Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, later this month, on August 26, 2019, we will commemorate the 99th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which granted women the right to vote. This momentous achievement did not come easy or without struggle, for as the great abolitionist and orator, Fredrick Douglas stated: ``If there is no struggle, there is no progress . . . . Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.'' The fight for women's suffrage was waged over a 72-year period, beginning in Seneca Falls, New York at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. At Seneca Falls, the delegates issued the ``Declaration of Sentiments'' regarding the repression of women in American society. The Seneca Falls Conference was organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Mary McClintock, and Sojourner Truth, who powerfully reminded the delegates that equality and suffrage for women should include all women, saying ``Ain't I A Woman?'' With the end of the Civil War, the suffrage movement resumed with the 1869 formation of the National Woman Suffrage Association and its rival, the American Woman Suffrage Association. By 1890, these two groups merged to create the National American Woman Association led by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone. The progressive National Women's Party was formed in 1916 as an outgrowth of the Congressional Union and reached out to social groups beyond the elite class, using radical tactics in the fight to win suffrage. During World War I, the struggle for suffrage continued as the National Women's Party organized protests outside the White House, turning President Wilson's famous question back on him, asking: ``Mr. President, how much longer must women wait for liberty?'' These protests resulted in the jailing of suffragists for ``obstruction of traffic'' and they endured mistreatment and forced- feeding while in jail. Among the courageous women who organized these protests and some who spent time in jail were Alice Paul, who fearlessly executed the National Women's Party picketing protests, and conceived the hunger- strike in prison; Carrie Chapman Catt, who devised the ``winning plan'' at the Atlantic City Convention; and Ida B. Wells-Barnett, whose political activism and criticism of the suffrage leadership for excluding black women led to a more inclusive and effective movement. The pressure generated by the White House pickets, the arrests, and forced-feedings of women protestors compelled President Wilson to embrace the suffrage amendment in January 1918, which was approved by Congress on June 4, 1919, and became the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution when it was ratified by the 36th state, Mississippi, on August 26, 1920. The 19th Amendment states: ``The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any states on the account of sex.'' In 1971, Congresswoman Bella Abzug of New York introduced legislation designating August 26 as ``Women's Equality Day,'' which was passed by the Congress in 1973. Madam Speaker, in 1916, four years before the ratification of the 19th Amendment, Jeannette Rankin was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Montana, the first woman elected to federal office in American history. A little over a century later, a record 102 women serve in the House of Representatives, comprising 23.4 percent of the chamber's voting members, and presided over by Nancy Pelosi, the first and only woman elected Speaker of the House. In the 116th Congress, 37 percent of women are women of color, and since 1964, more than 70 women of color have been elected to Congress. While women obtained the fundamental right to vote, they are still too often treated as second class citizens in our society and there remains much work to do to ensure that women enjoy full blessings of liberty and equality. But this does not detract the achievements and contributions to the greatness of our country made by American women, including Sally Kristen Ride, the first woman sent into space; Eileen Marie Collins, the first woman space shuttle pilot; Grace Murray Hopper, an American computer scientist and United States Navy rear admiral; and Katherine Johnson, one of the unsung heroes of the NASA Space Program, whose mathematical calculations helped the United States win the Space Race. The technology sector represents $1.2 trillion of economic activity but women only make up 20 percent of tech jobs. In 2019, 41,000 new tech jobs were created, but female founders only account for 2.1 percent of the leadership in these new tech jobs. Studies have shown that there has been a decline over the last 20 years in the percentage of bachelor's degrees in computer science earned by women of color, from 6.5 percent in 1993 to 4.8 percent in 2012. During this same period, for minority women in engineering, the increase was less than 1 percent. The low number of women in the tech industry is an effect of the pipeline, the lack of resources and education for young women studying STEM. It is important that we ensure that all young women, especially those of color have equitable access to the STEM field. The tech industry is one of the fastest growing industries in America's economy, and when women are involved, the outcomes are triumphant. In 2019, several women have been recognized for their work as CEOs of major corporations, such as Lynsy Snide of In-N-Out Burger; Cathy Engelbert of Deloitte; and Colleen Wegman of Wegmans Food Market. Seven female CEOs are among the U.S. top 100, and 3 women earn honors for leading U.S. small and midsize businesses. Women of color represent a very small part of this population. Women still represent only 6.6 percent of all Fortune 500 CEOs, and 5 percent of CEO positions at S&P 500 companies. Despite major accomplishments in the business field, women are underrepresented in senior leadership positions. Madam Speaker, the gender pay gap is the gap between men and women's median salaries. In 2017, a woman made less than 80 percent of what a man earns, which is even less than the amounts earned by Hispanic of Latina women (53 percent), African American women (61 percent), and American Indian or Alaska Native Women (58 percent). The largest gender pay gaps are in the medical profession and in fields such as financial services, accounting, medical and health service, and education administrators. Madam Speaker, the precarious position of women was documented in ``The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Pushes Back from the Brink,'' published in January 2014. The Shriver Report found that in an era when women have solidified their position as half of the U.S. workforce and two-thirds of the primary or co-breadwinners in American families, the reality is that a third of all American women are living at or near ``the brink of poverty,'' defined as less than 200 percent of the federal poverty line, or about $47,000 per year for a family of four. Forty-two million women, and the 28 million children who depend on them, are living one single incident--a doctor's bill, a late paycheck, or a broken-down car--away from economic ruin. Women make up nearly two-thirds of minimum-wage workers, the vast majority of whom receive no paid sick days. All of this is happening at a time when women earn most of the college and advanced degrees in this country, make most of the consumer spending decisions by far, and are more than half of the nation's voters. Madam Speaker, if we are going to win the war on poverty, we must wage and win the war of discrimination of women in the workforce. As we celebrate Women's Equality Day and the accomplishments of women, especially the rise of those in the areas of government, education, business, and the military, it is crucial that as we reflect on how far women have come, we also not lose sight of far we have to go and what must be done to achieve true gender equality so every girl everywhere can pursue her dreams and realize her potential. As the legendary Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm said, ``If they don't give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Womack) for his hand of conciliation, his reconciliation, and to acknowledge the work that he and the chairman of the Budget Committee have done and the tone in which the Budget Committee has conducted itself in 2019. Let me, as the gentleman referred to Article I, Section 8, take note of the fact that it is a recognition of the power to lay and collect taxes and duties, to borrow money and regulate commerce, but in particular, I believe that there is an underlying responsibility that when we do lay taxes on the American people, or we cut taxes and give 1 percent of the population an enormous gift of paying no taxes, that we then have a responsibility to try to respond to the Americans who work every day and pay taxes and are wondering, ``What is our government doing?'' This budget is answering the question. Mr. Speaker, I would like to join the gentleman and repeal the Trump tax cuts, as it burdens working Americans, as it denies nonprofits the ability to have deductions when gifts are given to them, but we are where we are today. This bipartisan budget resolution, which I am grateful to have a combination of leadership and others, eliminates the risk of another costly and devastating government shutdown. There were government workers on food stamps who could not get to work. It lifts the sequestration caps imposed under the Budget Control Act of 2011 to provide for increased investments in nondefense discretionary programs needed to keep America competitive. I was in the midst of those discussions, as many of us were. They were devastating. They were cutting the needs of Americans. We avoid default on the national debt.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to the gentleman for yielding. I want to bring to the attention of the American people what we will be able to do: public health and disease control, highways, waterway maintenance, hazardous waste. I came from a community where Hurricane Harvey dumped 51 trillion gallons of water. We need infrastructure. The Army Corps of Engineers, Federal courts, FBI, childcare, disaster assistance, economic development, all of that will now come about. At the same time, we will ensure that the United States military will be strong. We will not be competing against each other. By the time we get through, we are avoiding an 11 percent cut to defense and a 9 percent cut to nondefense discretionary. We are making people whole. As it relates to what the Budget Committee has done, we have had hearings on healthcare, climate change, education, Medicare, Social Security. We have been doing work in the Budget Committee on issues that are important, but we are seeking parity. We are helping with domestic priorities. We are saying to the American people that we are not just taking your money and giving it to the top 1 percent of Americans. We are now balancing the budget, or working on the budget, paying down on the debt, and ensuring that we do not default on America's debt. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to be able to support this bill to help America. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Budget Committee, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3877, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019.'' I support this agreement because it: 1. eliminates the risk of another costly and devastating government shutdown; 2. lifts the sequestration caps imposed under the Budget Control Act of 2011 to provide for increased investments in non-defense discretionary (NDD) programs needed to keep America strong and competitive; and 3. avoids default on the national debt and preserves America's standing as the world's most creditworthy nation. I thank my Chairman Yarmuth of the Budget Committee and Chairman Neal of the Ways and Means Committee, and the bipartisan and bicameral leadership of the Congress for their work in reaching this agreement and shepherding this legislation to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support lifting the caps imposed by the Budget Control Act of 2011 and ending the awful policy of sequestration. That is why I strongly supported the H.R. 2021, the ``Investing For The People Act,'' when it was marked up by the Budget Committee earlier this year. Mr. Speaker, without Congressional action, statutory caps on discretionary funding will force an 11 percent cut to defense and a 9 percent cut, about $55 billion, to nondefense discretionary (NDD) programs for 2020 relative to the amounts provided for 2019. The Balanced Budget Agreement of 2019 replaces these destructive cuts with a realistic budgetary framework so that Congress, through its annual appropriations bills, can make critical investments in our nation's infrastructure and people. As we learned and documented in several Budget Committee hearings convened by Chairman Yarmuth, such deep cuts would have a devastating effect on U.S. national security and economic vitality. Failure to lift the budget caps and leaves agencies that respond to public health threats and emergencies vulnerable to harmful cuts. The National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, along with the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, play unique roles in preparing for and responding to threats domestically and abroad. At a time when there are numerous challenges--from outbreaks of Ebola and Zika, to the Flint water crisis, to chronic diseases like Alzheimer's and cancer, to the opioid epidemic--it is clear we cannot neglect these investments. Climate change threatens crop yields, infrastructure, water and energy supplies, and human health. Climate change poses risks to federal property and resources, increases potential outlays from flood and crop insurance, and creates looming disaster assistance needs. Under sequestration, agencies dealing with this threat would be dramatically underfunded and deprived of the resources needed to respond to this national and global challenge. According to military experts, diplomacy and foreign aid are critical components of our national security. Both Trump's own former Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, and former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates have stressed the importance of diplomacy and foreign aid: ``If you don't fully fund the State Department, then I need to buy more ammunition.''--then Commander of U.S. Central Command, General James Mattis, 2013 ``. . . based on my experience serving seven presidents, as a former director of C.I.A. and now as secretary of defense, I am here to make the case for strengthening our capacity to use `soft power' and for better integrating it with `hard power.' ''--Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, 2007 Inadequate nondefense funding levels lead to State and Foreign Operations appropriations bills that: 1. slash embassy security funding by more than 21 percent; and 2. decrease assistance to multilateral organizations, including our UN contributions, signaling to the rest of the world that the U.S. no longer keeps its word. Mr. Speaker, the sequestration regime created by the Budget Control Act of 2011 is an untenable state of affairs and must be corrected. The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 is an important step in the right direction and represents a vast improvement over the harmful cuts contained in the President's 2020 budget, restores certainty to our budgeting and achieves the important priorities of the American people, including: 1. Permanently ends the threat of the sequester and preventing devastating funding cuts of 14 percent to defense spending and 13 percent to non-defense spending, and replaces years of reckless austerity budgeting with responsible budgeting; 2. Achieving parity between defense and non-defense discretionary spending; in fact, the increase in the non-defense budget authority that exceeds the defense number by $10 billion. 3. Securing robust funding for critical domestic priorities, including an additional $2.5 billion for a fair, accurate and timely Census; robust funding for veterans, Child Care Development Block Grants, and a strong increase in the National Institutes of Health budget to accelerate life-saving cancer and health research. Mr. Speaker, for nearly 75 years, since the end of World War II, the world has been impressed by examples of American power. But what has inspired people the world over is the power of America's example. To defend America and keep her great and strong, we need to pass the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019, which ends sequestration and lifts the budget caps and enable the Congress to invest in America and her people and restore their faith in their government.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to support H.R. 549, the Venezuela TPS Act of 2019. This particular bill designates Venezuela for temporary protected status for an initial 18-month period beginning on the date of enactment, and such designation would allow eligible nationals of Venezuela who are in the United States on the date of enactment to register for TPS benefits, including temporary immigration status and employment authorization. Let me indicate that, in my community in Houston, there are a number of Venezuelans who have told their story of fleeing and leaving behind family members. Many of them, however, have had the opportunity to be in this country to be safe but still to be concerned about family members. We know that there are difficult times in Venezuela. It is important for the United States to engage diplomatically to try and resolve this. We know there are medical crises, health crises, crises of family separation, and violence. So, I would make the point that this is an important initiative, and I would also say that I would like to thank one of the constituents in my community, CITGO, a company that has many Venezuelans working there but has been a generous supporter of Houston. I believe that it is important to try and resolve these issues to bring peace to Venezuela. TPS is appropriate, and we should do it now.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, first, I would like to congratulate the gentleman from Illinois, Congressman Garcia, not only for his legacy and leadership here in the United States Congress, but really for the work of reconciliation and friendship in the great city of Chicago, working with so many different groups and understanding the myriad of issues dealing with immigrants. Madam Speaker, I rise today to, first of all, say to my fellow Americans--that was something utilized by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. And I would think that, as he said it many, many years ago, America was less diverse--I use it now, because I think it is important in a Nation that is enormously diverse, that we, in fact, use the words ``fellow Americans,'' so that we cannot pit one group of Americans against another, these immigrants against those who are here, or those who have been immigrants that have come and now have either gotten status or been here for a long time. Let us not let the administration pit one American against another. We are, in fact, really our brothers' and sisters' keeper. When I think of immigrants, I think of every single person who has come to this Nation. They have come in many different colors and in many different eras. Yes, Native Americans were already here. Yes, African Americans came as slaves. But then, as the years passed, there were people of African descent who came as immigrants. There were Irish and Italians, there were people from Britain and Germany, and there were people from South Asia, Asia, and Asia Pacific. And, of course, there are those who have now come from the southern border. Why do we have the right to be able to demonize individuals who have come in a recent time, individuals who simply want an opportunity to work, to contribute, and, yes, to put on the uniform? I am reminded of Captain Khan and his wonderful family. Captain Khan was a Pakistani who died in the recent war in Iraq. He came here to this country. His family came here to this country. So, I join with my colleague to say that we must pass comprehensive immigration reform, but we must pass the legislation that includes the American Dream and Promise Act. We must recognize that we have to confront the issue of dealing with the treatment of those who have come most recently. How do we deny it, when those of us who have been to the border, for example, literally talked to persons who have said they watched their father being beat to death and they watched as the MS-13, who are wanted in that country, come to make them a member? How are you going to challenge that? How do you challenge a woman who got on the road and had her baby on the road because people in the neighborhood said she owed them money and they were going to kill her? How do you answer an aunt who went to the store and came back and found all of her nieces and nephews drugged and individuals in the house and all they had to do was escape for their life? So, I believe that standing here today is recognizing that there must be a solution. Let me share with you just some of the comments from a hearing that we had on the oversight of family separation and CBP short-term custody under the Trump administration. In March 2017, former Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly announced that DHS was considering a proposal to separate families at the southern border as a means of deterring migration. And that is what they did. Today, it was indicated that they had not reunited every one of those children that had been separated. Who of us in America would welcome the idea of children being snatched from you? You wanted that child. This wasn't a situation of abuse. And then you come to find out they could not find you or find your child to reunite. In a September 2018 report, the DHS Inspector General found that DHS was not fully prepared to implement the administration's zero-tolerance policy or to deal with some of its aftereffects. Can you imagine that? They just didn't have the facilities to deal with this very detrimental policy. What about asylum? That is international law. That is a law that allows individuals fleeing persecution to come to any country and seek asylum under their laws. Under our law, if you are in credible fear, you could seek asylum. Those administrations that were reasonable recognized that domestic violence could be taken into consideration. But let us realize where we are: The Trump administration eliminated domestic violence right out and then wanted to eliminate the rights of those individuals to file for asylum. Just recently, a lawsuit said, no, Mr. President, you cannot do that. You cannot do that and deny the rights under international law and national law for these individuals to be able to use the process that has been granted to so many before them. And then, of course, this report from the Office of Inspector General that--in actuality, a report was made public on July 2, though it was given to the Department of Homeland Security much earlier than that, but I think this was a report on the CBP and BP facilities at the border. Let me recognize, of course, the need to provide resources. We voted on a $4.6 billion appropriations at the beginning of July to be able to help and to provide better resources. But one of the things that was said to the Secretary of Homeland Security: ``DHS needs to address dangerous overcrowding among single adults at El Paso Del Norte processing center.'' And: ``DHS needs to address dangerous overcrowding and prolonged detention of children and adults in the Rio Grande Valley.'' This is not Sheila Jackson Lee or Congressman Garcia, this is the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General's report. We are, in fact, our brothers' and sisters' keeper. We are many colors as immigrants. Africans are coming across the border, fleeing for their lives, seeking relief. All we have to do is to follow our laws to allow the asylum process to proceed and those individuals to be rendered a judgment that they can stay or not stay. And then to use our refugee resettlement and our humanitarian agencies to either help settle them in the United States or resettle them as they go back out of the United States. There's also the possibility of having an agreement that after their asylum has failed, if it does, that they can remain with opportunities in Mexico, which was originally spoken about. But since I have been to the place in Mexico where the policies of the President are to keep them in Mexico, I can tell you that Mexico at the border does not have the resources, does not have the housing, and does not have the jobs to take care of those individuals who are there. Madam Speaker, I want to make it very clear, as I started out, my fellow Americans, on this floor, this particular Democratic Congress in the majority has recognized the importance of Americans. We have passed legislation to bring down prescription drugs costs, to protect against eliminating preexisting conditions, and to bring down insurance costs. We just passed the historic $15-an-hour wage increase as Federal law. We are working on gun safety. We are working on issues dealing with Americans. But we must call our higher angels and recognize the responsibility of this Nation to address the concerns of its people. So, as I conclude my remarks, let me say that I hope that we will be able to work together on the 9,000 children who are held by the Department of Health and Human Services in what we call shelters, and to realize or to state--let me state it publicly to Health and Human Services, whom I worked with on the Obama administration--that these shelters do not belong to Health and Human Services. They belong to the people of the United States, funded with taxpayer dollars, and that means the Members of the United States Congress. No Member of Congress should be blocked from going into these facilities. No Member of Congress should be blocked from talking to these young people who want to talk to them and tell them that they have been in these centers for 3 months, 100 days. They are not supposed to be there that long. There needs to be a system put in place to expedite these youngsters. One youngster wants to go back home to Mexico. He is still there. So I want to put Health and Human Services on notice not to block any of us from coming in, facilitating how we are to interact with these young people, to provide them comfort and understanding of how we can move their cases along--not pull them out, not break the law, not disrespect the system, but to help the system, overloaded, choked down, not concerned, to move forward on behalf of these young people. I thank Congressman Garcia for giving me the opportunity to share some of my thoughts about how we have to fix the broken immigration system, which includes recognizing that many people who are here working, paying taxes, paying a mortgage, have come here through no fault of their own, and, as well, their families, who are here seeking opportunity. I believe that, together, in a bipartisan manner, we could really do this, as we have done for immigrants who have come to this country in the 1800s and the 1900s, and they have now integrated into our society. Let me thank the gentleman so much for his leadership on this.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 549, ``The Venezuela TPS Act of 2019.'' The bill would designate Venezuela for temporary protected status (TPS), allowing certain Venezuelan nationals to stay in the U.S., regardless of their current immigration status. The Secretary of Homeland Security grants TPS to certain individuals who cannot safely return to their home countries due to ongoing armed conflict, environmental disasters, or other extraordinary circumstances. While the total number of individuals, who would be eligible for TPS under this bill, is unclear, about 72,000 Venezuelans have come to the U.S. since 2014. The Venezuela TPS Act of 2019 would: Designate Venezuela for TPS, allowing its nationals to remain in the U.S. for 18 months, regardless of their immigration status if they: Have been continuously physically present in the United States since the date of the enactment of the bill; and Meet all other requirements for TPS. Provide Venezuelan nationals who meet the above requirements with: Employment authorization; and Authorization to travel outside the U.S. for emergencies and extenuating circumstances. Direct the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to work with international partners to increase capacity of countries surrounding Venezuela to provide migration services and asylum, specifically to establish and expand in-country reception centers and shelters and improve migration and asylum registration systems. Congress should designate Venezuela for TPS because: The country has been facing unprecedented economic, humanitarian, security, and refugee crisis, consisting of extreme food and medicine shortages, severe infant and child malnutrition, rampant crime, and government-sponsored repression. Venezuela ranks as the most dangerous country in the world. In 2017, the country's homicide rate stood at 89 per 100,000 people which compares to 5.3 per 100,000 people in the United States. TPS holders contribute to the U.S. economy. For example, TPS holders from El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti contribute $4.5 billion in income to the gross domestic product annually and $6.9 billion to Social Security and Medicare over a decade. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 549 to allow certain Venezuelan nationals to stay in the U.S., regardless of their current immigration status.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as Members of Congress we know well, perhaps better than most, how blessed our nation is to have in reserve such exceptional young men and women who will go on to become leaders in their local communities, states, and the nation in the areas of business, education, law, government, philanthropy, the arts and culture, and the military. We know this because we see them and benefit from their contributions every day. Many of them work for us in our offices as junior staff members, congressional fellows, or interns and they do amazing work for and on behalf of the constituents we are privileged to represent. Madam Speaker, I believe there is no higher calling than the call to serve a cause larger than ourselves. That is why I ran for public office. I was inspired to serve by President Kennedy who said, ``Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,'' and by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said: Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. By this measure, there are several other great young men and women who served as volunteers this year in my offices. They may toil in obscurity but their contributions to the constituents we serve are deeply appreciated. That is why today I rise to pay tribute to 17 extraordinary young persons for their service to my constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas and to the American people. They are: Hadeel Abdallah, University of Oxford; Lakeisha Barnes, Indiana University; Mia Arrington, Villanova University; Dalia Batuuka, Pennsylvania State University; Julia Chun, Clark University; Katherine Holder, Texas Tech University; Lillian Keller, Swarthmore College; Elizabeth Le, Howard University; Keva Luke, Georgetown University; Michael Pender, United States Naval Academy; Nia Prince, Rice University; Hargun Sodhi, University of Houston; Rafael Martinez, Texas Tech University; Lily Rathbun, The Madeira School; Keenan Parker, The Madeira School; Jacky Lee, The Madeira School; and Kayla Rothstein, The Madeira School. Madam Speaker, the energy, intelligence, and idealism these wonderful young people brought to my office and those interning in the offices of my colleagues help keep our democracy vibrant. The insights, skills, and knowledge of the governmental process they gain from their experiences will last a lifetime and prove invaluable to them as they go about making their mark in this world. Because of persons like them the future of our country is bright, and its best days lie ahead. I wish them all well. Madam Speaker, I am grateful that such thoughtful committed young men and women can be found working in my office, those of my colleagues, and in every community in America. Their good works will keep America great, good, and forever young.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 36, the ``Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019.'' This bill addresses sexual harassment in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by supporting sexual harassment research and efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. This bill also directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations. Such grants to institutions of higher education will be used to expand research into sexual harassment in the STEM workforce, including students and trainees; and to examine interventions for reducing the incidence and negative consequences of such harassment. According to a report issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2018 entitled ``Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,'' sexual harassment is pervasive in institutions of higher education. The most common type of sexual harassment is gender harassment, which includes verbal and nonverbal behaviors that convey insulting, hostile, and degrading attitudes about members of one gender. Fifty-eight percent of individuals in the academic workplace experience sexual harassment, which is the second highest rate when compared to the military, the private sector, and Federal, State, and local government. Women who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups are more likely to experience sexual harassment and to feel unsafe at work than White women, White men, or men who are members of such groups. The training for each individual who has a doctor of philosophy in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields is estimated to cost approximately $500,000. Attrition of an individual so trained results in a loss of talent and money. Sexual harassment undermines the career advancement for women. Many women are reported to leave employment at institutions of higher education due to sexual harassment. Research shows the majority of individuals do not formally report experiences of sexual harassment due to a justified fear of retaliation or other negative professional or personal consequences. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 36 to research and better understand the causes and consequences of sexual harassment affecting individuals in science.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3311, ``The Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019.'' H.R. 3311, the ``Small Business Reorganization Act of 2019,'' would streamline the bankruptcy process by which small business debtors reorganize and rehabilitate their financial affairs. I support this legislation because it addresses the special problems presented by small business cases by instituting a variety of time frames and enforcement mechanisms designed to weed out small business debtors who are not likely to reorganize. It also requires these cases to be more actively monitored by United States trustees and the bankruptcy courts. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy, approximately 20 percent of small businesses survive the first year, but by the five-year mark only 50 percent are still in business and by the ten-year mark only one-third survive. Under the protection of chapter 11, a debtor is given a ``financial breathing spell'' from most creditor collection efforts. This protection allows the chapter 11 debtor to continue its business operations while formulating a plan of reorganization to repay its creditors. Not surprisingly, while most chapter 11 business cases are filed by small business debtors, they are often ``the least likely to reorganize successfully. I know first hand that Hurricane Harvey hurt many small businesses and though we worked to help them recover, bankruptcy was the only option for some of them. While the Bankruptcy Code envisions that creditors will play a major role in monitoring these cases, this often does not occur, chiefly because creditors in these smaller cases do not have claims large enough to warrant the time and money to participate actively in these cases. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3311 to help our small businesses have a chance at success during difficult times.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2938, ``The Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need Act of 2019'', or the HAVEN Act. Section 2 would amend Bankruptcy Code section 101(1 OA), which defines current monthly income'' for purposes of the Code's means test, to exclude compensation paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense to an individual in connection with a disability, combat-related injury or disability, or death of a member of the uniformed services. I strongly support this legislation because it would bring certain veterans' disability benefits paid by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense into parity with the treatment of Social Security payments under the Bankruptcy Code's means test. Although Social Security benefits are not treated as income for purposes of the Bankruptcy Code's means test, veterans' disability benefits. do constitute income under this test. This requirement applies even with respect to servicemembers who have returned to the United States from active service and thus no longer receive combat pay. Under the means test, such servicemember would have to calculate his or her income based on the average monthly income that he or she received during the six-month period preceding the filing date of the bankruptcy case, rather than the debtor's actual income, which may be much less because of the debtor's non-combat status. Many veterans become ineligible for the more immediate discharge available under Chapter 7 and, instead, they are steered into Chapter 13, which requires a debtor to make payments to creditors pursuant to a 3 or 5 year plan before he or she can receive a discharge. According to the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges (NCBJ), such treatment ``will remedy an imbalance in the Bankruptcy Code that disproportionately steers veterans receiving such benefits into Chapter 13 cases because they often fail the Chapter 7 means test.'' This bill is supported by the Veterans of Foreign Affairs, the American Legion, and the Disabled American Veterans, the National Conference of Bankruptcy Judges, and the American College of Bankruptcy among others. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2938 to allow our veterans to have a chance to provide for their families and to live a peaceful lifestyle.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Budget, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3409, the ``Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019.'' H.R. 3409 is bipartisan legislation that reauthorizes appropriations for the Coast Guard and Federal Maritime Commission through the 2021 Fiscal Year. This legislation contains improvements to promote the U.S. maritime industry and offshore renewable energy development, authorization of funding for new heavy ice breakers, and provisions to increase diversity at the United States Coast Guard Academy. Additionally, this legislation will enhance recruitment and retention of merchant vessels, along with advancing new opportunities to strengthen the competitiveness of the U.S. maritime and shipbuilding industries. Earlier this year the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the United States Coast Guard, was adversely affected by the Trump Administration's government shutdown. The shutdown affected the pay of over 40,000 active duty Coast Guard members, 6,000 reservists, and 8,500 civilian employees. It took 35 days for Congress and the White House to agree on a FY 2019 funding bill. During this time the brave men and women of the Coast Guard endured the cold winter weather while conducting life-saving rescues, drug interdiction operations, environmental protection missions, and costal security operations. This bill will guarantee that the Coast Guard's active duty and civilian personnel are paid in the event of another federal government shutdown. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1649 ``Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2019'' in order to ensure that the Coast Guard has all of the resources required to carry out their missions and maintain safety along our coastal borders.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1984, the Disclosing Aid Spent to Ensure Relief Act'', or ``DISASTER Act'', which directs the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to submit to Congress a report on all disaster-related assistance provided by the Federal Government. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is not only a reasonable exercise of Congress' power of oversight but it is also fiscally prudent. To understand the scope of disaster-related spending and expenditures by the Federal Government, Congress must have a comprehensive understanding of the various multi-agency and multiyear efforts in helping disaster-stricken areas recover. Additionally, having estimates of these expenditures for individual Federal agencies will also help inform the congressional appropriations process as well as presidential budget requests. Mr. Speaker, knowledge about disaster-related expenses will also yield opportunities for reducing these expenses through mitigative and preventative efforts. Because transparency and open government are important, it is essential that Congress has a single, publicly available estimate of spending on disaster-related assistance. The American people deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent and how these dollars are being used to help them when disaster strikes. This report would also be crucial in helping educate the public about the numerous agencies involved in disaster relief efforts. While many would immediately recognize agencies such as FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, less conspicuous agencies such as NOAA, EPA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, play a crucial role in disaster relief. In short, H.R. 1984 will better inform both Congress and the public about what the Federal Government is doing to help those affected by disaster. I strongly urge all members to support this necessary and vital legislation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3375, the ``Stopping Bad Robocalls Act.'' H.R. 3375 will require the Federal Communications Commission to update the definition of what qualifies as a robocall and ensure that any attempt to circumvent its rules using new or different robocall technology is outlawed. The Stopping Bad Robocalls Act would also require telecommunications corporations to implement new technology to ensure that calls are not spam. In addition, it will yield more efficient investigations conducted by government officials and the heightened enforcement of anti-robocall rules. In June of 2019 4.4 billion robocalls were placed nationwide. Texas led all 50 states, receiving over 500 million robocalls in that month. Mr. Speaker, robocalls have become an overwhelming issue in our country and threaten to paralyze our most critical communications lines. These callers are not only a nuisance but are also predatory. They have begun to target crucial establishments including hospitals, cancer centers, and medical research organizations, creating conditions that can potentially lead to a health crisis. Administrators at these institutions worry that, without intervention, the myriad of incoming robocalls could eventually outmatch their best efforts to keep hospital phone lines free during emergencies. Robocallers have gone even further to perform scams using the spoofing tactic, in which they can appear to take on existing phone numbers. With the aid of spoofing, scammers can take on phone numbers that are the same as or very similar to the numbers of health care providers. Robocallers use the names and numbers of these organizations, to aid their scam of telling people that they owe money and requesting private information. We are all aware of the difficulty millions of Americans face in attaining affordable health care. Robocallers are maliciously taking advantage of these circumstances and seek to profit from the exacerbation of the stress that families are challenged with. The federal government as well as multiple large telecommunications corporations are equipped with information on these robocallers and the groups whom they seek to take advantage of. The virulent aspirations of these callers must be met with the commitment of our government to protect our citizens by placing the responsibility on these corporations to protect consumers. I urge all members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 3375, the ``Stopping Bad Robocalls Act.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I rise in support of the H.R. 3239, a the ``Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act.'' I support H.R. 3239, because it would require CBP to perform an initial health screening on all individuals in CBP custody and ensure that everyone in custody has access to water, sanitation and hygiene, food and nutrition, and safe shelter, among other provisions. I have also offered two amendments that I truly believe keeps the CBP staff and detainees safe under the current conditions. My first amendment to H.R. 3239 requires retention of video monitoring and certification that the video is on at all times. CBP is considered ``at capacity'' when detainee levels reach 4,000. However, between May 14 and June 13, 2019, CBP detained more than 14,000 people per day--and sometimes as many as 18,000. A cell with a maximum capacity of 12 held 76 detainees; a cell with a maximum capacity of 8 held 41 detainees, and a cell with a maximum capacity of 35 held 155 detainees. Individuals were standing on toilets in the cells to make room and gain breathing space, thus limiting access to the toilets. There is limited access to showers and clean clothing, and individuals have been wearing soiled clothing for days or weeks. While DHS concurred with the recommendation made to alleviate overcrowding at the Del Norte Processing Center, it identified November 30, 2020 as the date on which the situation would be corrected. There have been reports of agitation and frustration from the CBP staff and the detainees. This legislation provides some of the transparency, accountability and oversight that protects the detainees and the CBP employees and contractors. My second amendment to H.R. 3239 requires that the Commissioner shall ensure that language-appropriate ``Detainee Bill of Rights,'' including indigenous languages, are posted in all areas where detainees are located. The ``Detainee Bill of Rights'' shall include all rights afforded to the detainee under this bill. In July, Border Patrol was holding about 8,000 detainees in custody at the time of the DHS OIG visit, with 3,400 held longer than the 72 hours generally permitted under the Transport, Escort, Detention, and Search (TEDS) standards. Of those 3,400 detainees, Border Patrol held 1,500 for more than 10 days. Border Patrol data indicated that 826 (31 percent) of the 2,669 children at these facilities had been held longer than the 72 hours generally permitted under the TEDS standards and the Flores Agreement. The estimated completion date is November 30, 2020 which is too far in the future for the pressing issue we are having today. Border Patrol agents has said that some single adults had been held in standing-room-only conditions for days or weeks. Border Patrol management on site said there is an ongoing concern that rising. Currently, there are no regulations to guide CBP on medical evaluation or sanitation within the short-term detention facilities. It is very concerning that CBP has reported the deaths of four children and six adults in CBP custody. The posting of the Detainee Bill of Rights allows the detainees to understand what screenings will be done during their intake, and what help is afforded to them during custody. The posting will also help the detainees communicate with the CBP employees about what needs may not be met under the provisions of this legislation. I truly believe this will ease some of the tensions and frustrations at the detention facilities. I applaud Rep. Raul Ruiz for introducing the Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act and my colleagues for working together to ease tensions in a difficult situation. I believe that the adoption of the Jackson Lee amendments strengthen H.R. 3239 by continuing to provide transparency, accountability and oversight. I also believe that the Jackson Lee amendment that provided transparency for duties that are outsourced to private contractors to be subject to FOIA through CBP would have strengthened the bill more and is also needed to keep all parties safe.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank the distinguished gentlewoman, and I want to personally thank her for her constant and needed fight for women's rights and, particularly, protecting these women against sexual assault and sexual abuse. I cannot tell you how many stories that we have heard at the border of young women who have come either by coyotes, or even when they get here to this country, the fear that they have of sexual assault and sexual abuse. It is a long walk and a long journey from the Northern Triangle, and I want to thank the gentlewoman again for recognizing that. So, I rise to support the Kuster amendment, and I rise to support the underlying bill, H.R. 3239. I thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership, and I thank my good friend Dr. Raul Ruiz. We have talked about this. The gentleman has talked about this. I have heard the gentleman on many occasions speaking to us as Members of Congress, not Democrats, but Democrats and Republicans and Independents who would listen. In his conversation, we did not hear anything that would suggest that we would undermine, in any way, our friends or veterans who are in need of great medical care. We stand ready, as we have done over the past, to continue to try to push dollars to help them. This bill in particular deals with CBP to perform an initial health screening on all individuals in CBP custody, and ensures that everyone in custody has access to water, sanitation, hygiene, food, nutrition, and safe shelter. But having been to the border, I will say that they are still in cages. They are still in small areas where they only have standing room. This is to protect both contractors, employees, and those human beings who came because they are desperate and fleeing violence. The stories tell you of their fathers being murdered, their husband's being murdered, and their sons being taken away. This underlying bill, its purpose is to ensure that the American people are protected so that epidemics don't start, so that little babies don't die--like the seven who have died on the watch of the Trump administration. I am delighted that my amendment was included, which requires retention of video monitoring and certification that the video is on at all times. It will enhance the amendment of Ms. Kuster. The other amendment I want to appreciate is the Detainee Bill of Rights. I support the amendment and the underlying bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership and the leadership of Chairman Grijalva, for the full committee, and, certainly, the ranking member for his courtesies. I thank the manager tonight, a friend from Utah, for their kindness in yielding to me. This is an emotional moment for me and, as well, for many in my constituency, and I am delighted to be able to rise to give strong support to H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail Study Act. I thank all of the Members, as I have indicated, and also thank Congresswoman Haaland, chair of the Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, for holding the hearing that allowed the committee to learn of the strong support enjoyed by H.R. 434 and the hard work of dedicated historic preservationists to preserve the rich history of former slaves. I also thank Naomi Mitchell Carrier of Houston, Texas, for her stalwart efforts to share the stories of newly freed slaves who settled in Freedmen's Town, a section of Houston, to begin their lives as free persons during the end of the Civil War. I want to thank Ms. Carrier as an educator, historian, and author with expertise in African American music, Texas history, and heritage tourism. I also thank Ms. Eileen Lawal for her April 2019 oral testimony before the Natural Resources Committee in an amazing, passionate expression of how vital this trail will be. Ms. Lawal is the president Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy, whose mission is to protect and preserve the history of Freedmen's Town. I also thank the Mayor of the city of Houston, Sylvester Turner; Commissioner Rodney Ellis; the mayor of the city of Galveston; my colleague, my original cosponsor, Congressman Weber, who represents the Galveston area. The work of H.R. 434 will result in only the second trail in the United States that chronicles the experience of African Americans. I am hoping that this will move swiftly through the United States House, then to the United States Senate, and then is signed by the President of the United States. Currently, the National Park Service only has one national historic trail which centers on the African American experience. It is a Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail which covers a 54-mile path between Selma and Montgomery. But as slaves lived in this land from 1619 to 1865 as slaves, a 250- year history, to think only one trail would commemorate that historic moment--although a moment in history that all of us are saddened by--it is important to capture the bravery, the courage, the strength of those families who managed to stay together. The establishment of the Emancipation National Historic Trail will be the second trail for which the National Park Services would have responsibility and, again, would tell the wonderful story for future generations of the rich history of this Nation and the role that African Americans played in the economic, political, religious, cultural, and governmental efforts of this Nation. It ties into the work that we are continuing to do. The Emancipation National Historic Trail Study Act would pave the way to working to establish an important story. It will go 51 miles from the historic Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Highway 3 and Interstate 45, all the way up to Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park and Independence Heights, which was the first city organized by African Americans here in the Southwest region. H.R. 434 requires that we study the post-Civil War history of newly freed slaves in a major slave-holding State following the largest military campaign waged on domestic soil in the history of the United States. It is important to take note of the fact that those of us west of the Mississippi did not know that Abraham Lincoln had freed the slaves until 1865. Captain Granger came to the shores and said to us in 1865, those of our ancestors, that they had been freed. In a second inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln declared that slavery was America's original sin: ``Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's 250 years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said 3,000 years ago, so still it must be said `the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.' '' We know that Abraham Lincoln wanted to maintain the unity of this Nation, but he wanted it to be without slaves. The story of the trail will be one that will be enlightening because the newly freed slaves established communities. They established schools. They established churches, and they migrated into the Houston community, coming up from that Emancipation National Historic Trail. Today, the city of Houston is fortunate to call those communities Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park. The first park that was bought in the State of Texas was bought by freed slaves in Independence Heights. Freedmen's Town survived while other communities did not, and it continues to have some of the historic buildings. By 1915, over 400 African American-owned businesses existed in Freedmen's Town. By 1920, one-third of Houston's 85,000 people lived in Freedmen's Town. Freedmen's Town is recognized as a historic district. Emancipation Park was established in 1872 as Texas' oldest park, and it was bought, as I indicated, by freed slaves for a mere $8. After the emancipation, Freedmen's Town became one of the only sanctuaries for free persons in Houston. The Freedmen's Town community has fought to preserve its structures, and though we are suffering from gentrification and the movement of our historic structures, we still have the character of that community. I am delighted that the new neighbors, the new residents of that area will now be able to recognize how important Freedmen's Town is, and we can work together to build the historical story. One such struggle was to preserve the handmade red bricks, and this evidences the restoring, the very important ceremony to put the old bricks that were made by freed slaves, to put them back into Freedmen's Town. There are many stories that have come with this recurrent retelling of this trail, and I believe it will be an important trail and important story as well. Let me also indicate that Independence Heights, as I said, was the first city, and we have already discussed the importance of Emancipation Park. On September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture opened its doors, after 13 years of planning and construction and over 100 years of struggle, to see the history of former slaves as part of the complex of the museums of the Smithsonian that began in 1915. I am proud to say that one of my predecessors, the Honorable Mickey Leland, was the first to seek to establish a museum dealing with slaves. Then came John Lewis, who introduced his bill in 2003. I was delighted to be able to be part of it. I am asking for strong support for H.R. 434. As I indicated, it brings back great memories of understanding our discussion in school about slavery and its aftermath. There was no commemoration to recognize that historic march, that historic migration when the slaves were freed in Galveston at that time and the settling that went on in the city of Houston. It is very important to have knowledge of our history. With this trail, not only will the information about this historic trail be placed in the annals of the history of the United States, but I will be very grateful that the children and their children's children will really understand the important collective history of this great Nation. Again, I wish to thank all of those who supported this. It is important to be able to thank Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, the African American Library at Gregory School, the Houston Freedmen's Town Conservatory, the Freedmen's Town Advisory Committee, the Emancipation Park Conservancy, the Independence Heights Redevelopment Council, the Freedmen's Town Preservation Coalition, the Kohrville Community Amos Cemetery Association, the Texas Center for African American Living History, the Rutherford B. Hayes Yates Museum, the Heritage Society of Sam Houston Park, the Houston Association of Black Psychologists, the Kinder Foundation, and Vanderbilt University. Ramon Manning, who heads the Emancipation Park Conservancy, was an avid and strong supporter, also, as I mentioned, Sylvester Turner, the mayor of the city of Houston; Jacqueline Bostic; the Fourth Ward Redevelopment Authority; the head of the Emancipation Park Conservancy; and the director of parks. As I said, the mayor of the city of Galveston was also a supporter. Mr. Speaker, I include letters in support of H.R. 434 City of Houston Library Department, Houston, TX, July 22, 2019. Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: The Houston Public Library, on behalf of the African American Library at the Gregory School (The Gregory School), endorses H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail Act, which had a hearing before the Subcommittee on April 2, 2019. The Library has a vested interest in the Emancipation National Historic Trail because The Gregory School currently holds and has held a very unique place in the histories of Texas, Houston, and Freedmen's Town/Fourth Ward history for more than 152 years. In 2009, The Gregory School was established by the Houston Public Library as an African American Research and Archival Center in Houston's Historic Fourth Ward or Freedmen's Town. Freedman's Town was established in 1865 as the destination of former enslaved people in Texas and Louisiana after the Civil War. In 1866, the Freedmen's Bureau opened schools for black children and adults in the area. The Texas Legislature authorized the creation of public schools for the black community in 1870. By 1872 most of the students and teachers who were at the Bureau schools, which were closing, left them to attend the state-managed Gregory Institute. The Gregory Institute was the first school for freed slaves in Houston. Mike Snyder of the Houston Chronicle said that it was ``perhaps the first school for freed slaves in the State of Texas.'' By 1876 the Gregory Institute became a part of the Houston Public School System. The building that now houses the African American Library at the Gregory School first opened in 1926, as a two-story public school building for ``colored children,'' and was named Gregory Elementary School. In March 2019, The Gregory School was designated as a ``site of Memory associated with the UNESCO Slave Route Project'' for being the first public school for freed slaves in the state of Texas. This bill will result in the Emancipation National Historic Trail, which extends approximately 51 miles from the Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town, then to Independence Heights, and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th Congressional District. The start of the trail is located where General Gordon Granger sailed into Galveston, Texas, with troops on June 19, 1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston to spread the news to neighboring communities. Should this bill become law it would establish the first trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role of African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role African Americans played in the building of the today's Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston and the adjoining areas. Sincerely, Rhea Brown Lawson, Ph.D., Director of the Houston Public Library.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding to me. I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 434 enthusiastically. We look forward to the history being told for all to know, to appreciate, and to understand. Mr. Speaker, as the author and principal sponsor, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 434, the ``Emancipation National Historic Trail Act.'' I thank Chairman Raul M. Grijalva for shepherding this legislation to the floor. I also thank Congresswoman Haaland, chair of the Natural Resources Committee's Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands for holding the hearing that allowed the Committee to learn of the strong support enjoyed by H.R. 434, and the hard work of dedicated historic preservationists to preserve the rich history of former slaves. Let me begin by thanking Ms. Naomi Mitchell Carrier of Houston, Texas, for her stalwart efforts to preserve and share the stories of newly freed slaves who settled in the Freedmen's Town section of Houston to begin lives as free persons following the end of the Civil War. Ms. Mitchell Carrier is an educator, historian, and author with expertise in African American music, Texas history, and heritage tourism. I also thank Ms. Eileen Lawal for her April 2019 oral testimony before the Natural Resources Committee, in support of H.R. 434. Ms. Lawal is the president of Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy, whose mission is to protect and preserve the history of Freedmen's Town for the benefit of future generations. The work of H.R. 434 will result in the second trail in the United States that chronicles the experience of African Americans. Currently, the National Parks Service only has one National Historic Trail, which centers on the African American experience. It is the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, which covers a 54-mile path between Selma and Montgomery, Alabama, was designated a National Historic Trail in 1966. The Selma to Montgomery Trail tells an important story about a pivotal moment in the nation's struggle with turning away from a history of segregation and toward a future of equality and justice. Establishment of the Emancipation National Historical Trail will be the second trail for which that the National Parks Services would have responsibility, and it will tell the story of African Americans and will preserve for future generations the rich history of the newly- freed slaves who journeyed to Houston in search of economic and political opportunity, and greater religious and cultural freedom. It is a remarkable story and one that all Americans can be proud to share with the world. The Emancipation National Historic Trail Act would pave 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. H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historical Trail Act, designates as a national historic trail the 51 miles from the historic Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Highway 3 and Interstate 45, north to Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. H.R. 434 requires that we study the post-Civil War history of newly- freed slaves in a major slave holding state following the largest military campaign waged on domestic soil in the history of the United Sates. This period is more than just a story about the North's victory and the South's loss--it is a story about a newly-freed people emerging from over 250 years of slavery and how they survived into the 21st century when other similarly situated communities did not. In his Second Inaugural Address President Abraham Lincoln declared that slavery was America's Original Sin: Yet, if God wills that it continue [The Civil War] until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said ``the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'' The bloody civil war was one phrase often used by battlefield survivors to describe what it was--blood, suffering, tears, and death, but from this struggle came a new birth of freedom for millions of former slaves. There were thousands of communities comprised of freed slaves throughout the United States--although most of these communities were found in the South, they could also be found in the North, South, and Midwestern sections of the country. Newly-freed slaves held malice toward none, including former slave owners. But the same could not be said for those who once owned slaves. Through economic hardship, natural disasters, and the period of 1919- 1921 called the ``Burnings,'' dozens of communities ceased to exist. The City of Houston is fortunate that much of this early history of former slaves has survived to this day: Freedmen's Town, Independence Heights, and the Emancipation Park areas, which are treasures in our nation's history. Freedmen's Town survived where other communities did not, and it is the only surviving 19th century community built by former slaves to have a notable number of original structures that have been protected, preserved, or restored. Freedmen's Town became the center of opportunity for freed slaves throughout the Houston area. By 1915, over 400 African American-owned businesses existed there. By 1920 one-third of Houston's 85,000 people lived in Freedmen's Town. Freedmen's Town is a recognized Historic District. Emancipation Park was established in 1872 and is Texas's oldest public park. After emancipation, Freedmen's Town became one of the only sanctuaries for freed persons in Houston, Texas. Today, Freedmen's Town hosts an impressive number of post-Civil War surviving structures--which include homes, public buildings, and commercial spaces built by former slaves. The Freedmen's Town community has fought to preserve structures, unique construction features, and period materials which are unique in their continued presence as originally installed. One such struggle was the work to preserve handmade red brick street in Freedmen's Town that streets would have been destroyed had community leaders and preservationists not fought and succeeded in winning needed infrastructure improvements, and the re-installation of the period bricks onto the street. There are concerns that Texas Department of Transportation's announced highway improvements on I-45 in the City of Houston would impact the historic areas of Independence Heights before the study directed by this bill could begin. The reason the National Parks Service exists is to preserve the public lands for all to use and enjoy. The nation has invested a great deal in protecting national parks and historic places due to their unique beauty, typographical features, or historic relevance. The stories that make up the American experience have, for far too long, been limited to those of one group of Americans. The limited view of what is of value or interest to the American public has changed with the establishment of a Native American History Museum and most recently the opening of the National African American History and Culture on the Mall. The ``whites-only'' version of American history must end and at the same time we can make room for other American stories. In 1915, the first suggestion of creating an African American History Museum came from African American Union veterans of the Civil War. By 1988, Congressmen John Lewis and Mickey Leland introduced legislation for a stand-alone African American history museum within the Smithsonian Institution. Their bill faced significant opposition in Congress due to its cost. Supporters of the African American museum tried to salvage the proposal by suggesting that the Native Indian museum (then moving through Congress) and African American museum share the same space. But the compromise did not work, and Congress took no further action on the bill. In 2001, Congressman Lewis and Congressman J.C. Watts reintroduced legislation for a museum in the House of Representatives which became law, creating a federal commission to study the idea of an African American Museum near Capitol Hill. After completing a 2-year study the Commission determined that an African American history museum would be of substantial benefit to the nation. In 1994, despite winning approval in both House and Senate committees, the bill died once more, due to opposition by North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, who refused to allow the legislation to come to the Senate floor despite bipartisan support. In 2003, the House passed the ``National Museum of African American History and Culture Act,'' which passed the Senate and was signed into law by President George W. Bush. On September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) opened its doors after 13 years of planning, and construction and over a hundred years of struggle to see the history of former slaves as part of the complex of museums on the Capital Mall began in 1915. The success of the National Museum of African American History and Culture reveals the hunger in the nation and across the world for authentic stories from our past. Since its opening the NMAAHC has generated a sustained demand for tickets, an unprecedented problem for a museum--where interest far outstrips capacity to accommodate visitors. About three million people have already visited the NMAAHC, which is the newest museum in the Smithsonian Institution and houses close to 37,000 rare artifacts within three stories. Not only is demand for tickets high, according to the museum's associate director, so is the amount of time visitors spend in the museum once they get in. The museum's associate director told NPR.com that while most venues have a ``dwell'' time of an hour and 45 minutes to two hours, visitors are spending up to six hours exploring. It's already an important part of many people's list of things to do in Washington, D.C.'' There is a hunger in the nation for stories about African Americans from our past that link us to our present and act as guideposts to our future. This is a momentous opportunity--one that fires the imagination for fully telling the American story from the voices and perspectives of all of our nation's citizens. The richness of these diverse stories is found in Houston's African American historic areas. These areas of Houston tell the story of many peoples who are part of our nation's history by filling in gaps of the story of the United States that too many Americans do not know or understand because these stories are now being taught as part of American history. It is important to ensure that the public trust to preserve our nation's history is also a commitment to preserving all of its history, including that which reflects both its best and worst moments. By way of example, when I was a young girl, I learned the story of Crispus Attucks--a key figure in our nation's history who on the eve of the American Revolution lost his life during a protest of British rule prior to the start of the Revolutionary War. However, Crispus Attucks was not the sole person of African descent who wanted to see freedom from British rule--he fought for the United States and was joined by thousands of other persons of African descent who participated in the Revolutionary War. Over time the history of the American War for Independence is revealing a tapestry of diversity that had not been well understood. In the 1980s the daughters of the American Revolution initially would not accept black women as members until one stood up and took a stand. According to a March 1984 story in the Washington Post, Lena Lorraine Santos Ferguson, a retired school secretary, was denied membership in a Washington, D.C. chapter of the DAR because she was black. Her two white sponsors, Margaret M. Johnston and Elizabeth E. Thompson, were shocked at Ms. Ferguson's rejection. Ms. Ferguson met the lineage requirements and could trace her ancestry to Jonah Gay, a white man who fought in Maine. When the reason for not admitting Ms. Ferguson became known, the public reaction was swift and negative. The Daughters of the American Revolution revisited their denial of Ms. Ferguson, and upon reconsideration accepted her as a member, making her the first of many women of color who became members of the organization. The history of the United States is more complex and immensely richer than would be apparent if we only consider the history of one group of people. The tenacity demonstrated and the focus on historical accuracy and the need to save what is a unique aspect of American history for future generations is important. For this reason, I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in support of H.R. 434.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following letters in support of H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail Act: City of Houston, Houston, TX, March 26, 2019. Hon. Raul M. Grijalva, Chairman, Natural Resources Committee, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Grijalva: I write today to express my support of Representative Sheila Jackson Lee's bill, H.R. 434, the Emancipation National Historic Trail Act. Passage of this bill will pave the way for the Emancipation National Historic Trail, which will extend approximately 51 miles from the Osterman Building and Reedy Chapel in Galveston, Texas, along Texas State Highway 3 and Interstate 45 North to Freedmen's Town and Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas. This trail follows the migration route taken by newly freed slaves from the major 19th century seaport town of Galveston to the burgeoning community of Freedmen's Town, which is now the 4th Ward of Houston, home to the 18th Congressional District. The start of the trail is located where General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, to announce the freedom of the last American slaves. His announcement belatedly freed 250,000 slaves nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. The newly freed slaves traveled from Galveston to spread the news to neighboring communities. The Emancipation National Historic Trail would be the first trail in the Southwest United States that recognizes the role that African Americans in the legacy of freedom in the United States. An Emancipation Historic Trail designation would bring long overdue historic recognition due to the role African Americans played in the building of the today's Houston and the state of Texas. In addition, the revenue generated by people who come to visit the area and walk this trail will result in tourism dollars to the city of Houston and the surrounding area. I urge you to pass this bill to create the Emancipation National Historic Trail. Sincerely, Sylvester Turner, Mayor.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committee on the Budget, I rise in strong support of H.R. 776, the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act of 2019. The Emergency Medical Services for Children Program (EMSC) reduces child and youth mortality and morbidity due to severe illness or injury by increasing awareness among health professionals, providers and planners, and the general public of the special needs of children receiving emergency medical care. Specifically, the EMSC program has provided grants to all states since I 1985 for the State Partnership, Targeted Issues, State Partnership Regionalization of Care, and The Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network. Additionally, the EMSC program has been used to establish national resource centers and a pediatric emergency care research network. Mr. Speaker, the majority of children are treated in community and rural emergency departments rather than specialized centers such as large children's hospitals. As a result, pediatric visits make up less than 20 percent of cases at emergency departments, so they lack the quality of pediatric emergency care needed for established practice guidelines. I support H.R. 776 because Congress has a responsibility to ensure that every child has access to necessary emergency medical services and that no child in our nation is left untreated. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 776, the ``Emergency Medical Services for Children Program Reauthorization Act of 2019.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of both the Judiciary Committee and the Committee on Homeland Security, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2507, the ``Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2019.'' The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act would yield major improvements in both the screening and follow up processes involved in the testing of infants for heritable diseases and conditions. In the United States, more than 4,000,000 infants and children are screened every year, and up to 4,000 of the children test positive for one or more disease or disorder. Mr. Speaker, 4,000 conditions detected are 4,000 young lives saved, as many of the diseases on the uniform screening panel, the list of conditions that newborns are tested for, are very treatable but can be deadly if left unaddressed. However, there is an ever-present need to continue adapting the panel of conditions that newborns and young children are tested for, as improvements in technology allow medical professionals to identify new diseases, sooner. Mr. Speaker, children and their families should have access to state of the art testing, and treatments. H.R. 2507 specifically improves the current Newborn Screening Act in several ways, including: Creating new educational strategies and practices regarding the screening and follow-up treatments for heritable diseases and conditions; Creating an advisory committee for heritable diseases in newborns and children; Creating a Clearinghouse of newborn screening information; Improving laboratory quality and surveillance, which includes implementing new tools, resources and infrastructure, to improve data analysis, interpretation and lab practices; Increasing funding for the Hunter Kelly Institute; and Authorizing $2 million in Appropriations to the National Academy of Medicine, to fund studies dedicated to further improving the practice and procedure of the Uniform Screening Panel. The screening of children has already been proven to be effective, and improvements and additions to the panel of diseases that are tested for can only result in more lives being saved. I urge all members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 2507, the ``Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2019.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, on July 20 our nation commemorated the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing. I remember July 20, 1969, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin ``Buzz'' Aldrin became the first humans ever to land on the moon. With the words ``the Eagle has Landed,'' their place in history was secured. I hold the men and women who made that day possible in great regard for their tireless work to make it possible in my lifetime to see people depart our tiny blue planet and visit another world. To young people listening today this may sound like science fiction, but for those of us fortunate enough to have witnessed the event it is science fact. Since the beginning of mankind, we have been driven by curiosity and a wonder of what is next for humanity. In 1865, Jules Verne's ``From the Earth to the Moon'' was published. ``From the Earth to the Moon,'' was a humorous science fantasy story about three members of a post-American Civil War gun club efforts to build a spaceship to the moon. A little over a century later, the men and women of NASA made that science fiction story science fact. People have wondered about our place in the cosmos for as long as we have been able to look up into the night sky and see the stars. And of course, after witnessing the moon landing, we have been dared by our own sense of imagination and possibility to slip the surly bonds of earth, ascend to the heavens. The visionary who made this possible was the nation's' youngest elected president, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 36th President of the United States of America. His election as president fired the imagination of a nation that was redefining its role on the world stage following World War II. He said in his inaugural speech ``Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.'' President Kennedy understood that for freedom to prosper in the world America must lead the way and that we did not have a person to waste-- that we needed everyone's talents. Most of all, John Kennedy was a man who never stopped thinking about tomorrow or working to realize the full promise of America. And he understood that we all had a place in that future and a role to play in bringing it about. John Kennedy believed there was nothing America could not achieve once it set its mind to it. In September 1962, President Kennedy delivered his famous Moon Speech at Rice University in the city of Houston, Texas, and committed America to send a man to the moon and to bring him safely home before the end of the decade. Asked why we should go to the moon, President Kennedy said: ``We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.'' To anyone who might doubt America's ability to make good on this commitment, President Kennedy said, ``this country of the United States was not built by those who waited and rested and wished to look behind them. ``This country was conquered by those who moved forward--and so will space.'' It is with an awe of that sense of exploration that I commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. In one-fell swoop, President Kennedy harnessed our competitive drive and merged it with mankind's relentless pursuit of discovery and information and knowledge. ``It was a bold proposition, not because of this challenge, but also because of our standing in the Space Race. Just four years before Kennedy's Moon Speech, the Soviets had released Sputnik into orbit, as the first unmanned satellite, and in the process taken the lead in the global space race. Our confidence shaken, we set out to work on the mission before us. The 1960s were a tumultuous time in our pursuit of the moon's surface--Vietnam, Civil Rights, and the Cold War vied for our attention. A few years ago, the book ``Hidden Figures,'' about three African American women who made significant contributions to the space program was made into a motion picture. Their contributions and those of hundreds of women was revealed for the first time. There are thousands of hidden figures who contributed to the pinnacle of human achievement--human space flight and men walking on the moon. More important, it revealed the capacity of an America absent discrimination to outperform the world on the most difficult of human endeavors--landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth. Our path to the moon was not linear and not without setbacks. Before we could celebrate the triumph of the Apollo 11 crew and the valor of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, we mourned the crew of Apollo 1, Gus Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee who died tragically during a launch test. Before we could walk on the moon, it was necessary first to orbit the Earth. Indeed, the journey to Mare Tranquillitatis was long, and a collective, national endeavor. The challenge would be the pursuit of three presidents until, on July 20, 1969, the crew of Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon's surface. The words uttered by Neil Armstrong were instantly immortalized, and can be recited by every child, then and now: ``One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'' This was a moment for joy and celebration for the entire nation. But for those of us from Houston, this moment is an occasion of unique pride. The flight to the Moon, and indeed all manned flights, have been guided by the brilliant and hardworking men and women working in Mission Control at the NASA Johnson Space Center of Houston, who, for close to 60 years, have been the steady hand, guiding manned space exploration. I thank them for all that they do and urge all who will hear these words to maintain that same sense of discovery and exploration and wonder for what lies next for us. And, I invoke President Kennedy's admonition to us from 58 years ago, that we should not be motivated simply by what is easy, but that we should meet the difficult challenge and savor what can be accomplished by our collective efforts. Therefore--I seek out ways each day to touch this part of American exceptionalism--our ability to take all that we know about science, seek out new knowledge, bring the talents of all our people regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity and apply our resources to solving problems. We can prevail against global climate change, cure cancer, end pandemics, and poverty--by pursuing these ends with the same focus and determination that our nation brought to bear in facing the challenge of landing people on the moon. I congratulate the men and women of NASA past, present and future in making science fiction--science fact. Today, we celebrate our trip to the moon. I look forward to our celebration of our nation sending the first humans to Mars.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his leadership. This is for the children. Can you believe that this is a minimum wage increase spanning over 6 years, and you hear my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. This will allow small businesses to go in gradually and then provide all of these dollars into the economy. This is for the children. I just heard from a mother who works for McDonald's who cannot provide for her children and is on food stamps. Mr. Speaker, 41.3 percent of those in my district will benefit in Texas in the 18th Congressional District. This will help the gender gap. But more importantly, it will benefit 19 million children whose parents will get a raise. It will increase worker productivity by incentivizing people to work harder; reduce the gender gap, as women make up a disproportionate share of minimum wage workers; and reduce the rate at which renters default on their leases by giving families more money to spend on their household budgets. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record statistics relating to the 18th Congressional District of Texas. Texas 18th District Share of workers affected: 41.3% Total workers affected: 155,800 Total wage increase for all affected workers (thousands, 2018$): $638,584 Chanqe in avg. annual earnings among all $4,100 year-round affected workers (2018$): $4,100 Percent change in avg. annual earnings among all year-round affected workers: 18.6% Ages 16 to 24--Total workers affected: 41,400 Ages 16 to 24--Share affected: 81.8% Ages 25 to 39--Total workers affected: 63,900 Ages 25 to 39--Share affected: 41.0% Ages 40 to 54--Total workers affected: 33,100 Ages 40 to 54--Share affected: 29.4% Ages 55 or older--Total workers affected: 17,400 Ages 55 or older--Share affected: 29.8% Men--Total workers affected: 72,000 Men--Share affected: 35.1% Women--Total workers affected: 83,900 Women--Share affected: 48.5% Asian or other--Total workers affected: 7,600 Asian or other--Share affected: 29.2% Black--Total workers affected: 49,100 Black--Share affected: 40.8 White--Total workers affected: 10,000 White--Share affected: 15.7% Hispanic--Total workers affected: 89,100 Hispanic--Share affected: 53.2%

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, apartment complexes, local stores, local clothing stores, churches, and nonprofits benefit from the generosity of individuals who now have a decent wage. I am standing with working people and unions. I am standing with the American people and 41.3 percent of my district. Let us raise the minimum wage. That is the right thing to do. It is for our children. Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor, I rise in strong support of H.R. 582, the ``Raise the Wage Act.'' With the passage of this bill, the House of Representatives will take another step in making good on its commitment to working families and individuals to put their economic interests and concerns first and attach the highest priority to making the real economy work for ordinary Americans who work hard, play by the rules, and are struggling to get by through no fault of their own. We Democrats promised to chart a new direction for America if the voters entrusted us with the majority. They did and with our votes today in support of H.R. 582, we are making good on our promise. Mr. Speaker, before I discuss the importance of this bill in detail, I wish to commend Chairman Scott, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Majority Whip Clyburn, and the rest of the Democratic leadership, as well as my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus, which is led so ably by Congressman Bass. Because of their resolve and visionary leadership, more than 27 million workers, and as many as 34 million, will soon receive a long overdue raise. What a difference an election makes. H.R. 582 helps the most deserving American families by raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15.00 over six years, and indexing increases after that to median wage growth. Mr. Speaker, did you know that the value of the current minimum wage represents a 51-year low? Had the minimum wage kept pace with inflation, it would be $10.15 today, nearly $3 more per hour than it is currently. If the wages of that worker had kept up with the pace of productivity growth, the minimum wage would be $19.33, over $40,000 per year. It is scandalous, Mr. Speaker, that a person can work full-time, 40 hours per week, for 52 weeks, earning the minimum wage and would gross just $15,000, which is $6,100 below the $25,100 needed to lift a family of three out of poverty. In 2018, the average CEO was paid 1,140 times the amount earned yearly by a minimum wage worker. Mr. Speaker, since 2009 the cost of college tuition has risen more than 40 percent and health insurance premiums have skyrocketed by 41 percent. But during that time, the minimum wage has not increased one cent. That is unconscionable and downright un-American. H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, will change this sorry state of affairs. Mr. Speaker, today more than ever America's hard-working families are feeling squeezed, living paycheck to paycheck. I can tell you, Mr. Speaker, that prices at the pump, skyrocketing health care costs and the rising cost of college in the face of falling or flat wages, are squeezing hard-working Texans in my Houston-based Congressional District as they struggle to make ends meet. That is why I support increasing the minimum wage. For Texas workers the basic cost of living is rising; it is only fair that the pay for hard-working Texans does too. Mr. Speaker, 29 states and the District of Columbia have increased their minimum wage above the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour, but regrettably my home state of Texas is not one of them. For approximately 4.7 million Texans and nearly 155,800 hardworking persons in the 18th Congressional District of Texas, passage of the Raise the Wage Act would bring immediate, tangible, and substantial economic benefits. Increasing the minimum wage would give these families a much needed additional $4,100 a year to meet critical needs such as rent, health care, food and child care. The increase the minimum wage to $15.00 per hour over the next six years will not allow workers to live as large as the typical CEO, who now earns 1,140 times more than a minimum wage worker, but at least it will allow these low-wage workers to make a little better life for themselves and their families. Raising the minimum wage will benefit working families: 1. Benefit 19 million children whose parents will get a raise; 2. Increase worker productivity by incentivizing people to work harder; 3. Reduce the gender wage gap, as women make up a disproportionate share of minimum wage workers; and 4. Reduce the rate at which renters default on their leases by giving families more money to spend on their household budgets. Increasing the minimum wage will also provide a boost to the economy, since lower wage workers are more likely than other income groups to spend extra earnings immediately and researchers estimate that a 10 percent increase in the minimum wage would increase sales by around $2 billion each year. Mr. Speaker, the earnings of minimum wage workers are crucial to their families' well-being since the average minimum wage worker brings home more than half (51.9 percent) of his or her family's weekly earnings. Raising the minimum wage helps women and workers of color. More than 49,000, or 41 percent, of African American workers and 89,100, or 53.2 percent of Hispanic workers in my congressional district would get a raise under the Raise the Wage Act. The Raise the Wage Act would substantially increase the purchasing power of 83,900, or 48.5 percent, of low-wage women workers in my district. Since women make up nearly two-thirds of all minimum wage workers, the Raise the Wage Act would provide the greatest benefit to workers of color and women. Single mothers would benefit disproportionately from an increase-- single mothers are 10.4 percent of workers affected by an increase, but they make up only 5.3 percent of the overall workforce. Approximately 1.8 million Texas parents with children under 18 would benefit. Contrary to popular myths and urban legends, adults make up the largest share of workers (80 percent) who would benefit from a minimum wage increase: More than half (54 percent) of workers who would benefit from a minimum wage increase work full time and another third (34.5 percent) work between 20 and 34 hours per week. Minimum wage increases benefit disadvantaged workers, and women are the largest group of beneficiaries: 1. More than 23 million (66 percent) of workers who would benefit from an increase to $15.00 are women. 2. Approximately 11.2 million (28 percent) of workers who would benefit from an increase to $15.00 are the parents of 14.4 million children, and of these, 5.4 million (48 percent) are single parents. In my District in Texas, 41.3 percent of the workers would benefit. A disproportionate share of persons of color would benefit from a minimum wage increase: 1. African Americans represent 11.1 percent of the total workforce but are 15.3 percent of workers affected by an increase. 2. Similarly, 13.4 percent of the total workforce is Hispanic, but Hispanics are 19.7 percent of workers affected by an increase. The benefits of an increase minimum wage disproportionately help those working households at the bottom of the income scale. Although households in the bottom 20 percent received only 5.1 percent of national income, 38.1 percent of the benefits of a minimum wage increase to $15.00 would go to these workers. Thirty-six percent of such workers actually contribute 100 percent of their family's earnings. A minimum wage increase would help reverse the trend of declining real wages for low-wage workers. Between 2009 and 2018, the minimum wage lost 29 percent of its real value. In contrast, between 1989 and 1997, the year it was raised to $5.15, the minimum wage was raised four times and recovered about one-third of the value it lost in the 1980s. Income inequality has been increasing, in part, because of the declining real value of the minimum wage. Mr. Speaker, the opponents of the minimum wage often claim that increasing the wage will cost jobs and harm the economy. Of course, Mr. Speaker there is no credible to support such claims. The truth is that following the most recent increase in the minimum wage in 2009, and the rescue of the economy by President Barack Obama after the Great Recession, the country went on to enjoy one the more sustained period of economic prosperity in history. Mr. Speaker, studies have shown that the best performing small businesses are located in states with the highest minimum wages. The job growth for small businesses in states with a minimum wage higher than the federal level was 9,4 percent compared to a 6.6 percent growth in states where the federal level prevailed. So much for the discredited notion that raising the minimum wage harms the economy; it does not. But raising the minimum wage helps the economy by increasing the purchasing power of those who most need the money, which is far more than can be said of the Republicans' devotion to cutting taxes for billionaires and multimillionaires. Mr. Speaker, Americans overwhelmingly side with progressive principles of rewarding hard work with a living wage. A post-election Hill-Harris poll found that 82 percent of Americans favored the hourly minimum wage and a clear majority, 55 percent, favored increasing the minimum wage to $15.00, while only 14 percent favored keeping in place the current $7.25 wage rate. Mr. Speaker, it is time we gave the Americans we represent a long- over due pay raise by increasing the minimum wage to $15.00 over six years and indexing future increases to the growth in median wages so that a full-time worker making the minimum wage can afford the basic essentials, which is not the case today anywhere in America. I urge all members to support this necessary and timely legislation. Vote aye on H.R. 582, the ``Raise the Wage Act.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, since the beginning of mankind, we have been driven by curiosity and a wonder of what is next for humanity. We have wondered about our place in the cosmos for as long as we have been able to look out into the night sky and see the stars. And of course, we have been dared by our own sense of imagination and possibility to try to breach our gravity and the heavens. It is with an awe of that sense of exploration that I rise to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy stood in this chamber, before Congress, and declared that the United States would send a man to the moon and return him safely to the Earth. He implored us to do so, not because it was easy, but because it was hard. In one-fell swoop, he harnessed our competitive drive and merged it with mankind's relentless pursuit of discovery and information and knowledge. It was a bold proposition, not because of this challenge, but also because of our standing in the Space Race. Just four years earlier, the Soviets had released Sputnik into orbit, as the first unmanned satellite, and in the process taken the leading the global space race. Our confidence shaken, we set out to work on the mission before us. The 1960s were a tumultuous time in our pursuit of the moon's surface. Our path was not linear and not without setbacks. Before we could celebrate the triumph of the Apollo 11 crew and the valor of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, we mourned the crew of Apollo 1, who died shortly after their capsule lifted off of Terra Firma. Before we could walk on the moon, it was necessary first to orbit the earth. Indeed, the journey to Mare Tranquillitatis was long, and a collective, national endeavor. The pursuit would be the pursuit of three presidents until, on July 20, 1969, the crew of Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon's surface. The words uttered by Neil Armstrong were instantly immortalized, because, indeed, it was one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. This moment was definitely a moment for joy and celebration for our entire nation. But for those of us from Houston, this moment is an occasion for particular and unique pride. The flight to the Moon, and indeed all manned flights, have been guided by the brilliant and hardworking men and women of Houston, who, for close to 60 years, have been the steady hand, guiding manned space exploration. I thank them for all that they do. As I conclude my remarks, I urge all within earshot of my voice to maintain that same sense of discovery and exploration, and wonder what lies next for us. And, I evoke President Kennedy's admonition to us from 58 years ago, that we should not be motivated simply by what is easy, but that we should meet the difficult challenge and savor what can be accomplished by our collective efforts. I congratulate all from NASA who have made the endeavor of space flight their life's work.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, what a glorious week to celebrate the 50th commemoration of Apollo 11. I rise as someone whose eyes were wide open when this magnificent act occurred. I had the privilege of serving on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, as well, and on the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. I even served as they were building this massive space station. It is likewise a privilege to represent the area on which NASA's Johnson Space Center is located. Just a few weeks ago, I walked through mission control and saw those outstanding men and women symbolizing those who were at their station on the very day that Neil Armstrong touched this magnificent planet. And then to be able to say, ``one small step for man, and one large step for mankind,'' but to know what the astronauts go through, and the stars in the eyes of children. Every year, I hold a Christmas party of 15,000 for the children in our community. The most popular people that come are the astronauts that I invite. I am excited about celebrating this 50th commemoration of Apollo 11. I salute the astronauts, the teams, and NASA because it opens our eyes to the wideness of space, the wonderment of science, and the greatness of America. God bless them. Congratulations. And God bless America.