Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. In the years of Obama's service, we did, together, meet those challenges. His first and most pressing task was to rescue an economy on the brink of collapse. Working with the Democratic-controlled Congress, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the stimulus, was passed and created 3.7 million jobs and saved the jobs of millions of teachers, firefighters, police officers, and social service providers. The Recovery Act also cut taxes for working families, extended unemployment insurance, and expanded the earned income and child tax credit, which disproportionately benefits African Americans. The challenge was met. So any discussion of any excitement about the work of this administration creating an economy, it is an economy that was literally given to them because of the work of President Obama and the Democratic Caucus. We have, now, $2 trillion extra in debt. We have the pending possibility of wars. We have the continuing downward spiral of issues that will impact this economy. So, with this terrible tax cut, we were not given a strong economy. We paid an extremely high price: $1.9 trillion for tax cuts has done little for the economy. There is no such thing as a bump by this administration. Key indicators are saying that things, in actuality, are worse. The Joint Economic Committee says unemployment was cut by more than half during the Obama administration, from a peak of 10 percent to 4 percent. The economy had experienced 76 consecutive months of job growth. The GDP growth was strong, an average of 2.6 percent in 11 quarters of the Obama administration. Growth in annual median household income was strong and trending upward, increasing $4,800 during those last 2 years. And the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors under George W. Bush states that the economy was in fine shape at the end of the Obama administration, despite what President Trump now asserts. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the Joint Economic Committee article. President Trump did not create the strong economy; he inherited it President Trump regularly claims the economy he inherited was a ``mess,'' but fact checkers have found this to false. Before Trump took office in January 2017, the economy had largely recovered from the Great Recession. Overall economic indicators were already strong and were trending stronger. Unemployment had been cut by more than half during the Obama administration, from a peak of 10 percent to 4.7 percent. The economy had experienced 76 consecutive months of job growth. GDP growth was strong--an average of 2.6 percent growth in the last 11 quarters of the Obama administration. Growth in annual median household income was strong and trending upward, increasing $4,800 during the last two years of the Obama administration. Greg Mankiw, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush, states that ``the economy was in fine shape at the end of the Obama administration, despite what President Trump sometimes asserts.'' There is no such thing as a ``Trump bump''--key economic indicators are the same or worse Last week, the president said ``we have the greatest economy we've ever had in the history of our country.'' This claim did not make it by the fact checkers at The Associated Press. A few facts to keep in mind: Monthly non-farm job growth has slowed in the first 35 months of the Trump administration compared to the last 35 months of the Obama administration--36,000 fewer jobs per month under Trump. Average real GDP growth has been roughly the same for the first 11 quarters under Trump and the last 11 quarters of the Obama administration. Growth in median annual household income was three times as great during the last two years of the Obama administration as during the first two years of the Trump administration. President Trump's signature economic policy--the $1.9 trillion tax cut--has failed to deliver the promised economic boost Trump promised the tax cuts would be like ``rocket fuel'' to the economy, but the effects have been underwhelming. The economic boost has been very small and short-lived. GDP growth: Trump promised GDP growth as high as 6 percent. However, in the seven quarters before and after passage of the Republican tax law, GDP growth is exactly the same, averaging 2.5 percent. Business investment: The Trump administration predicted a flood of business investment, which is critical to long-term economic growth. However, it actually has slowed since the tax cut, falling from an average annual growth rate of 4.6 percent in the seven quarters before enactment to a 3.5 percent annual rate in the seven quarters following the tax cut. Household income: The administration predicted that the tax cuts would bring an increase of $4,000 to $9,000 or more per household. However, household income increased only $550 in the first year after the tax cuts went into effect. Unemployment: It was at 4.1 percent before the tax cuts took effect, falling just over one-half of 1 percent since then. We paid an extremely high price--$1.9 trillion--for tax cuts that have done so little for the economy When it is fully implemented, the Republican tax law will add $1.9 trillion to the national debt, according to CBO. In just the past two fiscal years, the annual deficit has increased from $666 billion in FY 2017 to $984 billion in FY 2019 (a 48 percent increase). Despite a deficit forecast to exceed $1 trillion for the rest of the decade and beyond, Trump administration officials continue to claim the tax cuts will pay for themselves. In the long term, the vastly increased deficit likely will weigh down the economy and Republicans will argue that those deficits will require cuts to vital services and programs like Medicare and Social Security. In fact, the President admitted just last week he will look at cuts to those programs. Trump's second major economic policy--the trade war--is a self- inflicted wound, hurting consumers, businesses and the economy Trump's claim that China bears the entire cost of the tariffs is absolutely false--there are casualties on both sides of the trade war. One analysis finds that the trade war with China had already cost 300,000 American jobs as of September 2019 and the number could rise to 450,000 by the end of 2019. CBO estimated that the trade war reduced GDP by 0.3 percent by 2020. The trade war hits consumers in their wallets and pocketbooks. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimated that tariffs on imports from China cost each U.S. household nearly $300 per year in 2018, and over $800 per year since with the additional 15 percent tariff on $200 billion worth of goods. While Trump cuts taxes for the wealthy and applauds the stock market, millions of Americans are struggling to make ends meet In a recent analysis, the Brookings Institution found that 53 million workers--44 percent of all workers--earn just $10.22 per hour or about $18,000 per year. $18,000 is not enough to raise a family on. The president has begun talking about a blue-collar boom, but manufacturing has contracted in three of the last four quarters. The sector has added just 9,000 jobs in the past six months. Most of President Trump's claims about the economy are false or highly misleading According to The Washington Post Fact Checker, Trump has made more than 1,500 false claims about the economy. This is part of a broader pattern. Fact Checker has found that altogether Trump has made more than 16,000 false or misleading claims on all topics in his first three years in office. Trump made half of those false or misleading claims in 2019--the pace of these claims is increasing. Any statement the president makes about the economy has a good chance of being false or misleading.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. And so we have a challenge to try and recoup and recover, for hardworking Americans, a real economy, because it is frightening when we begin to start losing jobs. Let me show how the trend went. We were adding 270,000 jobs per month under President Obama. We are now adding an average of 191,000 jobs under this present administration. And it can be seen very clearly that the job growth is challenging. We can also see that, when we were down in a slump on median household income, it was surging up because of the values and principles of the Obama administration working with the Democratic Congress. Employment was down when Mr. Obama took office. We can see that it surged up; and then it began to go down, with respect to this administration, and turning red again. The economy, as I said, had been growing very well under President Obama. The GOP tax scam led to a record-setting $1 trillion in stock buybacks, unlike what was represented to us, that that was going to create investment in this country. We are now beginning to put forward some major legislation that deals with investment in our infrastructure, investment in public housing and affordable housing, because we realize what creates jobs. We create jobs when we invest back into the Nation. We do not create jobs when we take tax cuts and give them to the rich while everybody else suffers. The GOP tax law encourages companies to send factories and jobs overseas. Under the GOP tax cut, income generated by American companies abroad face tax rates that are half the new top corporate rate of 21 percent. By the way, corporations didn't ask for that low corporate tax rate. Some companies may be able to avoid taxes altogether on tangible investments made offshore. The GOP tax law increases deficits, as I said earlier, by $1.9 trillion when we are facing major budgetary challenges driven by our aging population. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would say that there was nothing but a gift given to this administration by the hard work of the Obama administration. Let us get back to investing in the American people. That is how we build the economy, not by snatching it away from them. Mr. Speaker, the verdict is now in, and it leads to the inescapable conclusion that the Trump TaxScam has not accelerated the economy, rather it is a significant drag on the booming economy President Barack Obama bequeathed to his successor, the current occupant of the office. Specifically, two points cannot be stressed enough. First, President Trump did not create the strong economy; he inherited it. Second, we paid an extremely high price--$1.9 trillion--for tax cuts that have done so little for the economy. Mr. Speaker, most of President Trump's claims about the economy are false or highly misleading. There is no such thing as a ``Trump bump''--key economic indicators are the same or worse. The President's signature economic policy--the $1.9 trillion tax cut--has failed to deliver the promised economic boost and his second major economic policy--the trade war--is a self-inflicted wound, hurting farmers, consumers, businesses and the economy. Mr. Speaker, those of us who were there remember well that the morning of January 20, 2009, which was one of the coldest days on record in Washington, DC. But it was nothing compared to the chill wind blowing through the American economy and body politic because at that time the nation was facing economic challenges unseen since the Great Depression: Americans were losing their jobs at a frightening rate of 800,000 per month; the national unemployment rate had risen to 7.8 percent and would continue to climb until reaching its peak of 10.0 percent in October 2009. For African Americans, the numbers were much grimmer, a jobless rate of 13.5 percent in January 2009 which would grow to 16.5 percent by the end of the year. And on top of this, tens of thousands of American families each month were losing their health insurance and their homes to foreclosure. And the average price of gas exceeded $4 per gallon. It was against this backdrop that the new President of the United States, Barack Obama, rose to take the oath of office. After being sworn in as the nation's 44th President, President Obama reassured an anxious but hopeful nation, saying: ``Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.'' Because of the actions President Obama took, not to further the interests of himself but of the American people, these challenges were more than met and overcome and for that Barack Obama's presidency is regarded by historians as a consequential presidency that changed America for the better. Mr. Speaker, before Trump took office in January 2017, the economy had recovered from the Great Recession and overall economic indicators were already strong and were trending stronger. Unemployment had been cut by more than half during the Obama administration, from a peak of 10 percent to 4.7 percent. The economy had experienced 76 consecutive months of job growth, the longest sustained period of growth in American history. GDP growth was strong, average of 2.6 percent annually in the last 11 quarters of the Obama Administration and median household income growth was strong and trending upward, increasing $4,800 during in last two years of the Obama administration. Even Greg Mankiw, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President George W. Bush, had to admit that ``the economy was in fine shape at the end of the Obama administration, despite what the current President falsely asserts. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an op-ed published on February 17, 2016 in the Washington Examiner, entitled ``Seven Years of Change You Can See and Feel.'' President Obama actually had a plan to tackle the economic woes that were affecting the American people. Working with the Democratic-controlled Congress, the President signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which created 3.7 million jobs and saved the jobs of millions of teachers, firefighters, police officers, and social service providers. The Recovery Act also cut taxes for working families, extended unemployment insurance, and expanded the Earned Income and Child tax credits, which disproportionately benefit African American families. The Recovery Act ended the Great Recession, transformed the economy from one hemorrhaging jobs to one that has created over 16 million new jobs over a record 71 consecutive months. The national unemployment rate has dipped under 5 percent, for the first time since President Clinton left office, the deficit has been cut by 71 percent and the Dow Jones stock market index topped 18,000 in 2015, an increase of 177 percent over where it stood the day President Obama took office. And, as an added benefit, the average price of gasoline has been reduced from more than $4.11 per gallon to $1.80, the lowest price since before the tragedy of September 11. In short, Mr. Speaker, President Obama bequeathed a booming and vibrant economy to his successor, who promptly took actions to undermine it and explode the national debt. Mr. Speaker, the GOP TaxScam was the wrong policy at the wrong time because it showered benefits on the top 1 percent large multinational corporations while doing little for everyday working Americans and Main Street small business owners. GOP TaxScam also raises the nation's debt by $1.9 trillion at a time when the economy was already strong, and when we are facing major long- term budgetary challenges driven by our aging population. And rather than devoting resources to wise investments in our workers and small businesses, the GOP TaxScam further burdens working families, endangers Americans' retirement security, and worsens our budgetary outlook. Our long-term economic growth trajectory is unchanged and there is no sign of an investment boom. Real wage growth for workers remains modest and factories and jobs are more likely to go overseas. The federal deficit is soaring as corporate tax receipts plummet and the tax code is riddled with even more special-interest tax breaks and loopholes. THE GOP TAXSCAM LED To A RECORD-SETTING $1 TRILLION IN STOCK BUYBACKS The GOP TaxScam delivered huge benefits to rich investors and CEOs through record-setting stock buybacks in 2018 while average workers struggle to pay for rising health care and living costs. Stock buybacks do nothing to improve business operations or help workers. THE GOP TAXSCAM SHOWERS BENEFITS ON THE WEALTHY AND LARGE CORPORATIONS

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Let me express my appreciation to Representative Kuster for her unending fight on this terrible scourge of drug addiction and death across the Nation. I look forward to working with her on her the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, H.R. 4141, as well as the Judiciary Committee taking this up in the near future to begin to address some of the wide scope issues that have to be addressed. I am reminded of the tenure here in the United States Congress, where the impact of the arrest of addicted persons to crack and cocaine resulted in mass incarceration and upward of 2 million people incarcerated in this Nation, higher than any nation around the world. I am reminded of the 2010 enactment of legislation that I wrote and passed, along with my colleagues, that set to reduce, through the Fair Sentencing Act, the unjust disparity between crack and cocaine from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1. President Obama granted clemency to almost 2,000 individuals serving lengthy sentences for drug offenses during his administration. Now, I realize in my own community in Houston, Texas, there have been 149 deaths documented by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences in 2017, up from 79 in 2015. I also realize that, according to the drug policy guidelines, accidental drug overdose is the leading cause of death in the United States for those under 50. With that in mind, wouldn't it have been preferable, even with the legislation that is included that does, in fact, have a study that would include the civil rights and criminal justice community's input? I believe that input should have been in the forefront because here is the singular problem I want to emphasize: Classwide scheduling would facilitate broader prosecutions with harsher penalties and fewer constitutional due process protections, according to Mr. Kevin Butler, who appeared before the Judiciary Committee yesterday. The Department has indicated that it will use classwide scheduling to pursue severe mandatory minimums for anyone trafficking in an undefined and potentially limitless set of substances without having to prove those substances are or were intended to harm the human body. Now, we know what the analogues will do. Here is our point: Our point is when I asked the Justice Department about who they would prosecute, they did indicate that they would not be prosecuting addicted persons. But there are low-level traffickers. There are people who are addicted who are trafficking. So all you are going to do is to build up, again, the residency of the Nation's jails. That burden will fall heavily on African Americans and Latinos and other vulnerable people. I want the scourge to end. I want the DEA to be able to work within the confines of the law. I want to work with the Congresswoman in her hard work, but what I will say is that this bill needs to expire as soon as possible.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, we need to move swiftly, as this bill may be passed today, in order to avoid expiration, so that we can work collectively together for what parents of the addicted and others want: treatment services, wraparound services. We must be able to say that we are not going to take the average guy on the street with a dime or a dollar, trying to survive by selling it and adding that person to the prison population, and not trying to save lives. Let's save lives with treatment. Let's save lives by getting rid of the cartels and the large sellers. But let's not build up our mass incarceration again. Mr. Speaker, this is a very important hearing as we in the Congress continue to deal with the opioid crisis as a nation. According to the Drug Policy Alliance, ``accidental drug overdose is currently the leading cause of death in the United States for those under 50. Drug overdose deaths now exceed those attributable to firearms, car accidents, homicides, or HIV/AIDS. More Americans died from a drug overdose in 2017 alone than died in the entire Vietnam War. Mr. Speaker, I strongly believe that we need to reduce drug overdose deaths by promoting sensible, evidence-based solutions at the federal level. The Houston region also saw an uptick in opioid overdose deaths during the last few years, according to data from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. There were 149 deaths documented by the office in 2017, up from the 79 recorded in 2015. Nearly 64,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2016, a staggering 22 percent increase from the year prior. Nearly two-thirds of 2016 deaths (66 percent) involved a prescription or illicit opioid. Recent increases in death are driven by synthetic opioids like fentanyl--deaths from synthetic opioids more than doubled from 2015 to 2016 alone. Overdose deaths are increasing across racial groups, but non-Hispanic whites have the highest rates of death. It is important that we have a hearing to discuss whether or not the lethal opioid Fentanyl and its analogues to extend the temporary order to place it as a Schedule I drug. Factors such as poverty, lack of economic opportunity, and limited access to a social safety net meant that there was ready demand for those opioids. Once people become addicted, we have little infrastructure in place to ensure they receive the education, care, and treatment they need to prevent fatal overdoses. The Drug Policy Alliance states that, ``Many states are reporting sharp increases in fentanyl-related overdose deaths. Fentanyl overdoses occur in seconds to minutes, often with the needle still inserted. Most users do not appear to be seeking fentanyl and are not aware that their illicit drugs may contain fentanyl. The heroin (particularly white powder heroin), methamphetamine, and cocaine supply is all at risk for fentanyl adulteration. There have also been cases of counterfeit Xanax and Oxycodone tablets that contain fentanyl. ``Most of the fentanyl on the black market is not from the medical supply; it is produced illegally. Though some fentanyl enters U.S. markets directly via the dark web, most fentanyl is being added to the drug supply before it enters the U.S., so domestic sellers may not know their drug products are contaminated with fentanyl. There are public health and harm reduction responses to fentanyl that are effective in reducing overdose deaths.'' I am interested in learning more as to whether extending Fentanyl as a Schedule I drug or even making it permanent as a Schedule I drug will increase penalties for fentanyl, that will simply end up increasing penalties for heroin and contribute to more incarceration. Lastly, I think we should all be concerned about the long-term effects of extending the temporary scheduling order would have on communities of color as well as low income communities in both urban and rural America. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I look forward to working with her, and I look forward to getting a better bill in the future.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the underlying bill by Representative Pressley, and I thank her for her outstanding leadership. And I rise, in particular, to support the reasonable, smart amendment of Mr. Cohen. It says very clearly that it is the sole reason. Let me be clear again, to my good friend. A credit score, or owing bills, is not criminal. It is not a criminal act. It doesn't in any way diminish your ability to do your job. One percent of the American people own 90 percent of the wealth. That means that students with debt, and millennials, mostly, are not in that category. That means that you are not encouraging leadership if you use a credit score as the sole reason for denying an able leader that happens to be a millennial to get a job. I am outraged and insulted by the premise. Mr. Cohen's amendment is a smart amendment that indicates, give these individuals a chance, as does the underlying bill by Ms. Pressley. I rise enthusiastically to give relief to millennials and those with major student debt; one, under this act; and two, under Mr. Cohen's amendment not to deny them a job. I support the Cohen amendment. I support the underlying bill by Ms. Pressley, the Comprehensive CREDIT Act of 2020, and I believe we should vote ``yes'' on that amendment and ``yes'' on the bill. Do our job for the millennials.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4704, which advances the knowledge and understanding of issues that may be associated with several aspects of suicide, including intrinsic and extrinsic factors related to wellbeing, resilience, and vulnerability. The bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide for additional multidisciplinary research on the science of suicide. The fundamental research done by the NSF includes but is not limited to basic understanding of human social behavior, the neutral basis of human cognition, the basic understanding of cognitive, linguistic, social, cultural and biological processes related to human development across the lifespan, the basic understanding of perceptual, motor, and cognitive process, and their interaction in typical human behavior; and the basic understanding of the relevance of drug and alcohol abuse. The rate of Americans dying by suicide is on the rise, increasing from 10.7 to 14 deaths per 100,000 people from 2001 to 2017. In the UK, the rate of death by suicide per 100,000 people is 11.2, in Canada, 11.3, and in Japan, 14.3. In 2019, the number of deaths per 100,000 people by suicide in Texas was 13.8, which is relatively high compared to the national high of 14. Suicide among seniors over the age of 85 in Texas is the highest, with a rate of 19.2 deaths per 100,000 people. In 2017, there were an estimated 1.4 million suicide attempts and more than 47,000 deaths by suicide nationwide. Currently, suicide is the tenth-leading cause of death among people in the United States and the second-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 34. Societal costs including lifetime medical care and lost work costs associated with suicide are estimated at $70 billion. Ninety percent of all people who died by suicide in Harris County were suffering from a mental illness at the time, most often depression. The NSF funds will support research that can improve our basic understanding of factors with potential relevance to suicide, including prevention and treatment. The rate of suicide is far too high in the United States and we must be more aware of the issue in order to take preventative action. I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me in voting in support of H.R. 4704.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security, I rise in strong support of S. 153, the ``Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act.'' It is with the great sacrifice of the men and women, who have served in our armed forces and protected our freedom in mind that I urge members on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor this bill. We often hear about the many difficulties veterans face while attempting to transition back to civilian life. From physical and mental trauma to unemployment to the struggles associated with refamiliarizing themselves with civilian life, veterans face many obstacles in life after service. With respect to employment, nearly one-third of veteran job seekers are underemployed, which is 15.6 percent higher than non-veteran job seekers. In addition, the Texas Workforce Investment Council reported that in 2017, 35,734 veterans remained unemployed. In 2019, LinkedIn published its Veteran's Opportunity Report, which stated that veterans who had degrees as well as four or more years of experience were less likely to land the job than less-experienced civilians who applied for the same role. I am voting in favor of S. 153 because it seeks to address that barrier by encouraging veterans to study and pursue rewarding careers in science, technology, engineering, and math as well as by creating an interagency working group. This group is tasked with coordinating federal programs for transitioning and training veterans for STEM careers. By facilitating this process, veterans will be able to have a meaningful career that utilizes their skillsets and secures their livelihood. In addition, S. 153 will result in filling thousands of open positions and contribute to growing our economy. Today, STEM careers are growing at an unprecedented rate. Texas is home to more than three-quarters of a million great STEM jobs. In fact, Texas is expected to represent nearly 10 percent of future STEM opportunities in the nation. According to a study by Syracuse University in 2018, Texas possesses the largest percentages of veterans working in the STEM workforce. At the state-level, 9 percent of veterans work in STEM. Yet, the report states that 18.66 percent of veterans in Houston are employed in STEM. Throughout my tenure In Congress, I have strongly supported veterans. With that in mind, I authored and introduced the ``Helping to Encourage Real Opportunity for Veterans Transitioning from Battlespace to Workplace Act'', or the HEROES Act, in previous congresses. Through my advocacy work with veterans, I have come to understand that one of the greatest barriers to entry for veterans seeking employment is that civilian employers do not adequately understand how the skills, experience, and training of veterans can contribute in the private sector. In an effort to address this problem, the HEROES Act creates a Military Skills Translator Database to remove that obstacle and better incorporate veterans into the workforce, especially in fields like STEM. I strongly believe that we must come together and address the barriers that prevent veterans from re-entering the workforce. It is imperative that we, the American people, continuously recognize the sacrifices these men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety. We must take it upon ourselves to try and ease the burdensome transition that thousands of veterans' experience. And so, I ask all members from both parties to join me in voting to pass S. 153.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 943, ``Never Again Education Act,'' which requires the creation of the Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund for the Department of Education. The fund will award grants to qualified entities to implement Holocaust education programs and host a series of regional workshops to provide teachers with assistance on how to incorporate Holocaust education into standard teaching while meeting state and local education requirements. The establishment of the Holocaust Education Advisory Board to prepare application criteria for grant recipients, and the formulation of the Holocaust education program website will allow for a regulated, definitive introduction of this curriculum. Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 27, is an international memorial day that marks the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps in January 1945. In addition to the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp, we must also remember the victims of the Belzec, Bergen-Belsen, Buchenwald, Chelmno, Dachau, Dora-Mittelbau, Flossenburg, Gross-Rosen, Janowska, Kaiserwald, Majdanek, Mauthasen, Natzweiler-Struthof, Neuengamme, Oranienburg, Plaszow, Ravensbruck, Sachsenhausen, Sobibor, Stutthof, Terezin, Treblinka and Westerbork concentration camps. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum states that the extermination by the Nazi regime and its allies led to the deaths of 6 million Jews. In addition to the millions of deaths within the Jewish community, the Third Reich separately targeted and murdered many other communities and ethnic groups, some estimates range from an additional 3 million to 11 million deaths. These deaths include members of the LGBTQ community, the physically and mentally disabled, Freemasons, Jehovah's Witnesses, the Romani, Poles, Serbians, Spanish Republicans, members of the Soviet Union, Soviet Prisoners of War, people of Slavic descent, Germans of African descent, Communists, Socialists and more. After Adolf Hitler's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939, France and Britain declared war on Germany, officially beginning World War II. World War II lasted from 1939 to 1945 and caused about 75 million deaths, including members of the military and civilians, around 3 percent of the world's population at the time. Almost 75 years have passed since the end of World War II, but the aftermath is still a reminder of a brutal and merciless era of history where racism and prejudice were unleashed on a grand scale seeking to quench the rights of man. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum reports that its Registry of Holocaust Survivors currently contains the names of over 195,000 survivors and family members. In 1981, Holocaust survivor and Houston resident Siegi Izakson had the inspiration to create an education center and memorial to preserve the memory of those who perished, the stories of those who survived and to educate the public about the threats of prejudice and hatred in society. Thanks to Siegi Izakson's tireless dedication, the Holocaust Museum Houston opened on March 3, 1996 and is fully bilingual in English and Spanish, contains a welcome center, multiple galleries, a research library, indoor theater, outdoor amphitheater and interactive terminals with doors open to 130,000 visitors per year. In the United States, there are over 50 Holocaust museums and memorials dedicated to educating people about the dangers of hatred and genocide, protecting democratic values and preventing antisemitism. In June 2019, Texas enacted S. Bill 1828, requiring that Texas schools include age appropriate instruction concerning the Holocaust for grades kindergarten through 12. The Texas Holocaust and Genocide Commission has worked with Texas government agencies to adopt new educational standards that approach the Holocaust, genocide and mass murders. Texas students will learn about these topics in their World Geography Studies, World History Studies, and United States History Studies Since 1877 courses. I support this bill because it will enhance the quality of our students' education and provide them with an authentic understanding of this dark and complex chapter in world history. The creation of the Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund for the Department of Education will only improve the knowledge provided to our children. The Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund for the Department of Education will award grants to eligible entities to create Holocaust education program and conduct workshops with teachers on how to include this information along with students' normal educational programs. The Department of Education will maintain a Holocaust education program website with resources for middle and high school students, establish the Holocaust Education Advisory Board to develop criteria for the fund's grants, and decide on content for the Holocaust education program website and lead efforts to promote donations for the fund. The Holocaust requires us to remember the magnitude with which antisemitism, racism, Nazism and fascism destroyed millions of lives, as well as consider the consequences of apathy and passivity. I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to vote in support of H.R. 943.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of Congress, I rise in support of H.R. 5671, the ``Merchant Mariners of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2020'', a bill that recognizes World War II merchant mariner veterans with congressional gold medals for their service to the United States. I am a strong proponent of our veteran population having the recognition they deserve for their bravery, honor, valor and sacrifice. Throughout World War II, our armed forces relied on the Merchant Marine to provide combat equipment, fuel, food, commodities and raw materials to troops stationed abroad in both theaters of operation, and they paid a heavy price in service to their country. The Merchant Marine is a war essential supply chain that transports the nation's cargoes in times of peace and prosperity, and in times of war and grave danger. Military missions and war planning are contingent upon the availability of resources and the Merchant Marine played a vital role in this regard. The Merchant Marine provided for the successful transport of resources and personnel despite consistent and ongoing exposure to enemy combatants from both the air and the sea, including from enemy bomber squadrons, submarines, and naval mines. The Merchant Marines were the best informed and most widely traveled, constantly supplying the front-line troops until they could break through German, Japanese and Italian aggression to secure victory. The Merchant Marine suffered the highest per capita casualty rate in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. An estimated 8,300 mariners lost their lives, and another 12,000 were wounded during WWII. The Merchant Marine proved to be an instrumental asset on an untold number of occasions, participating in every landing operation by the United States Marine Corps, from Guadalcanal to Okinawa. Merchant Marines were engaged in the longest battle of the war--the Battle of the Atlantic, fought over the vital supply lines to Europe-- and they fought longer than any other branch of the service. These mariners have waited over 70 years to get the recognition they earned braving the perils of the Atlantic during the Second World War. There are 1.5 million veterans living in Texas and each of them deserve recognition for their service and sacrifice for this nation. Approximately 16 million Americans served in World War II and have come to receive veteran status after the somber duration, but victorious conclusion of the war. More than a quarter million, 250,000 thousand civilian sailors, served in the U.S. Merchant Marine by the end of the war. Despite their honorable, vital and heroic service in wartime, the men of the U.S. merchant marine were not officially accorded veteran status until 1988, decades following the end of World War II. The feats and accomplishments of the Merchant Marine are deserving of broader public recognition. Unfortunately, the courageous contribution of the Merchant Mariners sacrifices are commonly overlooked. Every American owes these mariners a debt of gratitude we cannot begin to repay. The Congressional Gold Medal would be an appropriate way to shed further light on the service of the merchant mariners in World War II and the instrumental role they played in winning that war. I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to vote in support of H.R. 5671.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2398, which amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 and title 38, of the United States Code to expand eligibility for the HUD-VASH program. The bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit annual homeless veteran reports to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives. This amendment will help to ensure that the rate of homelessness among veterans in the United States does not increase. Currently, 107,000 veterans are homeless on any given night, while double this amount will experience homelessness at one point in their lives. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is a government agency dedicated to fulfilling the need for affordable housing in America. VASH is a jointly-administered permanent supportive housing program for disabled Veterans experiencing homelessness in which VA medical Centers provide referrals and case management while Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) administer the Section 8 housing vouchers. The VASH program expands access to HUD for homeless veterans. H.R. 2398 adds the word ``veteran'' to the Housing Act's authorizing language, thus strengthening the Veterans' Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program. This change will increase the total number of permanent government- issued housing benefits to veterans most vulnerable to homelessness. The services provided by the programs would assist veterans in both attaining and sustaining permanent housing. Homelessness among the American veteran population is far too high in the United States and we must be proactive in giving back to those who have given so much to us. I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 2398.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for its extraordinary legacy and work it does all throughout the nation. On January 15, 1908, nine college students on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. founded Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. These nine courageous women founded this sorority right before WWI and only a few years after Reconstruction. From the core group of nine at Howard, AKA has grown into a force of more than 290,000 collegiate members and alumnae, constituting 1,007 chapters in 42 states, the District of Columbia, the US Virgin Islands, the Bahamas, Germany, Liberia, South Korea, Japan, Canada, South Africa and the Middle East. I take great pride in my sorority's tradition of service and the many programs that it has established to serve our communities. One of the founders, Ethel Hedgeman Lyle, dreamed of creating a support network for like-minded women coming together for mutual uplift, and coalescing their talents and strengths for the benefit of others. What began as a small band of sisters in 1908, transformed over the ensuing 112 years into a globally-impactful organization of nearly 300,000 college-trained members, bound by the bonds of sisterhood and empowered by a commitment to servant-leadership that is both domestic and international in scope. As Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority has grown, it has maintained its focus in two key arenas: the lifelong personal and professional development of each of its members; and galvanizing its membership into an organization off formidable power and influence, consistently at the forefront of effective advocacy and social change that results in equality and equity for all citizens of the world. I want to salute Dr. Glenda Baskin Glover, the 30th International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority who is currently leading the mission to cultivate and encourage high scholastic and ethical standards, to promote unity and friendship among college women, to study and help alleviate problems concerning girls and women in order to improve their social stature, to maintain a progressive interest in college life, and to be of ``Service to all mankind.'' One of our native Houstonians who led our beloved sorority was Mattelia Grays. As National President, Grays' focus included chapter programs designed for specific community that the chapter served, educational grants, Job Corps and leadership training. I would also like to acknowledge Faye Bryant, the 21st International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Fraternity. Another native Houstonian, under her leadership the theme of the AKA Sorority became P.O.W.E.R. During her tenure, Bryant also created the Alpha Kappa Alpha Connection, completed construction on the Sorority's national headquarters and initiated the African Village Development Program in collaboration with Africare. For over a Century Alpha Kappa Alpha has been the foundation of the Sisterhood that helps to focus the energies and talents of African American women on some of the most daunting social, cultural and economic problems our communities face. The AKA Sisterhood has empowered women to face the challenges that are particular to girls and women of color to create something that is greater than any individual member. We each recognize that we are but one small part of a larger whole, but when that whole acts as one we are impossible to defeat. AKA has enriched minds and encouraged life-long learning; provided aid for the poor, the sick, and underserved; initiated social action to advance human and civil rights; worked collaboratively with other groups to maximize outreach on progressive endeavors; and continually produced leaders to continue its credo of service.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, on Monday, January 20, the nation observes for the 35th time the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. Each year this day is set aside for Americans to celebrate the life and legacy of a man who brought hope and healing to America. The Martin Luther King Holiday reminds us that nothing is impossible when we are guided by the better angels of our nature. Dr. King's inspiring words filled a great void in our nation and answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles. Yet, Dr. King knew that it was not enough just to talk the talk; he knew that he had to walk the walk for his words to be credible. And so, we commemorate on this holiday the man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day. We honor the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and even bombings. We commemorate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway. Dr. King once said that we all have to decide whether we ``will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness. ``Life's most persistent and nagging question,'' he said, is ``what are you doing for others?'' And when Dr. King talked about the end of his mortal life in one of his last sermons, on February 4, 1968 in the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church, even then he lifted up the value of service as the hallmark of a full life: ``I'd like somebody to mention on that day Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others,'' he said. ``I want you to say on that day, that I did try in my life . . . to love and serve humanity.'' We should also remember that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was, above all, a person who was always willing to speak truth to power. There is perhaps no better example of Dr. King's moral integrity and consistency than his criticism of the Vietnam War being waged by the Johnson Administration, an administration that was otherwise a friend and champion of civil and human rights. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. Martin's youth was spent in our country's Deep South, then run by Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan. For young African-Americans, it was an environment even more dangerous than the one they face today. A young Martin managed to find a dream, one that he pieced together from his readings--in the Bible, and literature, and just about any other book he could get his hands on. And not only did those books help him educate himself, but they also allowed him to work through the destructive and traumatic experiences of blatant discrimination, and the discriminatory abuse inflicted on himself, his family, and his people. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that we celebrate here today could have turned out to be just another African-American who would have had to learn to be happy with what he had, and what he was allowed. But he learned to use his imagination and his dreams to see right through those ``White Only'' signs--to see the reality that all men, and women, regardless of their place of origin, their gender, or their creed, are created equal. Through his studies, Dr. King learned that training his mind and broadening his intellect effectively shielded him from the demoralizing effects of segregation and discrimination. Dr. King was a dreamer and his dreams were a tool through which he was able to lift his mind beyond the reality of his segregated society, and into a realm where it was possible that white and black, red and brown, and all others live and work alongside each other and prosper. But the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not an idle daydreamer. He shared his visions through speeches that motivated others to join in his nonviolent effort to lift themselves from poverty and isolation by creating a new America where equal justice and institutions were facts of life. In the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote, ``We hold these truths to be self evident, that all Men are Created Equal.'' At that time and for centuries to come, African-Americans were historically, culturally, and legally excluded from inclusion in that declaration. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's ``I Have a Dream'' Speech, delivered 56 years ago this year, on August 28, 1963, was a clarion call to each citizen of this great nation that we still hear today. His request was simply and eloquently conveyed--he asked America to allow of its citizens to live out the words written in its Declaration of Independence and to have a place in this nation's Bill of Rights. The 1960s were a time of great crisis and conflict. The dreams of the people of this country were filled with troubling images that arose like lava from the nightmares of violence and the crises they had to face, both domestically and internationally. It was the decade of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Malcolm X, Presidential Candidate Robert Kennedy, and the man we honor here today. Dr. Martin Luther King's dream helped us turn the corner on civil rights. It started when Dr. King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, with Rosa Parks and others, which lasted for 381 days, and ended when the United States Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation on all public transportation. But the dream did not die there. It continued started with a peaceful march for suffrage that started in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965--a march that ended with violence at the hands of law enforcement officers as the marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Dr. King used several nonviolent tactics to protest against Jim Crow Laws in the South and he organized and led demonstrations for desegregation, labor and voting rights. On April 4, 1967, at Riverside Church in New York City, he spoke out against the Vietnam War, when he saw the devastation that his nation was causing abroad and the effect that it had on the American men and women sent overseas. When the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was stolen from us, he was a very young 39 years old. People remember that Dr. King died in Memphis, but few can remember why he was there. On that fateful day in 1968 Dr. King came to Memphis to support a strike by the city's sanitation workers. The garbage men there had recently formed a chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to demand better wages and working conditions. But the city refused to recognize their union, and when the 1,300 employees walked off their jobs the police broke up the rally with mace and Billy clubs. It was then that union leaders invited Dr. King to Memphis. Despite the danger he might face entering such a volatile situation, it was an invitation he could not refuse. Not because he longed for danger, but because the labor movement was intertwined with the civil rights movement for which he had given up so many years of his life. The death of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will never overshadow his life. That is his legacy as a dreamer and a man of action. It is a legacy of hope, tempered with peace. It is a legacy not quite yet fulfilled. I hope that Dr. King's vision of equality under the law is never lost to us, who in the present, toil in times of unevenness in our equality. For without that vision--without that dream--we can never continue to improve on the human condition. For those who have already forgotten, or whose vision is already clouded with the fog of complacency, I would like to recite the immortal words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: ``I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former shareholders will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the State of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but for the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day down in Alabama with its vicious racists, with its Governor having his lips dripping with words of interposition and nullification--one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough place will be made plain and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.'' Dr. King's dream did not stop at racial equality, his ultimate dream was one of human equality and dignity. There is no doubt that Dr. King wished and worked for freedom and justice for every individual in America. He was in midst of planning the 1968 Poor People's Campaign for Jobs and Justice when he was struck down by the dark deed of an assassin on April 4, 1968. It is for us, the living, to continue that fight today and forever, in the great spirit that inspired the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, we should take a moment to honor an outstanding organization, Alpha Kappa Alpha. This is their Founders Day--112 years old. Isn't it interesting that young women who were in the shadow of the Emancipation Proclamation and the shadow of slavery, in the midst of Jim Crow-ism and on the precipice of World War I, organized at Howard University to be able to give African American women a place for leadership and civic-mindedness? As we are on the precipice of a great historic moment dealing with protecting the Constitution here in the United States Congress and the United States Senate, I am glad to honor these women that included Ethel Hedgeman, Margaret Flagg Holmes, Marjorie Hill, Lillie Burke, Beulah Elizabeth Burke, Anna Easter Brown, and many other young women who decided to take a stand for what is right in this Nation and the opportunities of diversity and leadership. Congratulations to our national president, Dr. Glover, and congratulations to all of our Alpha Kappa Alpha members throughout the United States of America. Happy Founders Day 112.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman from Virginia for yielding. And I thank the sponsors of this very important amendment, Mr. Davis and Ms. Pingree. I rise to support the underlying bill, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act that I am very proud to have been a cosponsor of. What kind of thanks are we giving to hardworking Americans who, because of the growth of this population senior citizens, older Americans, they are ready to work in the workforce and provide their experience, their thoughtfulness, and their leadership. Unfortunately, a Supreme Court decision in the 2000s turned this upside down by requiring those older Americans to be burdened by the responsibility of saying, it is only the fact that we are old or that there are not multiple reasons why I could have been fired. How dangerous that is when an older American feels vulnerable? The underlying amendment is also very important, dealing with women who may have had to get out of the workforce to raise their children or to not get promotions so they can tend to their children or other matters or be a caretaker for other family members. This is an important initiative to equalize the playing field, to value those older Americans with experience who are ready to work, who have been giving their best, and who are ready to be the kind of experienced mentors in the workplace that really make America great. I rise to support this legislation. It is vital to both impact and correct a very bad decision by the United States Supreme Court, and I believe that this will give the kind of affirmation to the value of all Americans, and particularly our older Americans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior Member of Congress, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 80, which requires the approval of the request of the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs for a waiver under section 1703E(f) of 38 U.S.C., which provides for the Veterans' Community Care Program. As a strong proponent of veteran care, I support this resolution because our veterans deserve to receive the maximum quality of hospital care, medical services and extended care services. This resolution will improve the quality of dental care granted to our veterans by allowing them a more diverse group of dental providers to choose from, at affordable rates. There are a total of 9.1 million enrollees in the Veterans' Affairs Health Care system. This resolution gives veterans the opportunity to use Veterans' Affairs administrative support to search for non-VA, pro bono or discounted dental services. Over 580,000 Veterans with comprehensive dental care benefits were provided dental care in Fiscal Year 2019. Veterans identified as Class I, those with a service-connected compensable dental disability or condition, are eligible for any dental care needed. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has created a new community care program that allows veterans more choice in health care providers. These revolutionary modifications will extend services to over 28,000 veterans within the 18th Congressional District. The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston provides a full range of health care services that include trauma recovery, mental health, and substance dependence programs to veterans. Waiving section 1703E(f) of 38 U.S.C., United States allows the Veterans Community Care Program to keep the methods that are used for veteran medical services as up to date as possible and to ensure that veterans have access to dental care when needed. I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to vote in support of H.J. Res. 80.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and its Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Innovation, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4458, the ``Cybersecurity and Financial System Resilience Act of 2019.'' The bill before us requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to submit a report to Congress, explaining the measures taken to strengthen cybersecurity functions within the Federal Reserve System. In recent years, cybercrimes across the world have become increasingly commonplace and a serious threat to the American people. In a 2018 Gallup Poll, 71 percent of Americans say they frequently or occasionally worry about being victims to a cybercrime whereas less than 30 percent of Americans worried about being victims in a violent crime. With cybercrimes like the WannaCry ransomware attack of 2017, which remains one of the worst ransomware attacks in history with over 150 countries affected and over 4 billion dollars pilfered by cyber thieves, people, businesses, and governments across the globe are at risk. In the United States, the financial services industry suffers from the highest average annual costs due to cybercrimes like data breaches, ransomware, phishing, and identity theft. Over the last 10 years, the Government Accountability Office has found that the number of cyber attacks that target federal agencies has increased from 5,500 to over 77,000 per year. Madam Speaker, this legislation will help prevent a potential cyber threat to the global financial system. Requiring increased reporting and information sharing for the Federal Reserve will strengthen current protocols and create new policies to address threats like the destruction of information without official authorization, malware attacks, and the denial of service activities. This bill will also lay the foundation for further cybersecurity efforts among departments and agencies of the Federal Government, foreign central banks, and other partners. I ask all members from both sides of the aisle to join me in voting to pass H.R. 4458.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of Congress, and an admirer and friend of the Bush Family, I rise in support of S. 457, ``President George H.W. Bush and First Spouse Barbara Bush Coin Act,'' to require that $1 coins issued during 2020 honor President George H.W. Bush and bullion coins issued during 2020 are in honor of Barbara Bush. President Bush and First Lady Barbara were friends of mine, and I have always respected and admired their service to this country. President Bush was a heroic naval aviator, a member of congress, Director of Central Intelligence Agency, Vice President of the United States, and the 41st President of the United States, and First Lady Barbara Bush was a leading force in our country who worked to improve literacy and strengthen American families by her prime example as a mother to five children and wife to the 41st U.S. President, and mother of sons who were elected Governor and one of whom was elected the 43rd President of the United States. President George H.W. Bush moved himself and his young family to Texas in 1948 and Texans are very grateful to the Bushes for all the work they did to improve and strengthen Texas and the nation during their lives. The minting of a $1 coin and a bullion coin to honor these two great Americans will ensure that the memory of the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush, and First Lady Barbara Bush, will live on and be celebrated for their hard work and devotion to the Constitution and our country.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a senior member of congress, I rise in support of H.R. 4302, the ``Homeless Assistance Act,'' which amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 by adding in a new subsection that creates a method for information of homeless individuals to be disclosed promptly from PHAs to local government and nonprofit organizations. This subsection, subsection `C', would authorize Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to disclose relevant client information to local government entities and nonprofits in order to facilitate housing and services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. PHAs can play an important role in a local strategy to end homelessness, however PHAs are limited by the Federal Privacy Act. PHAs can receive information on incoming homeless clients, but they must obtain written consent from each client before disclosing information about its client's housing assistance with local government entities and nonprofits, which can serve as an unnecessary barrier. One of the challenges to serving people who are experiencing homelessness is coordinating between various local entities that are working together to provide the necessary housing and services that cater to the unique needs of each individual and family. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's `2019 Point- in-Time Homeless Count & Survey' collected data showing that as of April of 2019 there are 3,938 sheltered and unsheltered residents of Houston experiencing homelessness. The most recent data from the city of Houston had revealed nearly 69,000 individuals had signed up for their waitlist to receive housing assistance. The Houston Housing Authority (HHA) provides services to more than 60,000 low-income Houstonians, including over 17,000 families housed through the Housing Choice Voucher Program and another 5,500 living in 25 public housing and tax credit developments around the city. The Homeless Assistance Act assures that the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of information about clients can be disclosed not for public consumption, but to other home and health services programs for the benefit of the client. The implementation of subsection `C' would allow PHAs to disclose relevant client data with local government entities and nonprofits for the limited purpose of facilitating the expedited identification, assessment, and linkage of individuals experiencing homelessness to housing and supportive services. I urge all Members to join me in voting for H.R. 4302.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, to the gentleman from New York, I would like to enter into a colloquy regarding creosote contamination in the 18th Congressional District. I certainly rise to support enthusiastically H.R. 535. For decades the residents of the Fifth Ward and surrounding areas, residential areas in Houston, which is located on the northern side of my district, have long suspected that creosote was making them sick. They were exposed to creosote through soil and water contamination through a railroad yard. Last April, during a community meeting I hosted for residents on the topic of creosote contamination, I requested a cancer study from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality after person after person spoke about cancer and their relative dying. The study found that three adult respiratory-system-related cancers occurred in that Fifth Ward and surrounding areas, including Kashmere Gardens. The cancers included, lung and bronchus, esophagus, and larynx. Toxic substances, such as creosote, should not be in common use where human activity is present, and it should not take decades for hazardous environmental concerns expressed by citizens to get addressed.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. I yield to the gentleman from New York for the purpose of a colloquy.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. The communities like the Fifth Ward and surrounding areas in Houston can be invaluable to assisting agencies in identifying ways to improve on the information provided to the general public--they live it every day. These are life or death issues--on the means and methods available to citizens to report environmental concerns and how these products are used amongst the community for products that are very needed in the community, and have those concerns adequately addressed.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman very much, and as I leave the floor, just want to take note of the contamination in the State of Texas and this is what we are fighting. Mr. Chair, as a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I rise in strong support of H.R. 535, the PFAS Action Act of 2019, which will regulate in a comprehensive fashion Per- and poly- fluoroalkyl substances (referred to as PFAS). I support the legislation because it also protects public health by containing provisions to clean up contaminated sites. I have long held concerns regarding environmental justice issues that impact urban and rural communities who disproportionately face problems associated with contaminated water, soil, and air pollution. My work to protect residents of the 18th Congressional District from harms caused by contaminants over the last year include: creosote ground water contamination and the opposition of permitting of a cement manufacturing facility near residential spaces in Fifth Ward Houston and Acres Homes respectively. Through a series of major community meetings on environmental hazards I held last year I can attest that people are literally fighting for their lives and the lives of their children because of disparate conditions regarding managing containment and cleanup of an existing ground water creosote contamination site and the threat of cement dust contamination of a residential area if a State issued permit be allowed to stand. Concerns about the health impact of creosote and other harms to human health have existed in Acres Homes and 5th Ward Houston for decades. Because of recent actions on the part of the responsible party for containing the effects of creosote contamination of ground water, I called a community meeting including all relevant entities in April of 2019. As an action item from that meeting I requested, that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality arrange a cancer cluster study of the 5th Ward area of Houston that would be conducted by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). The DSHS analyzed census tracts in Houston to determine the incidences of cancer. The analysis examined cancers--specifically those associated with adults. The study analyzed a half-dozen types of adults referencing cancers in the Texas Cancer Registry. It concluded that ``the numbers of esophagus, lung and bronchus and larynx cancers were statistically significantly greater than is expected based on cancer rates in Texas.'' The DSHS's work was incomplete--we do need more data. This report, however, confirmed the fears of constituents in my district, as expressed at my April town hall meeting. According to the report, incidences of cancer outside of normal probabilities has occurred in 5th Ward Houston. Specifically, the DSHS analyzed the Texas Cancer Registry available from 2000 to 2016, as it relates to the affected areas, in which ``[l]ung, bronchus esophagus, and larynx cancers were statistically significantly greater than expected.'' The report also found that the types of cancers which were identified in the study are consistent with those present in arsenic, which comprises creosote. Given the findings of the DSHS report, and the impact this has on the health and wellbeing on my constituents in Kashmere Gardens, I will be working to address the need to place energy and effort to address community environmental concerns more effectively. And there have been critical, tangible health consequences to the emergence of these cancer clusters for decades that went uninvestigated. In my April community meeting and in December during a media event and tour, I heard stories that were stark in their nature, compelling and tragic on the incidence of illness and cancer that has plagued residents of 5th Ward. Speaker after speaker at these community meetings spoke of the existence of the cancer, either in themselves or in their relatives. It was startling. One participant spoke of having a vegetable garden and concerns about whether it was safe to eat the food grown. Another resident spoke of a recent diagnosis of cancer and the number of neighbors and family members who had contracted cancers over the years. The open over 20 feet deep creosote dipping pit that abutted back yards of residents for decades was real. The runoff from rain storms tainted with creosote that filled ditches with oily black and brown smelly residue happened. The persistent smell of creosote near where they lived was constant. A few weeks ago, I walked Lavender and Lily streets and engaged with residents who had thyroid cancer or lung cancer who shared their stories with me in hopes that something can be done. I remain concerned about the existence of cancer clusters in Houston's Fifth Ward. The safety and well-being of the Kashmere Gardens Community and surrounding areas are my overriding concern. My advocacy on this issue and on behalf of those identified in the city is longstanding and unwavering, and I will not relent until the community and its citizens have answers about the impact creosote has in the lives and health of my constituents. This is why I am in strong support of H.R. 535. This legislation addresses PFAS chemicals, which are an urgent public health threat because PFAS are persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, and communities across the country are discovering PFAS contamination in their air, land, and water. Mr. Chair, PFAS are a class of man-made chemicals defined by the presence of fluorinated carbon atom, the strongest carbon bond possible. Because of this bond, these chemicals are extremely persistent in the environment and are known to bioaccumulate in humans and wildlife, which is why they are called ``forever chemicals.'' PFAS have long been linked with adverse health effects including cancer, immune system effects, infertility, impaired child development, high cholesterol, and thyroid disease. Contamination has been found across the country, much of it around industrial facilities and Department of Defense installations. According to monitoring by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), millions of Americans are exposed to unsafe levels of PFAS through their drinking water. Mr. Chair, it is urgent that this Congress enact this legislation because the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration and industry have failed to address known threats presented by PFAS chemicals. EPA and industry have known about the risks from PFAS chemicals for decades but failed to act to prevent the spread of this contamination. Industry studies showing adverse health effects as early as 1950 have now been made public. EPA has recognized the risk of these chemicals since at least 1995, when the agency amended its polymer exemption to exclude new PFAS chemicals. Despite that knowledge, EPA took no action on PFOA and PFOS until 2006, and then relied on a voluntary industry phase out instead of using the regulatory tools available. EPA is continuing to allow new PFAS onto the market, some without any review under ``low volume exemptions'' to the Toxic Substances Control Act. Last year, EPA issued a ``PFAS Action Plan'' that did not take needed action to address cleanup of contaminated sites, set limits on PFAS in drinking water, or even require reporting of PFAS releases. In fact, the only commitments made in the action plan were to make some determinations by the end of 2019--commitments that were not met. H.R. 535 will provide the protections impacted communities need quickly and for the long term. The PFAS Action Act of 2019 would require EPA to use tools under several environmental statutes to: 1. Stem the flow of PFAS contamination into the environment by requiring cleanup of sites contaminated with PFOA and PFOS, setting air emission limits, prohibiting unsafe incineration of PFAS, and limiting the introduction of new PFAS chemicals into commerce; 2. Identify health risks by requiring comprehensive health testing for all PFAS, reporting of PFAS releases, and monitoring for PFAS in drinking water; 3. Limit human exposure to PFAS by requiring a drinking water standard for PFAS that protects public health, including the health of vulnerable subpopulations like pregnant women, infants, and children, and holding polluters accountable. In addition, H.R. 535 provides grants to impacted water systems, creates a voluntary label for cookware that is PFAS free, and provides guidance for first responders to limit their exposures. Mr. Chair, H.R. 535 addresses a critical threat to the public health and safety and that is why I support and urge my colleagues to join me.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise this morning to congratulate a very significant and historic high school, Jack Yates High School. Jack Yates High School was founded by the founding father, if you will, of the African American community in Houston, Freedmen's Town. He is the founder of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. He is respected at Texas Southern University, and today they announced in a public school that they will implement an international baccalaureate. In the midst of the tumultuous times that we have, how important it is that high school students will be engaged in discussions of peace, diplomacy, understanding world engagement, understanding the value of languages and being diverse, recognizing the wonderful experiment of the United States founded by those who fled persecution and indicated in the Constitution we have organized to create a more perfect union. The more young people, more minorities that we can get in programs like an international baccalaureate where they will come out with that document and be ready to perch on the leadership role is outstanding. To Jack Yates High School, I salute you. You are mighty. You are important, and God bless you.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, the President cannot unilaterally go to war with Iran, nor are we safer since January 2, 2020, after having targeted and killed the second-in-command of Iran. The American people, as well as our troops, are in more jeopardy. In 2002, I was here, and I offer these words from my statement on the floor regarding President Bush. ``Always a question of the greatest importance, our decision today,'' in 2002, ``is further weighted by the fact that we are being asked to sanction a new foreign policy doctrine that gives a President the power to launch a unilateral and preemptive first strike against Iraq before we have utilized our diplomatic options.'' I further went on to say that ``our own intelligence agencies report that there is currently little chance of chemical and biological attack from Saddam Hussein on U.S. forces or territories.'' Proven right, endless war, continuous loss of life of our treasured young men and women and many injured--this resolution and rule are imperative to assert constitutional authority to ensure the protection of the American people.