Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1713, ``Recognizing and Honoring the 50th Anniversary of Ruby Bridges Desegregation of a Previously All-White Elementary School.'' Let me begin by thanking my colleague, Representative John Lewis, for introducing this legislation into the House of Representatives as it is important that we recognize the great strides of the minority citizens of this country. In so doing, we remind America that she must never serve on her citizens the atrocities that occurred to the African-American under her watchful legal eye. This legislation celebrates the life of Ruby Bridges, born in Mississippi during a very turbulent era. It acknowledges a citizen's courageousness in holding America to the language of her landmark ruling--Brown v. Board of Education. Ruby Bridges acknowledges that growing up for her presented a very hard life. Having heard there were better opportunities in the city, Bridges moved along with her family, to New Orleans. While in New Orleans, the public schools were finally forced, under federal court order, to desegregate. In the spring of 1960, Bridges took a test, along with other black kindergarteners in the city, to see if she would go to an integrated school come September. That summer she and her parents learned she passed the test and had been selected to start first grade at William Frantz Public School. On the morning of November 14 federal marshals drove her and her mother the five blocks to William Frantz. We applaud Ruby Bridges for her stalwart tenacity and her courage, at such a young age, to be an advocate for change in America.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the children of Haiti need help. Children around the world need our help. But today in Haiti, thousands upon thousands of children are living in temporary tent conditions, in camps, many that have been ravaged by the waters and the heat and deteriorating conditions. Today in Haiti, the people of that country, particularly the children, are suffering from the epidemic of cholera. We did not take up the Help HAITI bill today, but I am asking that we begin a full press to provide better work conditions and living conditions, as well as a better quality of life for the children of Haiti. Cholera is an epidemic that can spread and kill thousands upon thousands of children. It is important for USAID and the donor countries that have indicated their willingness to donate to Haiti to get the donations in, and it is important now for the Government of Haiti to stand up and be heard on behalf of these children. I look forward to working with the Help HAITI bill to ensure that more children can be adopted. But the epidemic of cholera is spreading to these children, and we must help them now.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 1376, ``International Adoption Simplification Act.'' The aim of this bill is to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to simplify the process of international adoptions, especially in situations where time is of the essence to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of the child. First, I would like to thank my colleague Senator Amy Klobuchar and her fellow Senate co-sponsors for introducing this important legislation that openly embraces children. There are ample reasons American citizens opt to adopt children from abroad and now we have legislation that will help expedite the process and decrease the burdensome bureaucracy. The International Adoption Simplification Act will allow children in need of immediate adoption to become exempt from required admissions vaccination documentation. Children who have been adopted in a foreign country that is a signatory to the Hague Convention, or who are emigrating from such a country for U.S. adoption will be subjected to simplified adoption procedures. This bill comes at a point in history where simplification of international adoption is necessary to save lives. Haiti is experiencing record outbreaks of cholera and other infectious diseases resulting from the earthquake, incidents of genocide are taking place in Darfur, and terrorist activity is at its peak. The ability to remove innocent children from harms way, into the safe homes of loving parents allows America to further its notion that children are indeed the future. From this bill we can expect to see a surge in American adoptions globally, and a decrease in global child homelessness and poverty. By implementing this bill we are able to create jobs for government workers processing individual cases, child care providers, school teachers and many others who provide direct services aimed at youth. I stand today with Senator Amy Klobuchar and other members of Congress re-affirming my support of S. 1376. By enacting this legislation, we are able to boost the morale of frustrated parents who may have spent years in the adoptive process and provide children with stable homes, all the while, creating jobs in communities at a time when they are needed the most. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in support of S. 1376.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, thank you so very much for the opportunity to address this House on an important issue that will be confronting this Congress today, and that is the recommitment of the American people to a dream and a challenge of John F. Kennedy. Today we will reauthorize the NASA reauthorization bill, if you will, or the authorization bill, to be able to commit America's future to science and technology. Although I would have advocated stronger for the work of the House and Chairman Gordon, I believe that we have the opportunity now to save jobs and to promote science and technology and to provide for the creation of the heavy lift launch vehicle and stop the termination of the workforce, technical workforce and contractor jobs that are all across America from Mississippi to Houston, Texas. In addition, this funding will support the development of commercial crew services. Although I am concerned about the heavy emphasis on commercialization to the exclusion, sometimes, of human space exploration, I want to see jobs being created and jobs being saved. And so I will rise to the floor today thanking the House Science Committee and saying that NASA needs to be reauthorized and jobs need to be saved.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Minority institutions and the STEM program are also to be protected, as we come back and we are able to work with the appropriations process and work with the Senate on protecting these programs that are very important to Historically Black Colleges.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I thank the chairman very much. I served 12 years on the Science Committee, and I want to add my appreciation to Chairman Gordon for his service to the Nation and his service and his hard work for providing for America's competitive edge, not only in space but technology. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you to the ranking member. Thank you to Ralph Hall for his leadership. Thank you to the subcommittee chair for her great leadership and friendship to this agency. I rise today, as reluctant as my friends on the floor, the chairman and ranking member, to support this particular bill. But I'm glad to be able to be here to say to the NASA family that we are saving jobs, 10,000 potentially in the State of Florida, many others in the other States, and 6,000 in NASA Johnson. I am delighted to be able to say that this bill, the Senate bill, though I don't like the process, provides for immediate development to begin on a heavy lift launch vehicle, stops the termination of technical workforce and valuable contractor jobs, provides funding to support the development of commercial crew services, and funds additional technology development to lower costs of long-term space exploration. In addition, NASA Johnson will continue to provide the astronauts for the space station. We will be looking for the robotic research work that will address the question of space exploration. We'll also be doing the work for cargo and crew on the commercial side. And then as it relates to the issue of minorities, I want to ensure that as we hire or as we fire, if we have to, that those who are minorities who are last in are not the first out. I'm delighted to work with Senators Nelson and John Rockefeller to save the STEM program and the MUREP program. These cuts are unacceptable for the Minority University Research and Education and the STEM program. I'm delighted, however, that we'll be working with Senator Nelson and Senator Rockefeller to ensure that this program is included in the America COMPETES reauthorization and the funding for the STEM program. We have to save jobs in America but we have to stay at the cutting edge of science, and I believe this bill will help us make one step. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3729, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2010. Although I share the concerns of some of my House colleagues regarding the process with which this legislation came to the House from the Senate, especially those colleagues I served with on the House Science Committee for 12 years, I nevertheless do support this compromise legislation as the best way forward to strengthen NASA for the present and the future. I also believe this legislation will protect American jobs, drive innovation, and ensure that our Nation's youth are encouraged to pursue careers in science, exploration, engineering, technology, and math. Despite my concerns about the Administration's proposal to eliminate NASA's Constellation Program, I have concluded that we need to have this NASA reauthorization legislation in place to avoid a complete dismantling of the manned space program. Although I advocated strongly for preserving the Constellation program, it is important to adopt this compromise in order to save more than 6,000 jobs in Texas and 10,000 in Florida, which would be in jeopardy without this legislation. This legislation will speed development of the heavy lift rocket crucial for reaching beyond low-Earth orbit and essential to keeping Houston's Johnson Space Center at the heart of future manned space operations. This compromise would also help bolster small contractors in the greater Houston area who serve as sub-contractors for the major aerospace firms involved in NASA contracts. I have also had extensive discussions with Administrator Bolden who has communicated NASA's intention to work with the Congress to make the transition of the Constellation program smooth and effective. NASA and the space industry are critical to Houston's economic success in both the short and long term. According to the Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership, NASA accounts for nearly 16,800 direct federal jobs and serves as the engine for another 3,100 civilian jobs that together supply more than $2.5 billion in payroll into Houston's regional economy. Protecting the Johnson Space Center is of paramount concern to me, and I will continue to advocate on its behalf. This bill will authorize NASA appropriations for FY 2011-2013 with the same top-line budget values as the President's request to Congress. The bill would grow science, aeronautics, and space technology and define expanding human presence in space as the goal for human space flight beyond low-Earth orbit. Key objectives for human space flight would include full utilization of the International Space Station (ISS), maximizing the role of space exploration and technology in current and future missions, advancing knowledge and inspiring young people into higher education, and building upon international partnerships. Initially, I was concerned that the Senate version of the NASA Authorization Act could have led to cuts in funding for the Minority University Research and Education (MUREP) and STEM programs. This is because the legislation increased funding for the NASA Space Grant and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR) while keeping the topline authorization for education fixed, which could have led to other education programs such as MUREP and STEM being cut to provide for necessary offsets. However, I have worked with Senator John Rockefeller, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Senator Bill Nelson, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Science and Space, and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to ensure that funding for MUREP and STEM will be protected. The Senate is including language in the NASA title of the America COMPETES Reauthorization ensuring that funding for STEM programs are preserved and protected. Furthermore, Chairman Nelson has agreed to work with the Senate Appropriations Committee to ensure funding for MUREP is continued at existing levels. Administrator Bolden has also assured me that they will continue their active support of not just MUREP and STEM programs, but also continue their existing efforts to increase the participation of minority serving institutions in the NASA Space Grant and College Fellowship Program as well as the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. These agreements are crucial to ensuring that minority serving institutions and minority students are an integral part to NASA's future. The United States space program has existed for over half a century and this legislation reaffirms the ever growing and changing role of NASA, providing resources to carry the agency forward with its ambitious agenda of research, exploration, and discovery. Mr. Speaker, today's legislation will allow NASA to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, keeping our Nation on the forefront of innovation and exploration. It is the responsibility of this Congress to ensure that the future of NASA is one of continued progress. Space exploration remains a part of our national destiny. It inspires our children to look to the stars and dream of what they too, one day, may achieve. Space exploration allows us to push the bounds of our scientific knowledge, as we carry out research projects not possible within the constraints of the planet Earth. Today, NASA is the nations' primary civil space and aeronautics research and development agency, and its current activities employ over 18,000 Americans. Today's legislation emphasizes the importance of NASA leadership in a range of endeavors by investing more in NASA; extending the life of the international space station; launches a commercial space transportation industry; fosters the development of path- breaking technologies; helps create thousands of new jobs; and embarks on a fundamentally more ambitious strategy to expand our frontiers in space. Passage of this bill represents an important step forward towards helping NASA achieve key goals that President Obama has laid out, such as placing the U.S. space program on a more sustainable trajectory and inspiring a new generation of Americans to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This important change in direction will not only help NASA chart a new path in space, but also reshape itself for the industries and jobs of the future that will be vital for long term economic growth. As a Nation, we have made tremendous strides forward in the pursuit of space exploration since President John F. Kennedy set the course for our nation when on May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed: ``I believe this Nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish.'' Over the next 50 years, NASA has been involved in many defining events which have shaped the course of human history and demonstrated to the world the character of the people of the United States. The success of the United States space exploration program in the 20th Century augurs well for its continued leadership in the 21st Century. This success is largely attributable to the remarkable and indispensable partnership between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its 10 space and research centers. One of these important research centers is located in my home city of Houston. The Johnson Space Center, which manages the development, testing, production, and delivery of all United States human spacecraft and all human spacecraft-related functions, is one of the crown jewels of the Houston area. Always on the forefront of technological innovation, NASA has been home to countless ``firsts'' in the field of space exploration. America has, countless times, proven itself to be a leader in innovation, and many technologies that have become part of our everyday lives were developed by NASA scientists. The benefits of NASA's programming and innovation are felt far beyond scientific and academic spheres. Space technologies provide practical, tangible benefits to society, and NASA provides valuable opportunities to businesses in our community. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation, and in support of the future of American innovation, exploration, and jobs.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I traveled this journey with all of you. And Congresswoman Maloney, I wanted to come and thank you, along with the chairpersons of the Energy and Commerce and the Judiciary Committees, for never giving up. I think it is important to note that this bill will cover Pennsylvania, the Pentagon, and New York. And for those of us who listened to the families and the witnesses or the first responders themselves who saw the pain, and particularly those who already lost their lives, I think that this is a major step of balance, putting this in a system and a structure that has oversight, that provides ongoing care and provides for the coverage of those who, to this date, have suffered without coverage and comfort. So I rise to support this legislation, and I am very glad that the Judiciary Committee and Energy and Commerce continued to work, even when we were thwarted and rejected. We are now back with, I hope, the right approach, bipartisan approach. And I would ask all of my colleagues to ask the question what would they want to do for 9/11 responders, and that is, vote ``yes.'' Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act. As this Nation remembers, September 11, 2001, terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. An airplane was also crashed by terrorists in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The first responders including firefighters and emergency personnel, who assisted to the heinous attacks on the World Trade Center, were exposed to extremely toxic dust resulting from the collapse of the Twin Towers. This exposure has resulted in serious respiratory, related illnesses and serious medical conditions. I concur with my colleagues, enacting this offset into law has far reaching ramifications nationwide. This critical health program would monitor and provide specialized treatment through Centers of Excellence for responders including emergency personnel, rescue, and clean-up workers who responded to the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, as well as residents, workers, and students who returned to the World Trade Center area shortly after the attacks. Seventy-one thousand individuals are enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry, indicating they were exposed to the toxins. 36,000 Americans have received treatment for 9/11 related illnesses or injuries and over 53,000 responders are enrolled in medical monitoring. Additionally, over 10,000 people from across the country were on hand to assist in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. These responders came from nearly every congressional district and all 50 States. Funding for this health program to monitor and treat these responders and residents for resulting health conditions stemming from the terrorist attacks. Due diligence has been taken to assure that this offset will not adversely affect most foreign multinationals corporations by this offset. Most foreign multinationals will not be affected; given that these companies are organized in countries the U.S. has income tax treaties. It is imperative that we represent the tax payers of this Nation and close a loophole that has provided those multinational corporations, unfair competitive advantage over U.S. firms--allowing them to hide or shield their taxable income. This offset that must be enacted into law, would provide greater U.S. competition over rival foreign companies and illegal tax structures. Under the previous administration, the Under Secretary for Tax Policy clearly indicated some countries the U.S. has tax treaties negotiated decades ago, have adjusted their tax laws to become more like tax shelters. Must we allow this to continue and unfairly allow the shifting of income out of the U.S. tax jurisdiction and further erode our U.S. corporate tax base. This offset will aid U.S. based companies and eliminate their unfair competitive advantage afforded them through the U.S. tax code to these companies that have become tax shelters. Let us be clear, this offset seeks only those companies that have intentionally attempted to avoid U.S. taxes and disadvantage their U.S. competitors. As we enact fiscally sound and responsible legislation, it is important to note, this critical change is estimated to increase revenues by an estimated $7.4 billion over 2011 through 2020. We must live up to our obligation and not let the tragedy of 9/11 persist and continue to deeply scar those who we should laud as this Nation's heroes. We must applaud our responders and show them that assistance is clearly at hand. I was pleased to work long years on the Judiciary Committee with Chairman Conyers to come to this day. I thank Representative Carolyn Maloney and my colleagues in advance who will rise in support of this important Act and reconfirm our commitment to this nation, and our first responders. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support H.R. 847 and ask for its immediate adoption.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I thank the distinguished manager of this bill. Mr. Speaker, people are in need in America, and I support the rule and the underlying bills in intelligence, currency and, certainly, the legislation of H.R. 847, the James Zadroga 9/11 health bill. How long do those first responders have to wait? We have been on this floor before where we have embarrassed ourselves. These individuals who have lived--and some who have died-- were the first on line during the tragedy of 9/11. However, they were not captured in the relief and recovery. Many of them have suffered with respiratory diseases, and their families have suffered. Some have already lost their lives. It is crucial that we pass this bill. Similarly, I am hoping that we will have come to the floor legislation that will help my constituents in Houston, Texas, and Texas in the relief of Hurricane Ike, where we are trying to extend the Health and Human Services block grant dollars for the thousands of Hurricane Ike victims who have not been helped. Here, too, we need to help those individuals who are now trying to be processed because Federal Government dollars came late and came late to Catholic Charities and to other nonprofits which are trying to work. We are waiting on the legislation in the Senate. We hope that we will be able to move this. Otherwise, we hope that there will be some action by the administration. We can't act on H.R. 847 by any other means than to pass this legislation today. So my message is that we must pass this rule because people are in need. They ask this Congress: When are you going to stand for the people, stand for the victims of Hurricane Ike and stand for the first responders of 9/11? I ask my colleagues to support the rule.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Tomorrow, thousands of Hurricane Ike survivors across the gulf region may be stopped from receiving benefits that were due because of this terrible disaster. We have been working on this as the House and the Senate. The Senate passed the UC tonight to provide an extension for those benefits; however, we have not had an opportunity to do so, and many people are suffering. I hope that we will have that occasion again. I would like to yield to the distinguished majority leader to inquire about the needs of those Hurricane Ike victims across the whole gulf region, as we did for Katrina and Rita, the opportunity to work on this matter so that their benefits could be continued for the families that are in need.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I thank the gentleman. This is going to be comforting news to those individuals who are still suffering and living in the backdrop of Hurricane Ike. I encourage my colleagues to work with us.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I disagree with my good friends on the other side of the aisle. I believe this is a day long in coming and I am grateful for it, because what all of us have said is that the small businesses of America are the backbone of America, the job creators of America, and now we have an opportunity for the President to sign this bill that incorporates tax cuts and job creation. What has been the message of the American people? What have they told us? They've indicated that they want to have jobs. Right off, this bill provides extra opportunities in the small business trade opportunities, and it helps to leverage more than $1 billion in export capacity for small businesses, getting their products overseas in what we call the State Export Promotion Grant Program, which excites me, which allows us to help save 40,000 to 50,000 jobs in 2010. And so we give them a step up to get their goods overseas. And we've got some talented small businesses who simply ask us, How do we promote our product overseas? After this bill is signed by the President, they will have a helping hand. For a startup business in 2010, we double the deduction for a startup from $5,000 to $10,000. One of the great complaints of small businesses is how do we do business with this massive Federal Government? Well, I will tell you. We're now going to increase the percentage of small businesses doing business with the Federal Government and create the opportunity for more of them to get contracts and more jobs to be created. I'm grateful that this is a tax cutter as well, with a 100 percent exclusion of capital gains, and of course the opportunity to expand in lending by increasing the capacity of the Small Business Administration to provide access to credit. Loan limits have been increased, and I'm grateful that this bill is going to be passed today and small businesses will be helped.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I want to thank the manager of the bill, Chairman Pallone; and thank the author and, if you will, visionary of the bill, Mr. Stupak; and Mr. Whitfield for their leadership. I rise today because this is an interesting and important bit of legislation as relates to physicians under the Energy and Commerce and HHS. It's important because it helps to track or determine who might be an addict, and as well to engage the medical profession in helping to end or to stem the tide of prescription drug abuse. Interestingly enough, in this legislation there are privacy provisions, which I want to applaud and to say to all those who may be listening, this is a lifeline to stop the prescription drug abuse through legitimate medical resources and professionals, and as well for those who are legitimately ill, prescription drugs are prescribed and they find themselves addicted. When I left Texas in the last 24 hours, interestingly there was another effort going forward, Mr. Pallone, that had to do with our Drug Enforcement Agency, where about 10 or so sites were being set up to encourage people to give back old or aged drugs in their drug cabinets, if you will, or in their prescription cabinets, or in their medical cabinets at home. And these sites were in schools and community buildings. As I read of this project, which obviously this was a proud effort, and I want to congratulate law enforcement, I had a concern. The concern was privacy, whether or not this was coordinated to ensure that if you gave a bottle of prescription drugs that still in fact was filled, whether or not there was a privacy procedure of either removing those labels, or maybe they expected you to remove those labels, and then also what would be the ultimate results. If they saw someone returning five bottles of such and such that happened to be an addictive drug and their names were on it, what kind of protection, or what kind of treatment, or what kind of referral would these individuals receive? I think that's an important point. That is why I rise today on this legislation, and I look forward to reviewing this legislation, even as it passes, to assess whether or not our friends in the legal end of it, the DEA in particular, and I would hope maybe that the representatives from the DEA would meet with me in my office about their approach to ensure that it has the requirements and the restraints that we see in this present legislation. I want to congratulate the authors of this legislation because of that very fact. I would just like to add one other point, if I could, as I close on my remarks. Having not been here for the legislation to deal with H.R. 5494, which is Ms. Norton's legislation, which talks about the National Park Service and Secretary of the Interior transferring certain properties to the District of Columbia, it may not be equal, but I do want to make note that the GSA is holding property that the Texas Military History Museum has been paying rent on or paying taxes on because of their belief it belongs to them, and because the GSA had basically lost the property or had forgotten it existed. I look forward to them following at least the parameters of this legislation, where they can transfer those assets to a very important and distinctive group, the Texas Military Museum Association, that has now made this a military museum for Texans and for America. This was certainly appropriate to do so. Finally, I want to make sure that I add my support to legislation, if it's coming to the floor, dealing with Rosa's Law, that is a Senate bill. And I will add supporting statements to the record. But in conclusion, I think that this legislation, H.R. 5710, is a model for what can be an important life saver in America, and that is to get people to be weaned off of addictive drugs, but have a way of processing and determining where those drugs are, whether there is an addicted person, and how they can secure care. So I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 5710, and I look forward to the Drug Enforcement Agency working with my office on the kind of restraints that are hopefully helpful when they have these mass campaigns for people to drop off old prescriptions and to make sure that they follow suit and do the right thing for the people of this country.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I heard quite the contrary from my good friend on the other side of the aisle. In fact, I listened to a very eloquent comment being made in the other body as they discussed the DREAM Act. And many Americans understand and appreciate the value of legislation that would allow young people who have lived here and graduated with honors and high marks to be able to go to college even if they came with their parents undocumented, to allow them to access citizenship, to pay back their dues to the American people, to give of their talents to make this economic engine run and to serve their country. There was an amazing story recounted of a young man who tried over and over again to be able to join the United States military and was rejected over and over again because of his undocumented status. By some manner he managed to go on to school and enter into law school. Now, even as a person that is still seeking the appropriate status, he still wants to join the Marine Corps. The DREAM Act is the right kind of comprehensive immigration reform, or part of it. It is time to move forward.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I thank the chairman very much for presiding over this very important legislation. As I have noted, any number of bills from the Energy and Commerce committee have been very constructive. I thank the manager from our friends on the other side of the aisle, and I thank in particular Representative Harman and the collaborative effort between Energy and Commerce and, as well, Veterans' Affairs. This bill, modest in funding--and I would like to emphasize that before I even speak about its importance--modest in funding, $5 million per year between 2011, I believe, and 2015, takes an important step toward the value that we place on our service men and women. One, we thank them while they are serving, and we have made a commitment to thank them when their service is finished. My State happens to be unique in having the highest percentage of returning soldiers, in particular from Iraq and Afghanistan, in the State of Texas. In addition, many of you are aware of many of the bases in our State, but, as well, you are aware of the horrific tragedy that occurred at Fort Hood just a few months ago and, of course, coming up on its first-year recognition. In that instance, many were lost, but some were injured; and the idea of using soldiers who have been trained by the military to return home for first responder utilization is a brilliant idea and one that is long in coming. It is well known that veterans do have a higher unemployment in the general population in many instances. But also, Mr. Speaker, we know that many of our veterans, because of a number of serious issues, find themselves homeless. Where is our continued promise about treating them with the same respect and dignity that we have done so while they were in the service and then when they are out? So this particular legislation, H.R. 3199, does two things that I think are enormously important, takes advantage of the important talent that is coming home, that wonderful training that saves lives on the battlefield to use in America's emergency rooms. Then I was so delighted to be able to hear that as we move to have this massive and important change in medical reform, health care reform that is going to save lives--particularly, I think, tomorrow will be a number of new provisions coming out in the health care bill--now we have the ability to assess the training of these very fine men and women to serve in America's medical professions. This is key. It's a great partnership. I thank the author of the bill. I rise to support it. I am loudly saying to those who are returning home to Texas and other States around the Nation that we now have an opportunity to use your great talents to save lives, to be in America's hospitals, to be in fire stations, to assist police officers and to be there when danger and disaster comes to face Americans on the home soil. What better way of using the great talent that we have. The men and women who were willing to offer their lives on the battlefield now can come home and serve their fellow Americans in one of the highest professions we have and that is the health care profession, where you can say that no matter where you are, you have the ability to save lives. I ask my colleagues to support enthusiastically H.R. 3199.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, this is a special time that we have an opportunity to listen closely to our colleagues and to share some of the pearls of those who live in the United States with our colleagues. And it gives me great pleasure to be able to come today and to express my deepest love and affection for a wonderful woman, a woman of strength, who has gone home to rest and to receive joy. Beulah Shepard is a very special person in the eyes of our community, Houston and Texas. And today I stand on the floor of the House to call her an American hero. Beulah Shepard passed away this last week, and so we have only our memories. But I want to say to those of you who have known someone that has touched your life, let me just simply tell you the story of my friend Beulah Shepard. She of course was a mother, was a wife. She has children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. And of course she understood the Constitution, and believed in one vote for every human being. I had a chance to talk to her wonderful daughters, Bobbie and Dianne, and the wonderful family that she has as she lived her last years. And I will tell you our community will remember her as a political icon, someone you went to if you knew what was right, if you wanted to be part of the Houston political community. But my husband and I know her as friends. And she greeted us as a young couple, and told us how to stay on the straight and narrow. I know her wonderful grandson, who was challenged, and how she was endeared with him. And everywhere Sister Beulah went, her grandson went with her. I loved watching him grow up. Yes, a political icon she was. But she was more than that. As a mother she loved, as a grandmother she loved. But she believed in public service, not in just the idea of the name of politicians. She believed that if you accepted the oath of office you must serve the public. She did so. As a member of the United Way board, one of the first African Americans to ever serve on our Harris County United Way board, she made sure that the vulnerable were taken care of. A member of the Harris County Council of Organizations. An active and loving member of the Galilee Baptist Church, where she loved her pastor, Pastor Davis, and the first lady. More importantly, let me tell you that she was a woman of courage and strength and inspiration. I loved her when she stood and fought. She would understand all the debate, those who are against and those who are for. But I tell you she would tell it straight. And the way she would say it is that health care is going to help those who have never had health care before. She would say to those soldiers ``thank you'' for fighting on the front lines for our freedom. And she would say to them, I am using that freedom. Because you know, Beulah Shepard had to buy a poll tax to vote. She bought it in 1948. She came to Texas from Louisiana. She was named for her grandmother. She came from the salt of the earth. But she is an inspiration to all of us. And I am excited today to be able to say that Beulah Shepard lived to be 87 years old and had as one of the starring moments of her life to be able to vote for President Barack Obama. And why do I say that? Because Beulah Shepard walked and fought so that there might be those who would vote who had never voted before to have the opportunity to choose someone of their choosing. Let me tell you what she did in Commissioner Squatty Lyons' office. Yes, she worked historically for this commissioner as the first African American among some that came after in those offices. I am gratified for that, because she took care of the vulnerable, those who were afraid to come downtown, those who didn't think government would work for them. Beulah Shepard took care of them. She will be laid to rest in these next hours. And I will simply say that we have the flag waving over this great woman's life and legacy. Why do I say that, having not had her serve in the United States military? Because I know that our military represents the people of the United States and all of us have the opportunity to represent the value of the flag of this country. That value is to be able to cherish democracy, justice and to have the courage to fight for it, a loving mother who nurtured her children, a loving friend who cared for everyone, someone who brought joy. And it was a great joy to me to spend time with her in these last few years as she was so joyful with her family members all around her. She smiled, what a beautiful smile. When we took our pictures together in the front yard and inside the house, I know that she had great joy. So, Mr. Speaker, it is with great sympathy to the family that I offer, on behalf of the United States Congress, this tribute to Beulah Shepard. God bless you, may you rest in peace, and we love you.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, seeing that we have no other speakers, let me simply conclude by thanking my distinguished friend from Utah. We worked together on other issues. If I might take a point of personal privilege, I have never doubted his commitment when we speak of these humanitarian issues, and I want to thank you for that. As well, I want to thank Mr. Barrow for his leadership on the issue and hope that he will join us as we work on these devastating conditions in Pakistan. I ask my colleagues to support this very important legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Let me thank the distinguished gentleman from Georgia, and let me thank him very much for his very important statement on this important resolution. And as well I would like to thank the chairman of our full committee, Mr. Berman, and the ranking member of our full committee, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, and the manager of this legislation for the minority for the words that I believe are enormously important. Let me indicate to my colleagues that this may be the most important, or one of the most important, and devastating humanitarian crises that we have faced over the time frame that we have been in Congress. And let me say this. We have gone through Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As I stand here today, there are a number of hurricanes that are in the gulf region. We add our sympathy to the people in California experiencing an enormous and terrible explosion. To my friend from Utah, he knows that those dear friends have experienced their own share of concerns certainly with natural disasters. So we don't take anything away from the suffering of the American people or others. Many of us remember the tsunami, for all of our communities were engaged in trying to get our hands around that natural disaster and to be of help. But as many have expressed as they have come back to the United States from Pakistan, Madam Speaker, I can assure you that this looms so large that it is without description. The reason is because we know that there was rain, we know that there was a flood, or flooding, but we probably are not aware that the water has remained in place in so much and so many areas of Pakistan that it equals the size of States like Rhode Island. So we have people who cannot return even to see what remains or what losses they have experienced, or to even begin to recover and to rebuild. I would encourage my colleagues to see the extent of that damage by way of a presentation that is being made today, the Pakistan Flood Disaster Photo Exhibit, from which I will just share one picture. And you can go to the Rayburn Foyer all day today and see the depth of the devastation. So I want to thank you, Madam Speaker, as I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1613, expressing condolences to, and solidarity with, the people of Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating floods that began on July 22, 2010. I would like to thank my colleague, Chairman Berman, for introducing this important and timely resolution, which I offer and know that many have cosponsored, including myself. On July 22, Pakistan experienced one of the heaviest monsoon rains in at least 80 years in the region. For those who have been to Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, we understand the terrain of that Nation and realize that it is again unspeakable in its description. The massive amount of rain triggered both flash floods and river flooding throughout Pakistan, leading to widespread displacement, infrastructure damage, and contamination of water sources. Madam Speaker, I have spoken about the value of clean water for many years as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, but as well in general in this Congress. And I will tell you that as Pakistani Americans have come to my office, they have said the most deadly aspect of this flood is for mothers and babies and children and families not to be able to have clean water. And therefore disease being spread through lack of clean water, seeing malnourished children, but children who are likewise devastated by not having water suffering from infection and disease. The flooding has caused a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions that has affected over 20 million people, which aid agencies assert has a greater human impact than Pakistan's earthquake in 2005, the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, and the recent earthquake in Haiti combined. More than 1,750 people have been killed; 2,700 have been injured; and millions of men and women and children are displaced. Let me be very clear: we do not do one-upsmanship in disasters. We do not diminish Haiti; we do not diminish the tsunami or the earthquake. What we are saying is that the disaster we speak of today is ongoing, as there are in other places around the world, but ongoing to the extent that people who want to help, to come in and help and be part of recovery, cannot get to where they need to be. Moreover, flooding is expected to intensify as rains continue. In the Sindh and Punjab provinces, for example, earlier rainfall in the north has led to rising levels in the Indus River and is expected to coincide with increased rainfall. The flood disaster, which started 2 months ago as a result of heavy monsoon rain, has left more than 20 million people suffering in the ravaged conditions. One-fifth of Pakistan is submerged in water, destroying critical infrastructure, schools, homes, hospitals, business and farms. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families in Pakistan and those individuals here in the United States who have loved ones in the affected areas. I am urging our government to offer resources and expertise, including assistance and recovery efforts, to help our friends in Pakistan make it through this tragic episode. We are now discussing how we provide new technology to decontaminate the water, and I hope that the State Department will receive the information that my office has to work on this new technology and literally carry it over to be able to decontaminate this water and to provide clean water to the refugee camps but also to those who may have been able to make it close to where their home was. I have been working with the State Department to increase humanitarian relief funds for Pakistan and have asked for additional funds that have already been authorized for Pakistan to be reprogrammed in order to bolster relief and reconstruction efforts. I again want to mention the Foreign Affairs Committee. I want to again mention our chairman and ranking member who have never stepped away from the international devastation that so many of our friends experience. The Foreign Affairs Committee has stood front and center to work with the Senate and work with the administration to ensure that the faith and the friendship of the United States is front and center on these terrible disasters. I thank the committee again. I also wrote a letter to President Obama with Representative Dan Burton, my fellow cochair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, expressing our deep concern for the humanitarian tragedy in Pakistan and asking them to expedite the flow of U.S. aid, supplies and workers in the region. I would like to take this opportunity to encourage the President to aid Pakistan and to add Pakistan to his trip to South Asia, which is planned for the fall, and hope that we could join with him. Madam Speaker, the key is how do we find solutions, and I would ask that we as Americans not be defined, as small news postscripts suggest, that we are not contributing to the aid of the Pakistani people. First of all, we are moving emergency dollars, but I also hope that we can draw upon Americans' individual caring and humanitarian commitment so that we can send a mercy plane stocked with medicine and baby formula and clothing for children and school supplies in short order to this devastated region. In Houston, a number of my constituents met as a part of the Pakistan Caucus to commit themselves to this great humanitarian effort, and we would call upon all who can hear my voice to participate in helping us pursue that. This resolution is a very important statement that says to the American people and to our colleagues that we are supporting the people of Pakistan who need our help. I do again want to acknowledge the partnership of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus and the Pakistani American Leadership Center that is bringing these Pakistan relief workers here to discuss the devastating conditions in Pakistan. I also want to mention Ambassador Anne Patterson, who is still in Pakistan, who has been a stalwart of representation of the United States, who has been through the earthquake, who has been through the tragedy of the loss of Benazir Bhutto and now this unspeakable tragedy of flooding and has maintained the leadership of the United States. I am very glad that we have this resolution on the floor of the House. I want to thank my friend and colleague who likewise has given a very important statement, as well as the gentleman from Georgia, to acknowledge this resolution to express our commitment to the people of Pakistan. I look forward to visiting Pakistan to see firsthand the extent of the devastation and to assess and assist in the relief efforts. With the need for reconstruction and recovery efforts growing, I believe it is vital that we lead a congressional humanitarian mission to Pakistan, which will signal to those people that the friendship between the United States and Pakistan remains unbroken as we fight the war on terror and continue to hope to improve the lives of the men, women and children of this great nation. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 1613, ``Expressing condolences to and solidarity with the people of Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating floods that began on July 22, 2010.'' I would like to thank my colleague, Chairman Berman, for introducing this important and timely resolution. On July 22, 2010, Pakistan experienced one of the heaviest monsoon rains in at least 80 years in the region. The massive amount of rain triggered both flash floods and river flooding throughout Pakistan, leading to widespread displacement, infrastructure damage and contamination of water sources. The flooding has caused a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented proportions that has affected over 20 million people, which aid agencies assert is a greater human impact than Pakistan's earthquake in 2005, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and the recent earthquake in Haiti combined. More than 1,750 people have been killed, 2,700 have been injured, and millions of men, women, and children are displaced. Moreover, the flooding is expected to intensify as rains continue. In Sindh and Punjab provinces, for example, earlier rainfall in the north has led to rising water levels in the Indus River and is expected to coincide with increased rainfall. The flood disaster, which started two months ago as a result of heavy monsoon rain, has left more than 20 million people suffering in ravaged conditions. One fifth of Pakistan is submerged in water, destroying critical infrastructure, schools, homes, hospitals, businesses, and farms. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families in Pakistan and those individuals here in the United States who have loved ones in the affected areas. I am urging our government to offer any resources and expertise, including assistance with recovery efforts, to help our friends in Pakistan make it through this tragic episode. I have been working with the State Department to increase humanitarian relief funds for Pakistan and have asked for additional funds that have already been authorized for Pakistan to be reprogrammed in order to bolster relief and reconstruction efforts. I also wrote a letter to President Obama with Rep. Dan Burton, my fellow Co-Chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, expressing our deep concern for the humanitarian tragedy in Pakistan and asking him to expedite the flow of U.S. aid, supplies, and workers into the region. I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage President Obama to add Pakistan to his trip to South Asia, which is planned for this fall. In light of the recent devastation affecting Pakistan and our important alliance with Pakistan in our anti-terrorism efforts in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, I think President Obama's visit would communicate to both the people and government of Pakistan the extent of our national commitment to their welfare. Madam Speaker, the scale of the devastation is so large that it will take months before we know the actual death toll and be able to assess the damage of the flood. Hospitals are overwhelmed with the injured and thousands of people are stuck on their rooftops and in higher areas as they try to escape rushing floodwaters. Thousands of victims require additional shelter with the cold weather approaching; falling temperatures, food shortages, and water-borne diseases are making it necessary for Pakistan to shelter, cloth, and feed the millions of displaced and homeless before freezing temperatures arrive. As Co-Chair of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus, I am extremely concerned with the security of the region. It is critical that the United States offer the economic and humanitarian assistance necessary for Pakistan in its recovery efforts. In a region of political and religious turmoil, the United States must do all it can in order for Pakistan's fragile democracy to survive and thrive. Furthermore, as Co-Chair of the Pakistani Caucus, I have taken the initiative to work with several Pakistani organizations and members of the Pakistan community in Houston and throughout the United States to increase awareness and coordinate relief efforts in Pakistan. I have organized meetings and briefings in both Houston and Washington, D.C. as well. This includes a photo exhibit that is occurring in the Rayburn House Office Building foyer today that is being hosted by the Congressional Pakistan Caucus and the Pakistani American Leadership Center (PAL-C) illustrating the extent of the damage caused by the floods in Pakistan. My commitment to the people of Pakistan is unwavering, and I look forward to visiting Pakistan soon to see firsthand the extent of the devastation and to assess and assist in the relief efforts. With the need for reconstruction and recovery efforts growing, I believe it is vital to lead a Congressional humanitarian mission to Pakistan, which will signal to the people and the nation of Pakistan the extent of our commitment to addressing the challenges they face in the recovery efforts. Congress of the United States, Washington, DC, September 8, 2010. Hon. Barack Obama, President of the United States of America, The White House, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. President: As co-chairs of the Congressional Pakistan Caucus we remain deeply concerned about the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Pakistan due to the recent historic floods. We respectfully ask you to do everything possible within your authority to help expedite the flow of U.S. and international aid supplies and workers into the region. By all accounts, the flooding in Pakistan has now affected more than 20 million people, which aid agencies say is a greater human impact than Pakistan's earthquake in 2005, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, and the recent earthquake in Haiti combined. Sadly, despite the commendable generosity of the American people and the international community to date, the situation appears to remain perilous. Reports indicate that waterborne disease is rapidly spreading among tens of thousands of flood victims. In addition, food shortages are becoming a major concern as the market prices of essential foods have skyrocketed after billions of dollars worth of crops were destroyed by the flood waters. We commend the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for immediately undertaking an aid mission to the region; however, we concur with John Holmes, the UN Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs' opinion that ``these unprecedented floods pose unprecedented logistical challenges, and this requires an extraordinary effort by the international community.'' The United States has an historic opportunity to reshape America's image in Pakistan by taking the lead in aggressively addressing Pakistan's immediate relief needs as well as forging international consensus to address Pakistan's longer-term reconstruction needs. For example, last year Congress authorized $7.5 billion in civilian aid to Pakistan; of which approximately $1 billion was set aside for democracy building. While we strongly support efforts to strengthen Pakistan's democratic institutions, relief and rehabilitation of the floods victims is a more pressing need. Reprogramming those funds for humanitarian relief would immediately quadruple U.S. aid funds--hopefully spurring other nations to follow suit--and it would do so at no additional cost to the U.S. taxpayer. We also respectfully urge you to give all due consideration to using the power of the Presidency's bully pulpit to highlight the plight of Pakistanis to the U.S media and encourage Americans to consider donating to the relief effort. The American people are extremely generous. Time and time again, whenever they have been asked, the American people have rallied to help people around the world. We are confident that the American people will once again demonstrate their generosity by donating to the Pakistani relief efforts if they are made more aware of the tragedy; and a statement from the White House is certain to garner such media attention. To that end, we respectfully ask you to consider making a public appeal to the American public on behalf of the people of Pakistan. Mr. President, the global fight against extremists who exploit the religion of Islam is not only a military struggle but a struggle to win the hearts and minds of the Muslim world; particularly the young people. We know that the U.S. response to the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan led to a short-term positive increase in public opinion of the United States in Pakistan. A significant and long-term commitment by the United States to help Pakistan recover from these devastating floods could have an even more profound affect. If we do not seize this opportunity we significantly increase the chances that Pakistan may fall under the influence of extremist elements; that would be disastrous for our future security. We must address the human tragedy unfolding in Pakistan now before it is too late. So once again, we respectfully ask you to everything possible within your authority to help expedite the flow of U.S. and international aide supplies and workers into the region. We thank you for giving your personal time and attention to this critically important matter. Sincerely, Dan Burton, Member of Congress. Sheila Jackson Lee, Member of Congress. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res 1610--a resolution expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the terrorist attacks launched against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001. The legacy of the events of September 11, 2001 still resonates today. We will never forget the harrowing experience of the loss of more than 3,000 lives that marked this national tragedy. We will never forget the events of that day, nor those who paid the ultimate price. We will forever remember how the country suffered profound sadness, the likes of which we as a nation hope to never experience again. Madam Speaker, I recall vividly the intense emotions evoked as the attacks unfolded. The nation watched in horror as two airliners crashed into the Twin Towers and brought down the World Trade Center. That horror intensified as we witnessed an attack on the Pentagon, and a crashed airplane in Pennsylvania. Horror turned to anger as it came to light that the attacks were the actions of hate-filled cowards who had no respect for human life. I remember too, that in the aftermath of these senseless attacks, we came together as a nation and with friends from around the world united in grief and sadness. That moment transformed our country and the world, as the resolve of our nation strengthened and our principles hardened. We remember the heroes from that day; those who ran into the danger, sacrificing themselves to save strangers. They were the brave firefighters, police officers, and civil servants who died in the service of protecting others. We remember the heroes from United Flight 93 who overpowered the terrorists and gave their own lives to prevent the deaths of countless others. We hope that their families can take some small measure of comfort knowing that Americans have made a permanent place for those heroes in our hearts. In Houston, we mourned the loss of two of our own: Naval Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel Martin Caballero and Army Lieutenant Colonel Karen Wagner. Twenty-one-year-old Petty Officer Caballero was an electronics technician who had a bright life ahead of him. Forty-year- old Lt. Col. Wagner had a distinguished career as a medical personnel officer in the office of the Army surgeon general. Both lives were taken when United Flight 77 was steered into the Pentagon. Madam Speaker, I ask that we also pay tribute today to those who have fought the wars borne from September 11th. In the years since that tragic day, our country has fought ardently to eliminate the enemies who would work to perpetuate the culture of fear and violence borne from 9/11. In Afghanistan and Iraq, our Armed Forces demonstrate that a resolved and determined America will always prevail. The men and women of the U.S. military prove daily that their commitment to protecting and defending our country is steadfast. Let us remember those who fought and died while serving the country, let us honor those who continue to fight, and let us pledge our unending support for our soldiers and their families. As Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee and a Senior Member of the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary Committees, I believe that we must continue to honor the fallen by working to prevent needless deaths. In the years since September 11, 2001, Congress has worked hard to make sure that such a tragedy will never happen again. In large part, we have taken heed of the advice of the 9/11 Commission and built a strong system to prevent future attacks. Madam Speaker, I rise before this body to say that our work is not yet done. Domestic terrorism is alive. Last year we witnessed both the Time Square and the Christmas Day failed terrorist attempt at Detroit- bound Flight 253. We must not let another tragedy occur. Preventing terrorism at home begins with addressing terrorism abroad. We must engage nations that are susceptible to the influence of extremists and arm them with the tools to fight radicalism. That means not only providing weapons of war but also increasing education, improving living conditions, and increasing the capacity to govern. The struggle against terrorism will be won in the hearts and minds of people around the world. Madam Speaker, I urge all members to join me in supporting H. Res. 1610. Let us remember this day and the tragedy that befell the nation by properly honoring the victims with our renewed commitment to America's security.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. I know that as my colleagues listen to the debate on the floor of the House, they don't have the full picture of Members returning from work recess, where we have been meeting with constituents, to come here today to take this important step. We are the People's House, and it certainly gives us no trouble to fly in to be able to make this important decision. But this is out of the ordinary. And it is out of the ordinary because you are looking at people who really care about what is happening, the strangulation of our States and the losses and the pink slips that teachers are getting so that our children cannot learn and be part of the competitive edge in the world. I know it factually, having more than seven school districts in my community. Today we are doing something that Chairman Obey deserves credit for, for his vision and his tenacity, someone who knows what it is to be without. Today we are talking about helping people. And I am sorry that the other body took so long, and I am sorry they took it out of EITC, and I am sorry they did not handle this in the right way, but we have a crisis going on. So these thousands of dollars that will help per teacher to save these teachers and firefighters and police officers, so that maybe the three little girls that were killed by a drunk driver in my district would not have faced such, with more law enforcement to tell people you can't drive while you are drunk.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. That would guarantee these emergency Federal education funds are actually spent on education in Texas. As drafted, this Texas fix has no impact on anything else. I am standing here because it is about education and public safety. I believe we are doing the right thing, and I ask my colleagues to vote on the underlying bill and the rule. I rise in strong support of the rule for H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. I support this legislation because it will save and create 319,000 American jobs--many of them in the education and health sectors. In less than a month, millions of American students will return to school eager to begin a new year of academic and personal growth. However, the quality of the schools they return to is a matter to be determined. Throughout the country, thousands of teachers have lost, or risk losing, their jobs. This is something our children and our educators can ill afford. As we work to regain economic ground, this legislation provides a total of $10 billion in funding for education jobs to sustain thousands of schools educating millions of children. Moreover, this includes $830.2 billion dollars for primary and secondary schools in the state of Texas. I am pleased that this legislation includes a provision that requires Governor Perry to certify that these emergency appropriations for public education will be used solely to add new funds for public education and not misused for other purposes. We all recall what happened last year when Governor Perry misused the Economic Recovery Act State Stabilization funds. In that instance, Governor Perry used $3.2 billion in similar aid last year as a substitute for, not an addition to, state aid to school districts. That was outrageous. It ignored the intent of our legislation, and it denied our children the education that they deserved. I want to stress that the provision will not create a compliance burden on the state of Texas. Rather, it says only that the state cannot take the federal aid and then use it as an excuse to make disproportionate cuts in state education aid to school districts, relative to other parts of the state budget that might also have to take a hit in the next budget cycle. This required assurance is no more onerous than assurances Governor Perry has given previously to receive billions of dollars in other federal funds. Texas cannot afford to be left out again, and I join the Texas Democratic Delegation and groups of teachers, principals and administrators from across the state of Texas who strongly support this provision. Madam Speaker, I applaud you for reconvening this week to pass this crucial legislation. We have a bold vision for creating and sustaining an education system that prepares our children to excel. As President Obama said yesterday in Texas, ``education is the economic issue of our time.'' I could not agree more. Today we have the opportunity to pass legislation that will impact education jobs today and our children's job prospects tomorrow. With schools forced to make difficult personnel decisions before the start of the school year, this legislation is the necessary action at the necessary time. According to updated estimates from the Department of Education, the $10 billion education funding will save 161,000 teacher jobs. In addition to education jobs funding, this legislation will also save and create jobs in the health sector. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, a non-partisan think tank, the Medicaid funds will save and create 158,000 jobs, including preventing the layoff of police officers and firefighters. More than half these jobs will be in the private sector, including workers who contract for or supply services to state and local governments. Under the Recovery Act, enacted in February 2009, the federal Medicaid matching rate was increased by 6.2 percentage points for all states and by additional percentage points for states with high unemployment. These temporary provisions were enacted in response to the state fiscal crisis--with the increased Medicaid caseloads and decreasing state revenues resulting from the deep recession. However, these provisions are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010, with dire consequences for our economy. As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found: ``If Congress does not extend the enhanced Medicaid matching funds in last year's Recovery Act, most states will cut public services or raise taxes . . . without more federal aid, state budget-closing actions could cost the national economy 900,000 public- and private-sector jobs.'' Due to the deep and enduring recession, states have lost tax revenue for the last two years and revenues are projected to remain at severely-reduced levels throughout fiscal year 2011. As a result, states have been forced to scale back spending and implement large service cuts to balance their budgets. While fiscal austerity is important, budget cuts impact more than a bottom line--the local health and emergency personnel need their jobs to make ends meet for themselves and their families. By extending the Medicare matching funds, we will help state and local governments save money and allow them to stay afloat while the economy improves. At least 34 states will cut jobs and services if this assistance is not enacted. This legislation will have a direct impact on Texas by providing an estimated $858,000,000 for Medicaid fiscal relief which will, in turn, save and create thousands of jobs. Madam Speaker, I thank you again for calling us back to session to save America's jobs.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. I support this legislation because it will save and create 319,000 American jobs--many of them in the education and health sectors. In less than a month, millions of American students will return to school eager to begin a new year of academic and personal growth. However, the quality of the schools they return to is a matter to be determined. Throughout the country, thousands of teachers have lost, or risk losing, their jobs. This is something our children and our educators can ill afford. As we work to regain economic ground, this legislation provides a total of $10 billion in funding for education jobs to sustain thousands of schools educating millions of children. Moreover, this includes $830.2 billion dollars for primary and secondary schools in the state of Texas. I am pleased that this legislation includes a provision that requires Governor Perry to certify that these emergency appropriations for public education will be used solely to add new funds for public education and not misused for other purposes. We all recall what happened last year when Governor Perry misused the Economic Recovery Act State Stabilization funds. In that instance, Governor Perry used $3.2 billion in similar aid last year as a substitute for, not an addition to, state aid to school districts. That was outrageous. It ignored the intent of our legislation, and it denied our children the education that they deserved. I want to stress that the provision will not create a compliance burden on the state of Texas. Rather, it says only that the state cannot take the federal aid and then use it as an excuse to make disproportionate cuts in state education aid to school districts, relative to other parts of the state budget that might also have to take a hit in the next budget cycle. This required assurance is no more onerous than assurances Governor Perry has given previously to receive billions of dollars in other federal funds. Texas cannot afford to be left out again, and I join my colleague Lloyd Doggett and groups of teachers, principals and administrators from across the state of Texas who strongly support this provision. Madam Speaker, I applaud you for reconvening this week to pass this crucial legislation. We have a bold vision for creating and sustaining an education system that prepares our children to excel. As President Obama said yesterday in Texas, ``education is the economic issue of our time.'' I could not agree more. Today we have the opportunity to pass legislation that will impact education jobs today and our children's job prospects tomorrow. With schools forced to make difficult personnel decisions before the start of the school year, this legislation is the necessary action at the necessary time. According to updated estimates from the Department of Education, the $10 billion education funding will save 161,000 teacher jobs. In addition to education jobs funding, this legislation will also save and create jobs in the health sector. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, a non-partisan think tank, the Medicaid funds will save and create 158,000 jobs, including preventing the layoff of police officers and firefighters. More than half these jobs will be in the private sector, including workers who contract for or supply services to state and local governments. Under the Recovery Act, enacted in February 2009, the federal Medicaid matching rate was increased by 6.2 percentage points for all states and by additional percentage points for states with high unemployment. These temporary provisions were enacted in response to the state fiscal crisis--with the increased Medicaid caseloads and decreasing state revenues resulting from the deep recession. However, these provisions are scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010 with dire consequences for our economy. As the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found: ``if Congress does not extend the enhanced Medicaid matching funds in last year's Recovery Act, most states will cut public services or raise taxes . . . without more federal aid, state budget-closing actions could cost the national economy 900,000 public- and private-sector jobs.'' Due to the deep and enduring recession, states have lost tax revenue for the last two years and revenues are projected to remain at severely-reduced levels throughout fiscal year 2011. As a result, states have been forced to scale back spending and implement large service cuts to balance their budgets. While fiscal austerity is important, budget cuts impact more than a bottom line--the local health and emergency personnel need their jobs to make ends meet for themselves and their families. By extending the Medicare matching funds, we will help state and local governments save money and allow them to stay afloat while the economy improves. At least 34 states will cut jobs and services if this assistance is not enacted. This legislation will have a direct impact on Texas by providing an estimated $858,000,000 for Medicaid fiscal relief which will, in turn, save and create thousands of jobs. Madam Speaker, I thank you again for calling us back to session to save America's jobs.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am very glad that Democrats are doing the responsible thing, and we know we need to be doing more. This is an important step because it substitutes for some of the misguided legislative initiatives that States are promoting, such as Arizona and Texas. I know there is a sense of desperation, but we on this side of the border have to ensure and have to be able to move forward on border security, and as well for those of us who are arguing vigorously for the comprehensive approach, addressing the needs of so many who are here simply wanting to work. We have to look to both directions. So I am rising to support this bill and this legislation, recognizing that there are people who are crying their heart out, saying when is this Congress going to do comprehensive immigration reform? But just as we have to clean this up, we've got a problem in those on the other side of the aisle not recognizing that we have to do this as a total package. But the Border Patrol agents funding, the CBP funding, $68 million to hire 250 new Customs and Border Protection personnel is important. The tactical communications is important. For those of us who live on the border, who have been to the border, who know border areas, we understand that the value of this is also to save lives, save the many people who are coming here for work but are dying in the desert, children, women who are coming here--yes, out of desperation, but still they are coming and dying in these deserts. This has to be stopped. We do need more monies for ATF and DEA. In my own city of Houston, it is a center point, unfortunately, for a lot of drug cartels and gunrunning. So I know that there is an emergency. It is relevant to do this today. But I wish my friends as well would stop blocking us from looking holistically at real, comprehensive immigration reform, so that people who want to come here to work can, so that young people who want to go to school can, so that families who are innocent and want to be here without being jeopardized by phony laws and can stay here and pay and invest into this Nation. I support this legislation. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to come before you today in support of H.R. 6080, the ``Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2010,''--a bill that appropriates $600 million for border security activities along the Southwest Border, including $254 million for Customs and Border Protection, of which $176 million would be used to hire additional border patrol agents, as well as $196 million for the Justice Department, and $80 million for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. As Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Transportation Security & Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee, I want to thank Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Lewis for your leadership on this timely legislation. This is an important bill that provides the necessary funding that is essential to the assistance our Border States so greatly needs. Our Border States are frustrated and in need of targeted assistance. In recent months, I have attended a number of different hearings, meetings with local and state officials, and press conferences on immigration, combating the drug trade, and improving the border, and in almost all instances, I have heard the same comment: Border States are frustrated. The deeply misguided Arizona Law, (SB1070) for example, is an expression of that frustration. Unless we want to see more of a backlash, we in the Federal Government must do more to help our Border States, which is vital to securing our nation and upholding our immigration laws, and helping local and state officials secure our Border States. The United States continues to fight the battle against the powerful drug trafficking organizations that have plagued our sister cities just across the border with violence. We have been fortunate thus far that for the most part the violence has not spilled over into the United States, but we cannot depend on being insulated forever. Instability abroad is a danger to stability at home, and we have a vested interest in helping our neighbors to the southwest power away from the criminal organizations that have threatened the safety of their citizens and brought drugs into our country. First of all, we need to do more than just provide ``boots on the ground'' to help secure our borders. While deterrence through additional personnel is essential to improving security, several members of the law enforcement community have stressed the importance of providing more resources for investigators and detectives, who can help to ferret out and dismantle the criminal activities taking place on our borders. Moreover, while federal agencies have improved their coordination with the Border States, communication within local and State authorities continues to be problematic. Communication in disperse rural areas presents a particular challenge. At a hearing on the Merida Initiative, I heard the moving testimony of a rancher from rural Arizona, Mr. Bill McDonald. He pointed out how a lack of resources and a rapid turnover rate make communication extremely important, but extremely lacking. These rural areas, and the people who live there, are in many cases the most vulnerable to human traffickers and drug traffickers. There is a desperate need for Border States to receive the necessary support to effectively secure our borders from threats and ensure a safe and stable environment for our border residents. More robust, well funded, and well resourced law enforcement systems are exactly what our Border States and residents demand. These appropriations to improve law enforcement efforts at our Border States are only a small part of more comprehensive reforms to our immigration system. Reforms that the American people are crying out for and that I sincerely hope my fellow Members will stand behind. This legislation honors our first responsibility to protect the American people by giving law enforcement the tools they need to address the threat of violence near the U.S.-Mexico border. With investments in expanding the number of Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection officers, improving our border surveillance efforts, and increasing resources for anti-smuggling investigations, we are tackling our border security challenges head on. This is one of the central pillars of bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform.

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas

Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning because three teenagers are dead. I have made a commitment as a mother to reconcile this horrific tragedy and to ask our government for help. I believe every American should have the opportunity to have the feeling that, when all else fails, our government will stand there and assist us where they can. Americans don't ask for handouts. They don't ask to have their lives interrupted. They simply want to know there is a Federal Government that can stand up for them. Whether or not it is a young man or woman in the United States military, whether or not it is a senior who needs Medicare or Social Security, we need to know that when there is a need that the Federal Government can fulfill, they will do so. In the middle of July in Houston, Texas, Sajan Tamalshina, a native of Nepal, decided to drive his car through a red light. In the course of that, he hit a family that were bringing their teenagers home from a legitimate night out in a legitimate teenage club, if you will, picked up by their parents and being driven home, as families will do across America. Rashaundra 17, Avianca 13, Detrihanna 13, were all happily and busily talking about the fun they just had, and the right way that it was done where the parents picked them up and took them home. But Sajan Tamalshina decided to drink and run the red light, and now three teenagers are dead, expelled from the car, laying on the hard cement. The police came and looked at the situation. He refused to take an on-scene Breathalyzer, so he was taken to the hospital and, as you well know, chemical tests go about. The police even called the District Attorney who came to the scene and decided that he could be released. My heart aches for that decision, because I asked the question, Mr. Speaker, three dead children on the ground does not at least require some common sense and judgment to hold someone overnight? Parents are asking now for justice and I am asking our Nation for justice. The police department said they contacted the U.S. Marshal. There is an investigative arm of the State Department, but yet we look like the most powerful Nation in the world, and we have our hands tied. You cannot reach the U.S. Marshal's office. They will not respond. They are talking about maybe something will happen. Because he is in Nepal, there is no diplomatic relationships with them. Three teenagers are dead. The letter says, ``Unfortunately, the United States does not have a treaty with Nepal that can serve as a basis to secure Mr. Tamalshina's extradition. In some cases, in the absence of an extradition treaty, countries may be able to expel or otherwise remove from their territory persons wanted for prosecution in another jurisdiction. However, expulsion or removal usually are not viable options when the person sought is a national of a country of refuge.'' As Mr. Tamalshina appears to be a national of Nepal, it is highly likely that an expulsion or other removal from their country will be possible. The Department's criminal division works closely with Federal, State, and local prosecutors and the Department of State to seek the extradition or other lawful return of fugitives wanted for prosecution in the United States. In cases involving State charges, we can initiate an extradition only upon request of the State prosecutors. Prosecutors in our criminal division have worked with the Harris County District Attorney's Office on fugitive matters and we have discussed this case. Just a benign conversation. It doesn't matter. Three teenagers are dead. Well, I say to the Justice Department, wake up and do something. The U.S. Marshal needs to stop hiding from my office and get over to my office to discuss why you can't do something. You can engage in diplomatic dialogue. You can ask the country of Nepal to be able to work with you to return this individual. He will not be getting the death sentence. Maybe 60 years. You are leaving crying parents with no justice because you let someone go. To the district attorney of Harris County, what a ridiculous thing to see three dead bodies and refusing to hold an individual whose alcohol was 1.27 to 1.62. He is legally drunk. The legal amount is 0.8. When are we going to understand that drunk driving can cause death? And to those of you who drive while drinking or drive under the influence, you are a menace to society. Three dead teenagers. I am calling on the Justice Department and the Attorney General of the United States to recognize that they are here to protect the people of the United States, and these three dead teenagers are in need of their protection in their loss, and their families want justice. I am asking for the U.S. Marshal to show up and work with us to do something on behalf of these Americans and these families that are mourning.