we do stand in solidarity with the good people of Nigeria and especially those beautiful and courageous schoolgirls who wanted nothing more than to get an education to make life better for themselves and their beloved country. We will not forget or forsake you. This is what I think we should do. First, since we know that terrorist groups cannot operate effectively without reliable and steady funding to support their criminal acts, the United States should work with the international community to detect, disrupt, and dismantle the funding networks financing Boko Haram. Published reports in the media indicate that Boko Haram has received as much as $70 million from other Islamist groups, including Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsular (AQAP), the Al Muntada Trust Fund, and the Islamic World Society. Second, as I mentioned, the United States should work with the Government of Nigeria to develop its own capacity to deploy specialized police and army units rapidly to prevent and combat sectarian violence in cities and around the country where there has been a history of sectarian violence. The creation and deployment of an elite highly-trained rapid response unit was used to successful effect by the Indonesia Government in 2004 to neutralize the Laskar Jihad terrorist organization. Third, the United States should also take appropriate action to help the Government of Nigeria establish a Victim's Fund to provide humanitarian relief and economic assistance to the victims of attacks by Boko Haram so that they can rebuild their lives and communities. ``People are the great issue of the 20th century,'' declared, then- Senator Hubert Humphrey in 1948. Mr. Speaker, the well-being of people remains the great issue of the 21st century. And there is no better measure of any society than the way its treats its women and girls. Boko Haram understands that when Nigerian girls are educated, Nigerian women can succeed; and when Nigerian women succeed, Nigeria succeeds. And that is why it is so important that the United States help Nigeria ensure that Boko Haram fails. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include in the record a copy of the May 8, 2014 letter to President Obama from myself and 15 Members of Congress commending his decision to deploy American security experts and equipment in Nigeria to help locate and rescue the kidnapped schoolgirls urging the Administration to work in concert with the Government of Nigeria and the African Union to bring Abubakar Shekau and other leaders of Boko Haram to justice.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Conference Report to H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act. I support this conference report because it makes smart investments in water infrastructure that are critical to the nation's economic future and the economy of my home state of Texas. I thank Chairman Shuster and Ranking Member Rahall for their work in shepherding this legislation to this point, which is just one step away from presenting the bill to the President for signature. Mr. Speaker, the last water resources bill signed into law was six years ago, making this one long overdue. We need to keep America's economic recovery moving forward by ensuring that when American workers make products, we can efficiently move them through our ports to overseas markets. American international trade accounts for more than one quarter of Gross Domestic Product. More than 99 percent of our overseas trade moves through America's seaports. Cargo moving through our seaports is responsible for more than 13 million American jobs and generates in excess of $200 billion annually in federal, state, and local tax revenues. Water infrastructure is critical to the Port of Houston, one of the major economic engines not only for my congressional district but also the nation. The Port of Houston is home to more than 100 steamship lines offering services that link Houston with 1,053 ports in 203 countries. It is also home to a $15 billion petrochemical complex, the largest in the nation and second largest worldwide. For America to remain on top the global economy, we need to be competitive internationally so that global consumers increasingly purchase American-made goods. This bill takes an important first step in addressing an issue of key concern to not only the Port of Houston and Galveston in Texas, but to all of our nations' ports, the collection and use of the federal Harbor Maintenance Tax. Specifically, the Conference Report provides for increased expenditures from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund (HMTF) for harbor maintenance activities each year. Under the agreement, the target expenditure for Fiscal Year 2015 is 67 percent of the funds collected in 2014, with the rate rising to 100 percent of the funds collected in 2024. The conference report also measure requires the Army Corps of Engineers to assess the operation and maintenance needs of U.S. harbors and, to the maximum extent practicable, to prioritize future trust fund spending on an equitable allocation among all harbor types. The Conference Report also requires that any increase in annual Corps project operation and maintenance expenditures, which come from the HMTF, be accompanied by an equal increase in total appropriations provided for the corps' civil works program. Mr. Speaker, I am particularly pleased that the Conference Report retains the provision inserted by an amendment I offered and which was accepted during the initial House consideration of this legislation. That Jackson Lee amendment provides that in making recommendations pursuant to Section 118 of the Act, the Secretary shall consult with key stakeholders, including State, county, and city governments, and, where applicable, State and local water districts, and in the case of recommendations concerning projects that substantially affect underrepresented communities the Secretary shall also consult with historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other minority-serving institutions. I also am pleased that the Conference Report retains the provision permitting non-federal entities to invest in their harbor maintenance and step in when the Army Corps of Engineers cannot. This legislative provision particularly benefits ports like the Port of Houston which have invested substantial amounts of their own funds to complete critical infrastructure in order to provide for safe navigation of larger vessels, and to assure its terminals remain competitive in the world market. I believe the WRRDA bill would be even better if an amendment I offered directing the Secretary of the Army to encourage the participation of minority and women-owned businesses in Corps projects and for GAO to submit a report to Congress within 2 years on the participation of minority- and women-owned businesses in such projects. Mr. Speaker, America's public ports and their private sector partners plan to invest more than $46 billion in seaport infrastructure in the next five years. Maintaining America's link to the global marketplace by creating and maintaining modern and efficient seaport and waterway infrastructure will provide significant benefits to our nation's economic vitality, job growth, and international competitiveness, as well as create sizable tax revenues from cargo and trade activities. For these reasons, I support the Conference Report and urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for his leadership and as well the manager, the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, both distinguished members of the Rules Committee. This is always a tough bill because many of us are aware of the extensive amendment process that occurred during the markup. But let me speak to one or two points that I think are very important. Our men and women in the United States military deserve our keenest support. This is, in fact, Military Appreciation Month, and we want them to know that we truly appreciate them. We also know that they are fact- finders, and they are sometimes the front-line support on behalf of the United States without weapons to be helpful to countries that are in need. I am introducing an amendment cosponsored by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson and Congresswoman Barbara Lee to ask for a report on the status of the Boko Haram and the resources that our defense persons are using to help with respect to the girls that have been kidnapped, and as well report to the extent of the crimes against humanity with respect to Boko Haram in Nigeria. I just got through meeting with African ambassadors, and they have mentioned that this is a regional issue. We have also introduced an amendment to make sure that the contractors that are utilized for intelligence gathering have oversight, to avoid some of the catastrophes that we saw in recent years of contractors not appropriately, for some, handling important information that they had and doing this through contractors. As we support our military, every day we see soldiers coming home from places far away and the need for posttraumatic stress disorder treatment. And my amendment, as I have done, asked for an increase of $5 million to be able to help those individuals. It is not throwing any bad money after good. It is recognizing that these symptoms and psychological problems may cause difficulty in providing provider- patient communication.