Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding and for his leadership. We do live in a constitutional Republic. That constitutional Republic requires for this Nation not to be held hostage by self-centered special interests. We come to the floor today to stand in opposition to the minority of the majority holding the vast numbers of Americans who want a rational approach, to continue the operation of this government, and to be able to make a difference. So I rise today and say that martial law--even the concept of it--is one that finds itself with a very difficult premise. Whatever we want to throw down today, the American people have to take it. And so if someone rises and says there are Medicare cuts, we have to take it and believe that it happens. The Affordable Care Act did not do that. In fact, the Affordable Care Act rescued seniors from the abyss of the doughnut hole. When you threw them over the doughnut hole, when they were drowning in the doughnut hole because of Medicare part D, we've helped them cut their prescription costs. And so this misrepresentation about the Affordable Care Act and the urgency to defund it is a misnomer, it's incorrect, and it's just plain wrong. This proposed CR, or continuing resolution, that now wants to delay the individual mandate, Mr. Speaker, I don't think my colleagues remember the hours and days and weeks of hearings that we had in this place. Maybe they don't remember the little girl who was suffering from leukemia that went into an insurance company with her family in California and died because the insurance company would not cover her because she had a preexisting disease. I wonder what it feels like to see your child die in your arms because there is no insurance. I will not vote for anything that will delay the individual mandate while young women over the age of 26 who are susceptible to early cancer will not be able to find affordable, reasonable health insurance. Not on my watch. I will not vote for this rule. And I ask you not to vote for it. It is interesting that we can cut $40 billion out of food subsistence for 46 million Americans-- 75 percent are children, 23 percent are disabled, 11 percent are elderly, and some of them are the families of soldiers--but we can vote today to give fat cats subsidies. You will divide us like that if you want to make sure that you take care of your district and not take care of America. Well, I came today to rise on the floor of the House to say that the Founding Fathers stuck together in the Thirteen Colonies when they declared their independence. There's something about unity for the greater good. And I refuse to let this House fall on the spear for individual selfish perspectives--because I got mine, you get yours. America deserves better. We will vote in the best interest of America. It is to continue this government and provide for ObamaCare and make sure that there's health care for a better America.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the rule and the underlying resolution. I oppose this rule because it conditions the funding needed to avoid a government shutdown on a one-year delay in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and a repeal of the excise tax on certain medical device that helps defray the cost of the affordable, quality healthcare made available for the first time to millions of Americans by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). I oppose this rule because the two amendments it makes in order to the ``clean'' continuing resolution passed yesterday by the Senate will, if approved, result in a shutdown of the government. Both President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Reid have it crystal clear that they will not accept any continuing resolution containing any provision to delay, defund, or weaken the Affordable Care Act. The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was passed by both houses of Congress and signed into law by the President three years ago. It has been upheld by the Supreme Court. It is here to stay. Mr. Speaker, you would think our friends across the aisle would have gotten this message by now because they have tried to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act more than 40 times without success. As former President Clinton would say: ``Here's another Obamacare score for you: `Obamacare--42, House Republicans--zero'.'' Since it is clear that anti-Obamacare amendments made in order by this rule are not going to become law, the only purpose to be served by this latest kamikaze mission by our friends across the aisle is to shut down the government and harm the economic recovery and disrupt the lives of millions of Americans who provide and depend upon the services provide by the federal government. Mr. Speaker, it is well and good that House majority has finally realized the importance of ensuring that our troops are paid so they can provide for their families. However, this piecemeal approach of singling out worthy beneficiaries on an ad hoc basis is inadequate as it denies many other critical services that Americans depend so heavily on. That is why it is grossly irresponsible for House Republicans to be wasting time on a resolution like the one before us that will lead to a government shutdown. Mr. Speaker, we need to pass the clean CR approved by the Senate so we can keep our promises to our veterans, as well as the doctors, nurses, and hospital workers who take care of our wounded and healthy warriors. We need to pass the clean CR approved by the Senate so we can fund our engineers and technicians who maintain all of our critical military equipment to keep our troops safe and take care of national security infrastructure. We need to pass the clean CR approved by the Senate so we can fund our IT security folks who protect us from cyber-attacks, and our astronauts who risk their lives to push the technical boundaries of knowledge for all mankind. These exceptional Americans, and the people who depend on them and benefit from their work, do not deserve to be locked out of their workplaces on Tuesday. These exceptional Americans deserve a Congress that does its job and keeps America open for business. Mr. Speaker, make no mistake about it, given the lateness of the hour and the irresponsibility of the House majority in wasting time trying to defund or impede the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, any vote other than one to concur in the clean continuing resolution passed yesterday by the Senate is a vote to shut down the government. For these reasons and more, I oppose this rule and the underlying amendments it makes in order and urge my colleagues to join me in urging the passage of H.J. Res. 59 as amended by the Senate so that Americans can rest assured that their government will be open for business and to serve them on Tuesday morning.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I was in my office, Congresswoman, and I could not help but both agree and hear you. I wanted to come just to applaud you for, first of all, restoring and educating this House on the issues of federalism, local control, and also of reintroducing them to Washington, D.C., which gained local control and gained the right to elect its local officials. Also--maybe most people don't know--it has an operational budget that is balanced and that, in actuality, could continue to run its services for its people, as the Congresswoman has indicated, but for the pass-through that is required here in the House of Representatives. I simply wanted to come and applaud you and say a government shutdown is for naught. It is not good for anyone, and it is shameful that it is tied to the defunding of ObamaCare when the millions of Washingtonians, who are here, who dutifully provide for this House and this Senate and all of those who come in and out of Washington, D.C., the millions of tourists, the international guests, that we would dare tell them, without a vote, without a voice, in terms of the voting voice, to say not only are we shutting down the government that is going to hurt all of America, we're going to shut you down and you're in local control with your own monies, ready to run, ready to help, ready to provide for the safety and security of the comings and goings of those who work in the Federal Government in the House of Representatives. So I could not miss the opportunity to again reinforce my commitment to the legitimacy of Washington, its right to a voting representative in both the House and the Senate, and, as well, the fact that you make a very potent argument, because in many of our jurisdictions, city government may still be operating. Of course, many people will be hurt--Social Security, the military, veterans, the soldiers' families who don't get a paycheck. What the Congresswoman is saying, and I want to add to that, insult to injury coming from this shutdown is the fact that a whole city would not be able to operate the Nation's Capital where people are now heading to by airplane for whatever visits they may have--tourists, international guests. I just met with an international leader today. They will all be coming to a city that will literally be shut down because my Republican friends want to defund ObamaCare and don't have the respect to give you the waiver, the position that you have asked for to make sure that Washington, D.C., runs. I thank you for alarming us. I hope that as we enter into our discussions tomorrow that we will raise this issue and that those of good common sense will come to their senses not only for the people of the District of Columbia in hearing your plea, but they'll come to their senses for the American people and keep this government running.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I think the real message should be that the President should not negotiate against the civil rights of Americans. Sometimes it's important for those of us who have had life experiences to reflect on them. I remember as a younger girl riding in a segregated railcar, isolated from others because of the color of my skin. Civil rights have expanded, but there are many who stood against them--the 1957 bill, the 1964 and 1965 bills. Americans will find out that health care is a civil right and that this is one of the most historic and life-changing bills ever passed--the Affordable Care Act. Rather than stand in the way to defund ObamaCare, I want to stand with the young cancer victim who will now be able to get insurance. I want to stand with the young child who had leukemia and who was denied insurance and died. I want to stand with small businesses that will now be able to provide health insurance for their workers. I want to stand with understanding that, in fact, this bill is going to work. That's the fear on the other side. They are willing to defund the government because they don't want America to know that one of their civil rights--good health care--is coming and going to work. I ask everybody to go to HealthCare.gov because your civil rights are coming on October 1.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, for the last 21 hours we have heard a discourse on ``Green Eggs and Ham'' and a multitude of other commentary that spoke to the will of one person, but I believe America wants this body and the other body to stand on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. I rise to call upon this body to cast a vote for America. The soldiers that have left our soil and those who are still here, as well as their families, need compensation. Medicare and Medicaid recipients need to have their benefits processed. We need clean air and clean water. The Government of the United States is not frivolous or wasteful. The government is a rainy-day umbrella for those who suffer from all manner of devastation and disaster. I don't know about the thoughts of 21 hours, but I do know that I'm going to stand against a clouded and crowded continuing resolution. Vote to keep the government open and let's start using ObamaCare on October 1. That's the American way. That's the vote for all of America, and that's the vote for the vulnerable who cannot speak for themselves.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 59, which makes continuing appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014, because it continues the devastating cuts to education set in motion by the sequester and permanently defunds the Affordable Care Act (ACA). H.J. Res. 59 locks in the damaging sequester cuts through December 15 and even sets funding slightly below the current, post-sequestration level. It is long past time for Congress to reverse course from the austerity approach that included slashing education across-the-board by 5 percent this year--the equivalent of cutting nearly all education programs and Head Start by roughly $3 billion. We need to end the sequester now by passing H.R. 900, the ``End Sequestration Now Act,'' of which I am an original co-sponsor. Madam Speaker, the level of cuts imposed by sequestration have already taken federal funding back to pre-2004 levels while our nation's schools are serving nearly 6 million more students since that time. Madam Speaker, to ensure equity for all students, Congress must reverse this course. To date, a disproportionate share of sequester cuts have impacted higher-poverty communities and therefore, students most in need--57,000 children have already lost critical seats in Head Start classes, schools served by Impact Aid have already seen drastic reductions in funding, and additional harmful impacts are beginning to be felt in classrooms as the school year begins. Many of these school districts and their students rely heavily on federal resources for education funding; some even up to 50 percent of their total revenue. Madam Speaker, Americans have suffered long enough from the adverse impact of sequestration that House Republicans to seek to continue with resolution. The damage has been great and continues to get worse with each passing day the Republicans refuse to work across the aisle to reach agreement on a budget plan that is balanced and sensible. Consider the damage inflicted or to be inflicted on the American people by sequestration: Education Teachers and staff for the 23 million students in high-poverty schools would be reduced by up to 47,000. Education services for 6 million students with disabilities would be curtailed. National and Local Security Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program would be eliminated, resulting in 1,400 fewer police officers on the street. Our national security is being weakened as Army training rotations are being canceled; earlier this year nearly one-third of Air Force squadrons were grounded; and maintenance on equipment and facilities is being deferred. More than 600,000 civilian Defense employees (85 percent) were furloughed this summer for more than one week, meaning a pay cut of more than $1 billion. $37 billion in cuts to defense this fiscal year is harming economic growth and our military readiness. Health Cutting $1.5 billion from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) means less research into preventing, treating, and curing diseases that affect millions of Americans, like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. A $285 million cut for the Centers for Disease Control is limiting their ability to detect and combat disease outbreaks like pandemic influenza; plan for public health emergencies; and facilitate immunizations that keep you and your family healthy. Cutting NIH by $6.7 billion will hold back life-saving research. Seniors More than 5 million fewer meals are available for low-income seniors through Meals on Wheels and related programs. Infrastructure and Job-Creating Investments Community Development Block Grants to ensure decent affordable housing, provide services to the most vulnerable, and create jobs by expanding and retaining businesses cut to lowest level in its history. Clean energy and efficiency research are cut by nearly one-half and breakthrough cutting edge advanced energy research cut 81 percent from 2013 enacted level. Major job-creating investments in highways, transit, railways, bridges and ports through the TIGER program would be eliminated, while putting modernization of the air traffic control system at risk. EPA cut by more than \1/3\ and grants to local communities for clean water and drinking water slashed. It is time for Congress to reject a continuation of these draconian cuts and replace the sequester with a balanced package that demands additional revenue, including closing corporate tax loopholes. Instead of continuing sequestration levels of funding, and trying for the 42nd time to defund, delay, or impede the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, we need to work together to develop a balanced and responsible plan that makes the necessary investments that will generate economic growth and create jobs that will enable Americans to live a middle class life. We should reject this resolution and adopt the substitute resolution offered by my colleague, Congressman Van Hollen, the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee. The Van Hollen Alternative is superior to the resolution before us because it eliminates the sequester's immediate, excessive, and irresponsible cuts to vital investments and replaces these with a roughly 50/50 combination of targeted spending cuts and limits on tax breaks to reduce the deficit in a balanced way. Moreover, the proposal achieves over $75 billion more in deficit reduction than the sequester would have achieved. I urge all members of the House to join me in voting to reject this irresponsible resolution that will not create jobs, places our economic recovery at risk, threatens the health security of millions of Americans, and jeopardizes the creditworthiness of our nation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 480, I would have voted ``no.'' Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 481, I would have voted ``no.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.J. Res. 59, which makes continuing appropriations for Fiscal Year 2014, because it continues the devastating cuts to education set in motion by the sequester and permanently defunds the Affordable Care Act (ACA), legislation that will help save the lives of millions of Americans. H.J. Res. 59 locks in the damaging sequester cuts through December 15 and even sets funding slightly below the current, post- sequestration level. It is long past time for Congress to reverse course from the austerity approach that included slashing education across-the-board by 5 percent this year--the equivalent of cutting nearly all education programs and Head Start by roughly $3 billion. We need to end the sequester now by passing H.R. 900, the ``End Sequestration Now Act,'' of which I am an original co-sponsor. Madam Speaker, the level of cuts imposed by sequestration have already taken federal funding back to pre-2004 levels while our nation's schools are serving nearly 6 million more students since that time. Madam Speaker, to ensure equity for all students, Congress must reverse this course. To date, a disproportionate share of sequester cuts have impacted higher-poverty communities and therefore, students most in need--57,00 children have already lost critical seats in Head Start classes, schools served by Impact Aid have already seen drastic reductions in funding, and additional harmful impacts are beginning to be felt in classrooms as the school year begins. Many of these school districts and their students rely heavily on federal resources for education funding; some even up to 5 percent of their total revenue. Madam Speaker, Americans have suffered long enough from the adverse impact of sequestration that House Republicans seek to continue with resolution. The damage has been great and continues to get worse with each passing day the Republicans refuse to work across the aisle to reach agreement on a budget plan that is balanced and sensible. Consider the damage inflicted or to be inflicted on the American people by sequestration: Education Teachers and staff for the 23 million students in high-poverty schools would be reduced by up to 47,000. Education services for 6 million students with disabilities would be curtailed. National and Local Security Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program would be eliminated, resulting in 1,400 fewer police officers on the street. Our national security is being weakened as Army training rotations are being canceled; earlier this year nearly one-third of Air Force squadrons were grounded; and maintenance on equipment and facilities is being deferred. More than 600,000 civilian Defense employees (85 percent) were furloughed this summer for more than one week, meaning a pay cut of more than $1 billion. $37 billion in cuts to defense this fiscal year is harming economic growth and our military readiness. Health Cutting $1.5 billion from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) means less research into preventing, treating, and curing diseases that affect millions of Americans, like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. A $285 million cut for the Centers for Disease Control is limiting their ability to detect and combat disease outbreaks like pandemic influenza; plan for public health emergencies; and facilitate immunizations that keep you and your family healthy. Cutting NIH by $6.7 billion will hold back life-saving research. Seniors More than 5 million fewer meals are available for low-income seniors through Meals on Wheels and related programs. Infrastructure and Job-Creating Investments Community Development Block Grants to ensure decent affordable housing, provide services to the most vulnerable, and create jobs by expanding and retaining businesses cut to lowest level in its history. Clean energy and efficiency research are cut by nearly one-half and breakthrough cutting edge advanced energy research cut 81 percent from 2013 enacted level. Major job-creating investments in highways, transit, railways, bridges and ports through the TIGER program would be eliminated, while putting modernization of the air traffic control system at risk. EPA cut by more than \1/3\ and grants to local communities for clean water and drinking water slashed. It is time for Congress to reject a continuation of these draconian cuts and replace the sequester with a balanced package that demands additional revenue, including closing corporate tax loopholes. Instead of continuing sequestration levels of funding, and trying for the 42nd time to defund, delay, or impede the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, we need to work together to develop a balanced and responsible plan that makes the necessary investments that will generate economic growth and create jobs that will enable Americans to live a middle class life. We should reject this resolution and adopt the substitute resolution offered by my colleague, Congressman Van Hollen, the Ranking Member of the Budget Committee. The Van Hollen alternative is vastly superior to the resolution before us because it eliminates the sequester's immediate, excessive, and irresponsible cuts to vital investments and replaces these with a roughly 50/50 combination of targeted spending cuts and limits on tax breaks to reduce the deficit in a balanced way. Moreover, the proposal achieves over $75 billion more in deficit reduction than the sequester would have achieved by doing the following: Targeted spending cuts--refocuses farm subsidies and makes targeted reductions to out-year defense spending consistent with both the President's budget request and the House Democratic budget. Additional deficit reduction--reduces deficits by over $75 billion more than the sequester amount. I urge all members of the House to join me in voting to reject this irresponsible resolution that will not create jobs, places our economic recovery at risk, threatens the health security of millions of Americans, and jeopardizes the creditworthiness of our nation. [From the Houston Chronicle, Feb. 25, 2013] Sequestration Budget Cuts Would Be Across-the-Board in Houston, County (By Mike Tolson) Like a hurricane churning across the Gulf of Mexico, the looming federal sequestration threatens everything in its path. If the deep and automatic federal budget cuts actually take place starting Friday, there will be damage somewhere, perhaps a lot of somewheres. In Houston and elsewhere, airport lines could grow and flights canceled. Passport lines may stretch even longer out the door. Criminal investigations could move at a slower pace. And federal housing vouchers might not be issued, leaving low-income residents and their landlords in a frightening limbo. The broad cuts designed under the umbrella of sequestration were intended by Congress and President Barack Obama to create such a severe alternative to bipartisan compromise that it would force lawmakers to come up with a better budget solution. So far, no such luck. ``We all agree that we need to cut unnecessary waste in the federal budget and streamline operations, but sequestration isn't the way to manage government spending,'' said Houston Congressman Gene Green, a Democrat. ``It's like taking a hatchet to surgery instead of a scalpel. I'm hoping leadership resolves their differences before the eleventh hour.'' Ted Cruz, the freshman GOP senator from Texas, said in Houston last week that he saw little hope that a deal would be reached. ``There is a very substantial likelihood that the sequester will go into effect,'' said Cruz, who blamed Obama's unwillingness to embrace other cuts. ``I am hopeful that if it does . . . it will result in some compromises.'' A statement from the White House Sunday said: ``The President is willing to compromise, but on behalf of the middle class he cannot accept a deal that undercuts their economic security.'' Obama has a plan to reduce the deficit by more than $4 trillion. Because the cuts are across-the-board, there is little order or sense to what will be affected. Most agencies and programs would see cuts in the range of 8 to 10 percent, though some things are exempted, such as food stamps, college loan grants and the school lunch program. `Devastating blow' Experts say the effect will be gradual in many cases. A quick political resolution would see minimal disruption. Should the impasse continue, the cuts will be seen and felt in scores of different places, from neighborhood Head Start programs to the world-renowned Texas Medical Center, where $652 million of federal National Institutes of Health grant money comes in every year for medical research. ``We don't know how it's going to play out, but it could be a devastating blow,'' said Dr. Robert Robbins, president and CEO of the Texas Medical Center Corporation. ``We are talking hundreds of grants a year. We are very concerned about this, needless to say.'' Johnson Space Center already has suffered cutbacks from the end of the space shuttle program and a hiatus in human spaceflight. Now it could see an estimated 5,600 jobs affected, with other space centers across the nation facing a similar scenario. ``These damaging cuts would slash roughly 5 percent from the agency's current annual budget during the remaining seven months of the 2013 fiscal year, a loss of about $726 million from the president's budget request,'' NASA said in a statement. In some instances, the effect of sequestration cuts could be noticed right away. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood warned that air travelers will encounter longer lines, canceled flights and shuttered airports in some cases, if Congress fails to act before the deadline. In preparing to reduce its expenditures by $600 million, LaHood said he will begin to furlough 47,000 employees for approximately one day per pay period through September. A report prepared by the Texas House in January found: --Texas would be one of the most severely affected by job losses, standing to lose almost 99,000 defense jobs and 60,500 non-defense jobs, putting the state third behind California and Virginia with the top job losses per state. --The Texas Education Agency's estimated reduction of $517.6 million is the most significant agency cut. The Houston Independent School District has estimated a possible loss of $12 million, much of it aimed at low-income students. --The University of Texas system predicts that cuts to research could total from $114 million to $123 million annually across all institutions. --Texas Department of Transportation stands to lose up to $50 million of the $3 billion it normally receives, based on estimates. Road building and transit projects eventually will face money woes, but sequestration's effects won't be immediate, and the agency is awaiting clarity from federal officials before making any changes to upcoming projects. Major transit projects, meanwhile, are unlikely to suffer at all. Defense cuts were ``especially concerning'' to the House committee that looked at the impact. Texas is home to 15 active-duty military installations. Sequestration cuts would affect not just active duty military but also civilian employees and thousands of contractors and suppliers in the state as well as the Texas National Guard. Eviction threat Texas cities, likewise, face daunting cutbacks in numerous areas. More than 900 families in the Houston Housing Authority's rental voucher program, for example, could be at risk of eviction if the cuts come down, said CEO Tory Gunsolley, who noted that the city covers 70 percent or more of their rent. Also slashed would be funding for homeless families, emergency shelters and housing for those with AIDS. ``At this point you're cutting into bone,'' Gunsolley said. Counties, too, will face tough decisions. Nonprofit and community groups rely on Harris County's Community Services Department for program funding, which is awarded in October. Each funding letter reminds the recipient that if HUD funding is cut, their funding will drop, too, said director David Turkel. Some possible cuts in Texas According to White House estimates released Sunday, the sequestration could include these cuts this year in Texas: $274.8 million: in military pay to 52,000 civilian Department of Defense employees who would be furloughed $51 million: for about 620 teachers, aides and staff who help children with disabilities $8.5 million: for clean water and air quality efforts, as well as pollution prevention from pesticides and hazardous waste $6.8 million: to help prevent and treat substance abuse, resulting in around 2,800 fewer admissions to substance abuse programs $3.6 million: for meals for senior citizens $2.3 million: for job search assistance, referral and placement for 83,750 unemployed residents $2.2 million: in grants for fish and wildlife protection $1.1 million: in grants that support law enforcement, prosecution and courts, crime prevention, corrections, drug treatment and enforcement, and crime victim and witness initiatives

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, this morning, I rise to call upon the consciousness and the conscience of not only America, but my colleagues. I rise in the backdrop of a dreamer's speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, who spoke about the greatness of America. Dr. King had no quarrel with this Nation. He loved its values. He found it a place of promise. And I imagine if he were alive today, he would have an answer to Mr. Putin: America is exceptional. The world looks to America. America has been the Nation's breadbasket. It has served and fed the world. Mr. Speaker, the farmers I know want to feed the world. They relish being called the suppliers of the breadbasket. They enjoy seeing their products arrive in places where people are hungry. In all the years that I have worked in the United States Congress, we've found a way to work with our family farmers and feed our children. That's why I rise today in opposition to a devastating food fight. America should take notice. Today, all the food banks around the Nation should be bombarding this House and all of the faith leaders should be immediately rising up and dialing in, for this is a devastating food fight--a $411 million reduction in my State alone, impacting 3,997,000 if this bill containing $4 billion in cuts to food stamps, or the supplemental nutrition program, goes forward today. There are 46.2 million people who are living in poverty in America, and 9.5 million of them are families. Also, 16.1 million children under the age of 18 are living in poverty. Is that the exceptional America? We know that we are better than that. Thirty-four percent of children in Texas are in poverty, 50.1 million Americans live in food insecurity, and 16 million children do not eat nutritiously. In larger proportions, that is what will happen today. And so this is the message: don't cut SNAP. Stop the GOP from cutting $40 billion, which is 33.4 million meals, or 24 meals per month per family. That's our message. How can we stand here as a country of dreamers and those who believe in acting? Dr. King dreamed, but he was focused on action. He believed in helping the poor. He believed in jobs. And we come here today to stand on this floor with a straight face and engage in a battle of a food fight. I think it is atrocious, and it needs to stop. Where is the goodness that gives all Americans opportunities to rise? I heard a Member on the floor discuss the Affordable Care Act. Well, get the facts. Right now, as we speak, the Affordable Care Act is providing premiums under $100 for those individuals that need to be insured, helping to cut poverty. That's why we need all of these factors--not cuts in SNAP, not the elimination of the Affordable Care Act and a continuing resolution that is not going to go anywhere. All of these pound on people who are in need. I'm asking for relief. I'm asking for the very promised land that Dr. King also spoke of: the exceptionalism that is America. When we send young soldiers to foreign lands, they are exceptional. But yet some of the families of our soldiers are now on food stamps. Is that what America is about--cutting the food stamps of Active Duty soldiers? We have to do better than that. And so our message is going to be a strong one. We're against it. We're against all the pounding down on those who are trying to climb the ladder of success. We want to end the sequester that is going to cut 67.8 million teachers out of the primary and secondary schools. It is time now to say no, don't cut SNAP, no to the CR, no to sequester, and yes to America, yes to the promised land, yes to the dream, yes to implementing what is right, yes to allowing us to climb the ladder of success. That's the opportunity for Americans. Say yes to jobs, say yes to education. I believe that if we do not do that, Mr. Speaker, our ancestors and early Founding Fathers, the visionaries, even though we had our ups and downs, Mr. Speaker, are going to ask us, Why? God bless America, an exceptional Nation with a big heart. Vote ``no'' today. That's what America wants: something for all of us.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this legislation and place a statement in the Record because those who get food stamps are not criminals. They are just hungry. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to H.R. 3102, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act. I am in opposition to this bill for four reasons: hunger is a real problem in the United States; the solution for reducing dependence on government subsidized food programs is full employment, this bill will hurt the poor and most vulnerable in our country and finally the bill is too draconian and pointedly anti-Urban. Finding hungry people in the United States is not hard--they are in every community. The problem is so dire that--September has been declared hunger action month. People in the 18th Congressional District along with people in Congressional Districts around the nation are putting forth an extra effort to raise awareness that 1 in 6 Americans are going without enough food to sustain a healthy life. Although the United States is considered to be the world's wealthiest nation 14.5 percent or almost 49 million Americans, which includes 15.9 million children face challenges to getting enough to eat. According to the United States Department of Agriculture 50 million people experience hunger because they have limited access to resources. The type of resources could be adequate or reliable means of transportation to where food can be obtained, or money to buy food. In the United States 17 million children live in food insecure households. Children with inadequate nutrition are affected by cognitive and behavior development problems. Eating enough to stay alive but not enough to meet nutrition requirements means the body will break down muscle and tissue. The majority of SNAP recipients which is about 68 percent do not work--they are children, elderly, disabled or those caring for a disabled family member in their home or for a child less than 6 years of age. Food insecurity is not limited to urban and suburban areas--over 2 million rural households experience food insecurity. The counties in the United States with the highest disproportionately high rates of food insecurity are rural not urban or suburban. Children in food insecure homes--who do not consume healthy food on a regular basis are more likely to experience irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. These children's ability to get ahead in life are demonstratively impacted by food insecurity. Nutrition does not need reform--we know what foods are nutritious and how much nutritious food should be consumed by each man, woman and child regardless of age must consume each day to remain healthy and productive. We should pass the American Jobs Act: If this Congress was serious about work opportunities they would have passed the President's American Jobs Act. The irony is that if the American Jobs Act had become law it would have significantly reduced the numbers of persons in need of food assistance from the government. Prior to the financial crisis and economic recession, 26.3 million individuals a month on average received SNAP benefits, getting an average of $96 per month in benefits. Over the course of the ``Great Recession'' SNAP spending has increased from $33.2 billion for fiscal year 2007 to $78.4 billion for fiscal year 2012. The Congressional Budget Office says the weak economy as being the cause of the nearly 65 percent of the growth in spending on benefits between 2007 and 2011. The Congressional Budget Office said in its May 2013 baseline update estimate that SNAP participation would begin to decline as the economy continued to recover, falling to an average of $34.4 million per month. Adding the words ``Work Opportunity'' is not about work but about how to prevent the working poor from accessing SNAP benefits. SNAP benefits also help the working poor which includes those who earn 130% of the federal poverty guideline, but the majority of households have income well below the maximum: 83% of SNAP households have gross income at or below l00% of the poverty guideline this translates into incomes of $19,530 for a family of 3 in 2013. These households receive about 91% of all benefits. Unemployment remains at 7.3 percent with about 11.3 million people unemployed. We know that we have 6 million long term unemployed people who have been searching for work 27 weeks or longer. In July, unemployment percentages for the following states were: Texas 6.5 percent, California 8.7 percent Nevada 9.5 percent, North Carolina 8.9 percent, South Carolina 8.1 percent, Rhode Island 8.9 percent, Tennessee 8.5 percent, Michigan 8.8 percent, Arizona 8.0 percent, and Arkansas 7.4 percent. In August 2013, there were still 2 million fewer jobs than when the ``Great Recession'' began in 2007. There are still 3 unemployed people for every new job created by the private sector. To compound the problem--60 percent of the jobs lost were mid-wage occupations--people who did not need Federal or State food assistance or housing assistance programs. These types of mid-wage good paying jobs make up only 22 percent of the new jobs created during the recovery. Low-wage jobs represented 21 percent of the jobs lost at the start of the recession and now make up 58 percent of the new jobs of the recovery. The number of people who are in need of SNAP is greater because the recovery is not as strong as it should be nor reaching the people it should reach. The bill's version of work opportunity threatens the working poor's opportunity to provide food for their families. Over the last decade the number of households that were working or had no income while receiving SNAP more than tripled, from 2 million in 2000 to about 6.4 million in 2011. This bill will hurt the most vulnerable: Having SNAP funds does not guarantee access to nutritious food, according to the Department of Agriculture food deserts make it difficult for urban, suburban and rural poor to find nutritious food. A food desert according to the Department of Agriculture is a ``low- access community,'' where at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent of the census tract's population live more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store. The USDA defines a food desert for rural communities as a census tract where the distance to a grocery store is more than 10 miles. Food deserts exist in rural and urban areas and are spreading as a result fewer farms as well as fewer places to access fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, and other foods as well as a poor economy. The result of food deserts are increases in malnutrition and other health disparities that impact minority and low income communities in rural and urban areas. Health disparities occur because of a lack of access to critical food groups that provide nutrients that support normal metabolic functions. Poor metabolic function leads to malnutrition that causes breakdown in tissue. For example, a lack of protein in a diet leads to disease and decay of teeth and bones. Another example of health disparities in food deserts are the presence of fast food establishments instead of grocery stores. If someone only consumes energy dense foods like fast foods this will lead to clogged arteries, which is a precursor for arterial disease a leading cause of heart disease. A person eating a constant diet of fast foods are also vulnerable to higher risks of insulin resistance which results in diabetes. In Harris County, Texas, 149 out of 920 households or 20 percent of residents do not have automobiles and live more than one-half mile from a grocery store. Hunger is silent--most victims of hunger are ashamed and will not ask for help, they work to hide their situation from everyone. Hunger is persistent and impacts millions of people who struggle to find enough to eat. Food insecurity causes parents to skip meals so that their children can eat. In Harris County, Texas, 149 out of 920 households or 20 percent of residents do not have automobiles and live more than one-half mile from a grocery store. In 2009-2010 the Houston, Sugar Land and Baytown area had 27.6 percent of households with children experiencing food hardship. In households without children food hardship was experienced by 16.5. Houston, Sugar Land and Baytown rank 22 among the areas surveyed. The bill is too draconian and pointedly anti-Urban: The majority seeks to do everything imaginable to make it more difficult for people in this country to get access to affordable healthcare, a job that will pay a livable wage or meals that are nutritious are difficult to understand. The bill would establish a nationwide ``pilot program'' under which states could impose new work requirements on SNAP recipients, including on parents of young children who are exempt under the current law. It would not be in the best interest of young children for their parents to leave them unattended and it would not be in the best interest of SNAP recipients to choose between rent and childcare. The language of the bill authorizes states to conduct drug testing of SNAP applicants as a condition of receiving benefits. Since most of the benefits go to children, the elderly and disabled the question of drug testing is more a facade for a political philosophy than a real world problem with drug addiction and Federal and State food programs. The bill is blatantly anti-urban in calling for a pilot program to reduce retailer fraud be conducted in a large urban area that administers its own SNAP program. Is there a belief that Mayberry exists in every rural area and therefore there could be no possible cases of SNAP fraud? The bill requires that SNAP recipients receive at least $20 or more in aid from the state through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) before they could receive an increase in SNAP benefits. LIHEAP and SNAP are two different programs and they serve different purposes. LIHEAP helps when homes are not safe or are in need of repairs to make them more safe for human occupation. The problem with this formula is that the funds sent for LIHEAP are not nearly enough for the numbers of persons who need housing repair. The second problem is it would require people who have no need of housing repairs, but who may need additional food assistance to apply for the LIHEAP program, which is already underfunded in order to get what they really need--more food assistance. This formula will guarantee that people in need of additional assistance under SNAP will never receive it. The bill before us would prohibit a state from telling someone they know is hungry about SNAP food programs. The bill defines this type of communication as recruiting SNAP participants by advertising the SNAP program. The bill eliminates the ability of states to waive work requirements for ``certain able-bodied'' SNAP recipients even when unemployment is high. In addition the bill would impose new work requirements on parents of young children. The bill would restrict ``categorical eligibility'' this would impact people who qualify for other low-income aid. The bill requires that SNAP benefits be used by beneficiaries within 60 days of being posted to an account. If the benefits are not used then they will be taken back. The reality is people make decisions about where and when to purchase food not based on our schedule but their own. If they have the benefits then the benefits should be there when the opportunity to go to a store is available to them--which may be more than a 2 to 4 week period. People who are poor are not criminals and we should stop trying to treat them as if they committed a crime. This bill is right out of the 47% playbook that was defeated last year during the Presidential Election and this bill needs to be defeated as well. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would reduce net SNAP spending by 39 billion over 10 years and that 2.8 million people on average would lose their benefits while 850,000 would see benefits cut. SNAP benefits help the disabled, which include men and women who have served our nation during times of war. According to news reports, nearly $53 million in food stamps had been cashed in by people eligible to shop in base commissaries, including disabled veterans. The use of food stamps in commissaries increased 9 percent from 2012 to 2013, when $99 million in food stamps were used on bases. In addition, military commissaries sold about $31 million under the Women, Infants and Children program in 2012 and nearly $15 million by June of this year. Food is not an option--it is a right that all people living in this nation must have to exist and to prosper. Next year if this bill becomes law the nearly $40 billion cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs also known as SNAP that is proposed by this bill 4 million Americans would fall thought our nation's food safety net. As elected representatives we should see our nation's vital interest. At the core of our vital interest is a stable and thriving economy, a strong and healthy population that is able to contribute to the economic engine that fuels our economy. I urge my colleagues to reject this bad bill and return the food programs to the farm bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert into the Record the story of Melinda, a cancer survivor and single mother from Texas, a face of hunger.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to the rule for H.R. 3102, the Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act. I am in opposition to this bill for four reasons: hunger is a real problem in the United States; the solution for reducing dependence on government subsidized food programs is full employment, this bill will hurt the poor and most vulnerable in our country and finally the bill is too draconian and pointedly anti Urban. September has been declared hunger action month--1 in 6 Americans are going without enough food to sustain a healthy life. The United States is considered to be the world's wealthiest nation but 14.5 percent or almost 49 million Americans do not get enough to eat. 17 million children live in food insecure households. Children with inadequate nutrition are affected by cognitive and behavior development problems. The majority of SNAP recipients, about 68 percent, do not work; they are children, elderly, disabled or those caring for a disabled family member in their home or for a child less than 6 years of age. To qualify for SNAP benefits in Texas, a person cannot have more than $2,000 in a bank account and they can make more than $14,079 annually. The annual income limitations increase by nearly $5,000 for each additional person living in the household. To qualify for SNAP benefits, the combined income for a family of four cannot exceed $28,665. According to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Texas has the third-highest rate of food insecurity in the nation--18.5 percent of households struggled to acquire enough healthy food in 2011. 14.7 percent of U.S. households had difficulty affording healthy food at some point in 2011. More than 3 million Americans, including 302,800 Texans, will lose food stamp benefits in 2013 if the U.S. Congress approves proposed federal cuts to the SNAP, according to the federal Office of Management and Budget. About 8.5 percent of Texans were enrolled in the program as of June 2012. Based on the estimates from the OMB, the Texas Food Bank Network calculated the number of Texans that would lose food stamp benefits in 2013 by county. 2 million rural households experience food insecurity. The counties in the United States with the highest disproportionately high rates of food insecurity are rural not urban or suburban. We should pass the American Jobs Act Prior to the financial crisis, 26.3 million individuals a month on average received SNAP benefits, getting an average of $96 per month in benefits. Over the course of the ``Great Recession'' SNAP spending has increased from $33.2 billion for fiscal year 2007 to $78.4 billion for fiscal year 2012. The Congressional Budget Office says the economy is the cause of the nearly 65 percent increase in SNAP spending between 2007 and 2011. The Congressional Budget Office said in its May 2013 baseline update estimate that SNAP participation would begin to decline as the economy continued to recover, falling to an average of $34.4 million per month. SNAP benefits also help those who earn 130 percent of the federal poverty guideline. 83 percent of SNAP households have gross income at or below 100 percent of the poverty guideline. This translates into incomes of $19,530 for a family of 3 in 2013. These households receive about 91 percent of all benefits. Unemployment remains at 7.3 percent with about 11.3 million people unemployed. There are 6 million long term unemployed people who have been searching for work 27 weeks or longer. In July, unemployment percentages by state: Texas 6.5 percent, California 8.7 percent, Nevada 9.5 percent, North Carolina 8.9 percent, South Carolina 8.1 percent, Rhode Island 8.9 percent, Tennessee 8.5 percent, Michigan 8.8 percent, Arizona 8.0 percent, and Arkansas 7.4 percent. In August 2013, there were still 2 million fewer jobs than when the ``Great Recession'' began in 2007. There are still 3 unemployed people for every new job created by the private sector. 60 percent of the jobs lost were mid-wage occupations--people who did not need Federal or State food assistance or housing assistance programs. Mid-wage good paying jobs make up only 22 percent of the new jobs created during the recovery. Low-wage jobs represented 21 percent of the jobs lost but now make up 58 percent of the new jobs. The need for SNAP is greater because the recovery is not as strong as it should be nor reaching the people it should reach. Over the last decade the number of households that were working or had no income while receiving SNAP more than tripled, from 2 million in 2000 to about 6.4 million in 2011. This bill will hurt the most vulnerable Having SNAP funds does not guarantee access to nutritious food. The Department of Agriculture says that food deserts make it difficult for urban, suburban and rural poor to find nutritious food. A food desert according to the Department of Agriculture is a ``low- access community,'' where at least 500 people and/or at least 33 percent of the census tract's population live more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store. The USDA defines a food desert for rural communities exists where the distance to a grocery store is more than 10 miles. In Harris County, Texas, 149 out of 920 households or 20 percent of residents do not have automobiles and live more than one-half mile from a grocery store. Hunger is silent--most victims of hunger are ashamed and will not ask for help, they work to hide their situation from everyone. In 2009-2010 the Houston, Sugar Land and Baytown area had 27.6 percent of households with children experiencing food hardship. In households without children food hardship was experienced by 16.5. Houston, Sugar Land and Baytown rank 22 among the areas surveyed. The bill is too draconian and pointedly anti-Urban The bill creates a nationwide ``pilot program'' that directs states could impose new work requirements on SNAP recipients, including on parents of young children. The bill authorizes states to conduct drug testing of SNAP applicants as a condition of receiving benefits. The bill is blatantly anti-urban in calling for a pilot program to reduce retailer fraud be conducted in a large urban area that administers its own SNAP program. The bill requires that SNAP recipients receive at least $20 or more in aid from the state through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) before they could receive an increase in SNAP benefits. The bill before prohibits states from telling someone about SNAP food programs. The bill defines this type of communication as recruiting SNAP participants by advertising the SNAP program. The bill eliminates states' ability to waive work requirements. In addition the bill would impose new work requirements on parents of young children. The bill would restrict ``categorical eligibility'' this would impact people who qualify for other low-income aid. The bill requires that SNAP benefits be used by beneficiaries within 60 days of being posted to an account. If they have the benefits then the benefits should be there when the opportunity to go to a store is available to them--which may be more than a 2 to 4 week period. People who are poor are not criminals and we should stop trying to treat them as if they committed a crime. This bill is right out of the 47 percent playbook that was defeated last year during the Presidential Election and this bill needs to be defeated as well. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill would reduce net SNAP spending by 39 billion over 10 years and that 2.8 million people on average would lose their benefits while 850,000 would see benefits cut. SNAP benefits help the disabled, which include men and women who have served our nation during times of war. It is reported that nearly $53 million in food stamps had been cashed in by people eligible to shop in base commissaries, including disabled veterans. The use of food stamps in commissaries increased 9 percent from 2012 to 2013. Military commissaries sold about $31 million under the Women, Infants and Children program in 2012 and nearly $15 million by June of this year. Food is not an option--it is a right that all people living in this Nation must have to exist and to prosper. Next year if this bill become law the nearly $40 billion cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs also known as SNAP that is proposed by this bill 4 million Americans would fall though our Nation's food safety net. In 2011, according to Feeding America: 46.2 million people were in poverty, 9.5 million families were in poverty, 26.5 million of people ages 18-64 were in poverty, 16.1 million children under the age of 18 were in poverty, 3.6 million (9.0 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty. In the State of Texas: 34% of children live in poverty in Texas, 21% of adults (19-64) live in poverty in Texas, 17% of elderly live in poverty in Texas. In my city of Houston, Texas the U.S. census reports that over the last 12 months 442,881 incomes were below the poverty level. In 2011: 50.1 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 33.5 million adults and 16.7 million children. households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without children, 20.6 percent compared to 12.2 percent. More Facts on Child Hunger According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), 16.7 million children under 18 in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access enough nutritious food for a healthy life. Food Insecurity 16.7 million children lived in food insecure households in 2011. 20% or more of the child population in 37 states and D.C. lived in food insecure households in 2011. In 2011, the top five states with the highest rate of food insecure children under 18 were New Mexico, the District of Columbia, Arizona, Oregon, and Georgia. Emergency Food Assistance Nearly 14 million children are estimated to be served by Feeding America, over 3 million of which are ages 5 and under. 54 percent of client households with children under the age of 3 participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Poverty In 2011, 16.1 million or approximately 22 percent of children in the U.S. lived in poverty. Participation in Federal Nutrition Programs In fiscal year 2011, 47 percent of all SNAP households contained children. During the 2011 federal fiscal year, more than 31 million low-income children received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. Unfortunately, just 2.3 million children participated in the Summer Food Service Program that same year. As elected representatives we should see our Nation's vital interest to be to feed hungry children and all hungry Americans. At the core of our vital interest is a stable and thriving economy, a strong and healthy population that is able to contribute to the economic engine that fuels our economy. I urge my colleagues to reject this rule and restore fully the food programs to the farm bill. The previous question was ordered.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, my colleague just asked the question about have we no decency. Have you no decency? And these are good friends here. We're colleagues. We come to work for America. But all who can read, and all who can feel the pain of hunger should ask the question and should beg and plead: don't cut SNAP; $40 billion, 3.4 billion in meals, and 24 meals a month for a family. Unless you have the cure for poverty, 46 million Americans, then how dare you come to the floor and eliminate a lifeline. Yes, school breakfasts, but what about the children who are from zero to 3 to 4 who are at home with parents, who are at home with the families, the spouses of Active Duty soldiers who use food stamps? And then the absolute insult: a State like Texas that is prosperous, you give them the instruction to cut people off of food stamps, and then give them a bonus--a bonus--for hurting people and taking their life away. This is a shameful act. Vote down this rule and this bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the heroic efforts of Sergeant Major Kenneth Edward Stumpf of the United States Army. Sergeant Major Stumpf was with Company C of the 25th Infantry Division and received the Medal of Honor for gallantry in action on April 25, 1967. Might I just say, Mr. Speaker, we know that as our Vietnam vets came home, the response was not an American response. I'm grateful to be able to stand on the floor today to say that their valiant service evidenced by so many, and certainly through the honoring of this great Medal of Honor winner, now comes to the full attention of America where we will never, never welcome our soldiers home in any other manner than to say ``thank you.'' Sergeant Major Stumpf's company approached a village and encountered a well-fortified bunker complex. Three men were wounded in front of a hostile machine gun emplacement. Sergeant Major Stumpf and his squad successfully eliminated two bunker positions, but one still remained a serious threat. Armed with hand grenades, Sergeant Major Stumpf ran through enemy fire, and as he reached the bunker, he pulled the pins on two grenades and directed them directly into it. With the bunkers eliminated, Sergeant Major Stumpf was able to rescue the three wounded servicemen. It is for his fighting spirit and ultimate concern for the lives of his fellow soldiers that I am proud to honor and remember the actions of Sergeant Major Kenneth Edward Stumpf. We will always remember the valiant efforts of our soldiers. Wars have agreement and disagreement, but no one, no one in America ever disagrees with the service, the sacrifice, the love, the valiant efforts of our men and women in the United States military. Sergeant Major Kenneth Edward Stumpf, Medal of Honor winner, we salute you.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank my colleagues for allowing me to join you this evening in what I think is an enormously important tribute. As I present this distinguished gentleman, this hero, I just want to make mention of my friend Clarence Eugene Sasser, a Medal of Honor winner born September 12, 1947, who received his Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War. He's now passed, and I know that those who live recognize their fellow recipients for their heroism. But we are honoring tonight those who live. And so it is my privilege to be able to salute Sergeant Major Kenneth E. Stumpf of Tomah, Wisconsin. Honoring Sergeant Major Kenneth Edward Stumpf

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. ``I heard `pow, pow, pow.' Then for a few seconds, it stopped and then `pow, pow, pow.' I just started running.'' Mr. Speaker, the sentiments of this newspaper fell upon me and many other Americans, the words again--``another mass shooting in the United States of America.'' Now, at the Naval Sea Systems Command--the naval command here in Washington, D.C.--and in coming from Texas, it reminded me of the horrific tragedy and terrorist act of Fort Hood. If you cannot call this terrorism, you could call it a domestic rampage, but what you could call it is a failing for what we in the United States Congress have not done, and that is to pass universal background checks and to focus on the mental health needs of those who are disturbed and might cause the havoc and the loss of life of so many that families today mourn. As we stand here today, the question becomes: How much longer will it take us to pass sensible gun legislation to stop this violence? I pray for those who have lost their lives, Mr. Speaker, and I ask this Congress to act and to pass universal background checks and the stopping of these ridiculous top secret clearances by outsourcing.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Dr. Thomas F. Freeman, who for more than 60 years has been a professor of philosophy at Texas Southern University, which is located in my congressional district.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey. I rise today to ask an incredulous question of how many times do we have to say, ``No,'' and how many times do the American people have to say, ``Take your hands off my good Affordable Care Act'' that has allowed millions of Americans to have preventible care that is being poised to attack the scandalous high percentage of uninsured in the State of Texas, being the number one State with uninsured persons? How many times? First of all, this bill is frivolous. The reason is because there is a construct in the Affordable Care Act to deal with all of the questions that they've asked. First of all, it will require that individuals will have to submit their projected annual household income. All income data submitted through the marketplace will then be checked against IRS data, Social Security data, current wage information. If there is inconsistency, the marketplace will require additional documentation. In addition, marketplaces will check employer coverage information from the applicant and their employer against data, OPM, and the SHOP Marketplaces, as well as other data sources. It is absolutely absurd for this bill to place more responsibilities on an already sequestered government. If my colleagues want to do anything to provide any substance to what they're talking about, let's put a bill on the floor to end sequestration. There's no resources that would add to the inspector general's ability to do all that they said. Let me add further insult to injury, and I want my constituents to listen closely. $67 million was given to navigators to provide the kind of oversight and construction that these individuals on this bill have suggested they need. What I find appalling and what I've not seen in my tenure in Congress is the number of Members on the Energy and Commerce Committee that have sent a letter to the 51 navigators governed by Health and Human Services to require them to send information. I want my navigator that received a grant from HHS to refuse to do anything with that letter, and I'm going to ask the Secretary of HHS to reject this letter that has no authority in law. Again, it is trying to abuse and reject the idea of the Affordable Care Act. This bill should go down, and don't answer the letter. This is a bad way to deal with health care in America. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 2775, the so- called ``No Subsidies Without Verification Act.'' I oppose this unnecessary and dilatory legislation which imposes unnecessary and burdensome conditions on the ability of Americans to utilize the tax credits provided by the Affordable Care Act which will enable them to purchase affordable health insurance for themselves and their families. This is the 41st attempt by House Republicans to repeal, delay, or undermine effective implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Even though the Affordable Care Act, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court and is here to stay, House Republicans refuse to abandon their quixotic quest to derail a law that will bring peace of mind to millions of Americans and reduce the deficit by $1 trillion. Their latest attempt is the bill before us which prohibits any health insurance premium tax credits from being provided until the HHS Inspector General Office certifies there is a program in place that ``successfully and consistently verifies'' household income and coverage requirements for those applying for these credits. This bill, H.R. 2775, is unnecessary because HHS already has a strong income verification system in place, as confirmed by CBO. The only purpose of this legislation is to hinder the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The impact of the enactment of this GOP bill would be an unconscionable delay in obtaining health insurance for more than 25.7 million Americans, 22.7 million of whom are members of working class families. The new requirement imposed by the irresponsible bill before us would delay millions of our hard-working constituents from getting the premium tax credits they are clearly eligible for beginning on January 1, 2014. Madam Speaker, Americans do not have to be told that justice delayed is justice denied! Under current law, to receive the premium tax credits to make their health insurance affordable, individuals will have to submit their projected annual household income. All income data submitted through the Marketplaces will then be checked against IRS data, Social Security data, and current wage information. If there is an inconsistency, the Marketplaces will require additional documentation from applicants. In addition, Marketplaces will check employer coverage information from the applicant and their employer against data from OPM and the SHOP Marketplaces as well as other data sources approved by HHS to verify eligibility for the tax credits. If applicant information and other data do not match, the Marketplaces will ask for further supporting documentation. Further, all payments of premium tax credits are reconciled by IRS the following year. The income data submitted is reconciled against the actual wages and health coverage information on the individual's income tax return. If there is an inconsistency, the applicant pays back the excess, subject to statutory limit and there is 100 percent income verification and reconciliation on this back-end. In sum, there are ample existing safeguards to ensure that premium tax credits are available only to those eligible to receive them. Madam Speaker, after the sobering events of the last week, regarding war and peace, I would hope all my colleagues would take into consideration the importance of using our limited legislative time more wisely. We should be addressing the need to eliminate sequestration, raising the debt ceiling and passing the jobs bill in order to repair infrastructure. But instead House Republicans continue to repeal, delay, or undermine the Affordable Care Act. Instead of wasting time on these time-consuming but futile efforts, our friends across the aisle should join with their Democratic colleagues to work together to create jobs and educational opportunities for our people. Moreover, the Affordable Care Act is working and my constituents--and those of my colleagues--are benefiting from this landmark legislation. Many of those most in need of the healthcare coverage provided by the Affordable Care Act live in the districts of many members on both sides of this argument. My home state of Texas leads the list of states with the highest percentages of uninsured residents. The states with the highest percentage of uninsured are: 1. Texas: 28.8%. 2. Louisiana: 24%. 3. Nevada: 23.3%. 4. California: 23.2%. 5. Florida: 22.8%. 6. Georgia: 22.5%. 7. Arkansas: 21.9%. 8. Mississippi: 21.7%. 9. Oklahoma: 21.4%. The highest concentration of the uninsured is the poor. The Affordable Care Act provides at no or nearly no cost to states an option to enroll those living in or near poverty into their Medicaid program, which would benefit my state of Texas tremendously if the Governor can be persuaded to follow the example of his Republican counterparts and accept a deal of a lifetime. I cannot understand the continued refusal by House Republicans to accept the Affordable Care Act, which is now the law of the land and is modeled after the plan put in place in Massachusetts by the nominee of their party in the last presidential election. Instead of focusing on the issues that the American people want addressed, we are having the same discussion to repeal the Affordable Care Act in efforts of my colleagues to repeal, obstruct and undermine this law. What is even more frustrating is that while there is so much energy in trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act, there has been no plan or suggestions posed on how to replace it. Additionally, I oppose this misguided legislation because the Affordable Care Act is working for America and for my constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas. Let me count the ways: 13 million Americans benefited from $1.1 billion in rebates sent to them from their health insurance companies last year. 105 million Americans have access to free preventive services, including 71 million Americans in private plans and 34 million seniors on Medicare. Millions of women began receiving free coverage for comprehensive women's preventive services in August 2012. 100 million Americans no longer have a life-time limit on healthcare coverage. Nearly 17 million children with pre-existing conditions can no longer be denied coverage by insurers. 6.6 million young-adults up to age 26 have health insurance through their parents' plan, half of whom would be uninsured without this coverage. 6.3 million Seniors in the `donut hole' have already saved $6.1 billion on their prescription drugs. 3.2 million Seniors have access to free annual wellness visits under Medicare, and 360,000 small employers have already taken advantage of the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit to provide health insurance to 2 million workers. Because of the Affordable Care Act 3.8 million people in Texas-- including 2.2 million seniors on Medicare now receive preventative care services. Over 7 million Texans no longer have to fear lifetime limits on their healthcare insurance. Texas parents of 300,731 young adults can sleep easier at night knowing that their children can remain on their health insurance until age 26. The protection provided by this law is a guarantee to 5 million Texas residents that their insurance companies will spend 8o percent of their premium dollars on healthcare, or customers will get a rebate from their insurance company. In my state, there are 4,029 people who had no insurance because of pre-existing conditions, but today the Affordable Care Act has provided them with access to coverage. The Affordable Care Act means that many Texans are free of worry about having access to healthcare insurance. The Affordable Care Act has helped my constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas tremendously. Because of the Affordable Care Act: 11,400 young adults in the district now have health insurance through their parents' plan; Over 4,100 seniors in the district received prescription drug discounts worth $5.4 million, an average discount of $600 per person in 2011, $650 in 2012, and $1,040 thus far in 2013; 71,000 seniors in the district are now eligible for Medicare preventive services without paying any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductible; 121,000 individuals in the district--including 23,000 children and 50,000 women--now have health insurance that covers preventive services without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductible; 113,000 individuals in the district are saving money due to ACA provisions that prevent insurance companies from spending more than 20 percent of their premiums on profits and administrative overhead. Because of these protections; Over 31,100 consumers in the district received approximately $4.4 million in insurance company rebates in 2012 and 2011--an average rebate of $95 per family in 2012 and $187 per family in 2011; Up to 46,000 children in the district with preexisting health conditions can no longer be denied coverage by health insurers; 153,000 individuals in the district now have insurance that cannot place lifetime limits on their coverage and will not face annual limits on coverage starting in 2014; Up to 193,000 individuals in the district who lack health insurance will have access to quality, affordable coverage without fear of discrimination or higher rates because of a preexisting health condition; and The 17,000 individuals who currently purchase private health insurance on the individual or small group market will have access to more secure, higher quality coverage and many will be eligible for financial assistance. However, the list of benefits from the Affordable Care Act is not complete. In 2014, when the Affordable Care Act's final provisions will become effective, insurance companies will be banned from: discriminating against anyone with a pre-existing condition; charging higher rates based on gender or health status; enforcing lifetime dollar limits; and enforcing annual dollar limits on health benefits. In 2014, access to affordable healthcare for the self employed or those who decide to purchase their own coverage will be easier because of Affordable Insurance Exchanges. There will be a one-stop marketplace where consumers can do what Federal employees have done for decades-- purchase insurance at reasonable rates from an insurer of their choice. This will ensure that health care consumers get the care that they need from the medical professionals they trust most at a price they can afford. This Congress has work that needs to be done, and it is work that should be taken up to restore workers, their families, and communities to sound economic health. We do not have time time for partisan political games that do not advance the interests of the American people. With less than 20 days before enrollment in the Marketplaces begins, the last thing we should be doing is considering legislation that serves no purpose other than to delay affordable health care coverage to millions of Americans who need and deserve the security and peace of mind such coverage brings. I urge my Colleagues to put partisan politics aside and join me in voting no on the passage of this bill. Thank you, Madam Speaker. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC, August 29, 2013. Dear ------: Pursuant to Rules X and XI of the United States House of Representatives, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is examining the role Navigators will play in efforts to enroll individuals in health insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). On August 15, 2013, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded $67 million in Navigator Cooperative Agreements to entities that will assist consumers in preparing electronic and paper applications to establish eligibility and enroll in coverage through the PPACA marketplaces. Your organization was identified as a recipient of a Navigator grant by the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO).\1\ In order to better understand the work you will perform as a Navigator and the consumer protections that will be in place before open enrollment begins on October 1, 2013, we ask that you contact Committee staff to schedule a briefing to occur no later than September 13, 2013, to discuss your participation as a Navigator in the health insurance exchanges. We also ask that you provide written answers to the following questions and produce the materials requested no later than September 13, 2013: 1. Provide a written description of the work that will be performed with the funds obtained via your Navigator grant. This would include a description of the number of employees, volunteers, or representatives that will be utilized and the pay and duties for each, as well as a written description of how any other portion of the grant may be spent. If a budget or detailed description of how this funding will be utilized exists or will be created, provide these documents in addition to the written response requested. 2. Provide a written description of the training or education employees, volunteers, or representatives must complete, including training or education required by the Department of Health and Human Services (HMS), CMS, CCIIO, or any other federal or state entity. Provide a written description of any training or educational efforts employees, volunteers, or representatives must complete that are required by your organization beyond that required by any federal or state entity. Provide copies of these materials. 3. Provide a written description of the processes and procedures in place to monitor, review, or otherwise supervise your employees, volunteers, or representatives. If documentation of these standards exists or will be created, provide these documents in addition to the written response requested. 4. Provide a written description of how your organization will utilize the information obtained during performance of your Navigator grant. This would include, but is not limited to, descriptions of the measures your organization will take to safeguard an individual's personal and medical information. Furthermore, provide a written description of whether your organization may use any of the information obtained during performance of your Navigator grant, including any prohibitions on the use of that information. For example, please provide a written description of whether your organization may contact individuals who have utilized your services as a Navigator for the purposes of fundraising, voter registration efforts, campaign activities, or any other reason. 5. Provide a written description of whether your organization has been contacted by any health insurance company or health care provider to discuss your Navigator grant. This would include, but is not limited to, discussions of supporting your organization in any way or promoting the health insurance company or health care provider to individuals your organization may contact. 6. Provide all documentation and communications related to your Navigator grant. This would include, but is not limited to, materials your organization submitted in order to obtain the grant, materials provided to your organization upon obtaining the grant, and communications between your organization and representatives from HHS, CMS, CCIIO or any other federal or state entity. This request also includes, but is not limited to, any documents provided by (or communications with), representatives from HHS, CMS, CCIIO, Enroll America, or any other entity including federal or state governments discussing individuals to target or solicit for enrollment under the PPACA, including discussions or documents related to geographic area. Instructions for responding to the Committee's document request are included as an attachment to this letter. Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. If you have questions or wish to discuss your responses or production, please contact Karen Christian or Sean Hayes. Sincerely, Fred Upton, Chairman; Tim Murphy, Chairman, Marsha Blackburn, Vice Chairman; Phil Gingrey; Gregg Harper; Cory Gardner; Joe Barton, Chairman Emeritus; Joseph R. Pitts, Chairman, Subcommittee on Health; Michael C. Burgess, Vice Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations; Steve Scalise; Pete Olson; Morgan Griffith; Bill Johnson; Renee Ellmers; Billy Long.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, this is a great opportunity to rise today to salute and praise Dr. Thomas F. Freeman: educator, scholar, and legendary coach and teacher of the art of debate at the historic Texas Southern University, supporting the historic Texas Southern University debate team. For those of you who have not heard of that team, I ask you to look closely at the number of awards it has received because of this great educator. He comes from a great family with a great wife, who is also an educator. Today I rise to salute him as a first-rank scholar, but also as a person of great eloquence, talent, and oration, someone who was inspirational to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the honorable late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, my predecessor. A prodigy himself, Dr. Freeman graduated from Virginia Union University at 18 and went on to become a professor at Virginia Union before his 30th birthday. He would later receive degrees from Andover Newton Theological School, Harvard University, Chicago Divinity School, the University of Vienna in Austria, and the University of Liberia in Africa. Dr. Freeman was among a group of accomplished academics of color hired by Texas Southern University. What I want to say most about Dr. Freeman is that he is a renaissance man. He's a man of courage. He's a man who broke color lines, teaching at Rice University for 23 years. He is a man that has a number of sayings that are so vital. One is: There is an ethical dimension to leadership. If you do not consider ethics, then your leadership is hollow. I thank Dr. Freeman for being the kind of icon that America can honor. His leadership will be rewarded by the many students who have gone on to greatness because of his tutoring. In fact, even Denzel Washington was tutored by Dr. Thomas Freeman. He is 95 years old and will be honored in his retirement at Texas Southern University tomorrow, Friday, September 13, 2013. However, his light will continue to shine, for he will continue to work with students and to provide light to those who are willing to learn. Thank you, Dr. Freeman, for being a great American and a great leader and a man of ethics, passion, Christianity, and courage.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I was in this very building on 9/11. I was here when Members of Congress engaged in a meeting, and obviously not paying attention to the crisis around us until the instruction was given to flee. As we came out of offices and meeting rooms, we saw those who were fleeing and those who were trying to protect leadership, and others of us who were told to flee and hit the ground. But in actuality, what we began to think of is our loved ones in our district. We thought of America. And then after the fact, we thought of the brave souls that actually were saving lives in the Pentagon as we saw the billowing smoke. We heard the rumors of the White House, the State Department. We thought of those whom we had originally seen in New York. And, as well, we thought of those very, very heroic souls in Pennsylvania. Having gone to Ground Zero in the early stages when they were still in the recovery stage, I saw first responders still going, still pushing to be able to recognize and to find souls for their loved ones. So today, I hope that we will honor those who lost their lives from terrorist acts. And, Mr. Speaker, if I might say that we adhere to Isaiah 40:31, no matter what our faith: But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint. I hope America's future is in peace for those lost souls that we lost.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, just last week, the beginning of the school year, in Houston, Texas, we experienced an enormous tragedy in the loss of a young man due to school violence inside one of Houston's Harris County high schools. I rise today to extend sympathy to the family of Joshua Broussard and his friends, teachers, parents, and administrators, for it is an unspeakable act to have an incident that causes children to fear the very place where they should be safe and secure. I and all of our elected officials and law enforcement have already offered their commitment and time to work with the young people to restore their faith in the sanctity and security of schools, but, more importantly, to speak to the issue of bullying, to speak to the issue of violence, and to work with the parents to be able to say that violence in America's schools must end. We must also end it in terms of knives and guns. Children must feel loved. And so to Spring ISD, we look forward to coming to your school district and standing with the children to ensure that they know that there are those in the United States Congress like my good friend, Mr. Hoyer, and others that have stood against school violence and will stand together to ensure that our children can learn and are safe.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained in a classified security briefing on Syria and missed H.R. 2052, the Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2013, as amended. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.'' On H.R. 2844, the Federal Communications Commission Consolidation Reporting Act, I would have voted ``aye,'' and on the Journal vote, I would have voted ``aye.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, in the midst of serious discussions on America's next step forward on issues involving Syria, I rise simply to talk about local issues and issues impacting many Americans. One of them has to do with foster care and the situation of foster care in my own State, one dealing with children who've aged out in the city of Houston, and there are no facilities for them to be able to utilize, except for a few, like Little Audrey's, which is under siege, and which we're trying to draw the attention of the community to, to be able to help those children or young people that have no place to go, and then to provide more counselors for foster care children so they have a lifeline while they're in the foster care system. Finally, some good news: I want to salute the Zion Ministries, the church that I joined yesterday, where they received their marker of historic preservation in the Fourth Ward, Freedmen's Town area. In our local communities, good things are happening and challenges are happening, and I hope that, as we look at these hard decisions, we'll be able to work with our communities as well on some of the important issues they face.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I join in support of my colleagues Representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Steven Horsford in leading tonight's Congressional Black Caucus Special Order on the topic of Achieving Economic Security Through the Labor Movement. I want to offer special recognition for the men and women of labor who are dedicated to the working people of the 18th Congressional District and the Greater Houston area. I began my remarks with a special tribute to one of the greatest labor leaders that I have known and to honor the memory of Ronnie Raspberry of Houston, Texas. He passed away in April of this year, and he will be remembered as a champion of working people, one of the great community leaders in the cities of Houston and Harris in Texas. People like Harris Country AFL-CIO Council President E. Dale Wortham, IBEW, Local 716, Secretary-Treasurer Richard C. Shaw, Steven Flores, a member of the Latino Labor Leadership Council, Tawn E. MacDonald, CWA, Local 6222, Houston Chapter and Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), Zeph Cappo, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) and Scott Vinson, with the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), and Gayle Fallon, President--Houston Federation of Teachers improve the lives of working people in the city of Houston. This list is not complete with a special mention of Houston Educational Support Personnel Union President Wretha Thomas who works with local school bus drivers to be sure that their rights are included when district negotiate labor agreements. I want to say a word about Clyde Fitzgerald who was appointed to the Port of Houston Authority Commission by Harris County in June 2013. I cannot complete the Us of outstanding labor leaders in Houston with mentioning Dean E. Corgey who was appointed to the Port of Houston Authority Commission in January 2013. He represents the City of Houston, and serves on the Community Relations and Pension and Benefits Committees. John Bland with the Transport Workers Union (AFL-CIO) and leader of Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) is doing outstanding job as well. My thanks to the unions that represents Houston's First responders. I want to recognize Houston Police Officers Union President Ray Hunt and the Immediate Past President J.J. Berry. I count the International Association of Fire Fighters Houston Local 341 President Jeff Caynon and General President Harold Schaitberger as friends and I am like all Houstonians proud of how that serve the fire fighting community and our city as true selfless public servants. The most important thing to remember about unions is wrapped up in the answer to one question--What does labor want? Samuel Gompers-- Founder of the American Federation of Labor provided the answer: More. We want more school houses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more constant work and less crime; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful and childhood more happy and bright. These in brief are the primary demands made by the Trade Unions in the name of labor. These are the demands made by labor upon modern society and in their consideration is involved the fate of civilization. (1893) Quote: Martin Luther King: Unless man [and women are] . . . committed to the belief that all mankind are [our sisters and] . . . brothers, then [we] . . . labor . . . in vain and hypocritically in the vineyards of equality. The right to earn a living wage, to work in safe conditions, to enjoy a forty hour work week, have health care, be free of discrimination, have sick leave, receive overtime pay, have a pension, be free of sexual harassment have holiday pay and enjoy countless other protections comes as direct result of what Unions mean to working men and women of this nation. Some would have you believe that the working life of men and women is just the way it is--but in truth it is what the blood, sweat and tears of working people made it to be. Labor Day is celebrated in recognition of the toil and trials that millions of workers endured before they earned the right to collective bargaining and with that right the power to change the fate of working people for generations. The fruits of their effort extended to those in management as well as the poorest of the poor. Unions are the reason that the basic standard of living in the United States has risen, without the protection of unions advocating the behalf of workers those gains would be completely lost. During the last Congress I introduced the New Jobs for America Act, that directs the Secretary of Labor to make grants to state and local governments and Indian tribes to carry out employment training programs to aid unemployed individuals in securing employment in a new area of expertise, particularly in emerging markets and industries I also co-sponsored the American Jobs Act of 2011 which would have provided tax relief for American workers and businesses, to put workers back on the job while rebuilding and modernizing America, and to provide pathways back to work for Americans looking for jobs. I supported the Job Opportunities Between our Shores Act or JOBS Act that Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to direct the Secretary of Labor to make grants to or enter into contracts with eligible entities to carry out demonstration and pilot projects that provide education and training programs for jobs in advanced manufacturing. My heart where Fannie Lou Hamer's was during the civil rights movement--which was really more about economic rights to move up in our nation's socio-economic system. People were held down because they were women, black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, or poor. It is not a crime if you sweat when you work for a living and we should end the practice of dividing how workers are treated based on how they earn a living. Fannie Lou Hamer Quotes: To support whatever is right, and to bring in justice where we've had so much injustice. That is the reason, we are here tonight--to bring justice where we've had so much injustice in the unwillingness of the current Republican controlled Congress to acknowledge the value of your worth to the American economy by securing for your labor a living minimum wage. There is not America without the American worker. This is as true today was it was from the nation's earliest beginnings. At our earliest history workers were indentured servants, bonded persons, or slaves. The sweat of their brow carved a nation out of stone, swamp, and dense wilderness to become one the greatest nation the world has ever known. Historically, the path to the middle class for African Americans was through a union job. African-American workers are more likely to be union members because they know that acting as one is stronger than acting alone. This is the message of the civil rights movement and one that African Americans have learned well over the decades of struggle for equal rights. Equality also requires equal access to education, employment and pay. Coretta Scott King Quotes: The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, . . . a heart of grace and a soul generated by love. Unionized workers promote greater income equality and prevent wage discrimination. African American union workers earn up to $10,000 or 31% more per year than non-union members. In 2011, nearly 20 percent of employed African Americans worked for state, local, or federal government compared to 14.2% of Whites and 10.4 percent of Hispanics. African Americans are less likely than Hispanics and nearly as likely as Whites to work in the private sector, not including the self- employed. Few African Americans are self-employed--only 3.8 percent reported being self-employed in 2011--making them almost half as likely to be self-employed as Whites (7.2 percent). Unionized workers are more likely to receive paid leave, more likely to have employer-provided health insurance, and are more likely to be in employer-provided pension plans. The tools of unions must be part of the landscape for poor working Americans and the way forward for equity and fairness in income and the benefits of the success of our society. Unions play a pivotal role by ensuring workers has continued educational access for their current roles as well as encourage workers to pursue higher education. Nationally, 77 percent of union employees in 2009 were covered by pension plans that provide a guaranteed monthly retirement income. Only 20 percent of non-union workers are covered by guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions 20 percent. Union workers are 53.9 percent more likely to have employer-provided pensions. These are not isolated facts, when unions are strong and able to represent the people who want to join them, these gains spread throughout the economy and the overall community. Unions are not just good for workers. They are the best friend that a successful business can have. When workers form unions they are able to boost wages, which helps attract and retain staff for employers. When non-union companies increase their wages, it gives all workers more purchasing power. The benefits of unions flow to the entire community with a strong middle class have sufficient tax revenues to support schools, hospitals and roads. Today, labor unions are still on the forefront of efforts to ensure that the gains of the past are maintained and to fight for those still denied opportunity and equality Unions are a great community and I will tell you why you should be standing up with them for your rights. In 1968, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King went to Memphis to help sanitation workers who were fighting for their rights and dignity as people who worked hard for a living, but had no living wage. In 1968 Memphis the color of the skin of two black workers were prevented by Jim Crow laws from finding shelter from a cold rain sought warmth in the back of a sanitation truck and were crushed to death-- Martin Luther King could not keep silent nor turn away. He was killed in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel because of the power of his message to move the hearts and minds of people so that they would fight for the rights and dignity of working people everywhere. Talking Points: The 2013 Federal Poverty guidelines stipulate $23,550 for a family of four as poverty level. A $7.25 minimum wage earns $15,080 a year. Even at the poverty level of $23,550 for a family of four, families are unable to make ends meet and often have to sacrifice basic necessities. Fast food jobs used to be considered entry level jobs and often held by teenagers but now, in the new economy, the average age of a fast food worker is 28, many of which have families to support. A family living on $15,000 a year must sacrifice many basic necessities most of us take for granted--like healthcare, transportation, and food--to say nothing of the luxuries many of us enjoy on a regular basis. In Houston, nearly 500,000 people make poverty wages or less, or nearly one quarter of all Houstonians. The ripple effects of this amount of people given more spending power would create a tremendous amount of economic activity spurring job creation and new markets for small business. Fast food workers paid a living wage of $15/hr. not only puts food on their tables but also puts more money into the local economy. This is an economic engine that needs to be started. With 1.07 million restaurant and food service workers, Texas has the second-largest restaurant workforce in the nation. And it leads the nation in projected restaurant job growth between 2013 and 2023, according to the National Restaurant Association. The trade group predicts a nearly 16 percent jump in Texas restaurant and food service jobs in 10 years. Texas also had the nation's largest collection of minimum-wage workers last year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Texas accounted for nearly 13 percent of such workers across the country, the data showed. My thanks to my colleagues' Representatives Hakeem Jeffries and Steven Horsford for hosting this important special order.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, the American people want us to work together. You can poll any one of them that is coming through these halls as tourists, as Americans, and I know they want us to work together. I think it is important that we announce to the American people that we will immediately get rid of sequester and stop the laying off of valuable Defense Department workers and Health and Human Services workers, people who help generate the economy because of the work that they do in places beyond the beltway, government workers who are servants of the people. We need to get rid of sequester and begin to fund those child care seats that have been lost, those Meals on Wheels, and Medicare resources for our seniors. We need to stop playing around with the budget. We need to insist that the bills of the American people be paid through raising the debt ceiling, and not in an angry manner, but recognizing our responsibilities. We know that the NSA has been looked at. I stand here as someone who will stand on behalf of the civil liberties and civil rights of Americans. I have introduced an intelligence bill to review the enormous number of contractors that are being used to give top secret credibility and, as well, to do our outsourcing of our work. I have introduced a bill dealing with the FISA Court, to release the FISA Court opinions, because I believe it is important for the American people to know and be protected in their civil liberties. Finally, ObamaCare is one that I am proud to be supporting because it helps small businesses. It helps those who don't have care, and it provides for young people to have health coverage. ObamaCare serves the American people.