Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, we are all heartbroken. We all are speechless. We all are committed to John Robert Lewis' beloved community. Each of us have been touched without ceasing for the spirit he led us in acknowledging, even in anger, that there was the beloved community. He loved his wife and his family and his extended brothers and sisters, all the way from Alabama to Georgia. I am reminded of his ability to love Dr. Martin Luther King. It is a testament of a man that is able to extend love and not to show envy but to learn and to seek knowledge. John did that, which allowed him to carry that all the way to the fights of today. Dr. King said: ``John Robert Lewis, are you the boy from Troy?'' He loved to tell that story. He loved to tell that he preached to the chickens, but his voices were heard by kings and queens. John Robert Lewis, a saint walking on Earth. I am reminded of our days in front of the South African Embassy, arrested, against genocide, or fighting against the children in cages. John never stopped his fight. And so I come today to honor him in this brief moment that we have, to be able to say, Isn't it good that a saintly man walked on this Earth and reminded us of the beloved community? I am very glad to say that I knew, and the world knows John Robert Lewis, ``the boy from Troy.'' Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of this body and the Committee on the Judiciary, as a colleague of a great and beloved man, and as a member of a generation that directly benefited from and was inspired by his work in the Civil Rights Movement, I am proud but heart-broken to participate in this tribute to an American original, our friend and colleague, the late John Robert Lewis who died last Friday, July 17, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia at the age of 80 years old. But what amazing things my friend John bore witness to in those eight decades. John Robert Lewis was a lifelong warrior for a more just, equitable, fairer, and better America, one of the Original Big Six, and a giant of the Civil Rights Movement. John Lewis was one of the original Freedom Riders who challenged segregated interstate travel in the South in 1961. He was a founder and early leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which coordinated lunch-counter sit-ins. He helped organize and was the last surviving person who addressed the multitude at the March on Washington, where Dr. King delivered his immortal ``I Have A Dream'' speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. John Robert Lewis was born on February 21, 1940, the third of 10 children, to Eddie and Willie Mae (Carter) Lewis near the town of Troy on a sharecropping farm owned by a white man. After his parents bought their own farm--110 acres for $300--John shared in the farm work, leaving school at harvest time to pick cotton, peanuts and corn. Their house had no plumbing or electricity. In the outhouse, they used the pages of an old Sears catalog as toilet paper, that seems too much to bear but John was empowered by his history. His family called him ``Preacher,'' and becoming one seemed to be his destiny. John often said he drew inspiration by listening to a young minister named Martin Luther King on the radio and reading about the 1955 through 56 Montgomery bus boycott. John Lewis met Dr. King in Montgomery, Alabama in 1958, who was touched by a letter John had written him and sent him a round-trip bus ticket to visit. When John arrived at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church for his appointment, Dr. King greeted him thusly: ``Are you the boy from Troy? Are you John Lewis?'' John said, ``I am John Robert Lewis, giving his whole name. But Dr. King henceforth would affectionately call our beloved John, ``the boy from Troy''. But in 2011, at a White House ceremony, President Barack Obama awarded John Lewis the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, and said this about the boy from Troy: ``Generations from now, when parents teach their children what is meant by courage, the story of John Lewis will come to mind; an American who knew that change could not wait for some other person or some other time; whose life is a lesson in the fierce urgency of now.'' The first time John Lewis was arrested was in February 1960, when he and other students demanded service at whites-only lunch counters in Nashville, the first prolonged battle of the movement that evolved into the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. John's advocacy was fierce and joyful, as embodied in his common refrain to involve oneself in the actions and passions of one's time ``to get in the way, make necessary trouble.'' Less than two years after that August 1963 day, in the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, in March 1965, John led over 600 foot soldiers across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, in Selma, Alabama, in a march demanding the right to vote. John's protest against injustice was met with violence by Alabama State Troopers. He was beaten and his skull left bloodied, the horror left bare for a nation to see on television. That incident, immediately known and forever remembered as Bloody Sunday, led to the passage and enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It was my personal honor to accompany John on countless pilgrimages to the Edmund Pettus Bridge to remember and acknowledge those common persons with common dreams and uncommon courage and love for the promise of the country. In 1986, John Lewis was elected to the United States House of Representatives from Georgia's 5th District and served in that role until earlier the evening when the sun set on his heroic and extraordinary life. John was the conscience of the Congress, widely beloved and revered on both sides of the aisle and the Capitol. His moral authority was colossal because he had seen the worst of us but he always appealed to the best of us and never ceased to inspire us to strive to create the beloved community. It is no exaggeration to say he was a man, the likes of which we shall not see again. As news of John's passing reverberates across the United States and around the world, John would want us to reflect not on his death, but his life and the unfinished necessary work ahead of us. John never took his eyes off the prize and to his last days, continued to march and stand in solidarity with those protesting injustice and inequality. I remember getting arrested with John, Congressman McGovern, former colleagues Jim Moran of Virginia and John Olver of Massachusetts, and our late colleague Tom Lantos, for protesting the genocide in Darfur at the Embassy of Sudan on April 28, 2006. John Lewis led us in the sit-down demonstration on the House floor to protest the Republican Congress' refusal to take up gun violence prevention legislation in the face of the tragic mass shootings that plague our country. And in his final act of civic engagement and civil disobedience, John Lewis stood in the middle of Black Lives Matter Plaza showing solidarity and the continuity with the now global movement fighting galvanized by the horrific murder of George Floyd to peacefully protest for justice and equal treatment in the criminal justice system. Mr. Speaker, John Lewis was among the finest Americans this country ever produced. He lived a consequential life and his legacy is all around us, in the realization of talent and opportunity of millions of persons who walked through the doors of progress that John Lewis helped open. I hope it is comfort to John's family and loved ones, that people the world over are mourning his death but celebrating his life. A fitting and proper means of paying tribute to John Lewis's extraordinary life is for the Senate to immediately take up and pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, landmark legislation to protect the precious right to vote for all persons and to ensure that our democracy has the tools needed to remain strong. I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory and thanks of John Robert Lewis, the boy from Troy, who became a leader who helped change the world.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as an original cosponsor and senior member of the Committee on the Judiciary, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of H.R. 5581, the ``Access to Counsel Act of 2020,'' which ensures that certain individuals who are subjected to prolonged inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at ports of entry have a meaningful opportunity to communicate with counsel and other interested parties. This important legislation amends section 235 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure that certain individuals can communicate with counsel and other interested parties if they are subjected to prolonged inspection by CBP. The protections afforded by the Access to Counsel Act of 2020 would apply to individuals who possess valid travel documents, but who are pulled out of the ``primary'' inspection line and referred to ``secondary'' inspection for extended processing. If such individuals are held in secondary inspection for at least one hour, they must be permitted to communicate with counsel and other interested parties. Counsel and interested parties would be able to provide information and documentation to the inspecting officer to facilitate the inspection process and offer support and assistance to the individual subject to inspection. Madam Speaker, the stakes can be high for a person wrongfully refused admission and the consequences of being denied admission to the United States can be significant. For example, a U.S. research institution may lose the opportunity to employ a next generation cancer researcher if that researcher is denied admission despite possessing a valid nonimmigrant visa. Individuals who are refused admission may be unable to reunite with their families, receive critical medical care unavailable in their home country, or pursue higher education at a U.S. college or university. Although some individuals may be permitted to withdraw their application for admission and return home without long term consequences, others may be ordered removed without a hearing or further review under ``expedited removal.'' An individual who receives an expedited removal order is barred from returning to the United States for five years. Communication protocols are inconsistent across ports of entry and CBP provides no public guidance on an individual's ability to communicate with counsel and other individuals during the inspection process. According to an American Immigration Council report, CBP policies and practices on access to counsel vary from one office to another.'' While some ports of entry completely bar counsel in primary or secondary inspection,'' others provide specific procedures for interacting with counsel or provide the inspecting officer with broad discretion to decide whether and with whom to communicate. Madam Speaker, the Access to Counsel Act of 2020 ensures that no one is cut off from the world due to the Administration's hasty and mismanaged rollout of the Muslim ban and the widespread chaos that it engendered at airports across the nation. Affected individuals were detained at airports for hours, and many were sent back to their home countries without the ability to contact their families or receive the assistance of counsel. Reports of similar treatment surfaced in January 2020, as tensions between Iran and the United States escalated and up to 200 individuals of Iranian descent were detained and questioned in secondary inspection at the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Blaine, Washington. These individuals--many of whom were U.S. citizens or permanent residents, including seniors and children--were held for several hours, with some reportedly held for up to 12 hours. Madam Speaker, although complications in the inspection process can arise in response to sweeping changes in immigration policy or shifting world events, the greatest impact on individuals comes from the consistent lack of access to counsel and other assistance at ports of entry on a day-to-day basis. All individuals--including U.S. citizens--who seek to lawfully enter the United States are subject to inspection by CBP officers at ports of entry. Without access to counsel and other parties, many individuals are refused admission or issued an expedited removal order instead of being provided the chance to vindicate their rights and lawfully enter the country. The Access to Counsel Act will ensure individuals who are seeking to lawfully enter the United States are treated fairly and with dignity. The bill permits counsel and interested parties to appear in person at the port of entry, but also gives DHS and CBP enough discretion to determine--based on operational and other practical limitations--how the consultation takes place. The bill provides extra protection for lawful permanent residents (LPRs) by prohibiting DHS from accepting a Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status from an LPR without first providing the LPR a reasonable opportunity to consult with counsel. Madam Speaker, the Access to Counsel Act of 2020 is supported by an impressive coalition of highly respected organizations, including: Amnesty International; American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); America's Voice; American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA); Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights; Immigration Hub; and National Iranian American Council (NIAC). I urge all Members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 5581, the Access to Counsel Act of 2020.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the manager of this legislation for his leadership. Let me also acknowledge and thank Mr. Hoyer for his, as well, and to Mr. Clyburn, Ms. Bass, Mr. Thompson, and, as I indicated, Mr. Butterfield. Mr. Speaker, let me start as I did just a few minutes ago, ``In God we trust,'' and recognize that God has created, in many of our faiths, all of us equal as humans. We stand together dealing with the Confederacy that diminished and denied those descendants, those African slaves, their humanity. And yet, in a place of freedom, this place, we honor them. Mr. Speaker, I welcome H.R. 7573 and am glad to be joining as a staunch supporter, for, if Justice Taney viewed me as inhuman, then that means that those today, those babies yet unborn from descendants of enslaved African Americans, would be inhuman. This is needed not because we don't put it in the historical context, but because we need to unify America. Mr. Speaker, as we have lost a great warrior, John Lewis, and, as well, C. T. Vivian, I know they are looking down to say that we are not to honor those who voluntarily serve to deny us our humanity and to fight for the Confederacy and were treasonous. Alexander Hamilton Stephens--it is interesting that he secured the name of Alexander Hamilton--has a statue in Statuary Hall. It says: I am not fearful of anything on Earth, I am not fearful of anything above, except to do something wrong. That is what Alexander Hamilton Stephens said. Well, this is wrong. It was wrong to enslave so many human beings and for that slavery to last over 200 years. I am delighted with the gentleman from Illinois for his congenial and historic moment today, and we do it in unity. I offer peace to this Nation and to this body that we remove these by bringing America together. I know the family of George Floyd, who struck a chord in the hearts of all Americans and Black Lives Matter, would welcome this magnificent decision today. Let us do it together, under this flag. In God we trust.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, just a few minutes ago, I heard Professor Meachum indicate that the American people voted some years ago on one of the most significant moments of the 20th century, and that was a civil rights moment, a civil rights movement. We now have a significant moment in history to combine all the work that we need to do to change America's attitudes on race. We know that we have lost two amazing heroes of this Nation, C.T. Vivian and Congressman John Lewis, whom we will pay tribute to in just a few days. But I wanted to say today that I am very grateful that, in this recent NDAA, the Armed Services bill, we passed an amendment that would direct the Secretary of Defense to assess the heroes, African-American heroes, like General Benjamin O. Davis, General Chappie James, as well as Tuskegee Airmen, after which bases and other defense properties would be named. It is now long overdue to honor these brave heroes who fought for this Nation, from the Revolutionary War until now. I believe we will do that, and I am looking forward to that being a piece of the civil rights moment, along with H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for yielding. Endorsed by the Human Rights First, my amendment No. 182 is an answer to what has been the opposite of the Confederate statues; that is, to direct the military to look at outstanding African Americans to determine the viability and the availability of naming military installations and covered defense property after historic African Americans who fought in every war since the Revolutionary War. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to have Bennie Thompson, William Lacy Clay, Gregory Meeks, A. Donald McEachin, Marc Veasey, Sanford Bishop, Andre Carson, and Jahana Hayes joining me on this amendment. Let me also say there is a long list of those who could be named. I am offering, as well, Jackson Lee amendment 179 and ask for its support. It takes up the Cyberspace Solarium Commission report to secure our emails. That is a very endangered species, if you will. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Congressmen Langevin, Gallagher, Katko, and Joyce, for joining me in this bipartisan amendment. Mr. Speaker, amendment No. 183 is clearly important to women in the United States military. Triple-negative breast cancer, 10 to 20 percent of breast cancer tests negative, this amendment provides $10 million for that. Also, we know how many of our soldiers are impacted by PTSD. Jackson Lee amendment No. 181 provides $2.5 million for PTSD research, something that I have been working on for more than a decade. I organized a PTSD center in my district outside of the veterans hospital that was funded by TRICARE.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for yielding. Mr. Speaker, let me also indicate the Jackson Lee amendment No. 180, which is very important, directs the Secretary of Defense to determine the national security threat posed by domestic terrorist groups. We have been working on this with Homeland Security, and we have been embracing Armed Services. We thank them for their leadership. This is not about violating someone's civil rights or due process. It deals with these individuals who have gone into Black Lives Matter and other peaceful protests to instigate activities that are violent, including the killing of officers. I ask my colleagues to support them. Mr. Speaker, finally, I am going to continue the work for National Guard for COVID-19 in my district because, obviously, Texas is suffering, with 300,000 cases and thousands of people dead. We need our National Guard for testing. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in strong support of the Chairman En Bloc Amendment No. 2, including all the Jackson Lee Amendments made in order for consideration of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Thornberry and their staffs for working with me and my staff and including these Jackson Lee Amendments. I offer my appreciation and thanks to Ranking Member Thornberry, for his service to this body as the Chair of the Armed Services Committee and now as Ranking Member of that Committee. His even handed and balanced leadership of the Committee the support of the current Chair of the Committee Chairman Smith is laudable and noteworthy. I offered several amendments to H.R. 6395 to improve the bill. I thank the Rules Committee under the leadership of Chairman McGovern for the inclusion of the following Jackson Lee Amendments: Jackson Lee Amendment 180 in the Rule directs the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress the extent, if any, of the threat to national security posed by domestic terrorist groups and organizations motivated by a belief system of white supremacy, such as the Boogaloo and Proud Boys extremists. As a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary and on Homeland Security I have in the past and with increasing alarm, raised concerns over the role that Boogaloo and Proud Boys have played in bringing an element of violence into the otherwise peaceful protests following the death of George Floyd. The violence seen during the recent national movement to end the deaths of unarmed black men while in police custody is not the start of these violent activities associated with Boogaloo movement or Proud Boys activity. The threat posed by accelerationists and militia extremists-a range of violent anti-government actors, movements, and organizations, some of which spring from discredited but decades-old ideologies and others which are relatively new has led to violent engagement of law enforcement. These varied threats range from decentralized and leaderless accelerationist networks using social media platforms, such as the Boogaloo movement, to more structured, far-right militia extremist groups. The ideologies undergirding these movements or groups have some similarities to other anti-government and white supremacist beliefs but are often not tied to a single, monolithic ideology. In addition, in many cases, their adherents' decentralized and coded use of digital tools poses unique challenges for law enforcement and government officials to identify and track their activity. These developments in domestic terrorism, as reported in the media and government intelligence reports--coupled with recent arrests and successful violent attacks carried out by ``Boogaloo boys'' and militia extremists--are troubling. One of my major concerns is that as the nation moves toward a historic national election, the activity of violence influencers like Boogaloo Boys or Proud Boys will increase and lead to attacks becoming more frequent. Mr. Speaker, a little background in order to place in perspective the need for the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 180. As reported in the Washington Post, on May 29, 2020, in Oakland, California, a white van pulled up outside a federal courthouse while protestors were gathered peaceably to protest the killing of George Floyd earlier that month by officers of the Minneapolis Police Department. But on that day in Oakland, a door slid open, and a man peppered the two security officers outside with bullets, killing one and wounding the other. For a little over a week, the crime was a mystery. Was it related to the protests just blocks away? It was not. The answer came on June 17, 2020, when federal authorities identified the man, an Air Force Staff Sgt. who was an adherent of the ``boogaloo boys,'' a growing online extremist movement that has sought to use peaceful protests against police brutality to spread fringe views and ignite a race war. Federal investigators allege that is exactly what the shooter was trying to do last month, to ignite a race war. Mr. Speaker, this nation fought a bloody Civil War over 160 years ago; we surely do not want to go down that path again. Make no mistake, neither this amendment nor anyone of goodwill has any purpose, interest, or desire in stifling or limiting the legitimate First Amendment and other constitutional rights of any person. I have devoted my entire congressional career to expanding civil and human rights for all. But in 2018, we saw too many instances of violent, not peaceful, extremists searching for opportunities to sow violence and disrupt democratic processes. Boogaloo and Proud Boys are targeting constitutionally protected activity for cooption or to provide cover for attacks. Jackson Lee Amendment #180 direct the Secretary of Defense to submit a report to Congress that will provide valuable insight into activities associated with Boogaloo and Proud Boys. To be clear, this amendment is concerned only with groups or entities with a known history of violence or have a history of engaging in violent activity directed at the United States government; it is not intended to cover any other group or provide a justification for investigating groups whose mission, purpose, and activities to date have been peaceful and non-violent. And as this legislative measure proceeds, I will be working closely with my colleagues, administration officials, the ACLU and advocacy and public policy groups to ensure that the amendment achieves its intended purpose, including working to include additional refinements other and conditions if necessary. Jackson Lee Amendment 182, directs the Secretary of Defense to report on the number of military bases, installations, and facilities that are named after African Americans; and directs each Secretary responsible for a branch of the military to establish a review process to consider the naming of military installations and covered defense property under the jurisdiction of that Secretary after African Americans who served in the Armed Forces with honor, heroism, and distinction and are deserving of recognition. I thank my colleagues: Congressmen Bennie Thompson, William Lacy Clay, Gregory Meeks, A. Donald McEachin, Marc Veasey, Stanford Bishop, Andre Carson, and Johana Hayes for joining as cosponsors of this Amendment. In every war waged from the Battle of Lexington to the Battle for Fallujah, African Americans have honorably answered the call to duty, and served with valor and distinction in America's armed forces. At decisive moments in our nation's history, the United States military and its citizen warriors, were there and made the difference. Our thanks to the military for being always ready to answer the call of duty--whether that call comes in the dead of night or the light of day--we know that we can count on you. The fact that military bases have been named after Confederate military leaders or soldiers is hard to imagine given that they were fighting to end the United States. The Confederacy was not something that should be held up for honor by the United States or our nation's military. There is no shortage of honorable replacement candidates to receive the honor of having a military base, installation or facility named in their honor. General Robinson was a 1951 graduate of West Point who attended the service academy before the Army was desegregate. Robinson served in Korea and Vietnam, with valor decorations in both conflicts, and as a training officer as part of the U.S. military support mission in Liberia. He went on to become the first black commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, deputy chief of staff for operations in U.S. Army Europe, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, the U.S. representative on the NATO Military Committee, and the first black four-star general in the Army. William Carney was the first African American recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, which he received for his actions on July 18, 1863 at Fort Wagner, SC while a member of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment in the Civil War--the state's first all-black regiment. The 54th Massachusetts was the subject of the film, ``Glory,'' starring Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman. Lieutenant Colonel Charity Edna Adams was appointed to lead the African-American Women's Army Corps unit designated as the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, which became known as the ``Six Triple Eight.'' This unit was instrumental in establishing and maintaining morale because it assured that mail from the battlefront and the home-front flowed efficiently and timely. In 1964, Margaret E. Bailey, Army Nurse Corps, was the first nurse to be promoted to lieutenant colonel. Dorie Miller, Messman First Class was Serving in a noncombat role in the Navy, Dorie Miller responded heroically when the battleship West Virginia was attacked at Pearl Harbor. He was the first African American to be awarded the Navy Cross, the third highest honor awarded by the US Navy at the time. Admiral Michelle Howard is a four star Admiral and one of the highest-ranking African American women ever to serve in any branch of the military. Admiral Howard is also the first African American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Rushmore. She is the Navy's second highest ranking officer and is currently serving as the commander of U.S. Naval Forces Africa, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and commander of Allied Joint Force Command Naples. In 2012, Lieutenant Colonel Kimbrell became the first female African- American fighter pilot in the Air Force history. Her flights in Northern Watch marked her as the first female pilot to fly combat missions for Misawa's 35th Fighter Wing, and the first African-American woman to employ ordinance in combat. She has more than 1,110 hours in the F-16, including 176 hours of combat time. Colonel Lucas was the first African American woman in the Air Force to be promoted to the rank of colonel. At the time of her retirement in 1970, she was the highest-ranking African American woman in the Air Force. In 1959 General Benjamin O. Davis became the first African-American Major General in the United States Air Force. In 1943, he organized and commanded the 332nd Fighter Group known as the Tuskegee Airmen. General Davis received many decorations during his career, including two Distinguished Service Medals and a Silver Star. On December 9, 1998, General Davis was awarded his fourth general's star by President Bill Clinton . Chief Petty Officer Haley is best known for writing letters for his shipmates and his short stories and articles, which got him promoted to Chief Journalist of the Coast Guard in 1959. Haley ultimately received a number of military honors, including the American Defense Service Medal, World War II Victory Medal and an honorary degree from the Coast Guard Academy. And most of you know him also as the author of ``Roots.'' In 1957, Captain Bobby Wilks became the first African American Coast Guard aviator. He later became the first African American to reach the rank of Captain and the first to command a Coast Guard air station. He accumulated over 6,000 flight hours in 18 different types of aircrafts. Twenty-five percent of the today's military is comprised of persons of color, of which 17.8% are African American. In 2017, blacks made up 17% of the DOD active-duty military--somewhat higher than their share of the U.S. population ages 18 to 44 (13%). Blacks have consistently been represented in greater shares among enlisted personnel (19% in 2015) than among the commissioned officers (9%). Jackson Lee Amendment 179 implements a recommendation made by the Cyberspace Solarium Commission to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop a strategy to implement Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting, and Conformance (DMARC) standard across U.S.-based email providers. I thank my Colleagues Congressmen Langevin, Gallagher, Katko, and Joyce for joining this bipartisan amendment to the FY 2021 NOAA. Internet's underlying core email protocol, Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP), was first adopted in 1982 and is still deployed and operated today. However, this protocol is susceptible to a wide range of attacks including man-in-the-middle content modification and content surveillance. The security of email has grown in importance as it has become in many ways the primary way that businesses, consumers, government communicate. This amendment would enact through the NDAA recommendations of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. The Commission's 75 recommendations are organized under six pillars: (1) Reform the U.S. Government's Structure and Organization for Cyberspace; (2) Strengthen Norms and Non-Military Tools; (3) Promote National Resilience; (4) Reshape the Cyber Ecosystem toward Greater Security; (5) Operationalize Cybersecurity Collaboration with the Private Sector; and (6) Preserve and Employ the Military Instrument of Power. This amendment presents an opportunity to take a significant step forward in establishing a cybersecurity ecosystem that reinforces a cultural shift in how the Federal government enforces norms that sustain cybersecurity. Ransomware, spyware, and botnet exploits use the untraceable nature of email to wreak havoc and commit crimes. I firmly believe that there is a means of assuring the privacy, and security of email communications that are on par with the privacy and security of physical mail delivery, and that this amendment is an important first step in that direction. Jackson Lee Amendment 183, in the Rule provides authorization for a $10 million increase in funding for increased collaboration with NIH to combat Triple Negative Breast Cancer. As a Member of Congress, a mother, a sister and a spouse, and a breast cancer survivor, I feel a special responsibility to do all I can to ensure every American can win in the fight against all types of breast cancer but especially triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). About 10-20% of breast cancers test negative for both ; hormone receptors and HER2 in the lab, which means they are triple-negative. What is Triple Negative Breast Cancer? The term triple negative breast cancer refers to the fact that this form of breast cancer will test negative, which means that each of the test will return negative results for the presence of breast cancer for three types of breast cancer test: Estrogen receptor; Progesterone receptor; and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 or the HER2 test will be negative. To understand triple-negative breast cancer, it's important to understand receptors, which are proteins found inside and on the surface of cells. These receptor proteins are the ``eyes'' and ``ears'' of the cells, receiving messages from substances in the bloodstream and then telling the cells what to do. Hormone receptors inside and on the surface of healthy breast cells receive messages from the hormone's estrogen and progesterone. The hormones attach to the receptors and provide instructions that help the cells continue to grow and function well. Most, but not all, breast cancer cells also have these hormone receptors. Roughly 2 out of 3 women have breast cancer that tests positive for hormone receptors. A smaller percentage of breast cancers--about 20-30%--have too many HER2 receptors. In normal, healthy breast cells, HER2 receptors receive signals that stimulate their growth. With too many HER2 receptors, however, breast cancer cells grow and divide too quickly. Hormonal therapies and HER2-targeted therapies work to interfere with the effects of hormones and HER2 on breast cancer, which can help slow or even stop the growth of breast cancer cells. Since hormones are not supporting its growth, the cancer is unlikely to respond to hormonal therapies. Triple-negative breast cancer also is unlikely to respond to medications that target HER2. In addition, triple-negative breast cancer: Tends to be more aggressive than other types of breast cancer. Five-year survival rates also tend to be lower for triple-negative breast cancer. Triple Negative Breast Cancer tends to be higher grade than other types of breast cancer. Studies have shown that triple-negative breast cancer is more likely to spread beyond the breast and more likely to recur (come back) after treatment. These risks appear to be greatest in the first few years after treatment. For example, a study of more than 1,600 women in Canada published in 2007 found that women with triple-negative breast cancer were at higher risk of having the cancer recur outside the breast--but only for the first 3 years. Other studies have reached similar conclusions. As years go by, the risks of the triple-negative breast cancer recurring become similar to those risk levels for other types of breast cancer. In 2013, the American Cancer Society Surveillance and Health Services Institute estimated that 27,060 black women would be diagnosed with the illness. The rate of breast cancer is 10% lower in African American women than white women--it is the type of breast cancer (Triple Negative) that African American women contract that is alarming. Because African American women are diagnosed in greater numbers with Triple Negative Breast Cancer, we have a five year survival rate of 78% after diagnosis as compared to 90% for white women. The incidence rate of breast cancer among women under 45 is higher for African American women compared to white women. Triple Negative Breast Cancer: Accounts for between 13% and 25% of all breast cancer in the United States; Onset is at a younger age; Is more aggressive; and Is more likely to metastasize. Currently, 70% of women with metastatic triple negative breast cancer do not live more than five years after being diagnosed. African American women are 3 times more likely to develop triple- negative breast cancer than White women. African-American women have prevalence TNBC of 26% vs. 16% in non- African-Americans women Five-year Survival Rates The key to beating this cancer is not just early detection--but detection period. A 2007 study of more than 50,000 women with all stages of breast cancer found that 77% of women with triple-negative breast cancer survived at least 5 years, versus 93% of women with other types of breast cancer. Another study of more than 1,600 women published in 2007 found that women with triple-negative breast cancer had a higher risk of death within 5 years of diagnosis, but not after that time period. The recurrence and survival figures in these and other studies are averages for all women with triple-negative breast cancer. Factors such as the grade and stage of the breast cancer will influence an individual woman's prognosis. The higher the grade, the less the cancer cells resemble normal, healthy breast cells in their appearance and growth patterns. It can feel upsetting and even scary to find out that you have a form of breast cancer that (1) is often more aggressive than other types and (2) isn't a good candidate for treatments such as hormonal therapy and Herceptin. But triple-negative breast cancer can be treated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy and new treatments--such as PARP inhibitors--are showing promise. Researchers are paying a great deal of attention to triple-negative breast cancer and working to find new and better ways to treat it. This is an exceptionally hot area of research in the breast cancer field,'' says George Sledge, M.D., medical oncologist and Breastcancer.org Professional Advisory Board member. There is immense interest among drug developers, pharmaceutical companies, and breast cancer laboratory researchers in finding targeted therapies for these patients. About 15-20 percent of breast cancers are triple negative. Triple Negative tumors tend to occur more often in younger women and African-American women. In studies of U.S. and British women, triple negative breast cancer appears to be more common among black women (especially before menopause) compared to white women. Triple negative breast cancer may also be more common among Hispanic women compared to white women. Although the reasons for racial/ ethnic differences in rates of triple negative breast cancer are not clear, lifestyle factors may play a role. For example, some findings show African-American women tend to have lower rates of breastfeeding compared to other women, which may increase the chances of having triple negative breast cancer. Certain reproductive and lifestyle factors may protect more against ER-positive breast cancers than ER-negative breast cancers, including triple negative breast cancers. For example, African-American and Hispanic women are more likely than white women: Have a younger age at first birth; and maybe be overweight or obese before menopause. Although these factors lower the risk of breast cancer, this be efit may be limited to ER-positive breast cancers. So, even though African-American and Hispanic women may be more likely than white women to have these protective factors, the factors may not lower the risk of triple negative breast cancers. There is even some evidence these factors may increase the risk of triple negative breast cancers. For these and the tens of thousands of survivors and their daughters this amendment is needed. Jackson Lee Amendment 181 in the Rule provides authorization for $2.5 million increase in funding to combat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the NIH, an estimated 3.6% of U.S. adults had PTSD in the past year. PTSD was first brought to public attention in relation to war veterans, but it can result from a variety of traumatic incidents, such as torture, being kidnapped or held captive, bombings, or natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes. People with PTSD may startle easily, become emotionally numb (especially in relation to people with whom they used to be close), lose interest in things they used to enjoy, have trouble feeling affectionate, be irritable, become more aggressive, or even become violent. They avoid situations that remind them of the original incident, and anniversaries of the incident are often very difficult. Most people with PTSD repeatedly relive the trauma in their thoughts during the day and in nightmares when they sleep. These are called flashbacks. A person having a flashback may lose touch with reality and believe that the traumatic incident is happening all over again. My amendment recognizes that these soldiers are first and, foremost, human. They carry their experiences with them. Ask a veteran of Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan about the frequency of nightmares they experience, and one will realize that serving in the Armed Forces leaves a lasting impression, whether good or bad. My amendment will help ensure that ``no soldier is left behind'' by addressing the urgent need for more outreach toward hard to reach veterans suffering from PTSD, especially those who are homeless or reside in underserved urban and rural areas of our country. I urge my colleagues to support of these Jackson Lee Amendments.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained in my district and I missed the rule vote on the NDAA. If I were present, I would have voted ``aye.'' I missed the previous question on the NDAA. If I were present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, it was very difficult to come to Washington, leaving my constituents behind, having engaged with them for all of the moments that I have been in the district. They are good people. The State of Texas is filled with good people. The Nation is filled with good people. How we got to 300,000 cases and thousands of deaths, 10,000 cases in the last 24 hours in our jurisdictions of Harris County and Houston, is tragic and baffling. We opened too early. A number of Members of Congress have written our Governor and asked him to return authority to our local communities, our county and our city, to allow them to make determinations of a stay-at-home order-- painful, I know it is--in order to be able to do this by science and medicine. Let me be very clear. The headlines in my paper said today it is difficult doing contact tracing. People are out and about. You don't have good information. So I am asking the Governor to adhere to our request. But more importantly, I want my colleagues to work with me to restore the National Guard that were stupendous in doing testing. We do not have enough. And I look forward to working with Armed Services and others to ensure the Texas National Guard can be back to do testing to help save lives. We have got to save lives, and we should not be a respecter of what State. We are one State and one Nation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as America approaches her birthday, I want to wish the American people, in this most challenging time, a happy birthday. I want to be reminded of those whose status in this country is not a status of equality, but I do want to acknowledge the importance of the birthday and the freedom and democracy in this Nation. I want to thank the men and women of the United States military, and I want to acknowledge that any threat against those in the United States military is a serious threat. Any Commander in Chief that initially assesses a threat as a hoax should not be in that position. The Russian threat of bounty on our soldiers in Afghanistan must be fully investigated by every jurisdictional committee in the United States Congress, but there must be a response to Russia, because those soldiers are precious and they are precious in the fight for freedom and to their families and to this Nation. Again, as we wish a happy birthday, let us be reminded that those who have fallen in battle have fallen to continue to build on the democracy and the justice that we fought for and to make those who are yet equal, equal in the eyes of the law. We continue to fight. We must continue to defend our soldiers as they defend us. Happy birthday, America.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Oversight and Reform be discharged from further consideration of H. Res. 1001 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pass on the floor of the House H. Res. 1001. If we can recall our history, we will know that 155 years ago, on June 19, General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and announced the freedom of the last American slaves, belatedly freeing 250,000 slaves in Texas, nearly 2.5 years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Mr. Speaker, I am very proud of the 200-plus Members of Congress who signed H. Res. 1001 that deals with recognizing June 19 as this year's observance of the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day. The reading of this order ended shadow slavery, a form of perpetual servitude, and, as well, the 13th Amendment that then forever banned slavery in this Nation. That servitude held generations of Africans in bondage in the United States for 248 years and opened a new chapter in American history. Mr. Speaker, it is America's original sin. I hope this legislation and the legislation to come will allow us to have a unified, dignified, peaceful discussion of race and systemic racism in this Nation, and Juneteenth will become a living symbol of freedom for people, including the proposed Juneteenth official Federal holiday. Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration or commemoration of slavery's demise.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Oregon, the chairman of this committee, and I rise enthusiastically for H.R. 2 because we need to move forward. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman (Mr. DeFazio). For 20 years I have been on this floor fighting for mass transit and the expansion of such and to allow cities like Houston that were delayed 20 years because of opposition by my friends on the other side of the aisle, and we are finally getting a robust commitment to not only fixing roads and schools and housing, but also to dealing with mass transit. We worked on it for a long time. I want to thank the committee for accepting my amendment dealing with COVID-19. Right now, in Houston, as I rush back to my city, we have the largest number of cases. We have people dying. We have people walking into emergency rooms because they are sick themselves just coming in. This amendment deals with the aviation area and the airports where money has been given, but, in fact, money has been left out for different businesses, like parking. This amendment requires FAA to assess all of the businesses that have been left out and to prioritize them in our next funding, and I thank the gentleman for that. But let me, as well, speak about what I know is important in the bill and impacts a project called I-45 in Houston, Texas. This project would erase 158 houses, 433 apartments, 486 condos. I include in the Record an article from the Houston Chronicle about the I-45 project, dated June 7, 2020. [From the Houston Chronicle, June 7, 2020] I-45 Project Leaves Neighbors in Limbo: Critics Fearful for Record Number Who Could be Displaced (By Dug Begley) Wherever Armando Litchenberger looks around Urbana Recording Studio, there are memories. The stool Jose Feliciano sat on to record a couple tracks. Goldie Hawn used the studio to mix the soundtrack for a TV movie she directed. Duran Duran recut a guitar track that didn't test well while on a world tour. ``There are memories here that are not replaceable,'' Litchenberger said as he showed off the Near Northside performance room where the neighborhood's de facto house band, La Mafia, recorded the songs that won four Grammys, which now sit a glass trophy case a few feet from the soundboard. Beatles memorabilia and signed posters from hundreds of musicians and celebrities line the walls, but it is a pin in the parking lot that draws Litchenberger's attention these days. Driven in by a surveyor, the pin marks the property line for a wider Interstate 45. ``If I stay, I'll be right on the freeway,'' Litchenberger said. ``I would have to close this off and make it a double cinder block wall to close off the sound.'' The I-45 project's toll on local property owners would be unprecedented for TxDOT in Houston, potentially relocating hundreds of families and businesses. Estimated to cost at least $7 billion, the project will rebuild I-45 from downtown Houston north to Beltway 8, and change how it connects with other downtown freeways. That means rebuilding--by removing--pieces of Fifth Ward, the Northside, Acres Homes and Aldine. Spots south of North Main where third-generation Latino residents help neighbors work on cars in their driveway. Or Tidwell, which bustles with activity as the commercial center and is the only place within walking distance of her apartment where Shondrae McBride, 26, can get her nails done, pick up marinated carne asada and drop off her husband's cellphone for repair across from a Pho restaurant. ``Not everybody has a car to get around,'' McBride said. Removing some of those businesses, she said, would ``add hours'' to her typical errands. The latest estimates show the rebuild would impact--the catchword for any structure or dwelling directly touched by the changing road boundary--158 houses, 433 apartments or condos, 486 public housing units, 340 businesses, five churches and two schools. The Houston Police Department would need to relocate its south central police station and the Mexican Consulate in the Museum District, adjacent to I-69, will move to a Westchasearea location. Mayor Sylvester Turner has called the project ``transformative'' but also called on TxDOT to revise the designs north of downtown to impact fewer homes and businesses while remaining on track to start construction downtown in a matter of months. Work is slated to begin north of Interstate 10 by 2024. When the work actually begins will depend on decisions made this year and next that some, including Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, worry will displace a historic number of people before getting a full public review despite more than 15 years of planning. Hidalgo and others have called on TxDOT to delay final decisions, which could push back the start of construction for months as more public meetings are planned. ``Given the impacts of the COVID-19 disaster, this delay would give the county and its residents more time to engage with and offer feedback,'' Hidalgo wrote in May. TxDOT officials have said they welcome the city and county's input, with state Transportation Commissioner Laura Ryan, of Houston, saying the goal is a project that ``will work, for the most part, for as many people as possible.'' That still leaves the question of how many people will have to get out of the way. Benefits, at a cost For those entirely displaced by TxDOT's freeway plans, whether a renter, homeowner or business owner, the outcome of discussions between TxDOT and the city could determine whether they stay or go. Some of the changes under consideration will mean the difference between their home or apartment being adjacent to the freeway--or demolished and a part of it. Other questions remain, such as how much owners and renters will be compensated and where that money will allow them to go. Renters will scramble to find nearby housing they can afford. Those receiving assistance with housing will wade back into a crowded system. ``There are some properties some residents could go to, but there is not enough room,'' said Arveyiel Fortilla, a resident of the Houston Housing Authority public complex Kelly Village, who has followed the process closely. Housing advocates, such as Amy Dinn with Lone Star Legal Aid, said the potential displacements--some all but inevitable--could strand public housing residents between agencies as TxDOT works with local housing officials and city leaders to come to agreement. The most likely outcome is TxDOT provides local agencies funding and, perhaps, property to relocate residents. At a December meeting about the project, Dinn said many fear the city will not be a good custodian of those housing dollars if TxDOT decides to simply cut a check. The Houston Housing Authority, she said, faces a housing crunch throughout the city, not just along I-45. ``The concern is they are going to take that money and not help those communities,'' Dinn said. The payoff, supporters argue, is a much-needed rebuild of the region's freeway spine and downtown system. ``We are building this project for the next 50 to 75 years,'' said Eliza Paul, district director for TxDOT in the Houston region. Beneficiaries of an improved freeway include tens of thousands of people from Conroe southward who rely on I-45 for daily commutes or trips south to Houston and beyond. A new freeway and new intersections built to modern standards, proponents note, will mean major bottlenecks are relieved and traffic can flow more efficiently--and more safely--in and around downtown. Preliminary estimates project traffic speeds will increase by 24 miles per hour, an unheard-of leap for a freeway project within Loop 610. Pulling off those improvements, however, means a much larger freeway, with TxDOT buying an additional 450 acres of Houston property to go with the 1,207 acres the freeway already occupies. At the northwest and southeast corners of the I-45 and Loop 610 interchange, easing the tight curves of the existing ramps means remaking them right through nearby single family homes. ``You work and save for years to buy a house, and somebody comes by and tells you they're taking it. It's just not right,'' said Colleen Wirth, whose house southeast of the crossing is spared, but will have a sound wall running along the back yard. Differing visions To find anything comparable in terms of homes affected by the I-45 project, one has to go back more than 50 years when freeways barged through some of the city's poorest neighborhoods. When TxDOT remade the I-10 and U.S. 59 interchange in 1959, the new configuration claimed more than 500 flood-prone homes along Buffalo Bayou in Fifth Ward. The I-45 interchange with Loop 610 cut Independence Heights practically in half in the late 1950s. It is a legacy of freeway building over the oppressed, community groups argue, that continues to today. As anger over the killing of George Floyd spilled into the streets, some argued the systematic issues extend to public infrastructure. ``The cries demanding action emanating from the protests taking place throughout the country have been fueled by the stark reality that racism permeates our lives,'' wrote Bakeyah Nelson, executive director of Air Alliance Houston, in a letter to supporters. ``This shapes how people perceive us and how they choose to interact or don't interact with us . . . It allows for thoughtless decisions to be made about our communities, such as where to put the next concrete batch plant or whether to expand a highway that will cause the displacement of entire neighborhoods.'' City officials, who in the past year have increased their focus on the enormous toll the project will have on neighborhoods bordering the freeway between Tidwell and White Oak Bayou, are trying to avoid a repeat of that kind of upheaval. ``I think part of the city's goals are to honor the neighborhoods around the freeway, and the wishes of the people,'' said Margaret Wallace Brown, the city's planning director. Many of the people are worried. In Independence Heights, the project will scrape away more of the history of Texas' first black-formed municipality. It is more than just the small wooden row houses built on block foundations or the triangle of churches that form the core of the community, said Tanya Debose, executive director of the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council. ``It's the people that make a place,'' she said, noting as residences are removed the inhabitants move to other neighborhoods. ``We're going to get squeezed, until there is nothing left.'' Following two rounds of community meetings by planning officials, Mayor Turner encouraged TxDOT to reconsider many features of the freeway redesign, including staying entirely within the existing right of way north of downtown ``as much as possible.'' For example, the city is asking TxDOT to remove planned frontage roads northwest of the Loop 610 interchange and add two bus-only lanes to the center rather than four express lanes similar to the Katy Managed Lanes along I-10. While building two bus lanes instead of four managed lanes would limit the need for property along the freeway's edges, it also would reduce some of the benefits to automobile travelers--who will continue to far outnumber transit uses for the foreseeable future. For that reason, the changes proposed by the city already have been met with some concern. ``Are we really improving mobility in this area,'' asked Galveston County Precinct 4 Commissioner Ken Clark, chairman of the region's Transportation Policy Council. ``With the type of money we are spending on this project and the loss of the HOV lanes, are we really getting improvement?'' Left behind As the decision to redesign segments proceeds, property owners remain in limbo--likely affected, but not certain how. In Litchenberger's case, the neighborhood molded him, and seeing it change comes with some worry. The Northside is where members of La Mafia--Litchenberger is the accordionist and producer of the four-time Grammy- winning Tejano group--formed and where the friends started a musical journey entering its fourth decade. When they went on a national tour in 1993, the North Street bridge in view of the studio is where the trucks and buses lined up. ``All that will be gone,'' Litchenberger said, noting the bridge will be demolished to make way for the wider freeway and frontage roads. ``There is a lot of history here, around here, that will just be gone.'' The studio is just a part of that, a gem in the community that because of the bayou and freeway barriers has felt segregated and on its own. The neighborhood will lose homes, with those owners and renters likely heading elsewhere. Businesses will decide whether to wait out slow sales years during construction, or pack up. ``They're coming for us,'' Miguel Castaneda said as he left a convenience store near Fulton and Cavalcade. ``They're cleaning it up and then everybody here can go somewhere else so the developers can move in.'' Businesses and residents of downtown, East Downtown and Third Ward face a brighter picture. Turner and others concede some of the downtown changes are necessary to fix some of the bottlenecks that bedevil commuting. That will leave some people most in need the least protected at Clayton Homes and Kelly Village, two city-run public housing developments. ``If they do this without giving us someplace to go, they are contributing to the homeless population,'' Fortilla said. At Clayton Homes, along Buffalo Bayou at the junction of I- 69 and I-10, the project is taking all 296 units, many of which were never rebuilt after Tropical Storm Harvey sent the bayou into at least six apartment buildings. TxDOT has offered $90 million for Clayton Homes with the understanding it would pay the money up front and give Houston Housing Authority time to build new affordable apartments somewhere close by and give housing vouchers to residents who want them. The effect on Kelly Village is less substantial, but could leave residents in even more uncertainty. Fifty of the 270 units at Kelly Village will be destroyed by the freeway expansion, while the rest will remain closer to a larger freeway. Those losing their homes will have the option of taking a voucher or get priority to move into available housing. Many in the complex, Fortilla said, are resigned to being scattered and given scarce options. ``They have just given up already to what happens,'' she said. ``When a person is used to being beaten up, they don't know any other way.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me, just for a moment, say that I would like to enter into a colloquy with Mr. DeFazio about this part of the project. It would cause the loss of 486 public housing units, 340 businesses, 5 churches, 2 schools. There are additional concerns that the community is raising and, yes, the oldest Black city in the State of Texas--maybe even in the Nation--called Independence Heights. Even a historic trail that is now law called the Emancipation Trail may be impacted. These vulnerable people are not being listened to. There is a lot going on. I ask the chairman to respond to the good elements in this bill that would be a litmus test for this project.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me thank the gentleman, and I will continue to work on this with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. I want this bill to be passed in the Senate. I want this bill to become law because there are millions of Americans waiting for this bill, H.R. 2, to save them and help them, particularly those in Houston regarding I-45.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the Amendment to H.R. 2 designated as En Bloc C and specifically to the inclusion of the Jackson Lee Amendment that directs the FAA to report on areas of the airport system that have not received COVID-19 related funding. H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, is a more than $1.5 trillion plan to rebuild American infrastructure--not only our roads, airports, bridges, and transit systems, but also our schools, housing, broadband access, and so much more. It has come to my attention that certain support functions essential to airport operations have not received COVID-19 funding. Mr. Speaker, this transformational legislation makes robust investments in the infrastructure necessary to support the wellbeing of all Americans and connect them with the services and opportunities needed to succeed in the global economy, which will create millions of American jobs rebuilding our country, so desperately needed in light of its wreckage by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Speaker, our nation's airports experienced a significant economic impact due to COVID-19 and the level of support to airports and airlines has been generous, but not enough, especially regarding what I have learned about airport parking service areas. It has come to my attention that certain support functions essential to the smooth operation of our nation's busiest airports. One area of concern is airport parking, which is vital to the smooth operation of our nation's busiest airports. Airports serving our nation's largest metropolitan areas that serve hundreds of millions of passengers collectively include: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) that receives 103 Million Passengers, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)--84.5 Million Passengers, O'Hare International Airport (ORD)--79.8 Million Passengers, and Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)--75 Million Passengers. Workers and support services for parking and other essential services need and deserve support from COVID-19 funding. This Jackson Lee Amendment seeks a report from the FAA and directs that the next opportunity for funding for COVID-19 should prioritize areas that have not yet received funding. I ask my Colleagues to support this En Bloc and the underlying bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, 155 years ago, on June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas and announced the freedom of the last American slaves; belatedly freeing 250,000 slaves in Texas nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth was first celebrated in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau. Today, Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise. It commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become. As the nation prepares to celebrate July 4th, our nation's independence day later this week, it is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of our nation and its people. I want to thank the Members of the House for their bipartisan support of this Resolution, which has over 214 cosponsors, of which 202 are original sponsors. General Granger's reading of this order ended chattel slavery, a form of perpetual servitude that held generations of Africans in bondage in the United States for two-hundred and forty-eight years and opened a new chapter in American history. Recognizing the importance of this date, former slaves coined the word ``Juneteenth'' to mark the occasion with a celebrations the first of which occurred in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau. Juneteenth was and is a living symbol of freedom for people who did not have it. Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise. It commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become. The celebration of Juneteenth followed the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, ``Freedom is never free,'' and African American labor leader A. Phillip Randolph often said ``Freedom is never given. It is won.'' Truer words were never spoken. We should all recognize the power and the ironic truth of those statements, and we should pause to remember the enormous price paid by all Americans in our country's quest to realize its promise. Juneteenth honors the end of the 400 years of suffering African Americans endured under slavery and celebrates the legacy of perseverance that has become the hallmark of the African American experience in the struggle for equality. In recent years, a number of National Juneteenth Organizations have arisen to take their place alongside older organizations--all with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture. Juneteenth celebrates African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures. But it must always remain a reminder to us all that liberty and freedom are precious birthrights of all Americans, which must be jealously guarded and preserved for future generations.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I think it is important for the American people to know that it has been 5 years since we have been able to put pen to paper and develop a massive infrastructure bill going out to desperate Americans who can't find good roads, who need mass transit, who need housing, need better schools, and, yes, even in urban areas like the one I represent that is a combination of urban and rural broadband. When we went into COVID-19, our children in our school districts did not have access to be able to have online classes. Yes, we need the Moving Forward Act and I rise to support it. As well as I rise to support and thank the Rules Committee for my amendment dealing with asking the Federal Aviation Administration to deal with all of those satellite aspects of aviation that have not been helped by COVID-19 funding. In particular, I know for a fact that the parking companies at the airports have not received any COVID-19-related funding and that requires prioritizing of funding to those areas. My amendment would ask them to report on those areas that have not gotten funding, like the parking areas where there are a lot of employees, but then to be able to prioritize those areas. We are going to continue working, however, on some very vital issues that I believe are important. And those are, in particular, large highways that destroy minority and African American neighborhoods. For example, the I-45 extension in my community is about to destroy 158 houses, 433 apartments or condos, 486 public housing, 340 businesses, 5 churches, and 2 schools. There must be the implementation of the requirements under the environmental aspects, and that is why I also support the climate change aspects in this bill. But the environmental aspects must be looked at as well as the historic aspects to ensure that when you build, you build with the involvement of the community. I will ensure that that is going to happen.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. My amendment creates a national program to reduce pedestrian-motor vehicle accidents by identifying locations where deaths have occurred and supports local efforts to address those conditions. It is very important to the Nation, very important to the State. I look forward in going forward to be able to continue to work on these vital issues that were supported by any number of safety entities called under the umbrella of the road advocates. And I know that they will encourage us to work diligently on this. To my constituents in Houston, we will work together on making sure that I-45 is not intrusive. I support the Moving Forward Act. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record this particular Houston Chronicle article of June 9. [From the Houston Chronicle, June 9, 2020] Interstate 45 Realignment Would Cut Through a Historic Black Neighborhood in Houston (By James Brasuell) The construction of America's downtown highways destroyed thousands of black neighborhoods during the height of the urban renewal era in the 1940s and '50s--and a new impact study of a controversial highway project in Houston serves as a reminder that the racist policy never ended. The latest estimates of the human cost of the Interstate 45 project reveal that the highway expansion would require the destruction of 158 houses, 433 apartments or condos, 486 public housing units, 340 businesses, five churches and two schools; the Houston Chronicle reported. The buildings that the Texas Department of Transportation seeks to demolish are disproportionately located in low-income communities of color, including many within the borders of Texas's first black-formed municipality, Independence Heights, a region of major historic significance. BIPOC activists have long cited displacement and the destruction of black communities in their fight against the $7 billion megaproject, which would functionally rebuild most of the downtown freeway system in the process of expanding and rerouting the interstate. But the scale of the estimated destruction hits particularly hard after a week of civil unrest and consequent police brutality in response to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. The Black Lives Matter movement is demanding that cities across the country defund their bloated law enforcement budgets and make reparative investments in black communities--precisely the opposite of projects like the I-45, which would raze black neighborhoods and destroy black wealth. The relationship between highways and racial injustice exemplifies the kinds of systemic issues that many protesters are now seeking to challenge, Linda Poon wrote at Citylab last week. Policies that on their face may have appeared to be about easing transportation barriers and revitalizing cities were--and still are--often rooted in longstanding racial prejudice, and carried with them cascading effects that worsened pre-existing inequalities. The highway would almost certainly result in an increase in traffic violence, too--a phenomenon that disproportionately impacts black communities. Black drivers are at serious risk, as well; three of Houston's highways already ranked among the most dangerous roads in the nation in 2018. The state of Texas itself warned that the I-45 project would cause disproportionate high and adverse impacts to minority or low- income populations; and that the project's [d]isplacement of bus stops could affect people who do not have access to automobiles or that are dependent on public transportation. And that's not even to mention how the project will increase air pollution in black communities--a direct contributor to fatal COVID-19 outcomes that are contributing to the disproportionate death toll among black Americans-- exacerbate flooding, and reinforce segregation, which Streetsblog has explored in depth in the past. If the destructive potential of the I-45 project is all too clear, the benefits of it are dubious at best. Decades of studies of the effect of induced demand show that highway expansions do not relieve congestion or stimulate meaningful economic development--facts of which Houston advocates have been reminding officials since the earliest days of the project. The I-45 project has always been a massive boondoggle that perpetuates structural racism--and our national conversation over the last week (and the much longer-standing conversation among BIPOC activists over the past decades) only underscores how deeply misguided it has always been. But as activists push to defund all the institutions that kill, harm, and destroy black communities and black lives, there is perhaps no better moment to stop it, once and for all.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of this body and an original cosponsor of the legislation, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of the rule governing debate of H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, and the underlying bill. H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, is a more than $1.5 trillion plan to rebuild American infrastructure--not only our roads, bridges, and transit systems, but also our schools, housing, broadband access, and so much more. The bill makes a bold down payment on sound investments that address resiliency and climate change to address the impact of extreme weather events on a wide range of critical infrastructure. By investing in families, workers, and communities across the country, we can support American manufacturing and ingenuity and create millions of jobs that cannot be exported, all while putting our country on a path toward zero carbon emissions, making communities and roads safer, and addressing long-standing disparities. Mr. Speaker, this transformational legislation makes robust investments in the infrastructure necessary to support the well-being of all Americans and connect them with the services and opportunities needed to succeed in the global economy, which will create millions of American jobs rebuilding our country, so desperately needed in light of its wreckage by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is way past time to act on a major effort to improve our nation's infrastructure. The World Economic Forum ranked the United States is ranked thirteenth among nations with a score of 87.9 percent. The infrastructure score is calculated based on the following factors: road connectivity index, quality of roads, railroad density, efficiency of train services, airport connectivity, efficiency of air transport services, linear shipping connectivity index, efficiency of seaport services, electrification rate, electric power transmission and distribution losses, and exposure to unsafe drinking water, reliability of water supply. It is essential that our nation make investments in infrastructure because it enables trade, powers businesses, connects workers to employment, creates opportunities for struggling communities, protects the nation from an increasingly unpredictable natural environment, and allows the country to respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Mr. Speaker, our nation's airports experienced a significant economic impact due to COVID-19 and the level of support to airports and airlines has been generous, but not enough, especially regarding what I have learned about airport parking service areas. I thank the Rules Committee and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for allowing the Jackson Lee amendment that requests a report on all areas at airports that have not received funding and asks that funding be prioritized for these areas, which include airport parking. There are two Jackson Lee Amendments H.R. 2 that are important to the constituents I serve, so I will continue to work with the Committee and leadership as the bill moves through Congress to have these concerns addressed. The Jackson Lee resolutions were intended to protect documented and locally recognized historic places in the areas planned for development in anticipation of the designation of a National Historic Trail that would travers the area of Houston where planned I-45 construction will occur. Earlier this year, H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail Report Act became law and it paves the way for the establishment of only the second nationally, recognized historic trail that chronicles the experience of African Americans in their struggle for equality and justice. The law directs the National Parks Service to conduct a study of 51 miles starting at the historic Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, the location where news spread of the Emancipation Proclamation finally freeing the last slaves in the United States. The historic trail will follow a path along Highway 3 and Interstate 45, north to Freedmen's Town, which will include Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas where freed slaves settled. Local preservationists have labored for generations to secure historic sites in and around the planned route of the proposed new national historic trail and have lost significant buildings to past highway projects, specifically to those projects related to past I-45 construction, which cuts through Independence Heights the first black town to receive a charter from the state of Texas. The project, which has not begun yet is scheduled to begin in 2021 and is expected to cost at least $7 billion and will rebuild most of the downtown freeway system along I-45, Interstate 10, Interstate 69 and Texas 288 and assorted ramps. These plans for I-45 construction should trigger National Historic Preservation Act obligations because the National Parks Service has a Study to conduct regarding the history of the area. Unfortunately, some may consider that once a historic place is removed, the ability of researchers, historians or preservationists to tell a complete history is limited-and in some essential ways they are correct. History is best experienced and not just heard or read, which is why we must preserve and protect the places that are left for future generations. I will continue to work with the Committee of Jurisdiction an the Jackson Lee Amendment that compliments the programs described in section 1619 Nationwide Road Safety Assessment of H.R. 2. Section 1619 establishes a program for states to focus on the issue of pedestrian and bicycle safety. The Jackson Lee Amendment seeks to include in this program a role for local governments who are foremost at the head of efforts to reduce pedestrian and bicycle deaths and injuries. On a national basis, about 25 percent of pedestrian fatalities in 2018 occurred at intersections or were intersection-related. Most pedestrian fatalities occurred at non-intersection locations. The total number of pedestrian fatalities for the 10 largest cities increased by about 7 percent from 2017, with 613 fatalities to 2018 with 655 fatalities. During the 10-year period 2009-2018 the number of pedestrian fatalities increased by 53 percent, while the number of all other traffic deaths increased by 2 percent. On average, about 17 pedestrians and two cyclists were killed each day in crashes. Together they accounted for one-fifth of traffic deaths. (NYT) The Jackson Lee Amendment broadens the section to address safety and the emerging popularity of other forms of personal transportation such as electric scooters. The Jackson Lee Amendment supports local efforts to address the conditions that may contribute to deaths to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. A rough count by The Associated Press of media reports turned up at least 11 electric scooter rider deaths in the U.S. since the beginning of 2018. In Austin, Texas, public health officials working with the Centers for Disease Control counted 192 scooter-related injuries in three months in 2018. Nearly half were head injuries, including 15 percent that were traumatic brain injuries like concussions and bleeding of the brain. Less than 1 percent of the injured riders wore a helmet. According to a Consumer Reports survey conducted in March 2019, 22 percent of people who have spent time in an area where they saw e- scooters available for rent said they had used one at least once. They found that many scooter riders (27 percent) are uncertain of the traffic laws they should follow. Among people who have ridden an e-scooter, 51 percent ride on the sidewalk, 26 percent in a bike lane, and 18 percent in the street but not in a bike lane. The role of local government is essential to addressing the problem of pedestrian and bicycle injuries and deaths. This Jackson Lee Amendment is supported by: Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Transport Workers Union, Consumer Federation of America, Center for Auto Safety, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety, Truck Safety Coalition, Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways, Parents Against Tired Truckers, and the Trauma Foundation. More generally, I support the Moving Forward Act because it provides: 1. $100 billion for affordable housing to create or preserve 1.8 million affordable homes; 2. $10 billion for child care facilities, designed to generate additional state and private investments; 3. $130 billion for school infrastructure targeted at high-poverty schools; and 4. $30 billion for health care facilities, including hospitals, community health centers, and laboratories. Mr. Speaker, the Moving Forward Act connects all Americans to essential services and economic opportunity by providing: 1. $500 billion to rebuild and reimagine the nation's transportation infrastructure; 2. $100 billion for affordable high-speed broadband internet for all Americans; 3. $25 billion for the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and other programs to provide clean drinking water; and 4. $25 billion for the United States Postal Service to modernize postal infrastructure and operations. All of this infrastructure funding I have fought for. Also, there are additional provisions in the bill that will help put us on the path to becoming a stronger, safer, better and more prosperous America, including: 1. Ameliorating hazardous living conditions and building a more environmentally sustainable housing stock; 2. Removing contaminants like PFAS from drinking water; and 3. Modernizing our energy infrastructure with an emphasis on renewable energy. While this legislation would be necessary under any circumstances, the coronavirus crisis has magnified and accentuated the need for federal investments to put Americans back to work building a long- lasting foundation for a stronger and more equitable America. I urge all Members to vote for the rule governing debate on H.R. 2 as well as the underlying bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget Committees, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of H.R. 7301, the ``Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020,'' which addresses the needs of renters and homeowners who have been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic through targeted relief measures. In the month of June alone, 32 percent of renters were unable to fully pay their rent while 20 percent of renters were unable to make any rent payment at all. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, the number of homeowners in forbearance reached 4.2 million as of June 14, 2020. The coronavirus pandemic has created a dire housing crisis that must be addressed immediately. As more and more states across the country face a second wave of the coronavirus outbreak, it is imperative that we extend the eviction moratorium and other housing protections in an effort to prevent an increase in homelessness. Texas is one of those states. In the state alone, there are nearly 150,000 cases of coronavirus with over 2,300 deaths. As the number of cases continue to rise dramatically, we must encourage tighter restrictions to slow the spread of the disease. Yet, many people fear that abiding by tighter restrictions means a continued loss of income, which could then result in an inability to make a housing payment and consequently cause an eviction. In fact, in Houston, Texas, eviction proceedings resumed as early as May 19, 2020. Without an intervention from the Federal Government, we will soon see a dramatic spike in evictions and rates of homelessness. Mr. Speaker, I stand here in support of H.R. 7301 because it not only protects renters, but it also provides targeted solutions that help landlords, homeowners, and people experiencing homelessness during this pandemic. For example, it extends the eviction moratorium to March 27, 2021, and expands it to protect all renters. It also provides low cost loans for landlords through the Federal Reserve and expands forbearance protections for all landlords. Under H.R. 7301, $75 billion is invested in a Homeowner Assistance Fund that provides direct assistance to those who are struggling to pay their mortgage, property taxes, property insurance, and other housing- related costs. The bill also allocates $11.5 billion for homeless assistance grants that ensure people who experiencing homelessness are able to follow social distancing guidance and have access to necessary services. Mr. Speaker, the coronavirus epidemic has irrevocably changed the world. It has affected every aspect of our lives, and, right now, it is affecting millions of Americans who are without an income and are terrified that they might not have a roof over their heads tomorrow. And so, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of H.R. 7301 and provide much-needed housing protections to those who have been severely impacted by the pandemic.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I stand here on the floor of the House wearing my mask in order to indicate not only to my own hometown, Houston, Texas, Harris County, and the State of Texas, but also to the Nation, that we are in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that is killing Americans, upwards of numbers that we have never seen. We now are at 500,000 dead worldwide and 10 million cases. In the United States, we have 2.5 million cases and now upwards of 125,000 to 126,000 dead. It is imperative that we take this seriously and that this becomes not partisan, not bipartisan, but with no partisanship whatsoever. It is important to wear your mask, to clean your hands, to have social distance, no matter who you are. And it is imperative that we test, test, test. I opened the first testing site on March 19. I have opened 13 since. I will be leaving here to go home to open more testing sites. Houstonians and Harris Countians are clamoring for tests. Let the government not stop testing. Test, test, test. We have to save lives. Wear your mask to save lives.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget Committees, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 90, ``a Congressional Review Act Resolution of Disapproval on the Office of the Comptroller of Currency's Community Reinvestment Act Rule,'' which overturns the recent rule-making the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC) issued. In 1977, Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), a crucial piece of civil rights legislation. The CRA sought to prevent discriminatory practices, such as redlining, and required banks to invest and lend responsibly to low- and moderate-income communities. However, we gather here today because the Office of the Comptroller of Currency (OCC) recently passed a final rule that effectively undermines the CRA and will substantially negatively impact low-income communities of color. Madam Speaker, not only did the OCC fail to collect sufficient data before proceeding with its final rule, but it also put forth this final rule without the support of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Federal Reserve, two of the three CA regulators. As a longtime, vocal advocate for marginalized communities, I am here to voice my support for H.J. Res. 90 and call attention to the numerous ways in which the OCC's final rule will perpetuate discriminatory lending practices against low- and moderate-income communities of color. For example, the allowances and loopholes created by this final rule allow for banks to invest in communities where they can reap the largest rewards, thereby further harming low-income and minority communities by giving banks passing ratings under the CRA even while they reduce their lending to low-income borrowers and underserved communities. In addition, the OCC's final rule also measures how well a bank is meeting its obligations under the CRA by incentivizing large deals, as opposed to smaller and more continuous financial transactions, which have been known to benefit and low- and moderate-income communities. It is no secret that discriminatory lending practices have and continue to disproportionately affect people of color. According to the Associated Press, black loan applicants are turned away at significantly higher rates than whites in 48 cities, Latinos in 25, Asians in 9, and Native Americans in 3. We must take the steps necessary to change that reality. It is imperative that Congress comes together to vote in favor of H.J. Res. 90 and demonstrate that we will not condone policies and practices that have the power to discriminate against any one group of people. We must take it upon ourselves to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to prosper economically. And so, I ask all members from both parties to join me in voting to pass H.J. Res. 90.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee for his dynamic leadership. Let me indicate that I stand here today in the midst of a catastrophic pandemic of COVID-19 in the State of Texas and in my congressional district in Houston and Harris County. Over the last couple of days, we have had upwards of 900 cases. There are 2.5 million cases over the Nation and growing, with 126,000 who have died. In the last 3 days of last week, there were 45,000 new cases. Most of them were in Texas, California, and Arizona. That is why I am absolutely baffled and saddened by the fact that this administration would go to the Supreme Court to cut off, deny, extinguish, put in harm's way Americans who need health insurance and who have preexisting conditions. This is legislation that is a lifeline. We are saving lives. A family of four earning $40,000 would save nearly $1,600. They may have a COVID patient in their family. A 60-year-old earning $57,000 would save $8,000. It takes into account people who are unemployed by replacing insurance that they have lost. It takes into account the great need for drug price negotiation under the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, something that we have all been fighting for, for a very long time. Why can't we negotiate drug prices just like they do in Medicare? I am pleased that this legislation protects vulnerable populations from losing health coverage by ensuring that Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries receive a full 12 months of coverage once enrolled, protecting them from interruption due to fluctuations in their income throughout the year. That has happened to a lot of hardworking parents. In addition, it improves Medicaid beneficiaries' access to primary care. And, yes, for those States that did not do the right thing, it encourages Medicaid expansion. It gets rid of junk policies. Madam Speaker, let us vote for this bill because it stops the devastation. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of this body and an original cosponsor of the legislation, I rise in strong and enthusiastic support of H.R. 1425, the ``Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act,'' which expands tax credits to lower Americans' Marketplace health insurance premiums and allow more middle-class individuals and families to qualify for subsidies and know the peace of mind that comes with access to affordable, high quality health care. This legislation is especially needed in these dark and troubling times when the COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed the lives of more than 128,000 Americans and over 40 million have lost their jobs because of the Administration's catastrophic response to the crisis. Specifically, Madam Speaker, I support H.R. 1425 because under this legislation: 1. A family of four earning $40,000 would save nearly $1,600 in premiums each year. 2. A 64-year-old earning $57,420 would save more than $8,700 in premiums each year. 3. A single adult with income of $31,900 would see premiums cut in half. 4. An adult earning $19,140 would see premiums cut to zero, saving $800 dollars a year. Additionally, the legislation ensures that families who do not have an offer of affordable family coverage from an employer can qualify for subsidies in the Marketplaces and it provides funding for reinsurance initiatives to further lower premiums, deductibles, and other out-of- pocket costs. Importantly, included in the legislation is the drug price negotiation mechanism from H.R. 3, the transformational Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, (H.R. 3), which delivers immense savings to taxpayers, employers, workers and patients by preventing Americans from having to pay so much more for our medicines than pharmaceutical companies charge for the same drugs overseas. Madam Speaker, this legislation strongly encourages Medicaid expansion to hold-out states like my home state of Texas to reconsider by renewing the ACA's original expanded federal matching for states that adopt the Medicaid expansion and progressively reducing administrative FMAP for those who continue to refuse. Currently, nearly 5 million Americans have been cruelly excluded from coverage because states have refused to expand Medicaid. Madam Speaker, this legislation provides necessary funding for critical federal and state efforts to increase health coverage enrollment, educate consumers of their health care rights, and help individuals navigate the health insurance system. And it delivers funding for states who want to establish their own statebased Marketplaces. Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the racial and ethnic inequalities and disparities in our health care delivery system. That is why I am pleased that the legislation before us protects vulnerable populations from losing health coverage by ensuring that Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries receive a full 12 months of coverage once enrolled, protecting them from interruptions due to fluctuations in their income throughout the year. And it improves Medicaid beneficiaries' access to primary care physicians, by reauthorizing the ACA's increased payments to primary care physicians who treat Medicaid recipients. Also, very important is that the legislation addresses the maternal mortality epidemic by requiring states to extend Medicaid or CHIP coverage to new mothers for 1-year post-partum. Finally, Madam Speaker, H.R. 1425 cracks down on junk plans & strengthens protections for people with pre-existing conditions and reverses the Trump Administration's expansion of junk health insurance plans that do not provide coverage for essential medical treatments and drugs, and that are allowed to discriminate against people with preexisting medical conditions. And it curtails the Trump Administration's pernicious practice of giving states waivers to undermine protections for people with pre- existing conditions and weaken standards for essential health benefits. Madam Speaker, to stroll down memory lane for those of us who remember how things were before the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, dozens of our committees, including the Judiciary Committee, heard the pain of people whose family members had died because they had no access to healthcare and/ or they had junk policies. Access to affordable, high quality health insurance because of the ACA was a game changer or persons with preexisting conditions like Sickle Cell anemia, triple negative breast cancer, and diabetes which plague communities like the ones I represent. As a member of Congress who voted against each of the dozens of Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, I know first-hand how important and critical access to affordable, high quality, accessible health care available to everyone, including those with pre- existing conditions, to the well-being of American families. Because of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the national uninsured rate has been slashed from 14.8 in 2012 to 8.8 percent in 2018. Texas has long led the nation in rate of uninsured so the comparable rates are 24.6 and 15 percent, respectively. Madam Speaker, I distinctly recall a candidate for the highest public office in the land saying ``Obamacare is a disaster'' and appealing for voters to support him with this question: ``What have you got to lose?'' The question deserves a response so I hope that person, who occupies the Oval Office, is listening to my answer. The Affordable Care Act, or ``Obamacare,'' has been an unmitigated success to the more than 20 million Americans who for the first time now have the security and peace of mind that comes with affordable, accessible, high quality health care. Madam Speaker, Tip O'Neill used to say that ``all politics is local'' so let me share with you how Obamacare has dramatically changed lives for the better for the people in my home state of Texas. 1.874 million Texans gained coverage since the ACA was implemented but could lose their coverage if the ACA is entirely or partially repealed or invalidated. 508,000 kids in Texas who have gained coverage since the ACA was implemented are also at risk of having their coverage rolled back. 205,000 young adult Texans who were able to stay on a parent's health insurance plan thanks to the ACA now stand to lose coverage if the ACA is struck down, eliminating the requirement that insurers allow children to stay on their parents' plans until age 26. 646,415 Texans who received cost-sharing reductions to lower out-of- pocket costs such as deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance but are now at risk of having healthcare become unaffordable if the Trump Administration has its way in the Supreme Court. 10.28 million Texans who now have private health insurance that covers preventive services without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles stand to lose this access if the provisions in the ACA requiring health insurers to cover important preventive services without cost-sharing is stricken. 913,177 individuals Texans who received financial assistance to purchase Marketplace coverage in 2016, averaging $271 per individual, are at risk of having coverage become unaffordable if the ACA is not protected. Madam Speaker, millions more Texans could have insurance if all states adopted the ACA's Medicaid expansion. Women in Texas who can now purchase insurance for the same price as men are at risk of being charged more for insurance if the ACA's ban on gender rating in the individual and small group markets is invalidated. Before the ACA, women paid up to 56 percent more than men for their health insurance. Roughly 4.5 million Texans who have pre-existing health conditions are at risk of having their coverage rescinded, being denied coverage, or being charged significantly more for coverage if the ACA's ban on preexisting conditions is struck down. 346,750 Texas seniors who have saved an average of $1,057 each as a result of closing the Medicare prescription drug ``donut hole'' gap in coverage stand to lose this critical help going forward. 1.75 million Texas seniors who have received free preventive care services thanks to ACA provisions requiring coverage of annual wellness visits and eliminating cost-sharing for many recommended preventive services covered by Medicare Part B, such as cancer screenings, are at risk of losing access to these services if the ACA is not protected. The Affordable Care Act works and has made a life-affirming difference in the lives of millions of Americans, in Texas and across the country. This is what happens when a visionary president cares enough to work with a committed and empathetic Congress to address the real issues facing the American people. The Republicans have NO vision whether it is for Obamacare (ACA) or Medicare for all--they are denying health coverage to the most vulnerable American families and Americans with pre-existing conditions. Vote for this bill. You want to know why the American people have Obamacare? It is because Obama cared. The same cannot be said about this Republican president and congressional Republicans who have made careers of attacking and undermining the Affordable Care Act's protections and benefits for the American people. I urge all Members to vote for H.R. 1425 and send a powerful message to the President and the American people that this House will not stand idly by as this Administration tries to take away health care from more than 130 million persons.