Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to yet another shameful effort to erode the founding principles of our democracy. This resolution is a pitiful attempt to continue the politicization of our government's ability to function once those who are duly elected to serve seek to govern. Impeachment is not a punishment, sought to be inflicted when one branch of government merely disagrees with or dislikes what a coordinate branch has done. It is a serious remedy designed to prevent abuses of power and is designed to ensure that ours remains a government of, by, and for the people. This is about the duty of the President of the United States--you do not impeach people because you disagree with their approach to their service to the country or to the provisions on their policy. We do not impeach people on that basis. No, this resolution does not provide any meaningful or sincere effort to protect the American people. Rather, this resolution sets forth nothing more than a partisan fishing expedition and should be rebuked as such. Impeachment is serious, yet here we are engaged in a baseless political stunt to impeach our current President. The U.S. Constitution governs the order of our nation, and it dictates the work of the Congress. Article I details the powers of the House and the exercising of these powers as they relate to the coordinate, coequal branches of government, codified in Articles II and Articles III: three equal branches of government coexisting and cohesively working to provide oversight to the respective actions of the Congress, the Executive and Judiciary. Specifically, Article I, Section 2, Clause 5 indicates that the ``House of Representatives . . . shall have the sole power of impeachment.'' Article II states that the ``The President . . . shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.'' Article II also requires that the ``President take care that the laws are faithfully executed.'' That language is stark and clear--and throughout our history it has been used in varying periods where the assessment was that the law has been breached. Sometimes Congresses are concerned that the weight and view of the American people should be considered. Sometimes they are moved by the urgency of the matter. This has worked, with challenges of course, since 1789, yet the outright abuse of our constitution to use impeachment as a political tool is an abomination of our congressional duties. As constitutional scholars have long laid out the historical guardrails and mandates upon which must heed, I would like to point to a few salient remarks from the September 28, 2023, Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing entitled ``The Basis for the Impeachment Inquiry of President Joseph R. Biden'' as reminders for us all here today. In the testimony of Michael J. Gerhardt, Burton Craige Distinguished Professor of Jurisprudence, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he highlighted the clear warning from Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers, and what he foresaw in the dangers of trivializing impeachment through petty partisanship. As quoted in Alexander Hamilton, No. 65, the Federalist Papers (1961), he states that impeachment may ``agitate the passions of the whole community , and to divide it into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused. In many cases it will connect itself with pre-existing factions, and will enlist all their animosities, partialities, influence, and interest on one side or on the other; and in such cases there will always be the greatest danger that the decision will be regulated more by the relative strength of the parties, than by the demonstrations of innocence or guilt.'' As Professor Gerhardt noted, ``in other words, an impeachment proceeding, including the initiation of an impeachment inquiry, must rise above petty partisanship in order to ensure its legitimacy. And as aptly stated in the testimony of Johnathon Turley, Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University School of Law, in highlighting the carefully crafted powers vested in the House of Representatives pursuant to Art. I, Sec. 2, cl. 5. is that: ``The Framers debated and crafted this standard and process to avoid an `anything goes' mentality. That was the reason our Framers opposed the `maladministration' standards as too malleable and indeterminate. While we continue to have passionate and good-faith debates over the meaning of the high crimes and misdemeanors standard, it is not intended to give the House carte blanche for any impulsive impeachment theory.'' Nearly fifty years ago, my predecessor Barbara Jordan of Texas's 18th Congressional District, declared, in the first presidential impeachment inquiry in more than a century, that: ``My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total. I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution.'' She noted ``those are impeachable `who behave amiss or betray their public trust'' (quoting from the North Carolina ratification convention). In this vein, we should not be here today in efforts to betray and diminish our Constitution and rule of law. The unsubstantiated accusations, that the President of the United States has abused his powers and that his conduct is in dereliction of his duties as President, flatly outrageous. When the Framers of our Constitution designed our government, they bifurcated power between the federal and state governments, and divided among the branches. They vested in Congress the capacity to make the laws, and in the Executive the power to faithfully execute those laws. Because the House enjoyed a natural superiority, as most representative of the passions of the populace, the Framers vested in the House of Representatives the sole power of impeachment and made the Senate the judges. Yet, entirely unlike the incredulous and now confirmed illegality of President Trump's behavior while in office, President Biden has certainly not earned the same stain of impeachment from the House of Representatives and his conduct absolutely does not merit conviction and removal from office by the Senate. When the Founders inserted the Impeachment Clause in Article I, Section 2, Clause 5, they did so to preserve our democracy, protect the American people, and to prevent the abuses and excesses of the Chief Executive. The Constitution has served our nation well for over two hundred years. Yes, in order to keep faith with the Framers and with our future, we must preserve, protect and defend that Constitution and all its provisions. This impeachment resolution, however, is not one that is within the national interest but a disgrace to our government and its entrusted duties. My Republican colleagues are sadly focused on the wrong priorities. The American people want us to focus on helping their families, not attacking the President and his family. This so-called ``impeachment inquiry'' is just an extreme political stunt. President Biden is a good and honorable man who has spent his life serving the American people. Extreme House Republicans are pushing these lies to try to smear him for political purposes. They have been investigating President Biden all year--obtaining tens of thousands of pages of documents and dozens of hours of witness testimony--but have found no evidence of wrongdoing by the President. In fact, over and over again, Republicans' own witnesses and documents have embarrassed them by debunking their ridiculous allegations. They now want to waste time on the House floor voting on this extreme stunt, instead of focusing on advancing important priorities like Ukraine aid or doing their job to avoid a government shutdown in a few weeks. No vote will make this baseless fishing expedition legitimate. They have proven all year just how illegitimate this impeachment stunt is. All a vote would do is put every Republican who supports it on record pushing an extreme agenda. This is not what Congress should be focused on. Democrats and President Biden will stay focused on putting people over politics. As such, I ask my colleagues to vote no on this shameful resolution.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition and join with the opposition to H. Res. 918 directing certain committees to proceed with an impeachment inquiry of President Biden. As we all know how serious this is, Madam Speaker, let me remind you that Article II of the Constitution says that a President shall be removed from office on impeachment for and conviction of treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors. Article II says it also requires that the President take care that the laws are faithfully executed. There is no charge or challenge of facts that the President has not executed his job carefully, that he has committed high crimes, misdemeanors and treason. In fact, out of 35,000 pages of financial records, 2,000 pages of Treasury records, 36 hours of testimony, and a number of witnesses, tens of thousands of VP area emails, there is nothing. This is extreme, a political stunt, and there is no evidence worthy of putting forward this impeachment. In the words of an outstanding scholar, Professor Michael Gerhardt, in other words, an impeachment proceeding, including the initiation of an impeachment inquiry must rise above petty partisanship. We cannot do this under the circumstances of petty partisanship. Mr. Biden should not be impeached.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, during the 118th Congress, Democrats have worked persistently to advance legislation and policies that support the American people. This Congress, Democrats have been met with fighting and incompetency from Republicans, an unwillingness to work together, and one of the most unproductive sessions in the history of Congress. Despite the chaos, we have kept the government from defaulting on its debts and made sure that the government stayed open to do the work of the people. I have worked with my colleagues to fight for the 18th Congressional District of Texas and my constituents, ensuring that the work of the federal government continues despite the chaos from Republicans. House Democrats stand firm in our commitments to protect essential safety net programs and vital services, deliver for our districts, and prevent further cuts that would threaten the wellbeing of our constituents. Democrats are united in putting People Over Politics to lower costs and grow the middle class. As we wrap up the 1st session of the 118th Congress and look forward to the 2nd session, it is the job of Congress to fund our government, pass legislation that betters the lives of the American people, and ensure that we advocate for our constItuents. Extreme MAGA Republicans have had a difficult time coming to a consensus on how to pass their wildly unpopular and harmful legislation. Instead of working in a bipartisan matter, they are wasting time and taxpayer dollars by bringing legislation to the floor that has no chance of passing the Senate and being signed by President Biden. Congress should be working to lower costs and protect of national security instead of focusing on partisan politics. As we go home for the holidays to our constituents and families, we bring with us a looming government shutdown, a result of incompetency and disfunction from extreme MAGA Republicans. When we come back in January we must get back to our work. The American people deserve a Congress that is serious in manner and functions to the best of its ability. My friends across the aisle have not been willing to compromise during any of the most time-sensitive and dire moments in the 118th Congress. While they have been focused on division and fear, House Democrats have worked to advocate for their communities while simultaneously offering to collaborate on the most crucial legislation on a bipartisan basis. In this Congress, I have worked tirelessly to improve the lives of my constituents in Houston. I have worked to fight against sex trafficking and introduced legislation to stop human trafficking in school zones, introduced gun safety legislation as well as legislation to stop the trafficking of fentanyl, and have brought over $200 million in grants to my district. While I am proud of the work that I have done for the 18th congressional district of Texas, there is still much work that we need to do. We have been kicking the can down the road for months, and rather than address the main duty as members of Congress--funding the government--House Republicans instead are launching baseless accusations against our President to score cheap political points. Under Republican leadership we have just barely avoided two government shutdowns by the skin of our teeth and have been unable to pass meaningful legislation that would improve the lives of Americans. This is not to say Democrats have not tried to reach across the aisle. We indicated we would be open to negotiation to avert the first shutdown, and we were rebuffed until the situation was at its most critical point. We indicated we would be open to negotiation to avert the second shutdown, and our friends across the aisle took to the media to express countless times that they would refuse to work with Democrats to find a solution. By trying to suppress Democratic voices, Republican leadership is silencing half of the country simply because they have a different worldview. Moreover, by not passing serious legislation, Republicans are stifling the very constituents who put them in office. To serve the people who elected us to Congress, we all must work together to enact positive change born from compromise and a combined desire to serve as a voice for our constituents. The performance of Republican leadership in this Congress has been utterly disappointing, and I urge my colleagues across the aisle to remember that to serve the people, we must work together to provide comprehensive and meaningful legislation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much and his good friend as well for yielding, and I appreciate their intent, but let me be very clear: What we have here is a complete collapse of a system that is attempting to save lives. Our administrative process, our administrative APA, these individuals are grounded with the expertise of the particular agencies that they are in. Under this legislation, what we would have is a complete politicizing of the Presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed appointees because that would be another monkey wrench, if you will, into why they should not be confirmed. In addition, this will encourage gamesmanship. If you think the confirmation process is slow, wait till this bill becomes law. Congress already has, and the Republicans have used it quite often, the Congressional Review Act so that we can determine whether or not rulemaking or a particular issue is one that is not only reviewed but should be changed. In the rulemaking process with experts that we oversee, because we have congressional hearings, we are dealing with clean air, clean water, safe toys, safe cars, and safe workplaces, but, more importantly, as I was sitting in a meeting today, we are dealing with a new initiative dealing with taking lead out of water. Do we want to stop the process of removing lead from the water that our children drink because we implement this particular procedure that will stop our Presidentially-appointed officials from doing their job, from helping us to ensure that our children are safe? This is a slowdown. This is where lives are not saved. I would argue to my friends that this legislation, unfortunately, should not move forward because there is too much good work going on and the work that is going on will be thwarted, will be stopped. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the AFSCME, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, who oppose this particular legislation, along with the administration policy statement as well as a number of other agencies.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, this legislation is opposed by the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards. I would like to dwell on this question of water and lead coming out of water since many of us were here during the Flint incidents, and we also know what goes on in our own congressional districts. Let's not stop children from living. Let's not stop the lifesaving regulatory process. Let's oppose H.R. 357. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 357, The Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act. H.R. 357 would require any agency rule promulgated under the Administrative Procedure Act's notice and comment process to be ``initiated'' and signed by someone who was appointed to their position by the President and confirmed by the Senate, with limited exceptions for national security and public safety. Simply put, this anti-regulatory bill is an attempt to codify bad federal policy issued during the Trump Administration that was later repealed by President Biden, and it would add unnecessary ambiguity and delay in the rule making process from beginning to end. While my Republican colleagues will tell you that this is just about transparency and accountability, it is not. This is about shutting down the regulatory process. By requiring that any rulemaking be initiated and signed by a presidentially appointed and Senate confirmed official, this bill could grind the regulatory process to a halt during long appointment periods or presidential transitions. Rulemaking could be delayed (or even prevented altogether) by the already substantially politicized Senate confirmation process, especially during the transition between Administrations and for agencies that experience frequent turnover or have longstanding vacancies among their senior leadership. If you think the confirmation process is slow and contentious now, wait until this bill becomes law. The party opposing the President will have every incentive to block a nomination and prevent an agency from having an eligible head in place who can issue regulations. Like the Separation of Powers Restoration Act (SOPRA) and the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act--that nearly all House Democrats opposed earlier this Congress--this is a patently transparent effort to effectively halt Executive agencies from performing their Congressionally mandated duties to serve the American people. This proposal is a dangerous solution in search of a problem. While H.R. 357 purports to improve agency accountability, the proposal actively undermines the constitutional authority of agencies to delegate the routine task of signing a rulemaking to subordinates as an efficiency measure. Senior agency appointees already ratify the signing of the rulemaking after the fact to comply with this clause. And Congress also already plays a significant role in placing and removing restrictions on agency rules by conducting oversight and restricting how funds can be used and passing legislation to limit agency discretion. As demonstrated time and time again in the House this year, Congress can use the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn rules it disapproves of. For instance, my Republican colleagues have already tried to use the CRA to repeal reasonable restrictions on deadly weapons, jeopardize affordable student loan repayment and make it harder for women- and minority-owned businesses to access funds to grow their businesses. While most can agree improvements can be made to the regulatory process, measures that make it harder for agencies to make new rules cuts against the interest of all who reside in the United States. Because most importantly, regulations are necessary to save our lives. Regulations are critical to ensuring the safety and soundness of virtually every facet of our lives, including clean air, clean water, safe toys, safe cars, and safe workplaces. We should reject any effort that would prevent agencies from issuing these life-saving regulations. Yet rather than ensuring public protections and industry accountability in and through agency rulemaking, this bill would create confusion, ambiguity, uncertainty, and pointless delays. The bill would only ensure delay and prevent necessary public protections from being promulgated in the process causing, and avoidable harm and risk to the public. If enacted, this bill would give extreme legislators another opportunity to obstruct federal policymaking by blocking the confirmation of agency officials in the Senate, putting critical government functions from civil rights enforcement and financial regulation to protecting consumers and the environment in jeopardy. It is also important to highlight that the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, consisting of over 160 labor, consumer, and environmental organizations are strongly opposed to this bill. Additionally, if the President were presented with H.R. 357, he would veto it. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote in opposition to H.R. 357, The Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking Act.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, the people of Texas have been on an emotional roller coaster, and they have been on an emotional roller coaster with our fellow Texan Kate Cox, her husband, and her family. This young woman wanted nothing more than to have a healthy baby and to expand their family. It was that love and deep desire that caused her to go public on an absolutely abusive law that tells her what kind of medical care she can get. In addition, it should be made clear that a judge did give her permission to make the decision with her doctor, her faith, and her family. However, political intervention to the State supreme court caused them to stop her in her tracks. This young woman had to leave Texas. Madam Speaker, that is why I am back here, to reintroduce, if you will, my legislation, that creates a criminal offense for anyone to stalk someone who is attempting to get good healthcare in the State of Texas. That is all Kate Cox wanted. I will be standing by her and her family, as many Texans will. We must stop this now, and we must reinstate reproductive freedom in this Nation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her great leadership. Madam Speaker, I stand here for the children. We must stand for the children. A little boy riding with his grandmother, Oleksandr Ivanov, was killed by the Russians and more children have been killed in all the conflicts that are going on. We must move forward so that the humanitarian aid comes along with the aid that is needed to fight the Russians who have lost 87 percent of their military since they started. This can be winnable for the children. We need humanitarian aid in all the wars that are now going on, and I want to stand for that fight. The bill named after Oleksandr Ivanov is to protect our children wherever they are, humanitarian aid and war aid to ensure that the children are our priority. I hope that this fight will be won, and we will win for democracy and we will win for our children. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support Ukraine as it stands up to tyranny and defends their sovereignty in the face of Russia's continued, unprovoked aggression. But I rise for the children in all wars--and I ask and demand humanitarian aid for children in all the wars. We must send the unmistakable message that in the 21st Century, a dictator cannot conquer or carve up neighboring territories. On February 24, 2022, Russia, under the leadership of Vladimir Putin, launched a premeditated war against Ukraine in an attack on democracy and a grave violation of international law, global peace, and security. The war in Ukraine continues to severely impact people's lives and damage civilian infrastructure, triggering evacuations from front-line areas and driving humanitarian needs. According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, as of July 2023, there are a recorded 5.1 million internally displaced people in Ukraine, 6.2 million refugees from Ukraine globally, and 17.6 million Ukrainian people in need of humanitarian assistance. The unjust and brutal war has put millions of Ukrainian women and children at risk of trafficking. Millions of children have been deprived of their education and are experiencing trauma, and according to a report by Yale University, more than 6,000 children are in Russians custody. According to a report by Yale University Humanitarian Research Lab (Yale HRL), at least 6,000 children from Ukraine ages four months to 17 years have been held at camps and other facilities within Russia- occupied Crimea and mainland Russia since Russia's full-scale invasion began. Forcibly transferring children of one group to another group is a violation of Article II(e) of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 1948 and the Geneva Convention IV, including articles 24, 25, 50, 78 and 82. Today, I call my colleagues to action and ask that they join me in seeking liberty and justice for all those in Ukraine. Ukrainian children are being forcibly taken to Russia and put up for adoption into Russian families in an apparent effort to assimilate them, a practice that genocide scholar Timothy Snyder has said could be considered genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention. Ukraine's Office of the Prosecutor General has confirmed more than 17,000 cases of Ukrainian children abducted to Russia. But the number is likely much higher. The U.S. State Department has said it has reliable information that Russian authorities have deliberately separated Ukrainian children from their parents during so-called ``filtration'' procedures and abducted others from Ukrainian institutions before putting them up for adoption inside Russia and estimates that the number may be as high as 260,000. This is only the first step in what appears to be a deliberate Russian policy. Once Ukrainian children arrive in Russia--or in Russian-controlled part of Ukraine such as Crimea--they are put into Russian orphanages. After a short period, they are given Russian citizenship. This is done because Russian law allows for the adoption of foreign children. Last Spring Putin signed decrees streamlining the process for children to receive Russian citizenship and for adoption. Families are also given financial incentives to adopt children. In Russian custody, Ukrainian children are subjected to reeducation programs meant to ``Russify'' them, told that their parents no longer want them, and convinced that their future lies in Russia. Disgustingly, Russian propaganda cynically portrays its adoption of Ukrainian children as an act of generosity that gives new homes to helpless orphans. Russian state media shows local officials hugging and kissing newly arrived Ukrainian children and handing them Russian passports. Many of these children are not orphans at all. Ukrainian institutions also house children whose parents were not in position to take care of them for a period of time or who had special needs. Once adopted, children's names and dates of birth are often changed, making it extremely difficult to find them and reunite them with their families in the future. We need to act now to stop the abduction and forced assimilation of Ukrainian children to Russia. We need to raise our concerns loudly and often and speak out to counter the disgusting Russian propaganda that would use children in this way. We should consider whether there is a need to establish a registry to record data on children believed to have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories to assist law enforcement and also future family reunification in the future. Of course, any such system must protect children's personal information. In addition, we should also look at what role international organizations might play in tracking and rescuing these children, including the Red Cross. Further, Ukraine's children are suffering serious injury and trauma due to Russia's genocidal war on Ukraine. According to the United Nations, almost two-thirds of the country's children have been displaced. Thousands have been injured and, although UNICEF has said more than 1,000 children have been killed, that number is likely much, much higher as there is no reliable way to verify how many civilians have been killed in the most decimated areas of Ukraine, like Mariupol, where, just as one example, Russian forces bombed a theater housing hundreds of civilians despite clear markings that children were present. In addition to the immediate dangers of war, the effects of war on children could have lasting consequences. Many Ukrainian children have witnessed unimaginable violence, including the murders of their own parents or family members. They have had to endure the stress of being under almost constant bombardment, in fear of their safety. Others have experienced hunger, cold, and weeks spent hiding in wet, frigid basements without daylight or fresh air and without sanitation or healthcare. This constant stress takes a heavy toll on the youngest victims of war. Moreover, disruptions to education may never be fully recovered. In this regard, I would like to recognize the Ukrainian government's exceptional campaign to keep children linked to their schools by mobilizing the remote learning infrastructure built up during the COVID-l9 pandemic, as well as the many European countries which have opened their schools to Ukrainian refugee children. Children--and their families--need support to heal from the trauma they have experienced. There are organizations on the ground providing psychological treatment, art therapy, humanitarian aid, and for some even new homes. We all need to support such programs and to act now to ensure their continued action and expanded reach. The longer children go without receiving treatment for their trauma, the longer it will take to heal. There is also significant concern for the physical, mental, and psychological well-being of women in Ukraine. Amnesty International reports that women in the country face grave risks, an increased burden of caring responsibilities and immense stress and hardships when living in war zones. Amnesty International's Secretary General explains that ``Time and time again, women bear the brunt of war's brutality. They are consistently on the frontlines of conflict--as soldiers and fighters, doctors and nurses, volunteers, peace activists, carers for their communities and families, internally displaced people, refugees, and too often as victims and survivors.'' Women confront increased sexual and gender-based violence and perilous health conditions, while being forced to make life and death survival decisions for their families. At the same time, women are often excluded from the decision-making processes and their rights and needs remain unprotected and unmet. While many women in Ukraine have joined the resistance to Russian aggression, very often caregiving responsibilities for children and family members fall disproportionately on women. Managing these caregiving responsibilities is especially difficult in the perilous conditions of the conflict. A woman living in the conflict zone in Donetsk Oblast, told Amnesty International how the invasion has impacted her as a mother and caregiver for her parents: ``All changed for the worse. Men [from the family] are at war, women are left alone, many with small children on their backs without any income. There is no help--no physical help, no financial aid.'' The invasion has also had a distinct detrimental effect on women's mental, physical and sexual and reproductive health. For menstruating women and girls, limited supplies any increased prices for menstruation management products are forcing them to choose between food and sanitary products. I am especially concerned about reports of rape and sexual assault committed by Russian troops, not only of women, but also of children and men. Gender-based violence is aggravated and intensified for those living in the conflict-affected regions for many reasons. These include the lack of security, the absence or erosion of the rule of law, the pervasiveness of impunity for the perpetrators, and lack of trust in the occupying authorities, as well as the stigma attached to disclosing experiences of sexual and gender-based violence. This is not only an effort to humiliate and terrorize, but also could amount to genocide as some women report being told by their tormenters that they would be raped until they could no longer have Ukrainian children. Russia must be held accountable for their heinous actions and the war crimes they have committed against the women, children, and people of Ukraine. I urge Congress to act to protect the safety, security, and well- being of the people of Ukraine, especially vulnerable populations like women and children. Congress cannot remain complicit in the face of Russian aggression. We must act to defend the rights and freedoms of Ukraine's children and all its people. To hold accountable those who have committed these atrocities and have put the lives of thousands of Ukrainian women and children at risk, I introduced H.R. 5800, the Oleksander Ivanov Act.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, our universities across America have opened the doors to working-class Americans and impoverished Americans to be able to access a better life and education. I speak to this amendment that indicates that any donation, as much as $1, has to be under this particular act. First of all, this is a blanket representation that our universities are taking moneys from terrorists. I am outraged to say that the University of Houston, University of Texas, Texas Southern University, and Prairie View A&M would be in the position of taking money from terrorists. If you pass this amendment, you implode the innocent persons who are giving donations and the work of our universities attempting to provide dollars to educate more Americans--more impoverished Americans who simply have families that cannot afford for them to go to school. This is an outrage. I want everybody to know that under this particular act, $1 has to be reported. That $1 may come from a grandmother or that $1 may come from a hardworking parent.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Generous and kindhearted people from the faith institutions that many of our universities come under, Mr. Chair, you are going to ask them to vet or to determine whether terrorists are involved. It is not the question of whether terrorists are involved. I want this Nation to be protected. We now realize that we are subject to a lot of terrorist potential because of the times we are in. I take it seriously. I am on the Homeland Security Committee. Nevertheless, this $1 is to make a mockery of the hard work of many folks at ``working-class'' universities and colleges, our community colleges, and 2-year colleges that themselves receive donations from people who are grateful that they allowed them to be a vocational nurse or welder and, because of that opportunity, they were able to make a living for themselves and their families. We must have rational and reasonable thinking here. I am grateful for America's hierarchy of education because so many people come here to be educated. Mr. Chair, let us vote this amendment down. Let us not do this and undermine the educational system of this Nation and the Constitution.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, it should be made very clear that there is not one American, not one Member of Congress, not one Democratic Member of Congress, as well, joined with colleagues who reasonably understand our mutual commitment to the national security of this Nation, who wants any interference in the important research that is being done by universities across America. They are the hope of the world. There are brilliant students who come with complete innocence here to the United States to create global research that will help not only this country but the world. I want that to continue. I want the bad actors to be wiped out. Clearly, as my friends have now moved from China to the Mideast, I abhor Hamas. They are terrorists, but I am yet to find a dollar from them to any legitimate institution here in the United States. What I will say is that we have a system in place. It builds on the Chips and Science Act and the Presidential memorandum on government- supported research.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, we already have a process to weed out and stop it. I can't imagine stopping research at the Yales and Harvards and Princetons, but I also can't imagine stopping it from the ordinary universities across America. Let us support the present legislation and the U.S. Department of Education and stop blaming our educational institutions and calling them terrorists.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I was not able to cast my vote during Roll Call No. 691 on December 1, 2023, due to circumstances that necessitated my remaining in the District. As a consequence, I was unavoidably delayed and was not present in the House Chamber to cast votes on this date. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: On Roll Call No. 691, on Agreeing to the Resolution (H. Res. 878), ``Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives'', I would have voted YEA.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 5894--Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024. House Republicans had an opportunity to engage in a productive, bipartisan appropriations process, but instead are wasting time with partisan bills that cut domestic spending to levels well below the Fiscal Responsibility Act agreement and endanger critical services for the American people. As with all the additional appropriation bills that have been up for consideration on the House Floor, I strongly oppose the passage of this bill for a myriad of reasons. The 2024 Labor, Health, and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act provides $163 billion, which is a 28 percent cut of $64 billion, and brings us back to a level unseen since 2008. This dangerous and irresponsible legislation would do the following: Decimate support for children in K-12 elementary schools and early childhood education. Abandon college students and low-income workers trying to improve their lives through higher education or job training. Stifle lifesaving biomedical innovation by cutting funding for cancer research, mental health research, and neurological research, and by slashing funding for advanced research projects intended to develop new cures and therapies. Surrender to ongoing public health crises in mental health, opioid use, HIV/AIDS, and health disparities. Harm women's health by cutting programs that support maternal and child health, eliminating programs that provide access to health services and contraception, and adding numerous partisan and poison pill riders related to abortion and reproductive health. This bill is out of regular order. It was never marked up and considered in the House Appropriations committee. There is no example of this happening in the last 20 years. House Republicans are stripping $63.8 billion away from Texas, making it harder for Texans to access education, health care, employment, and more. I think we can all agree children are our future and that we should invest to make our future better and brighter. As Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I am extremely passionate about the wellbeing and education of children. Which is why I offered the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 51 as incorporated in the En Bloc. Despite the horrible provisions throughout the entirety of this appropriations bill, the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 51 as incorporated into En Bloc Amendment is an important amendment that would increase by $2 million the Head Start Act, including Head Start partnerships. One of the objectives of the Congressional Children's Caucus is to ensure that all the children in this country have an opportunity to receive an education, including early childhood development. Head Start helps all children succeed, especially vulnerable children. If we continue to underfund education in the United States, our children will suffer, we will dismantle public education, and we will be weaker as a nation. This legislation would kick teachers out of classrooms. The United States is already in a teacher shortage and this bill would cut another 22,300 teachers from Texas schools due to cuts from Title 1. This bill would severely impact teachers and students all over the state of Texas, where the Texas Education Agency has already decided to unnecessarily takeover Houston ISD. Houston ISD is the largest school district in the state, with a student population of more than 200,000, according to a breakdown by the Texas Tribune. A TEA takeover would have a negative impact on each Independent School District (ISD) because a board of managers are not elected, and they don't have to answer to the constituents in those districts. State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures, layoffs, and no improvements in test scores. The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined. TEA has no experience managing a district of 200k-plus scholars and we should not suffer as the guinea pigs. Texas is behind the national average of how much the state spends per student in the classroom. More specifically, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Texas spends $3,000 less than the national average. We have to stop the State from intermeddling and overstepping into our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our communities. This legislation will make cuts to schools and communities that are already suffering. With the pandemic, burnout and the rise in the cost of living, teachers are already struggling, and this bill will only add to that. Without the support of our teachers, students will be left behind. I also offered the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 24 as incorporated in the En Bloc. Again, despite the horrible provisions throughout the entirety of this bill, the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 24 as incorporated into En Bloc Amendment is an important amendment that would increase and decrease by $2 million the National Cancer Institute in order to research triple negative breast cancer. Breast cancer accounts for 12.5 percent of all new annual cancer cases worldwide, making it the most common cancer in the world. This issue is extremely important, especially for the brave men and women in the military, who are up to 20-40 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. There are few people in this country whose lives have not been touched by breast cancer. Yet, there are persistent disparities in breast cancer incidence and death rates. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States for Black and Hispanic women. Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group. Experts believe that it's partially because about 1 in 5 Black women is diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, more than any other racial or ethnic group. Compared with non-Hispanic white women, Black women are less likely to receive guideline adherent care and have an approximate 2-fold higher mortality incidence, resulting in a disproportionately higher risk of death from Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Triple Negative Breast Cancer (``TNBC'') is one of many forms of breast cancer and accounts for about 15-30 percent of all diagnosed invasive breast cancer cases in the United States. Due to its aggressive behavior, TNBC grows quickly and is more likely to have spread at the time it is found and is more likely to come back after treatment than other types of breast cancer. TNBC cells do not contain (are ``negative for'') three key receptors that medicines typically target in other types of breast cancers; therefore, there are limited treatment options that can be used to treat the cancer. Patients with an early diagnosis can often be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery; however, the limited therapies available specifically addressing the management of TNBC has made treating this disease a challenge for clinicians. Recent innovation in targeted therapies have fueled advances in the fight against TNBC. Advances in breast cancer screening and treatment over the last few decades have reduced the overall breast cancer mortality rate, yet the disproportionate impact of TNBC on racial and ethnic minority communities raises considerations about the underlying determinants driving the disparities. It is necessary to promote TNBC education, raise awareness about the disease-related disparities, and tackle inequities within the health care delivery such as inadequate access to screening, diagnostic testing, and care, to improve early detection and survival. Providing the NIH with the resources necessary to research TNBC could save thousands of lives each year. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 24 would allow for more research so we can one day hopefully learn a way to reduce the number of Americans affected by breast cancer. Additionally, I have introduced H.R. 225, the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research and Education Act of 2023, which focuses on expanding, intensifying, and coordinating programs for the conduct and support of research on triple-negative breast cancer, a type of breast cancer that is difficult to detect but disproportionately impacts African American and Hispanic women. While these Jackson Lee Amendments are important, the negatives of this appropriations bill vastly outweigh these positive amendments-- which is why H.R. 5894 must be voted down. Importantly, this bill is harmful for women's reproductive rights. Access to abortion and fertility care is essential to a person's freedom, including for service members, to make decisions about their health and well-being, and having control over their economic security. Anti-abortion policymakers want to take away women's ability to make personal decisions about their health and safety. We must defend their freedom to control their own bodies, lives, and futures. The shameful attacks on women's reproductive health rights make it crystal clear: anti-abortion lawmakers will take any action to ensure people cannot access abortion care. Anti-abortion lawmakers are pushing an extreme agenda to take away service women's freedom and autonomy, all while trying to claim they support women's rights. Access to reproductive health care, including abortion and fertility care, is critical to our democracy and overall well-being as a free nation. As policymakers, we must ensure that all Americans can access abortion care without barriers. We aren't truly free unless we can control our own bodies, lives, and futures. Our laws and policies should protect our rights, not try to control and dehumanize us. This bill will undoubtedly have a devastating impact on all Americans. As we know, the National Institutes of Health has had major progress in human health advances, promising medical findings, and research insights. Yet, significant cuts to NIH make maintaining American research and development leadership worldwide more challenging at a time when competitor nations are increasing their support for biomedical research. Funding cuts will delay progress towards new cures, treatments, and diagnostics that benefit the nation and drive our biomedical innovation economy forward. Beyond sustaining American leadership in biomedical research, the NIH is a major catalyst for local economies, directly and indirectly supporting over 560,000 jobs and producing $96.84 billion in new economic activity in FY22, equaling an economic return of $2.64 for every $1 in research funding. This bill eliminates funding for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (-$220 million), the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (-$165 million), and Community Health Centers Program (-$157 million). The bill also cuts funding for the Minority HIV/AIDS Fund by 53 percent (-$32 million). We have made significant advances in HIV/AIDS research and it would be devastating to cut back on the important work that is being done. Rather than cutting billions of dollars for NIH-supported medical research occurring in nearly every congressional district across the country, the House should build on decades of strong bipartisan support and investment that has led to the lifesaving medications and treatments Americans rely on every day. We must fund the NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services in order to research and solve conditions such as Triple Negative Breast Cancer, diabetes, and HIV. This legislation would also impact Federal Work Study programs and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants making it more difficult than it already is for college students to pay for a higher education and receive financial aid. The elimination of these programs and the flat funding levels of Pell Grants for the first time since 2012 would create financial emergencies for low-income students. Cutting these programs would not only drive-up student borrowing and potentially discourage the next generation of students, but it would also create a real and immediate financial shortfall for current low- income students who have rely on these programs to earn their degree. This legislation would also take away funding from our elderly population. Under the current LHHS bill there would be a $250 million dollar decrease to the Social Security Administration's customer service budget at a time when the agency continues to struggle to deliver timely and accurate service. This year saw continued record high hold times and wait times for disability claims. The bill has a $15 million decrease for Elder Rights Supports, funding used to protect older Americans from elder abuse. The Senior Community Service Employment Program would be eliminated. This program provides the opportunity for tens of thousands of older Americans to find work despite pernicious age discrimination. This bill negatively impacts every single person in the United States from the youngest to the oldest. This bill doesn't choose to impact just Republicans or Democrats. We will all feel the severity of this bill if it is passed. We cannot better the lives of everyday Americans with this terrible bill that eliminates much of the progress that has been made in education, public health, and the workforce. This reckless underlying legislation would painfully impact the lives of millions of Americans by making disastrous cuts to programs that workers and families count on every day. Instead of investing in America, Republicans would rather focus on advancing unpopular and dangerous right-wing priorities. The proposal in front of us here today is not a reasonable middle ground, nor is it even a starting point for discussion. I recognize that we are in the midst of austere budgetary and political times, however, we cannot continue to ignore the return on investment that advanced developments in health research, employment assistance, and education will yield to the American public. I urge all my colleagues to oppose this dangerous and shameful bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, pursuant to House Resolution 864, I rise in support of the En Bloc Amendment incorporating the Jackson Lee Amendments No. 24 and No. 51 to H.R. 5894--Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024. I thank my colleagues on the Rules Committee for making in order Jackson Lee Amendment No. 24 and No. 51 and for including them in the bipartisan En Bloc Amendment. The Jackson Lee Amendments No. 24 and No. 51 are potentially life altering amendments in an unfortunate and distracting appropriations bill. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 24 as incorporated into En Bloc Amendment is an important amendment that seeks to increase and decrease by $2 million the National Cancer Institute in order to research triple negative breast cancer. Breast cancer accounts for 12.5 percent of all new annual cancer cases worldwide, making it the most common cancer in the world. This issue is extremely important, especially for the brave men and women in the military, who are up to 20 to 40 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. There are few people in this country whose lives have not been touched by breast cancer. Yet, there are persistent disparities in breast cancer incidence and death rates. Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States for Black and Hispanic women. Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than women of any other racial or ethnic group. Experts believe that it's partially because about 1 in 5 Black women is diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, more than any other racial or ethnic group. Compared with non-Hispanic white women, Black women are less likely to receive guideline adherent care and have an approximate 2-fold higher mortality incidence, resulting in a disproportionately higher risk of death from Triple Negative Breast Cancer. Triple Negative Breast Cancer (``TNBC'') is one of many forms of breast cancer and accounts for about 15 to 30 percent of all diagnosed invasive breast cancer cases in the United States. Due to its aggressive behavior, TNBC grows quickly and is more likely to have spread at the time it is found and is more likely to come back after treatment than other types of breast cancer. TNBC cells do not contain (are ``negative for'') three key receptors that medicines typically target in other types of breast cancers; therefore, there are limited treatment options that can be used to treat the cancer. Patients with an early diagnosis can often be treated with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery; however, the limited therapies available specifically addressing the management of TNBC has made treating this disease a challenge for clinicians. Recent innovation in targeted therapies have fueled advances in the fight against TNBC. Advances in breast cancer screening and treatment over the last few decades have reduced the overall breast cancer mortality rate, yet the disproportionate impact of TNBC on racial and ethnic minority communities raises considerations about the underlying determinants driving the disparities. It is necessary to promote TNBC education, raise awareness about the disease-related disparities, and tackle inequities within the health care delivery such as inadequate access to screening, diagnostic testing, and care, to improve early detection and survival. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 24 would allow for more research so we can one day hopefully learn a way to reduce the number of Americans affected by breast cancer. Additionally, I have introduced H.R. 225, the Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Research and Education Act of 2023, which focuses on expanding, intensifying, and coordinating programs for the conduct and support of research on triple-negative breast cancer, a type of breast cancer that is difficult to detect but disproportionately impacts African American and Hispanic women. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 51 as incorporated into En Bloc Amendment is an important amendment that seeks to increase and decrease by $2 million the Head Start Act, including Head Start partnerships. I think we can all agree children are our future and that we should invest to make our future better and brighter. As Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I am extremely passionate about the wellbeing and education of children. One of the objectives of the Congressional Children's Caucus is to ensure that all the children in this country have an opportunity to receive an education, including early childhood development. Head Start helps all children succeed, especially vulnerable children. If we continue to underfund education in the United States our children will suffer, we will dismantle public education, and we will be weaker as a nation. This legislation would kick teachers out of classrooms. The United States is already in a teacher shortage and this bill would cut another 22,300 teachers from Texas schools due to cuts from Title 1. This bill would severely impact teachers and students all over the state of Texas, where the Texas Education Agency has already decided to unnecessarily takeover Houston ISD. Houston ISD is the largest school district in the state, with a student population of more than 200,000, according to a breakdown by the Texas Tribune. A TEA takeover would have a negative impact on each Independent School District (ISD) because a board of managers are not elected, and they don't have to answer to the constituents in those districts. State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures, layoffs, and no improvements in test scores. The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined. TEA has no experience managing a district of 200k plus scholars and we should not suffer as the guinea pigs. Texas is behind the national average of how much the state spends per student in the classroom. More specifically, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that Texas spends $3,000 less than the national average. We have to stop the State from intermeddling and overstepping into our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our communities. This legislation will make cuts to schools and communities that are already suffering. With the pandemic, burnout and the rise in the cost of living, teachers are already struggling, and this bill will only add to that. Without the support of our teachers, students will be left behind. I recognize that we are in the midst of austere budgetary and political times, however, we cannot continue to ignore the return on investment that advanced developments in health research and education will yield to the American public. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support the bipartisan En Bloc Amendment incorporating my amendment, the Jackson Lee Amendments No. 24 and No. 51. While the negatives of this appropriations bill disappointingly outweigh my positive amendments, I respectfully ask my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment notwithstanding my strong opposition and encouragement to vote down the underlying bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, we would not have the denying of reproductive rights, discriminating against people because of their LGBTQ+, or discriminating against them because of race or immigrant status. We won't have any of those draconian provisions in there. Thank God we will not have the cuts that we have seen that would hurt the American people, hurt Texans, hurt Houstonians. The CR is the right way right now because we have no other door, and it will be Democrats that will save America, save our 50 States, save Texas, save our cities, save Houston. I am here today to ensure that we move forward so that we can do what is right by the American people. Mr. Speaker, when Congress fails to do its job, the consequences are real. Families suffer, the economy takes a hit, and government costs rise-- all unnecessarily. H.R. 6363, Further Continuing Appropriations, and other Extensions Act of 2024 proves one thing, this weak Republican majority is unable to govern without help from the Democratic Caucus. Instead of working to finish the FY 2024 funding process between now and when the first CR was enacted, House Republicans wasted time by ousting their own leader, further propelling the House into chaos and bringing partisan bills to the floor that not only have zero chance of becoming law but include massive cuts and poison pill riders that move us further apart, not closer to resolution. H.R. 6363 would avoid a government shutdown today, but kicks the can down the road and adds unnecessary complexities that will increase the likelihood of future shutdowns by creating two separate CR dates. January 19, 2024: Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. February 2, 2024: The remaining eight. This legislation also lacks emergency funds requested by the Biden Administration to accommodate increased participation in WIC. An estimated $405 million is needed in the second quarter is needed to administer the program. This legislation also lacks emergency supplemental funding for Ukraine, Israel, humanitarian assistance, childcare, disaster victims, broadband, Indo-Pacific allies, and a number of other pressing priorities. Although this legislation is flawed in many significant ways, a government shut down would be devastating for Americans across the country. A government shutdown would hurt hard working families in Texas: 172,877 active duty and reserve personnel serving our nation's armed forces in Texas would be forced to go without the pay they earn during a shutdown. The Small Business Administration would stop processing small business loans, halting a program that provides $2,742,702,800 in funding to small businesses in Texas every year. 176,276 people flying through Texas airports every day would face potential delays and safety concerns due to staffing impacts on TSA agents and air traffic controllers. 786,686 people in Texas would soon lose access to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits. 168,413 federal workers in Texas would be furloughed or forced to work without pay, in addition to the many employees of businesses with government contracts who could be laid off, furloughed, or see their hours cut. Workers at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be sidelined, risking interruptions and delays to the 892 food safety, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other inspections conducted in Texas last year. The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing housing loans, which provide $456,125,359 in funding to help 2,742 families in rural Texas communities buy homes every year. The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing farm loans which provide $209,391,000 in funding for farmers in Texas every year. 3,291,584 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries in Texas would lose access to benefits in a prolonged shutdown. 5,413,161 people who visit national parks in Texas every year would be turned away or unable to fully access parks, monuments, and museums. State governments would be forced to pay for federal services like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, potentially risking benefits for the 20,846 TANF beneficiaries in Texas. A government shutdown would hurt working families, damage our economy, interrupt vital services, endanger our national security, and force millions of our troops and government employees to work without pay. It is time to get serious, it is time to do the work we are required to do as Members of Congress regardless of our political stripes. Congress has a responsibility to keep our government open, and I hope we can work with House Republicans and the Senate to facilitate the timely completion of full-year spending bills and a supplemental package.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut for her leadership as former chair and ranking member. I thank my good friend from Texas, as well. I think they are completely accurate that left to their own devices, we could have an appropriations process that would work, but I thank Chairwoman DeLauro for laying the groundwork of the crisis that we are now in. Let us be very clear: It is the Democrats who have come to save America and to stop this dastardly shutdown. As I have listened to the debate on the Labor-HHS, all I could see was the crushing of the American spirit, the eliminating of GEAR UP and TRIO, the very programs that give a lifeline to young people across America; a stamping down of the greatest of our aspirations. Weeks ago, the President gave to us a supplemental for Ukraine and Israel and the border, ensuring that we would be able to provide funding and engage the way we should for Defense. And now we are hearing that in a crisis, we don't even have humanitarian aid that is needed in Gaza. All we are doing here is kicking the can, but thank goodness Democrats are able to say that we refuse to shut down the government and it is because of the cities that are so desperately in need. How dare we put our cities in this catastrophe of having a government shutdown? In the State of Texas--I am here today to vote for this CR--172,877 Active-Duty and Reserve personnel and their families would not be paid. What would impact the city of Houston is: $2,742,702,800 in funding to small businesses in Texas would not get that funding for creating jobs. They are the job engine of America and Houston will be devastatingly impacted; 176,276 persons traveling through Bush Intercontinental Airport and our airports in Texas would face slowdowns because TSA would not be working; 786,686 people in Texas would lose access to their nutrition programs--women, infant, and children denied food; 168,413 Federal workers in our city alone laid off, and; 3,291,584 beneficiaries would not have the SNAP program to feed their families. This is shameful. But we are here today to ensure the government does not shut down and to make sure that, even though it is not perfect, even though the bills that we are watching that Republicans say they are doing, are literally taking the lifeline out of the hands of our fellow Americans, not doing border security, not providing humanitarian assistance that is needed, but yet Democrats stood tall. We are going to fund this at FY23. We are not going to have the draconian taking away of reproductive rights.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1105, the ``Debbie Smith Act of 2023,'' a bill that would reauthorize critical grant funding aimed at ending the rape kit backlog. As the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, I am proud to be one of four original cosponsors of this bipartisan legislation, and I am proud to stand with Representative Steve Cohen and Representative Wesley Hunt. And I am encouraged by the number of cosponsors--Republicans and Democrats--who have joined us, including Judiciary Ranking Member Nadler, Crime Subcommittee Chairman Biggs, and many other members of the Judiciary Committee. This bill was introduced by Representative Ann Wagner, who I have worked with on many occasions to ensure that victims of crime receive justice. And this is one such measure. H.R. 1105 reauthorizes legislation that provides resources to state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to reduce the national backlog of DNA evidence, most notably, rape kits. Although DNA evidence has proven critical to solving crimes and delivering justice, particularly in crimes of sexual violence, there are still challenges to holding offenders accountable using such evidence. Law enforcement agencies and prosecutors increasingly collect and rely on DNA evidence, such as rape kits, to investigate and solve crimes. But delays in processing rape kits and other DNA evidence can result in delays in apprehending or prosecuting violent or serial offenders. It can also result in the wrongfully convicted serving time in prison for crimes they did not commit. For every rape kit or DNA sample that languishes on a shelf, untested, in a crime lab or police department somewhere in America, there is at least one victim--possibly living in fear and most certainly searching for an end to their nightmare. That is why, as Ranking Member Nadler said, it is imperative that we end the rape kit backlog. Since passage of the Debbie Smith Act in 2004, as the firs piece of legislation aimed at ending the backlog of untested and unanalyzed DNA evidence--more than 860,000 DNA cases have been processed with over 376,000 DNA profiles uploaded to the Combined DNA Index System, commonly referred to as CODIS, and nearly 200,000 DNA samples have been matched. Research has shown that testing backlogged kits can lead to CODIS hits as well as arrests and convictions. One study of 491 untested kits in the possession of the Houston Police Department yielded l04 CODIS hits after testing, and 16 of those hits led to an arrest. Debbie Smith grants have helped reduce the backlog in jurisdictions in every corner of the country. For instance, the New York Times reported that my home state of Texas had a backlog of approximately 20,000 untested kits in 2013. According to a report by the Dallas Morning News, that number was reduced to just over 6,000 by 2021. Unfortunately, a measure of the progress made in reducing the national backlog was lost due to the COVID-l9 pandemic. However, recognizing the accomplishments made since the Debbie Smith Act first became law, I am confident that we will once again reduce the number of untested samples and rape kits and eventually end the backlog. The Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program provides grants to state and local governments for nine major purposes that include (1) conducting analyses of DNA samples; (2) increasing the capacity of state and local laboratories to carry out DNA analyses; and (3) ensuring that the testing and analysis of DNA samples from crimes, including sexual assault and violent crime are carried out in a timely manner. The program also provides funds to process offender DNA samples to ensure evidence from unsolved crimes can be matched to the databases of known offenders as in the case of the woman for which this bill was named. The perpetrator who kidnapped and raped Debbie Smith was identified using a DNA sample collected from him while he was serving 161 years in prison for robbing and abducting two women. The ``hit'' connecting this individual to her rape was not made until the DNA evidence was analyzed and uploaded to CODIS six and a half years later. In an op-ed written in 2019, Mrs. Smith said, ``For six and a half years, I lived in the fear that he would return or, even worse, that he would take out his revenge on my children or my husband. That fear held me so tightly that it choked out any joy of life.'' Her fears and thoughts of suicide--simply to find peace--changed when the results of her rape kit analysis identified her rapist. I am grateful that Mrs. Smith brought this issue to Congress and advocated for victims like herself. It is now up to Congress to make certain that every victim and every survivor experiences the relief she felt knowing that her rapist could no longer do harm to her, her loved ones, or her communIty. That is why I will do all that I can to ensure that every rape kit is tested, and every sample is analyzed so that no survivor's voice is silenced and no victim's cry for justice goes unanswered, and that no criminal goes free because of a failure to act. That includes supporting this bill and encouraging my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States and risked their lives to defend our freedoms and way of life and took and lived the oath to ``support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.'' Our Veterans have borne ``true faith and allegiance to the same, an obligation they took freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion.'' Veterans are truly heroes walking among us. I want to thank all of our armed servicemen and women for their selfless dedication to our protection every day. Veterans Day is a reminder to all of us who live in freedom that as President Kennedy said, ``The price of freedom is high, but Americans have always paid it.'' This Veterans Day is a welcome opportunity to remember the fallen who gave the last full measure of devotion to their country on battlefields around the world--in places whose names may be unforgettable--or locations that have slipped into the pages of history. We will never forget: Revolutionary War--Valley Forge; York Town; Civil War--The Battle of Antietam; The Battle of Gettysburg; World War I--The Battle of Argonne; Flanders Field; Verdun; World War II--Pearl Harbor; Battle of Bataan; The Battle of Midway; D-Day; Battle of the Bulge; Battle of Anzio; Battle of Corregidor; Korean War--Inchon; Heart Break Ridge; Pork Chop Hill; Vietnam--Tet Offensive; Battle of Hue; Desert Storm--September 11, 2001; Pentagon Attack (125 killed); Operation Enduring Freedom; Battle of Kandahar; Operation Iraqi Freedom; Second Battle of Fallujah; Operation Allies Refuge; Operation Allies Welcome. The memory of the fallen is never forgotten. Mr. Speaker, each Veterans Day, Americans come together to remember those who have served our country around the world in the name of freedom and democracy. The debt that we owe to them is immeasurable. Their sacrifices, and those of their families, are freedom's foundation. Without the brave efforts of all the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and Coast Guardsmen and women and their families, our country would not live so freely. I offer my deepest gratitude to our nation's 1.4 million troops and reservists, their families, and the 16.2 million veterans, including 22,809 here in the 18th Congressional District. 16.2 million brave men and women are veterans of our nation's military service. This includes more than 1.7 million women, 2.7 million African American men and women, 1.32 million Hispanic men and women, 342,000 Asian American Pacific Islanders, and 113,000 American Indians. Of the veteran population in the country, 1.5 million veterans call Texas their home. We use Veterans Day to show our veterans and military families how important they are to us and how grateful we are for them each day. November is National Caregivers Month to show our caregivers how grateful we are for them. It is only fitting that we thank those caregivers who serve our military today. 5.5 million spouses, parents, children, and other loved ones care for our wounded warriors and 15 percent of caregivers spend 40+ hours a week providing care for our military families. As a senior member of the House Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security, I care deeply about our veterans. In Congress, I have sponsored many legislative proposals and co- sponsored more than 50 pieces of legislation that will positively benefit our veterans and their families. Including H.R. 232, the Real Justice for Our Veterans Act of 2023, which looks to prioritize veterans court treatment programs, ensuring equal access for women, as well as racial and ethnic minorities who have served. Additionally, I introduced H.R. 236, which would create a ``Battle Buddy Check Week,'' meant to provide outreach and education, as well as peer wellness checks for Veterans. On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldiers behind. As a Nation, let it be our pledge that when they return home, we will leave no veteran behind. This day and every day, let us honor their service with actions that fulfill our commitment to our troops, their families, and our veterans--and that are worthy of our grateful Nation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4394--Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024. This bill needs to be revised to be truly bipartisan to serve the American people and Houston. As with all the additional appropriation bills that have been up for consideration on the House Floor, I strongly oppose the passage of this bill for a myriad of reasons--including the following listed below. The majority has put forth a bill that increases energy costs for American families, undermines the growth and modernization of our energy infrastructure, weakens our national security, and would yield the world's energy future to foes abroad. With massive cuts that renege on the debt limit agreement that was just signed into law, the 2024 Energy and Water bill raises costs for families and weakens energy security and our ability to out-compete China. The bill invests $55.2 billion, a decrease of $3.9 billion or 6.5 percent below 2023. Further, the bill's domestic allocation is effectively 21.5 percent, $5.4 billion, below 2023 while its defense allocation is 3.5 percent, $1.1 billion, above 2023, creating a further disparity between domestic and defense programs. This harmful legislation would have the following damaging impact on America: Increases energy costs by cutting the Department of Energy's clean energy programs that lower American families' energy bills; Jeopardizes energy security by enabling Russia to continue weaponizing energy to destabilize global markets; Hurts U.S. competitiveness by allowing competitors like China to monopolize markets for new energy technology; and Fails to confront the climate crisis and create better-paying, clean energy jobs. The bill cuts the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account by $466 million or 14 percent below 2023 ($1.8 billion or 38 percent below the President's budget request). This office is critical to developing manufacturing, building efficiency, clean energy like hydrogen and solar, and weatherization technologies that are critical to our Nation's growth and resilience. The bill includes dangerous cuts that House Democrats have been sounding the alarm about for months. With this bill, House Republicans irresponsibly: Call for $5.7 billion in untenable repeals from the Department of Energy's Inflation Reduction Act programs, including: $4.5 billion from the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Program; $1 billion from the Assistance for Latest and Zero Building Energy Code Adoption; and $200 million from the State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants. Repurpose critical Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) resources including: $3.6 billion from the Department of Energy's IIJA Civil Nuclear Credit Program that help preserve the existing U.S. reactor fleet and save thousands of high-paying jobs across the country; and $84 million from the Corps of Engineers' IIJA programs. Revoke $15 billion in loan authority from the Department of Energy's Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program--an increasingly successful program that promotes climate-friendly innovation and American manufacturing. Sadly, this bill exemplifies Republican misguided values: increasing costs for hardworking families, decreasing job opportunities, failing to confront the climate crisis, and allowing Russia and China to outcompete us. In an attempt to provide some reasonable action in this unreasonable legislation, I offered an amendment for consideration by the Rules Committee that would help our Nation's government take seriously our ever-changing climate and the crises that ensue creating national and international instability at unprecedented levels and degree. The Jackson Lee Amendment (Rules Committee No. 121) to H.R. 4394-- Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024, if adopted would have added the following language to this bill: It is the sense of Congress that energy and water are emerging as paramount and critical issues, posing challenges not only to the United States' national security and economy but to the stability of the global community; and As each nation grapples with climate change, which is evidenced by climatic events taking place in this nation and others over the last decade, where precipitation in all of its forms and extreme drought have triggered calamities that clearly inform decision makers that nations must be purposeful in preparing to meet these challenges to protect life and human advancement in all of its forms. Temperatures are rising, snow and rainfall patterns are shifting, and more extreme climate events--like heavy rainstorms and record high temperatures--are becoming more common. The planet's oceans and glaciers have also experienced changes-- oceans are warming and becoming more acidic, ice caps are melting, and sea level is rising. As these and other changes become more pronounced in the coming decades, they will likely present challenges to our society and our environment, our country and our world. This summer saw the hottest days in Earth's modern history as a climate-change fueled surge of heat shattered temperature records across the globe. According to scientists at NASA's Goddard Institute of Space Studies (GISS) in New York, the summer of 2023 was Earth's hottest since global records began in 1880. The months of June, July, and August combined were 0.41 degrees Fahrenheit (0.23 degrees Celsius) warmer than any other summer in NASA's record, and 2.1 degrees F (1.2 C) warmer than the average summer between 1951 and 1980. August alone was 2.2 F (1.2 C) warmer than the average. This new record comes as exceptional heat swept across much of the world, exacerbating deadly wildfires in Canada and Hawaii, and searing heat waves in South America, Japan, Europe, and the U.S., while likely contributing to severe rainfall in Italy, Greece, and Central Europe. As backed up by NASA and global scientists and witnessed by everyone across the world, the Summer of 2023's record-setting temperatures are not just a set of numbers--they result in dire real-world consequences. From sweltering temperatures in Arizona and across the country, to wildfires across Canada, extreme flooding in Europe, Asia, and Africa, as well as catastrophic earthquakes striking across the Middle East, extreme weather is threatening lives and livelihoods around the globe. As we entered into the fall, September started with a typhoon that ripped through Hong Kong, uprooting trees and flooding the city. It was the first of a slew of extreme weather events that hit ten countries and territories in just 12 days--the most catastrophic being the floods in Libya, which have killed more than 11,000 people according to the UN and left many thousands missing. Scientists warn that these types of extreme weather events, affecting countries all over the world, may become increasingly common as the climate crisis accelerates, putting pressure on governments to prepare. These real impacts of climate change are a threat to our planet and future generations that we must continue to confront and tackle head on. The scientific evidence is overwhelming, and we will no doubt continue to see more climate records and more intense and frequent extreme weather events impacting society and ecosystems, until we come to acknowledge and accept the devastating impact of climate change and actively stop the harms that are contributing to the deadly and damaging climate crises of our time and inevitably forthcoming in our future. Texans and the constituents in my home district of Houston are no strangers to the adverse impacts and dangers of climate change. When Hurricane Harvey hit Houston in 2017, dumping over 50 inches of rain on Houston, it caused more than $125 billion in economic damage as my constituents' homes, workplaces, schools, and businesses flooded. Yet, research has shown that climate change made Harvey's torrential rainfall much worse, roughly 15 percent to 38 percent greater rainfall than it would have been in a world that was not warming. This difference is far from insignificant--up to 50 percent of the properties that flooded in Harris County might have escaped that fate in a world without climate change. Houstonians are not the only ones to have faced harm from climate change fueled national disasters. Since 1980, the US has sustained 341 weather and climate disasters, coasting over $2.4 trillion in all. However, for Houstonians, Texans, and all of our constituents, the worst of the threat is far from over. The US coastline is projected to rise 10 to 12 inches in the next 30 years, threatening the coastal states and vastly increasing the risk of flooding for those on either coast. Average global temperatures will continue to rise, prompting a crop loss of 10 percent in the next 5 to 25 years, melting glaciers, and further driving the rise of sea levels. It is estimated that climate change could cost from 30 to over 100 billion dollars per year, along with significant potential for economic and federal revenue losses. The OMB has predicted that climate change could reduce the national GDP by as much as 10 percent by the end of the century, costing a $2 trillion loss in the federal budget. Further, some of the most severe harms from climate change will fall disproportionately on socially vulnerable populations, including racial and ethnic minority communities. Additionally, the GAO has highlighted that climate change further poses threats to national security, as rising sea levels and catastrophic storms threaten both military and civilian infrastructure and can even affect migration patterns. There is no Planet B. We must address the existential threat of climate change now. We are seeing the consequences of climate change at home and abroad. However, Republicans continue to deny the scientific consensus of climate change. Now more than ever before, we need to strengthen our energy security and diversify our energy sources, so we are not dependent on global adversaries--while also tackling the devastating global and economic policies impacting our climate. And yet today, House Republicans are putting forth a bill that threatens to raise energy costs for more than 250,000 U.S. households and halt the creation of more than 50,000 new jobs, while failing to acknowledge and address energy policies that are decimating our global climates. I call upon my fellow colleagues across the aisle to stand up against these harmful and dangerous policies offered in this appropriations bill. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to vote in opposition to H.R. 4394, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Act of 2024.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker Pro Tempore, I am pleased to speak on the importance of Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM). American society today embraces a remarkable breadth of cultures, and Hispanics are an integral part of this diversity. The Hispanic American community is a beautiful array of distinct groups, including people with roots in Central and South America, including our neighbors in Mexico and the Caribbean, and Spain. In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson designated a National Hispanic Heritage Week because of the growing impact of the Latin American culture in shaping the Nation and society. The week was expanded in 1988 to a 31-day period by President Reagan to provide all Americans the opportunity to participate and commemorate the important contributions of the Hispanic culture to mainstream America. Today in communities across the Nation millions of American families come together to celebrate in this facet of American culture and participate in traditional comidas and fiestas. There are over 63.7 million Hispanics living in the U.S. and Hispanics continue to be the fastest growing ethnic group. In Harris County, Texas there are 43.1 percent Hispanic, approximately 2.02 million people. In 2022, 44.5 percent of the Houston population identified as Hispanic or Latino in the Census. Not only is this a month to celebrate Hispanic culture and traditions, but it is also a time to reunite and celebrate the importance of keeping traditions alive through family gatherings and fiestas. Yet, in the time we currently live in many families are separated from one another. While we must acknowledge the challenges at our border, we should never forget that behind the statistics given to us are real families, real children, and real people in desperate need. One of my own staffers, Amy Arceo, had her grandmother rejected USA entry and banned for 10 years due to crossing the border from Mexico, when all she wanted to do was to see her family and return home. After those 10 long years and an additional 3 years to work her way through our immigration system, her grandmother Ma. Esperanza Bugarin was finally able to receive her papers to re-enter the USA. Her family has been reunited after 13 long years of being separated from one another, the ban having forced her to miss many important family events. During this month, let us reaffirm our commitment to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and most importantly unity. It is essential that we continue working together to break down barriers and ensure that all Americans, regardless of their background, have equal access to opportunities and the chance to achieve their dreams. On behalf of my constituents and in my duties as a U.S. Representative, I am committed to speaking up for the rights of Hispanics and confronting the issues that affect them. From lowering the uninsured healthcare rates and fighting to make higher education more affordable, to championing an increase in the minimum wage and addressing the economic challenges facing working women and families, my colleagues and I will continue working for the Latino community's top priorities. Devoted to family, faith, country, and hard work, Hispanic Americans bring unique and bountiful perspectives and experiences to our national community and character. The vibrant Hispanic influence can be seen in all aspects of American life and culture, and especially in Houston, Harris County and Texas, and from distinctive cuisine to colorful festivals, and from the rhythms and melodies of traditional music to the contagious beat of today's most popular songs. The Hispanic community has persevered in the face of discrimination and hardships. While significant barriers still stand in our way, I will continue fighting with a strong commitment to achieve comprehensive immigration reform and to support an inclusive and unified country.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I just spent time with my constituents over the weekend, and everywhere I went and announced that the government was going to remain open because of the advocacy of Democrats, there was applause. No matter what party, what affiliation they had, there was applause to recognize that law enforcement would be paid, those at the border would be paid, the supplemental nutrition program that families so desperately need would be provided for, and the women and children program would be provided for. However, at the same time, it is important to take note that we have passed draconian appropriation bills that sizably cut what working families need--the supplemental nutrition program, the WIC program, housing. We cannot continue on this route. We must find a bipartisan pathway to fund this government, recognizing that we do have a deficit created by the past administration and that we have been dug out of poverty because of Biden's American Rescue Plan Act that cities have depended on. These cities relied on large Federal dollars that helped them bridge the gap during the pandemic for rural communities, as well. Madam Speaker, we are getting ready to take a monumental step today. Let's focus on the priorities for the American people.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania for her leadership and for managing this rule that we now have on the floor of the House. I stand here in the name of so many Americans who live in cities and rural communities that are so dependent on the Federal funding that helps to bridge local government funding, and also those who are most vulnerable in our Nation. As I rise today, we Democrats did come together to stop the shutdown. As I said earlier, there was applause across my district. At the same time, bills are passed that really shock me. Again, bills were passed that cut $800 million from the women, infants, and children program dealing with feeding babies. Then, one of the most talked about issues across America--we just saw something where Habitat for Humanity is building 39 homes under the name of the great President Jimmy Carter and his wife. Here we are cutting $1 billion to $500 million from the HOME Investment Partnerships Program that directly deals with the funding that is necessary. Can you believe the cuts in Medicare? Can you absolutely believe that that is what is happening? The bills are being passed by the Republican majority. Now, I thought they were concerned about Homeland Security--I served on this committee since 9/11--but border management funding has been severely cut for shelter and services programs, the very programs that are needed by those who come seeking asylum or even those who come whose asylum will be rejected, but the burden is on those local cities. The USCIS and the Transportation Security Administration are both receiving cuts. Then, of course, we are dealing with this particular legislation, legislative branch and energy and commerce. It is important to note that funding dealing with water, dealing with climate, and dealing with renewables are all being cut. I offered amendments in particular to deal with water that were not accepted. I offered amendments to ensure that DACA residents could be hired, which we have done before. Those are individuals that did not spend any time in their foreign land, were brought here as children, and are now doctors, paramedics, lawyers, and teachers, and because of the DACA program we cannot hire them. How insensitive is that? Then the attacks against the LGBTQ+ community, all of the amendments throughout the entire time that attack them. Then to get rid of the diversity office that we worked so hard for, to ensure that this Congress, the people's House, the United States Senate, reflects the wonderment of America, this wonderful experiment that the world looks to and says: How great this land is. ``My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty.'' That is what America is to people. How can we in appropriations after appropriations put in these poison pills? We stopped the shutdown, but what I can say to you is there is more work to be done. We don't know what the vote will be on the floor today, but I want whatever happens, as I said before, to be for the best for the American people. That is Democrats leading.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, the people of America are suffering. We have repeatedly told them that they are our priority, but the people of America are suffering while my colleagues insist on a government shutdown, which is what they are doing. Blatantly they have violated the very agreement that Speaker McCarthy and the President of the United States--two people holding the greatest trust--agreed to to be able to go forward on a funding scheme that would save the American people. Yet, we stand here today where my very constituents in Houston, Texas, are going to have the soldiers that served in our Nation's military not paid. It is going to have $2 billion in loans to small businesses not given. It is going to stop nearly 800,000 children from getting nutrition. It is going to stop 456 million people from getting housing, and yet, we are standing here stating that we are patriots? I don't want a government shutdown. Food safety will be, in essence, in jeopardy. Law enforcement will not be paid. These are the people who say we are pro-law enforcement, but, yet, they will not be paid. What goes on with the Senate? It is a bipartisan resolution that if we vote on it today as it comes across, the government will stay open. I support the previous question because the people of America are suffering, and I don't expect this draconian cutting of everything, losing salaries for the military, cutting out food benefits, cutting Social Security payments, cutting Medicare payments, Medicaid payments, to be our definition of individuals who are standing here working for the American people and fellow Houstonians. My commitment is to be here to insist that the government not close. I don't know why a commonsense continuing resolution cannot be passed. I do want to say that as this has been offered into the Record, the President's statement, how can we run government if a deal that Speaker McCarthy made with the President of the United States on behalf of the people of this Nation cannot be kept? As I stand here today, I want to say that people are suffering. Let us stop their suffering and keep the government open.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me take a moment to offer my deepest sympathy to the people of California, her family, and the people of this Nation on the passing of Senator Feinstein. Mr. Speaker, this is a serious moment in history. This is a serious moment for patriots and persons courageous enough to do the right thing. I started out this morning by saying it will be the American people that will suffer, but it will be my neighbors in Houston and my fellow Texans. We have a solution, and I think it should be very clearly stated. What my friends on the other side of the aisle are arguing is chaos and confusion. They are arguing no solution. They are shouting from the top of their lungs to be heard and to generate excitement for social media, but we have a very calm situation. The Senate has voted 77-19 to put forward a reasoned extension, keeping the funding as it is, making sure our military is being paid, not cutting off women and children from supplemental nutrition--these are infants we are talking about--and taking care of communities, like the firefighters in the West who are suffering after fighting fires and other natural disasters. They have a CR. It will come here. It has a privileged status. That status will allow us to vote. The government will be open, and then the engagement on issues that are in disagreement or agreement could be worked out. If we continue this shrill talk and don't reasonably act courageously as patriots to be able to stop the suffering of the American people, we will have 50,000 pounds of cocaine here because we won't have Customs and Border officers.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding additional time. Mr. Speaker, we will have 110,000 children--where their parents are going to work--that will have no Head Start slots; 65,000 will not have access to childcare; 60,000 seniors will be robbed of nutrition programs. Then we will have 2.3 million women, infants, and children, as I said, without WIC. No educational dollars, fewer teachers, 4,000 fewer safety inspections, and we will be undermining law enforcement. So if everyone wants to be shrill, here is a solution. Bring the temperature down, pass the Senate CR, open the doors, and stop these draconian cuts because you are hurting the American people and my fellow Houstonians. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to H.R. 5525 Continuing Appropriations and Border Security Enhancement Act, 2024. The reckless funding proposal included in this bill would painfully impact the lives of millions of Americans by making disastrous cuts to programs that workers and families count on every day. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are more focused on introducing unpopular and dangerous funding bills that cut virtually all non-defense discretionary funding by 8 percent than working on a bipartisan solution that could be enacted. The Republican funding bill is a short-term radical solution and would only keep the government open until October 31, 2023. This deadline guarantees Congress will need to pass another Continuing Resolution (CR) and means either House Republicans will slash critical resources again at the end of October or the dangerous cuts in this extreme bill will be in place until Congress is able to pass all 12 full-year bills. In exchange for keeping the government open, House Republicans are: Slashing investments in the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Medical research into treatments and cures for diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's, and heart disease would be cut with the reduction of 2,000 research grants. Furthering their goal of eliminating public education by cutting funding for Title I, IDEA, and Head Start. Cuts to Title I and IDEA would be the equivalent of removing more than 40,000 teachers and service providers from classrooms serving low-income students and students with disabilities. And approximately 100,000 children would lose access to Head Start, undermining early education for children in low-income communities and parents' ability to go to work. Failing to support communities recovering from natural disasters. In the midst of hurricane season and with several response and recovery efforts to major disasters underway, this bill harms FEMA's readiness by failing to address the urgent need for additional Disaster Relief Funds to address existing shortfalls and respond to future unknown disasters. Cutting border security funding. Despite claims that this bill prioritizes border security, it does the opposite by cutting funding critical to those operations. The bill would ensure disruption and chaos at the border, harm our economy, empower transnational criminal organizations, endanger communities, and put our agents' and officers' lives at risk. Neglecting our water infrastructure by cutting funds to the Army Corps of Engineers. House Republicans are cutting funds to the Army Corps of Engineers Construction activities by 21 percent. With $444 million slashed from the Corps of Engineers' Construction activities, projects critical to waterway navigation of supply chains, reducing flood and storm damage, or providing ecosystem restoration would freeze. Taking food out of the mouths of children, families, and seniors. House Republicans are threatening food safety, raising the costs of food, and killing jobs in rural communities by slashing the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) by 11 percent (or $124 million). Turning their backs on America's small businesses. The Small Business Administration (SBA), Entrepreneurial Development Programs would be cut by 8.1 percent. This means approximately 107,000 fewer small businesses would be assisted. This would have a significant impact on underserved communities such as Veterans, Women, and Native American entrepreneurs. Slashing resources for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Opioid Use Disorder treatment. The Republican CR cuts funding for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by 18 percent. Nearly 1 million people facing a suicidal or mental health crisis would be unable to access support services through the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, and thousands of individuals would be denied admission to opioid use disorder treatment, denying them a potentially life-saving path to recovery. Mr. Speaker, their unrealistic proposals almost guarantee that our government will shut down tomorrow at midnight. A Republican government shutdown would hurt hard working families in Texas: 172,877 active duty and reserve personnel serving our nation's armed forces in Texas would be forced to go without the pay they earn during a shutdown. The Small Business Administration would stop processing small business loans, halting a program that provides $2,742,702,800 in funding to small businesses in Texas every year. 176,276 people flying through Texas airports every day would face potential delays and safety concerns due to staffing impacts on TSA agents and air traffic controllers. 786,686 people in Texas would soon lose access to Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) benefits. 168,4l3 federal workers in Texas would be furloughed or forced to work without pay, in addition to the many employees of businesses with government contracts who could be laid off, furloughed, or see their hours cut. Workers at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would be sidelined, risking interruptions and delays to the 892 food safety, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other inspections conducted in Texas last year. The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing housing loans, which provide $456,125,359 in funding to help 2,742 families in rural Texas communities buy homes every year. The Department of Agriculture would be forced to stop processing farm loans which provide $209,391,000 in funding for farmers in Texas every year. 3,291,584 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries in Texas would lose access to benefits in a prolonged shutdown. 5,4l3,161 people who visit national parks in Texas every year would be turned away or unable to fully access parks, monuments, and museums. State governments would be forced to pay for federal services like the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, potentially risking benefits for the 20,846 TANF beneficiaries in Texas. Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to oppose H.R. 5525 as its passage would be detrimental to lives of millions of Americans.