Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. They may appear later in time and not mostly at the time that these individuals will come home. So I think it is important that we have the opportunity for diagnosing at a later period of time. These numbers are going to grow. There are over 200,000 veterans of military service who live and work in Houston, more than 13,000 of whom are veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom. Let me finally say that we must stand with the repair of the Veterans Administration health system. I know that it tracks this bill, but it is not this bill per se, but we want to support our troops. And then I want to make sure that we heighten again the Iran negotiations and that we have no gap in the time that Iran is to report on what they are doing to not have war nuclear weapons as opposed to civilian use. Let us also get re-engaged in the discussions on the Palestinian peace discussions, with the discussions going forward with Israel and Palestine, in spite of the fact that there are some very difficult things that we have to overcome. I believe it is important that we stand ready and are ready, that our negotiations are going forward to secure this Nation. Finally, Madam Speaker, if I might just indicate that we hope to keep at Ellington Field--keep our helicopter units in Texas, and we hope that the legislation provides that opportunity without closing out the National Guard without a further review. I think that is extremely important. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak during House consideration of the rule for the Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015. I thank Chairman McKeon, and want to express my appreciation for his years of service to our nation as chair of the House Committee on Armed Services. This year's appropriation bill's title reflects the dedication you have shown to our men and women in uniform in defense of our nation. I also thank Ranking Member Smith of the Armed Services Committee for his work on this bill. Thank you, Chairman Woodall and Ranking Member McGovern I appreciate for allowing me the opportunity to speak on the Rule for H.R. 4435. This is the 53rd consecutive National Defense Authorization Act, which speaks to the long-term commitment of the Congress and successive Administrations to provide for National Defense. This bill encompasses a number of initiatives designed to modernize our nation's military to combat threats defined by the last decade of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, while dealing with dramatic cuts in funding; along with sequestration; and the federal government shutdown last year. The National Defense Authorization Act's purpose is to address the threats our nation must deal with not just today, but in the future. This makes our work vital to our national interest and it should reflect our strong commitment to ensure that the men and women of our Armed Services receive the benefits and support that they deserve for their faithful service. Our men and women in uniform are ending the longest military conflict in the history of our nation. The lessons learned are hard, but solutions to improve our ability to provide the tools our troops will need to protect themselves were developed based on their experiences. Now it is our obligation to be sure that these new tools for the defense of our troops are available for their use when and where they are needed. The bill will provide for resources to address the threats posed by improvised explosive devices, chemical agents, drug interdiction and dangerous drugs entering our nation. The military needs the funding in the bill that would address munitions destruction, support the Joint Urgent Operational Needs Fund and support our work with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to make more efficient the work of protecting America and our interest. We do live in a dangerous world, where threats are not always easily identifiable, and our enemies are not bound by borders. The Boston Terrorist Attack last year reminds us of how fragile our nation's security could be without a well-trained and -equipped military. The definition of war has changed and with it our understanding about what is needed to combat a unique type of enemy that fights under no flag or for any nation. U.S. Special Operations Command, a vital part of our military, provides much of the special skills needed to defend our nation. This legislation continues to build on previous efforts to support their important work. There are several Jackson Lee amendments before the Rules Committee for consideration. These amendments are simple, straightforward, and are intended to improve the underlying bill. I believe they would command the support of a majority of the House, and I urge the Rules Committee to make them in order.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague of the Judiciary Committee for managing this bill, and I acknowledge the ranking member, Mr. Conyers, and our chairman, Mr. Goodlatte, for the expeditious way in which we have moved forward on some very crucial bills. I also thank both of my friends, my colleague, a former judge, Ted Poe from Texas and, as well, my colleague Carolyn Maloney from New York for their astute collaborative work which is so very important for really what we are trying to do here today. Let me lay the groundwork for all that has been done, and that is that we want to stamp out human slavery that has been an epidemic and a plague and a cancer on this country and certainly around the world. I am glad my friend mentioned the tragedy in Nigeria. Being in meetings on this issue today, it is obviously an epidemic and one that emphasizes a very special point, and that is young girls underage cannot consent to marriage, they cannot consent to be kidnapped or to be associated with someone that is going to do them harm on the basis that they are married. They are enslaved. They are being trafficked. They are being threatened unto their lives. Therefore, it is crucial for us to acknowledge what it is. Boko Haram is clearly a dastardly example of the tragic thugs that participate in human trafficking. They may be that group in Nigeria, but certainly we know that there are those here. On the day that we had a Homeland Security field hearing on human trafficking, the day before there was a massive finding of individuals who had been trafficked. Certainly it was a question of whether they had been trafficked or whether they were smuggled, but sometimes, our law enforcement says, it meshes together. It says that one study estimates that over 290,000 American youth are at risk of becoming a victim of sex trafficking. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that one of every seven endangered runaways reported to the center is likely a victim of minor sex trafficking. I am glad the Judiciary Committee and the Homeland Security Committee are working together and, under this legislation initiated by Mr. Poe, who does bring his experience as a man who has seen these victims come and cry out for help, that there are certain elements of this bill that are so very important, and that is the availability of sums in the Crime Victims Fund. The testimony we heard in the Homeland Security field hearing in Houston indicated that victims go unnoticed sometimes in terms of getting help. I am glad to be able to have grants awarded to the establishment of the enhancement of specialized training programs for law enforcement officers, first responders, and health care officials to identify victims and the acts of child human trafficking. I thank Mr. Poe for looking forward to working with me for some additional training regarding visas. I am also grateful that we have a place of refuge for these individuals so that they are not the criminal, but they are in fact the victim. We are going a long way to embrace these victims, to get their lives standing up, and to get those dastardly persons that would sex traffic, human traffic, child traffic, and, in essence, hold them in slavery. This is a very important step going forward. I look forward to this body discussing our efforts going forward and more such bills coming to embrace those who need our help and to save lives. It is now long overdue, and I am very grateful the Judiciary Committee has taken this step forward. Congratulations to the sponsors of this bill. I am delighted to be a cosponsor. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3530, The Justice For Victims of Human Trafficking Act of 2014. Let me offer my appreciation and thanks to my colleague from Texas, Judge Poe, for his 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. Both Judge Poe and I along with our colleagues on the House Homeland Security Committee held a field hearing in 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. 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 is why I was pleased that my Judiciary Committee colleagues adopted my amendment during the markup of this important legislation last month. My amendment stated what should seem obvious in a modern, open society which in many ways is benevolent: It is the ``Sense of Congress that child human trafficking has no place in a civilized society, and that persons who commit crimes relating to child human trafficking 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 second amendment offered during the Judiciary Committee Markup would have strengthened the bill's enforcement regime but was withdrawn in an effort to further refine it. The amendment complements the bill by providing another tool in law enforcement's arsenal to tip the balance in favor of victims so that they can utilize certain T and U visas. In 2000, 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. These non-immigrant visas were established by Congress to provide temporary legal status to victims of trafficking and enumerated crimes who assist with the investigations or prosecutions of the criminal activity in order to combat human trafficking. The Jackson Lee Amendment simply provided that: [T]he 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. The Jackson Lee amendment would have strengthened 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 to cooperate out of fear of reprisal. 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 aware. The Jackson Lee Amendment was 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. It is important that state and local law enforcement officials receive continuous education and training that they may correctly apply the law and perform one of their most important duties--apprehending criminals. I am pleased that a number of my colleagues pledged their support of this important part of the law. At that field hearing, me and my Texas colleagues--Judge Poe, Congressman Farenthold, Chairman McCaul--heard testimony from federal law officials about how just the day before, on March 19, they had discovered and rescued 115 people from a packed, rancid stash house on Almeda School Road in south Harris County. 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? 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 this important legislation and I look forward to working with them on this critical problem.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman very much. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act, and thank Mr. Paulsen and the cosponsors for this legislation. I thank the Judiciary Committee for this historic day--and days to come. Because even as we speak on the floor of the House right now, there are children that are being trafficked. There are young girls who are being abused. There is human slavery. I just want to give this example that I think is so much the story of what we are speaking of. If a 45-year-old man had sex with a 14-year-old girl, and no money changes hands, she would likely get counseling and he would likely get jail time for statutory rape. But if the same man left $80 on the table after having sex with her, she would probably be locked up for prostitution and he would probably go home. He is something called a word that I don't even want to use because he is involved in human trafficking, sex trafficking, abuse, and violation of a child that cannot give consent. In a hearing that we held in Houston, what we determined was when those young girls are violated at that age, they are destined, in many instances, for a life of prostitution and to be trafficked and held by individuals who call themselves pimps, but are literally slaveholders. So this is a very important initiative by providing the opportunity for the growing safe harbors and to be able to track community-oriented police services grants for those States that pass safe harbor statutes for victims of minor sex trafficking. It is so very important to stamp out the scourge of minor sex trafficking and to also improve on the issue of restitution orders in order to give these girls back their lives. We listened to Kathryn Griffin, who now offers a refuge with a program called We've Been There Done That in Houston, Texas, inside the Harris County Jail, to get these women to turn their lives around, but wouldn't it be more important if we established that these girls now are victims? They are being exploited. And we must stop it now. We must make sure that we find the safe harbor and also be able to have the restitution orders. I also join in thanking my colleague for the opportunity with Job Corps, so they may turn their lives around. I think this is another step in the right direction to stamp out human trafficking, holding individuals as slaves and killing off their life and their future. Let us rescue these girls, as we want to rescue the girls in Nigeria that are being held by the terrorist thugs, Boko Haram.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman very much. Again, this is a historic day, Madam Speaker, and it is a day, tragically, when we wish we had been able to stamp out this dastardly act, if you will, collective act of trafficking of our children, the advertising and the sheer slavery of it all, holding people against their will, using them over and over again. I, too, have had the opportunity to see firsthand the devastation of ones who have been trafficked and then ultimately feel that their life's career can only be in prostitution. These may be adults, but they started being abused and exploited as children. Just about a year or 2 ago, we had Attorney General Holder in my district, with all of those who were gathered around the issue of trafficking, human slavery, and had a meeting in the district, and the outpouring of the crisis was enormously overwhelming. This morning in a markup in the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, of which I am the ranking member, Madam Miller is the chairwoman, we discussed unaccompanied minors coming across the border, victims-to-be, if you will, 60,000 coming across our border, children who are unaccompanied who are clearly potentially victims in this horrible human trafficking. So I am a cosponsor of the Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act and am well aware of the heinousness of depicting and advertising for these sex acts with children under 14 and those over 14. And I know for a fact that this is the beginning of the end of many of their lives. We know that there are ultimate acts that are so terrible that a child cannot overcome, that the sexual acts that are being advertised, in whatever means, are life-ending in many instances. And so the idea of making this the kind of crime that shows the concern of the American public is important. I would also say to you that I am one that is concerned about mandatory minimums, and I hope that as we make our way through, there will be further discussions of this legislation. But at this time I stand in support of it. I have always said that the weakness on the mandatory minimums for me is when you involve undermining, destroying, killing, using in an abusive sexual manner, trafficking, and holding against their will children. They are vulnerable. They are without the resources to help themselves. And let me say this. Many runaways in this country fall victim to this. Many unaccompanied children that come across the border fall victim to this. Many children who are in conditions where they do not have a family structure fall victim to this. But they fall victim to this because there are so many who will exploit.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman again for his leadership. But there are many who exploit, continue to exploit from the comfort of their home. How terrible it is to go into workplaces and find that individuals are using their computers to engage in this. How horrible it is to go into homes and find computers filled with this kind of trash, and how horrible it is to see that people will profit from the advertising and the selling of commercial acts in whatever way they do. So I would thank the sponsors of this legislation and recognize that we have opportunities to look at how we construct this kind of remedy for these tragic and horrible acts that ultimately result in the death of our children, either at their own hand, tragically, or by those who would abuse them through commercial sex acts. This should be something that we should stamp out of our society, out of our system, and out of this Nation. We need to begin to do it as we make our way through these bills today. Madam Speaker, this bill, of which I am a cosponsor, the SAVE Act, has a commendable purpose and I am convinced that it will help in our efforts to end exploitation of children. H.R. 4225, the ``Stop Advertising Victims of Exploitation Act of 2014,'' amends title 18 of the United States Code to impose a criminal penalty for knowingly selling advertising that offers certain commercial sex acts. Specifically, it provides for criminal liability for the advertisements of commercial sex acts that are prohibited under existing 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1591 if the advertiser either: (a) benefits financially or receives anything of value from that advertising, or (b) distributes the advertising. It provides for a statutory maximum of five years' imprisonment or a fine. It does not mandate a statutory minimum sentence or fine. And while I strongly agree with the purpose of the bill--I do wish it had gone through regular order in the Judiciary Committee on which I serve. It is critically important that the bill allows those who might have concerns because of certain unintended consequences to voice those issues before the full committee. My wish is that going forward; we would assume regular order in the Judiciary Committee and yield to the conventions which have made our Committee a force and one with prestige and honor throughout its history. I ask my colleagues to support this important legislation which helps end exploitation of our precious children.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Reichert and Mr. Doggett for this work, and the work of the Ways and Means Committee, which is a vital component to this holistic approach that we have now embraced dealing with human trafficking. The foster care system that many of us have embraced that needs overhaul, as a member of the foster care task force and caucus, as a member and founder of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I have been dealing with foster care children for a number of years. In fact, I served as a cochair of the Foster Care Task Force in Houston, whose purpose was to give relief to what was then called Foster Care Grandparents, whose grandparents were involved in the foster care system. That is the friendly side of foster care. But I think it is so very important to recognize that we are still facing that large gap of those youngsters who age out, along with youngsters who are 12, 13, and 14 who have been in the foster care system all of their life. We have heard the stories that they go from house to house, maybe some of them had 30 homes, places where they have lived, for a period of time that they have been in foster care. What I have seen as I have been on the streets of Houston when we spend a night out on the streets going places where we knew children and young people would be sleeping, that these were children who had either aged out, who had in fact run away, or been in foster care on the streets of Houston. They are a number one target for the dastardly act of sex trafficking, child trafficking, and human trafficking. So I rise today to support this legislation, again, as it adds to an overall omnibus approach to going after anyone who wants to hide behind the vulnerability of a child and take advantage of them. This bill provides for full resources for foster care children so that they do not find the most welcoming track someone's ugly words that, in fact, are here to undermine them and to take them into this life. I ask my colleagues to support this legislation because, in fact, it stops those children from going into a life that will ruin their life and to make them find a place where they can find solace.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman, the ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for his leadership on so many issues of compassion and passion, and certainly this issue. I thank the chairman of the full committee, as well as the author of this bill, Mr. Smith. I was on the Judiciary Committee when Megan's Law was passed. Now I am on the Homeland Security Committee. So I raise this paradoxical question: who equates sex trafficking and tourism? That is what is going on internationally around the world. Individuals who may have been convicted here in the United States, may be labeled here in the United States, can secure passports and have a full and flourishing and horrific ongoing experience by utilizing and abusing the children in foreign countries. Many times, these countries are developing nations. We can call the roll of names. Many times, law enforcement are collaborating with these sex tourists. There is an area set aside for these sex tourists. In fact, it is called that. They go there with impunity and abuse children--street children who have no other way to go. This is an important initiative. Again, it is the round circle of addressing this question holistically. Just today in the markup in the border security and maritime security committee we discussed, as I indicated in earlier debate, the 60,000 children that come across the border to the United States unaccompanied. We also mentioned the need to provide enhanced training for our CBP officers at the border. That will complement this legislation, which establishes protocols to discern those individuals who are coming into our country who are convicted pedophiles. It is Megan's Law International. It is Megan's Law relief for those who are being abused outside of our border. I am very pleased that there is an Angel Watch Center to assist the CBP and that the effort has been made in this bill to ask our President to collaborate on bilaterals with countries to establish the link between their convicted sex predators and to be able to identify them, as we identify them here in the United States, to stop this dastardly act across and around the world. So I congratulate the proponents of this legislation and I hope this will be one more step in saving some child's life. They may not be in our boundaries. They may not be within our borders, but they may be outside of them. And I can assure my colleagues that it is documented every day that sex tourism is a big business. Until we put a stop to it in some way, it will continue to grow. With that, I ask my colleagues to support this legislation, H.R. 4573, and I thank the proponents of the legislation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for his leadership, the chairman of the committee from California, and Mr. Smith from New Jersey, who is managing the bill, and I thank very much the sponsor of this legislation, Ms. Wilson, who has brought us together around a very important statement. Members of the United States Congress will have the ability to stand and to take a very public view that the thugs of Boko Haram will no longer be able to run rampant without the attention of the United States and the people around the world. I have, Mr. Speaker, the geographic area in which Nigeria is in, from Benin and Togo, to nearby Ghana and Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. We wonder where these girls are now. So it is very important that we are condemning this horrific act. We wonder where these children are. We have used the term ``girls'' and we want to bring them home, but these are children who cannot consent to leaving home, to marrying, to changing their religion. So in one sweep we have sex traffic girls, we have violated religious freedom, and we have taken children away from the bosom of their family. So as I hold up in my hand these names, many whom we should call-- these are real people. I would ask today as we stand to support this resolution that we push for a relief fund for these girls, we push for Nigeria to establish its own special ops so that they can safely find these girls, and we tell the Islamic world, we tell al Qaeda in particular, to stop funding these groups. And we thank Mr. Ellison.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I thank the gentleman very much for his leadership on this very important night and for this very important opportunity to discuss equality in America. And we are joined by our colleagues, Mr. Jeffries of New York and, of course, our chair, Chairwoman Fudge. The CBC has led on issues--topical issues but painful issues, issues that are important not only to the people of color but certainly to people around the Nation and, I might say, as they look upon the United States as a beacon of light, to people around the world. Often when I travel internationally, I will hear people speak of the work that we do on the floor of the House. So I, too, come to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Brown v. The Board of Education and remind my colleagues that some 60 years ago, the Supreme Court unlocked the schoolhouse doors, broke down yet another barrier to equality, and beat the long arc of moral history toward justice. But we come now 60 years later. And I just want to speak to a few points, for many of my colleagues have already been on the floor of the House. I wanted to express some of the consternations that really unwind, if you will, the goodness of the Warren Court and its efforts to make a difference in the lives of so many Americans. Let me just read these words that were in Newsweek 60 years ago about this decision: It was the most momentous court decision in the whole history of the Negro's struggle to achieve equal rights in the United States, and the result will be nothing short of social upheaval. The challenges: Personal prejudice against the Negro will, of course, linger on, for although a court decision can restrain the actions of man, it cannot change overnight the way he thinks. Prejudice, however, no longer will become institutionalized; ``Jim Crow'' will become an outlaw. In the backdrop of Cliven Bundy, Donald Sterling, and the recent affirmative action decision by the Supreme Court, one would wonder how we are moving forward and how this Supreme Court decision Brown v. Topeka cannot be undermined. Quickly, I want to say that the Court got it wrong in the affirmative action decision; and Brown lays the framework for equality and opportunity and exposure; and the affirmative action decision took away the polio vaccination, if you will, for this ongoing divide between people of color. And as you can see in higher education at the University of Michigan and Michigan State, you will see the numbers going down of people of color, African Americans. At Berkeley, in California, the numbers are going down. So affirmative action was not a handout. It was a partner to Brown v. Topeka. It was, in fact, the opportunity to carry out the dream that Dr. Martin Luther King had. So all of us have to come together and experience each other's experiences. We have to stand in the shoes of young people who want opportunity, whether they are Hispanic or African American or Asian or whether they are, in fact, Anglo. In the State of Texas, there is a sizable segregation of Hispanic children, and it is because of their regional location. But what I would argue is that excellence has to go beyond that. As we stand here looking for integration, we must stand here demanding excellence in education for our children, and we need to ask the Supreme Court for its reconsideration in the affirmative action decision which undermines Brown v. Topeka. Let me celebrate this great decision, Brown v. Topeka, and commit ourselves to working continuously to make a difference in children's lives. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my CBC colleagues and others in commemoration of the Brown v. Board of Education decision. As you are well aware the case that came to be known as Brown v. Board of Education was actually the name given to five separate cases that were hear by the U.S. Supreme Court concerning the issue of segregation in public schools. These cases were Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Briggs v. Elliot, Davis v. Board of Education of Prince Edward County (VA.), Boiling v. Sharpe, and Gebhart v. Ethel. These cases came about because unfortunately, as a result of the Plessy decision, in the early twentieth century, the Supreme Court continued to uphold the legality of Jim Crow laws and other forms of racial discrimination. It was a very perilous time for Black Americans in this country. It is one thing to allow legalized separation on a de facto basis; but the Plessy decision all but codified segregation. This deprived Black Americans and others of the ability to pull themselves up by their bootstraps--because they could not even go into the store to buy some boots. Or receive an education. You may recall the case of Cumming v. Richmond (Ga.) County Board of Education (1899), for instance, where the Court refused to issue an injunction preventing a school board from spending tax money on a white high school when the same school board voted to close down a black high school for financial reasons. The facts of each case were different, but the same principle holds: it was time that the Court revisited this issue. The main issue in each was the constitutionality of state-sponsored segregation in public schools. Once again, Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund handled these cases. The three-judge panel had already ruled in favor of the school boards prior to the cases going up to the Supreme Court. When the cases came before the Supreme Court in 1952, the Court consolidated all five cases under the name of Brown v. Board of Education. Thurgood Marshall personally argued the case before the Court. A number of legal issues were raised on appeal but the most common one was that separate school systems for blacks and whites were inherently unequal, and thus were in violation of the ``equal protection clause'' of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, relying on sociological tests, such as the one performed by social scientist Kenneth Clark, and other data, he also argued that segregated school systems had a tendency to make black children feel inferior to white children, and thus such a system should not be legally permissible. Because of the difficulty in reaching a decision the cases were held over until the next term. On May 14, 1954, he delivered the opinion of the Court, stating that ``We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of `separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal . . .'' Although it took many years for the Court's plan of desegration with ``all deliberate speed,'' Brown paved the way and the struggle continues in the Houston Independent Schools District and elsewhere around this great nation. I urge my colleagues to take a moment to reflect on the importance of this great yet troubled period in our great nation. [From Newsweek, May 14, 2014] Newsweek Rewind: 60 Years Since Brown v. Board of Ed Desegregated U.S. Schools (By Rob Verger) Sixty years ago this Saturday, the Supreme Court, by unanimous vote, ruled in Brown v. Board of Ed that separate schools for black and white Americans were not equal. The decision reversed the 1896 ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, which had said that ``separate but equal'' was OK--and was, to say the least, a major setback for civil rights in the United States. While Newsweek reflected in 1954 that Brown v. Board of Ed would ``ultimately . . . mean the end of segregation in all public places, everywhere in the United States,'' it would take another decade for the federal government, with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, to make segregation in places like restaurants illegal. Here, in a series of excerpts, is how Newsweek responded in an unbylined article in the May 24, 1954, issue of the magazine. The writing style clearly reflects the attitudes and norms of the times; the use of the term Negro, for example, feels jarring and insensitive today. Its initial reaction to the verdict: ``It was the most momentous court decision in the whole history of the Negro's struggle to achieve equal rights in the United States, and the result will be nothing short of social upheaval.'' The challenges ahead: ``Personal prejudice against the Negro will, of course, linger on, for, although a court decision can restrain the actions of man, it cannot change overnight the way he thinks. Prejudice, however, no longer will become institutionalized; `Jim Crow' will become an outlaw.'' The reaction in the South: ``The court's decision was greeted calmly by some Southerners, and with dismay by others. At least three Southern states--Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina-- had been talking of circumventing a ban on segregation by eliminating public schools altogether.'' Then there's the fact that the South is a diverse place: ``For there is not one South, but many. [Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina] represent the plantation South, where, in some places, Negroes outnumber whites by 10 to 1. In such places, the mold of segregation will prove almost unbreakable.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it was quiet around the dormitory deep in the heart of Borno, in northern Nigeria, where the landscape is barren and life is hard. In the middle of that April night, gunshots fired and then almost 300 girls were kidnapped, and they remain missing. A night that no one can forget. This picture shows it all: a mother with a candle mourning that loss. Mr. Speaker, we can no longer remain silent in any way. I thank President Obama for the assets of the FBI and intelligence, and certainly some military assets. But to the Nigerian government, those of us who have been friends and have worked with this government, enough is enough. We need to find every resource: U.N. peacekeepers, the African Union, and any other resource that will help strategize to find those girls. There needs to be a targeted military unit from the Nigerian military that is utilizing the resources of others to help them safely rescue those girls. Enough is enough. The slaughter by this terrorist group must stop. Boko Haram must stop, and end it now.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2939, a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Shimon Peres who is the 9th and current President of Israel. I have had the honor of meeting with President Peres on many occasions, most recently in February of this year. He is indeed a person very deserving of the honor of receiving a Congressional Gold Medal for his contributions to our nation's security interest in the region and his efforts to advance peace. A milestone in world history was reached on November 29, 1947, when the United Nations General Assembly voted to partition the British Mandate of Palestine, to create the State of Israel. The people of the United States began a long history with the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948, when the people of Israel proclaimed the establishment of the sovereign and independent State of Israel. The United States Government established full diplomatic relations with Israel and this relationship has been fostered by the work of diplomacy and astute people who worked for the best interest of both our nations. I along with millions of friends of Israel will mark the 66th year of Israel's independence in May 2014. President Peres played a pivotal role in assuring the security and resilience of Israel during his years of service to that nation. In 1949, when Shimon Peres was 26, he was appointed head of the naval service, and after the War of Independence he was appointed head of the Ministry of Defense delegation to the United States. The time he spent in the United States during the formative period for the new government of Israel helped to develop strong ties within our government with the new nation. President Peres recognized the importance of an alliance between the United States and Israel. His presence in the United States helped to develop and solidify that relationship that has grown stronger over the last 6 decades. President Peres returned to Israel in 1952, at age 29, and David Ben Gurion, the Prime Minister of Israel, appointed Shimon Peres to serve as Director General of the Ministry of Defense. He worked to re-organizing the Ministry of Defense, and developing the ability of Israel to defend itself. Israel remains America's staunchest friend in the region--a friendship that has grown stronger over 6 decades. Israel and the United States join to celebrate the accomplishments of President Peres in contributing to peace and security for the region. Israel shares the United States appreciation for democratic values, common strategic interest, and moral bonds of friendship and mutual respect. The establishment of a modern State of Israel as a homeland for the Jews followed the murder of more than 6 million European Jews during the Holocaust. This tragic chapter in world history will never be forgotten and the establishment of a modern State of Israel in no way relieves those responsible for that terrible crime. The people of Israel have established a vibrant and functioning pluralistic democratic political system including freedom of speech, a free press, free and open elections, the rule of law, and other important democratic principles and practices. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues recognizing the work of President Peres and look forward to his continued work to advance message of peace and security he has championed through his efforts as a statesman, scholar and leader of a great nation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate National Military Appreciation Month and to honor the extraordinary bravery and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform by celebrating. Each May, veteran and service organizations come together to hold events around the country to demonstrate their gratitude to current and former men and women in uniform and their families for their service to our country. From Military Spouse Appreciation Day to Memorial Day, the month of May is a time when a grateful nation acknowledges and affirms the debt owed to those brave men and women who risked their lives to preserve the freedoms we too often take for granted. It is important that we recognize and celebrate the tremendous role military personnel have played across the globe. Texas is home to more than 130,000 active military personnel and more than 1,600,000 veterans, 30,000 of which are from the 18th Congressional District of Texas. It has been an honor to represent these constituents and I am extremely proud of their service. As we acknowledge our former, current and future military men and women, it is essential that we provide them with the resources necessary to help wounded warriors, veterans, and their families transition to civilian life. That is why I was proud to cosponsor and help shepherd to passage H.R. 1344, Helping Heroes Fly Act, that was signed into law in 2013 and which facilitates expedited passenger screening at airports for service members who are severely injured or disabled, along with their families. I also introduced H.R. 4110, the ``Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity for Veterans Transitioning from Battlespace to Workplace Act of 2014,'' which provides strong incentives for employers to hire, retain, and employ veterans in positions that take maximum advantage of their skills and experience. Mr. Speaker, in closing I recognize by the name the 53 brave men and women from my home city of Houston, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and gave the last full measure of devotion to their country. They are: Krystal Fitts, Jorge Luis Velasquez, Cody Norris, Jacob Molina, Pedro Maldonado, Edwardo Loredo, Matthew Catlett, Zarian Wood, Andrew Roughton, Edgar Heredia, Joshua Molina, Steven Candelo, Scott McIntosh, Orlando Perez, Jeremy Ray, Benjamin Garrison, Rodney Johnson, Matthew Medlicott, Alan Austin, William Edwards, Eric Salinas, Danny Soto, Roy Jones, Terrence Dunn, Hector Leija, David Fraser, Benjamin Rosales, Kenneth Pugh, Alberto Sanchez, Walter Moss, Michael Robertson, Howard Babcock, Timothy Roark, Ivica Jerak, Phillip George, Keith Mariotti, Clinton Gertson, Dexter Kimble, Jesus Leon-Perez, Thomas Zapp, Eric Allton, Andrew Houghton, Juan Torres, Pedro Contreras, Adolfo Carballo, Scott Larson, Leroy Sandoval, Armando Soriano, Keelan Moss, A. Esparza-Gutierrez, Tomas Sotelo, Brian Matthew Kennedy, and Brian Craig. God bless them. And may God bless the United States.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the historic Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education, which overturned the doctrine of ``separate but equal'' that had been the law of the land since 1896 when the Supreme Court decided Plessy v. Ferguson. In Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court declared that separate public schools for black and white Americans were unconstitutional. This unanimous decision sparked the movement toward desegregation of American institutions and paved the way for the civil rights movement. On the anniversary of this landmark decision, it is appropriate that we pay tribute to our ancestors who endured and lived through those days of crisis and challenge so that we could enjoy the right to vote, the right to equal protection of the law, and to enjoy the blessings of liberties. These efforts should not go unnoticed. This historic case originated in Topeka, Kansas, and involved a black third-grader named Linda Brown, who had to walk one mile through a railroad switchyard to get to her black elementary school, even though a white elementary school was only seven blocks away. Linda's father, Oliver Brown, tried to enroll her in the white elementary school, but the principal of the school refused. Brown went to McKinley Burnett, the head of Topeka's branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and asked for help. The NAACP got other black parents to join in to a complaint and in 1951 the NAACP requested an injunction that would forbid the segregation of Topeka's public schools. The U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas heard Brown's case and refused to overrule the precedent of Plessy v. Ferguson which allowed separate but equal school systems for blacks and whites. The case was taken to the Supreme Court on October 1, 1951 and set up one of the landmark cases in the history of the American justice system. It was the arguments of the NAACP in representing Brown that won the day. On May 17, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren read the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court: We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other ``tangible'' factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does. . . . We conclude that in the field of public education the doctrine of `separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. With those few words more than a century of racial discrimination and separation were dealt a great blow. It is up to us to preserve the hard won gains of those who led the fight and won the case of Brown v. Board of Education.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, this a National Small Business Week and I rise to recognize the contributions of small businesses in my congressional district and across the country. With more than half of Americans either owning or working for a small business, it is clear these companies are a vital part of our nation's fabric. Every day, small firms and their employees across every sector and industry are working to grow and become stronger. When they do, we all benefit from their innovations, their job- creating power, and their ability to make the U.S. more competitive globally. That why I support the Democratic agenda to help small businesses and entrepreneurs startup, grow, and create jobs. ``This includes supporting tax credits to help small businesses hire new employees; immigration reform, which will provided a solution for those businesses facing a maze of problems when hiring immigrant workers: and expanding financing options for entrepreneurs, especially in low- and moderate-income communities. We must also oppose cuts to job training programs that help meet American businesses' workforce needs. Lastly, we must include working on a long-term extension of the Highway Trust Fund, which is critical for small construction firms across the nation. Mr. Speaker, small businesses and entrepreneurs impact our lives ever day and it is fitting that we recognize their contributions to the economy and our country during National Small Business Week. Whether it is opening a new storefront, training workers, or sponsoring activities in our cities and towns, we have many reasons to thank small businesses. This week we do so, and recognize these entrepreneurs not only for the contributions that they have already made, but also for their future work to strengthen our local communities. In recognition of all that small businesses do for our communities, from providing conveniently located goods and services to sponsoring local events and organizations, I urge all Americans to take this opportunity to patronize the diverse businesses in their communities to demonstrate to them our continued appreciation and support.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

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

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

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me thank the proponents of this bill. Mr. Chairman, this is a very important bill, and I believe it opens the doors of opportunity for quality and excellence in charter schools. I hope, as we move forward as to the issues dealing with charter schools that are located in minority communities and that are created by minority members of the community, like in Texas, where in some instances there is an unfair process, H.R. 10 will bring an evenness and a quality in excellence and also opportunity for the creativity of charter schools that can lift up at-risk children. I think that is one of the key elements of, hopefully, this legislation. I want to cite in my own district that we have, yes, KIPP and Harmony that are well-known across the country and somewhat around the world. It is my understanding that KIPP is now moving to Israel, but we also have a school like Pro-Vision, its work of which I have known for over 20 years. It lifts at-risk children up to the levels of opportunity. My amendment is an amendment that directs the Web site publication of materials on the Web sites of charter schools regarding student recruitment, orientation materials, enrollment criteria, student discipline policies, behavior codes, and parent contract requirements. It would also include any financial obligations, such as fees for tutoring or extracurricular. That is transparency. That is allowing, if you will, the opportunity for parents to have full information in a different setting from public schools. My children went to public schools. I went to public schools. I believe in public schools--I strongly believe in them--but I believe this new idea, that of the partnership of charter schools with public schools, should include a format of transparency. I should be clear that public schools have a challenge with transparency as well. As I interact with my constituents, many parents don't know the opportunities that they may have in a public school-- vanguard or the special classes that they may have or sufficient arts and music and which school has it; yet as this is going to be a federally funded program, it is important to ensure that our parents have information. Certainly, they should have information regarding the kind of discipline atmosphere that is there. They should also know whether or not there are serious commitments to making sure that their children's holistic futures are in front of them and that they are not subjected to policies that would intervene on issues dealing with bullying or with the prevention of bullying. This is a very good amendment to H.R. 10, and I ask my colleagues to support it. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, it is not often that we mention our great disappointment on the floor of the House. We usually battle it out. I know I am right on this amendment, and I am highly disappointed in the majority's representation. I would like to submit for the Record a letter from the AFT, which is supporting the Jackson Lee amendment extremely enthusiastically, and a letter from the National Education Association, which is endorsing the Jackson Lee amendment. It is strongly supported by the NEA, which gives me pause as to why this amendment is an amendment that is not agreed to. American Federation of Teachers, Washington, DC, May 8, 2014. House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Representative: On behalf of the more than 1.5 million members of the American Federation of Teachers--including individual AFT members who teach in charter schools and who, with me, wrote to you this week--I offer our collective views on H.R. 10, the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act, as well as our position on several important amendments that will be considered during today's debate on the underlying bill. The bill combines a number of existing charter school programs into one that would provide federal funds for new charters; expand and replicate existing charters; acquire, construct and renovate facilities; establish and administer per-pupil facilities-aid programs; and, fund national activities. H.R. 10 provides important accountability measures for charter schools but, primarily, provides for their expansion. Since our former President Albert Shanker first promoted them, the AFT has believed that publicly financed charter schools have a role in public education. The best charters have served as incubators of good practice and have helped provide parents and students access to high-quality public education. For example, in 2013, University Prep, a unionized public charter school started by Steve Barr, founder of Green Dot Public Schools, and me several years ago in New York City, graduated every single child, all of whom were admitted to college. The reality in communities across the country is a mixed bag--while many charter schools are well-managed and serve the children who are accepted and decide to attend, many others do not provide equitable access for all students, are poorly managed, and are not transparent with their finances. Further, there are unfortunately too many instances where charters are used as a tool to destabilize or compete with other public schools. H.R. 10 includes many provisions to bring charter schools closer to the standards of accountability, equitable access, and transparency that traditional public schools must meet, but there are still real gaps. Improved accountability and transparency is owed to the students who attend charter schools and to the taxpayers who financially support these schools. In requiring these new standards, Congress would in no way be limiting charter schools' potential to serve as laboratories of innovation. It would, however, be ensuring that those innovations are transparent, sustainable, and scalable, and that all our public school students and their schools are treated equitably. The AFT is pleased the bill includes some improvements over current law in the areas of ensuring equitable access to charter schools for all students; in seeking to prevent charter schools from allowing barriers to enrollment that result in the exclusion of English language learners, students with disabilities, and other disadvantaged students from enrolling; and, in ensuring that charter schools are appropriately monitored in the areas of student safety and financial management. We also appreciate the bipartisan acknowledgement that charter schools need better oversight by state entities. However, we believe that H.R. 10 can be strengthened by approving the following amendments aimed at improving the overall bill. To this end, we urge you to support: Moore: This amendment would require states receiving charter school grants to set aside 2 percent of the grant amount for financial oversight of charters. It would also ensure that charter schools include private and public contributions in their audits. A report from the Center for Popular Democracy and Integrity in Education outlines $100 million in losses to taxpayers in 15 of the largest charter markets since charter schools entered these markets. This is a problem that needs to be addressed. H.R. 10 would provide $300 million annually in support of charter schools. The Moore amendment would help ensure that these funds are being properly spent and that charters are incubators of innovation, not enablers of waste, cronyism, or fraud. It would also help monitor the influence of private investors by requiring the disclosure of private contributions. Wilson / Davis / Duckworth / Grayson / McKinley / Fudge: This amendment would require that information about each charter school be made available, including disaggregated enrollment and academic performance data. This amendment will better ensure that parents have information on how charter schools are educating students, and will shine a light on enrollment rates of populations that have often been excluded from charter schools. Additionally, the AFT urges your support for the following additional amendments: Jackson Lee: This amendment requires charters to publicize their information on student recruitment, orientation materials, enrollment criteria, student discipline policies, behavior codes, and parent contract requirements, which should include any financial obligations such as fees for tutoring and extra-curricular activities. Langevin: This amendment would provide for comprehensive career counseling, a much needed resource in all schools. Castor: This amendment would develop and enforce conflict of interest guidelines for all charter schools receiving federal assistance. Bonamici: This amendment requires states to report on the sharing of best practices by charter and traditional public schools. Sincerely, Randi Weingarten, President.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me conclude my remarks by saying that, across America, children are bullied every day, and across America, parents are baffled by the educational system. Any time that you can reinforce this idea of transparency, I believe that it is an important step forward, and I would hope that my colleagues would be able to support this amendment. I believe it is a strong, but positive amendment. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota for an inquiry, please, to the chairman of the committee. What modification could occur with this amendment? It is a strong amendment that is supported by educational groups, and it just reinforces, I believe, in a more specific manner the intent of H.R. 10.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I yield to the gentleman from Minnesota.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, this week, women Members of the United States House of Representatives went to the Nigerian Embassy to plead and to insist on the fight to bring our girls home and, as well, to establish a victims' fund and to find and bring the thug Sekau, the leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, to justice. Today, I am going to read a few names of those girls that are missing for those mothers who are longing for their return: Rebecca Luka, Laraba John, Saratu Markus, Mary Usman, Debora Yahonna, Naomi Zakaria, Hanatu Musa, Hauwa Tella, Juliana Yakubu, Suzana Yakubu, Saraya Paul, Jummai Paul, Mary Sule, Jummai John, Yanke Shittima, Muli Waligam, Fatima Tabji, and Eli Joseph. I will put all of them in the Record. In honor of Mother's Day, I mourn with those mothers, I pray for mothers across America, and I pray for the Nigerian mothers whose children are still missing. May I ask prayers for all who are longing now for their children to return, and may I offer my blessings to my late mother, Ivalita Jackson.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 4438. This bill is the exact opposite of the fiscal conservatism which has been preached by the G.O.P. H.R. 4438, the American Research and Competitiveness Act, permanently extends the research and development tax credit that expired at the end of 2013, but modifies the credit to make it simpler to calculate. I think we can all agree that on the merits, the R&D Tax Credit is one of the most practical, useful, and well-subscribed tax credits. Not only do large multinationals and many small research facilities use it; but numerous universities, including the University of Houston, the University of Texas, Texas Southern University, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech, among others, also take advantage of this job-producing credit. Yet, the Republicans hypocritically failed to do something which they usually love to take credit for--and that is--to PAY for the bill by including an offset. It provides no offset for the cost, which the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates would reduce revenues by $156 billion over 10 years. This bill is the first in a series of individual tax ``extenders'' that I understand the Republican House leadership intends to consider. And make no mistake, this bill, and the others likely to follow, blow a hole in the deficit. Though at some point in the near future, President Obama will somehow be blamed for this. This is a textbook example of Congress picking winners and losers. Many of us support the R&D tax credit but there is no excuse for not offsetting the cost of the bill, noting that permanently extending the R&D credit and five other tax provisions that GOP leaders want to act on would add $310 billion to the deficit. Two years ago my Republican colleagues managed to hijack the legislative process and increase the federal budget deficit by insisting on an extension of the Bush Tax Cuts, originally enacted in 2001 and 2003. These tax cuts cost $1 trillion a year to extend and while many are critical to individuals and businesses, the fact remains that if we are going to have a serious discussion about tax reform and balancing the budget, Congress cannot simply ignore the other side of the ledger: revenues. In addition, Congress cannot and should not be in the business of picking winners and losers. Again, it is ``hypocritical'' that our Republican friends won't offset the R&D credit but let emergency unemployment insurance for the long-term unemployed expire because they claim that we could not find an offset that they would support. I ask my colleagues to reject this bill and end this partisan lawmaking.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my outrage over the brutal 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 rise today to urge our government, the United States of America, to assist the Government of Nigeria, working through the African Union, 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 call upon the international community to work in concert 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 Peninsula (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 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. 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, 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 Peninsula (AQAP), the Al Muntada Trust Fund, and the Islamic World Society. Additionally, 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. 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 it 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.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the rule for H. Res. 567, which establishes a Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attack in Benghazi. I oppose this resolution because it is a distraction, intended by the House Republicans to divert public attention from their failure to address the problems Americans care about like creating jobs, raising the minimum wage, passing immigration reform, and extending unemployment insurance benefits to the long-term unemployed. Mr. Speaker, instead of working with Democrats to address the priorities of the American people, Republican leaders are gearing up to exploit the tragic attacks in Benghazi with another deeply partisan review. There have aleady been seven reviews of that terrible attack: one by the State Department Accountability Review Board, two bipartisan reviews in the Senate, and four reviews in the House--producing more than 25,000 documents and dozens of interviews with high-level officials throughout the government. Mr. Speaker, responding to endless, repetitive and partisan congressional requests has cost the Department of Defense and other agencies thousands of man-hours and expenses running ``into the millions of dollars,'' according to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs Elizabeth King. Throughout these reviews, Republican Members have made numerous accusations in public that have turned out to be untrue after further investigation, undermining the credibility of their investigations and the House. Mr. Speaker, our colleagues across the aisle have shown no interest in making the Select Committee on Benghazi any different from the extreme and counter-productive partisanship that has defined their previous investigations into the Fast and Furious and the IRS, and their dogged efforts to hold the Attorney General in contempt of Congress. For example, in the resolution establishing the committee, Republicans stack the committee with seven Republicans to Democrats' five, and explicitly exempt the new committee from adopting written rules. From the pointless vote to hold former IRS official, Lois Lerner, in contempt, to the latest committee on Benghazi, it is clear that Republicans will do anything to divert attention away from their do- nothing record. Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. They want and deserve for us to work together to solve the real problems facing our country. I urge my colleagues to reject this rule and vote against the underlying resolution.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as one of the original co-sponsor of the resolution recognizing May as National Foster Care Month, I rise to recognize the selfless foster families who open their hearts and their homes for children in need and to all of those individuals and organizations that work to ensure that every child has an opportunity for a brighter future. I am honored to be a founding member of the Congressional Caucus for Foster Youth, a caucus that allows Members to gain a better understanding of the current state of foster care throughout the nation and identify potential federal policy modifications that could improve outcomes for the children in our country's foster care systems. Mr. Speaker, currently there are over 463,000 children living in foster care. These children have been placed in homes on the account of the physical, sexual and emotional abuse they have endured with their biological caretaker. My state of Texas currently has more than 69,000 children and young persons in foster care. Nearly two of every three (65%) of children who are not placed in a permanent home emancipate themselves from the system often left unemployed, without a place to live and resorting to homeless shelters. Less than 3 percent go on to college and emancipated females end up four times more likely to receive public assistance compared to the overall population of the United States. Mr. Speaker, it is vital that we continue to create more programs, events and activities that will enlighten citizens of the United States on stories of children successfully placed in permanent homes, debunk myths about the process and acknowledge the thousands of children who could potentially become a part of these statistics. Through these efforts we can increase the rate of adoption, decrease the rate of homelessness among the youths in this group and help develop future leaders and innovative thinkers of tomorrow. I would like to take a moment to recognize the families who have opened their hearts and homes to foster children. Foster parents play a critical role in the lives of some of the most vulnerable youth in Texas and across the country. They help hold our nation's social fabric together by ensuring that thousands of young people in this country stay on track towards successful futures. This month, we celebrate you and your efforts to change the lives of these children. National Foster Care Month is an appropriate time time to recognize and commend all those who are helping to improve the lives of children in foster care. But it also serves as a reminder that more must be done. These children deserve to grow up in a loving home that is safe, happy, and most importantly one they can call their own.