Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for his scholarship and his passion, the chairman of the Rules Committee, my good friend from Georgia, and all those who have come to the floor today. Mr. Speaker, let me say that this is a somber moment. It is not a moment that I cherish. My privilege in serving the greatest country in the world has allowed me to serve with three previous Presidents. Not one time from the three previous Presidents have I ever heard the words that were uttered this weekend. I believe in harmony. I just came out of a Helsinki Commission meeting, an organization that deals with peace around the world. We were talking about how we can impress upon the world to not use religion for hatred. Religion is love. One of the answers I gave was to show the examples here in the United States, where religions from all different perspectives come together in a time of disaster and need. It is something that touches our heart. When we vote for a President, we want that President to touch our hearts, to lift us up, and to make us better people. I cannot argue with the fact that 49 percent of the American people believe that this President is a racist. It hurts my heart because I come in a skin color where I have been at the sad end of racist tactics and words. I am a product of busing. But it does not diminish my love for this Nation. So it disturbs me for this wonderfully diverse group of new Members who have come to the United States Congress from all over the Nation, including the LGBTQ community, and among the 40 Representatives who came was the Representative from the Seventh Congressional District of Massachusetts, the State's first African American woman; the Representative of the 13th Congressional District of Michigan, the first Palestinian woman; the Representative from the 14th Congressional District of New York, the youngest woman; and the Representative from the Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota, the first Somali American elected to Congress. In the discharge of their duties, they went to the border--their passion, their youth, just as I had done--and saw the appalling conditions that children were held in. They came back and expressed themselves, protected by the First Amendment. They used no violence. They only wanted to wake up the Congress, as all of us who went and could not accept the pain did. In fact, wherever I go at home, people are asking: What are you doing for the children at the border? So, they didn't do anything extraordinary, in terms of what Members should do, having the responsibility of oversight. Then came, in the last 72 hours, these words: ``So interesting to see `progressive' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt, and inept anywhere in the world, if they even have a functioning government at all, now loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful nation on Earth, how our government is to be run.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. ``Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came?'' I will be introducing a condemnation resolution that recounts the life and legacy of this President while 49 percent of the people believe that he is racist. I only ask that we come together today to do the right thing, to do what the 16th President said right after the Civil War: ``We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory'' will swell when again touched, ``as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.'' Today, if we condemn this language, it will say to America that we cannot accept this kind of behavior. That is what is bringing the country together, that we accept each other's diversity. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security, I rise in support of the rule governing debate on H. Res. 489, a resolution condemning President Trump's racist comments directed at Members of Congress. Mr. Speaker, on November 6, 2018, in an election widely regarded as a referendum on the performance and disapproval of the Administration of President Donald J. Trump, the American people voted to vest control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Democratic Party to restore the system of checks and balances designed by the Framers in 1787 in Philadelphia. The Representatives elected to the 116th Congress comprise the most diverse class in American history with respect to its racial, ethnic, and religious composition, and also includes the largest contingent of female Representatives and the most members ever of the LGBTQ community. Among the cohort of the 40 Representatives first elected to the Congress in the November 2018 election are several whose membership is historic, including the Representative for the Seventh District of Massachusetts, the first African American woman elected from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; the Representative from the Thirteenth District of Michigan, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress; the Representative from the Fourteenth District of New York, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress; and the Representative from the Fifth District of Minnesota, the first Somali-American elected to Congress. In the discharge of their official duties as Members of Congress, these talented and dedicated Members of Congress traveled to the southern border of the United States to observe the living conditions and treatment received by migrants and refugees seeking asylum in the United States who are currently being held in detention facilities operated under control or supervision of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), some consisting of nothing more than tent villages cordoned off under highways. Upon their return to the Capitol, these Members of Congress reported their shock and horror regarding the appalling and inhumane conditions to which detainees were being subjected by CPB at a public hearing of a House Committee on Oversight and Reform. On July 14, 2019, the President of the United States reacted to the criticism of his Administration's treatment of detainees by these Members of Congress in a series of unhinged tweets that questioned their loyalty to the United States and implied that due to the circumstances of their birth they had no right to exercise the responsibilities and privileges of duly elected Members of Congress. Specifically, the President tweeted that it was: So interesting to see ``Progressive'' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly . . . and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. The President's statements are false in that three of Members of Congress he impugned are in fact natural born citizens and the fourth is a naturalized citizen. Although the recent statements of the President are inaccurate and offensive, they are consistent with prior statements he has made to stoke to division, discord, and disharmony among the American people. Let us not forget that the current President of the United States burnished his political reputation by claiming falsely for more than 5 years that his predecessor was born in Kenya and not in the United States and thus was an illegitimate President. The current President of the United States launched his 2016 campaign for the Presidency by saying of persons from Mexico seeking to immigrate to the United States: ``They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists.'' The current President of the United States claimed that a Hispanic federal jurist could not preside over a court proceeding to which then presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization were defendants accused of civil fraud because ``He's a Mexican!'' In January 2018 the current President of the United States is reported to have inquired of his advisors: ``Why are we having all these people from (expletive deleted) countries come here?'', referring to persons from countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. And most contemptible of all, on August 15, 2017 the current President of the United States said he regarded as some ``very fine people,'' the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and Ku Klux Klansmen who descended on the peaceful community of Charlottesville, Virginia to advocate racism and who were met by peaceful counterprotestors in a clash that the white supremacists turned violent and resulted in the death of Heather Heyer and left injured many other innocent persons who were gathered to affirm the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and to honor the sacrifice of unsung American heroes who devoted their lives to the ongoing quest to continue perfecting our union. Mr. Speaker, the recent and past statements and actions of the current President of the United States demean the office he holds and falls short of the standard set by the 16th President, whose administration was devoted to unity, healing, and ending racial division. In his famous March 4, 1861, Inaugural Address, President Abraham Lincoln foretold the reasons why the efforts of the current President of the United States to rend our union are destined to fail: We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. Before closing, Mr. Speaker, I think it appropriate to share my perspective on immigration and significant and positive impact it has in the development of this, the greatest nation in human history. Like the Framers did in the summer of 1776, it is fitting that we gather in the nation's capital on a sweltering July day to reflect upon America's long and continuing struggle for justice, equality, and opportunity. After all, all that any of us wants is an honored place in the American family. I am often reminded that as I speak there is a family somewhere about to begin a dangerous but hopeful quest. Somewhere south of the border, maybe across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Laredo, Corpus Christi, or Brownsville or maybe just south of Tucson or San Diego or Douglass, Arizona. Somewhere there is a family in the Old Country anxiously about to embark on their own journey to the New World of America. They come for the same reason so many millions came before them, in this century and last, from this continent and from every other. They come for the same reason families have always come to America: to be free of fear and hunger, to better their condition, to begin their world anew, to give their children a chance for a better life. Like previous waves of immigrants, they too will wage all and risk all to reach the sidewalks of Houston or Los Angeles or Phoenix or Chicago or Atlanta or Denver or Detroit. They will risk death in the desert; they will brave the elements, they will risk capture and crime, they will endure separation from loved ones. And if they make it to the Promised Land of America, no job will be beneath them. They will cook our food, clean our houses, cut our grass, and care for our kids. They will be cheated by some and exploited by others. They work in sunlight but live in twilight, between the shadows; not fully welcome as new Americans but wanted as low-wage workers. Somewhere near the borders tonight, a family will cross over into the New World, willed by the enduring power of the American Dream. I urge all Members to join me in supporting H. Res. 489. All American should take pride in and celebrate the ethnic, racial, and religious diversity that has made the United States the leader of the community of nations and the beacon of hope and inspiration to oppressed persons everywhere. And in addition to the love and pride Americans justifiably have for their country, all persons in the United States should cherish and exercise the rights, privileges, and responsibilities guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that my faith, my commitment to many people of different colors who respect the distinction or difference but also the greatness of this country, my love of those who serve, causes me to say, as many of my colleagues here are ready to say: Let us sit down at the table of peace and reconciliation. I hope we will have some who will acknowledge that these actions--I will try to be generic--and words were certainly not becoming of the United States of America. The American people must see us work together on that.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I said earlier today that I wish we were not here, but we are here. Now, I wish to indicate that I am appalled at any commentary that demeans or hurts a fellow human being or a fellow American or fellow world citizen. So the recounting of various statements, I realize and recognize that comments were made about statements to ease the pain of those who were receiving it. Right now, we are talking about comments that came from the highest office in the land, which really does reflect what this little book, the Constitution, says, that this Nation was organized to create a more perfect union. Yet, unfortunately, the officer in the White House, the President of the United States, took to tweeting and talked about the first African American woman from the Seventh District, the first Palestinian American woman, the youngest woman elected to Congress, and the first Somali American woman, women of color. It is imperative today that, along with H. Res. 494, my resolution, we condemn this action, and we do it together. I ask my Republican colleagues to vote for the underlying resolution. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security, I rise in support of H. Res. 489, a resolution condemning President Trump's racist comments directed at Members of Congress. Mr. Speaker, on November 6, 2018, in an election widely regarded as a referendum on the performance and disapproval of the Administration of President Donald J. Trump, the American people voted to vest control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the Democratic Party to restore the system of checks and balances designed by the Framers in 1787 in Philadelphia. The Representatives elected to the 116th Congress comprise the most diverse class in American history with respect to its racial, ethnic, and religious composition, and also includes the largest contingent of female Representatives and the most members ever of the LGBTQ community. Among the cohort of the 40 Representatives first elected to the Congress in the November 2018 election are several whose membership is historic, including the Representative for the Seventh District of Massachusetts, the first African American woman elected from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; the Representative from the Thirteenth District of Michigan, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress; the Representative from the Fourteenth District of New York, the youngest woman ever elected to Congress; and the Representative from the Fifth District of Minnesota, the first Somali-American elected to Congress. In the discharge of their official duties as Members of Congress, these talented and dedicated Members of Congress traveled to the southern border of the United States to observe the living conditions and treatment received by migrants and refugees seeking asylum in the United States who are currently being held in detention facilities operated under control or supervision of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), some consisting of nothing more than tent villages cordoned off under highways. Upon their return to the Capitol, these Members of Congress reported their shock and horror regarding the appalling and inhumane conditions to which detainees were being subjected by CPB at a public hearing of a House Committee on Oversight and Reform. On July 14, 2019, the President of the United States reacted to the criticism of his Administration's treatment of detainees by these Members of Congress in a series of unhinged tweets that questioned their loyalty to the United States and implied that due to the circumstances of their birth they had no right to exercise the responsibilities and privileges of duly elected Members of Congress. Specifically, the President tweeted that it was: ``So interesting to see ``Progressive'' Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world (if they even have a functioning government at all), now loudly . . . and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how our government is to be run. Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.'' The President's statements are false in that three of Members of Congress he impugned are in fact natural born citizens and the fourth- is a naturalized citizen. Although the recent statements of the President are inaccurate and offensive, they are consistent with prior statements he has made to stoke to division, discord, and disharmony among the American people. Let us not forget that the current President of the United States burnished his political reputation by claiming falsely for more than 5 years that his predecessor was born in Kenya and not in the United States and thus was an illegitimate President. The current President of the United States launched his 2016 campaign for the Presidency by saying of persons from Mexico seeking to immigrate to the United States: ``They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists.'' The current President of the United States claimed that a Hispanic federal jurist could not preside over a court proceeding to which then presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and the Trump Organization were defendants accused of civil fraud because ``He's a Mexican!'' In January 2018 the current President of the United States is reported to have inquired of his advisors: ``Why are we having all these people from (expletive deleted) countries come here?'', referring to persons from countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. And most contemptible of all, on August 15, 2017 the current President of the United States said he regarded as some ``very fine people,'' the neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and Ku Klux Klansmen who descended on the peaceful community of Charlottesville, Virginia to advocate racism and who were met by peaceful counterprotestors in a clash that the white supremacists turned violent and resulted in the death of Heather Heyer and left injured many other innocent persons who were gathered to affirm the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution, and to honor the sacrifice of unsung American heroes who devoted their lives to the ongoing quest to continue perfecting our union. Mr. Speaker, the recent and past statements and actions of the current President of the United States demean the office he holds and falls short of the standard set by the 16th President, whose administration was devoted to unity, healing, and ending racial division. In his famous March 4, 1861, Inaugural Address, President Abraham Lincoln foretold the reasons why the efforts of the current President of the United States to rend our union are destined to fail: ``We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.'' Before closing, Mr. Speaker, I think it appropriate to share my perspective on immigration and significant and positive impact it has in the development of this, the greatest nation in human history. Like the Framers did in the summer of 1776, it is fitting that we gather in the nation's capital on a sweltering July day to reflect upon America's long and continuing struggle for justice, equality, and opportunity. After all, all that any of us wants is an honored place in the American family. I am often reminded that as I speak there is a family somewhere about to begin a dangerous but hopeful quest. Somewhere south of the border, maybe across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Laredo, Corpus Christi, or Brownsville or maybe just south of Tucson or San Diego or Douglass, Arizona. Somewhere there is a family in the Old Country anxiously about to embark on their own journey to the New World of America. They come for the same reason so many millions came before them, in this century and last, from this continent and from every other. They come for the same reason families have always come to America: to be free of fear and hunger, to better their condition, to begin their world anew, to give their children a chance for a better life. Like previous waves of immigrants, they too will wage all and risk all to reach the sidewalks of Houston or Los Angeles or Phoenix or Chicago or Atlanta or Denver or Detroit. They will risk death in the desert; they will brave the elements, they will risk capture and crime, they will endure separation from loved ones. And if they make it to the Promised Land of America, no job will be beneath them. They will cook our food, clean our houses, cut our grass, and care for our kids. They will be cheated by some and exploited by others. They work in sunlight but live in twilight, between the shadows; not fully welcome as new Americans but wanted as low-wage workers. Somewhere near the borders tonight, a family will cross over into the New World, willed by the enduring power of the American Dream. I urge all Members to join me in supporting H. Res. 489. All American should take pride in and celebrate the ethnic, racial, and religious diversity that has made the United States the leader of the community of nations and the beacon of hope and inspiration to oppressed persons everywhere. And in addition to the love and pride Americans justifiably have for their country, all persons in the United States should cherish and exercise the rights, privileges, and responsibilities guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), who is a distinguished member of the Judiciary Committee.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from California an additional 15 seconds.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), who is the distinguished Democratic chair of the Democratic Caucus of the House.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. The gentleman from California has 30 seconds.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Ted Lieu).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Washington State (Ms. Jayapal).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Dean).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Lewis).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the way to move forward is by voting ``yes'' on the underlying resolution. To paraphrase the Declaration of Independence, it is indicated that we all are created equal, with certain unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That is immigrant and nonimmigrant. That is an individual whose religion you believe in and one you do not. That is a lifestyle that you may not know and understand. It may be a race or ethnicity that you have never come to be able to accept. In this Nation, the founding Thirteen Colonies fleeing persecution were described as creating an experiment. It was not a perfect experiment. There were some of us who came to this Nation in the bottom of the belly of a slave boat. There were some who were indentured servants. Many came by boat. Some walked across a border that has created havoc. But they were people desperate for freedom and the right to make their lives better. We can account for those people by the history books and the decades of heroes and sheroes who have come in a different skin, a different religion, a different basis. They have even put on the uniform of this Nation because they love this country. I am reminded of the era of Dr. Martin Luther King, the many miles he walked with the soldiers, the Civil Rights soldiers, and his early book titled ``Why We Can't Wait.'' I join with the idea that we must work for the American people. We must provide for the increase in the minimum wage, good healthcare, and education. At the same time, there is something in this Nation that our children demand that we do. What are the values of the red, white, and blue? What are the values of those stars that represent the many States of this Nation? The values are that we are a Nation based upon laws, morality, values, a love of country, due process, equality, and justice. It means that every single person must have the fundamental right of respect. This resolution is simply that. It is a fundamental right to respect and dignity--in this instance, for four Members of the United States Congress from Boston, from New York, from Minnesota, and from Michigan. As they go on to their places, it is very clear that they must have the respect that is deserving of this particular Congress. These four women are no less deserving of dignity than anyone else. This resolution is simply one that is to seek--not condoning, as was said--a condemnation of attitudes that may parlay racist beliefs. No one stands for that. We cannot go on to all that is good without saying to the Nation and the world that this is not good; it is not America; and we will not accept that as our definition because we do believe in the creation of a more perfect Union. I conclude by saying that we condemn the hurtful and offensive comments that demean immigrants and people of color, especially if those comments originate from the White House. What we will do today is accept the challenge of Dr. Martin Luther King, a peacemaker, a man of hope, and we will say why we can't wait because the Nation calls upon our higher angels. That is what we will do when we affirm this resolution on behalf of the people of the United States of America. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote for this very important resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as the representative of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, home of the Houston Dash, and a die- hard soccer fan, I rise to commemorate the historic performance of the United States Women's National Soccer Team in the 2019 Women's World Cup. These women brought honor and glory to our country through their dominant performance in the tournament, defeating a gallant team from The Netherlands, 2-0, in the championship match on July 7, 2019, in Lyon, France. During this World Cup, the United States Women's National Team set many records, including the most goals scored (26) in a single World Cup. The United States Women's National Team also set the record for the most goals ever scored in a single match, scoring 13 against Thailand. This was also the largest margin of victory in World Cup history. Jill Ellis, the coach of the United States Women's National Team, became the first Women's National Team coach to win two World cup titles, and the first American coach to do so. Madam Speaker, I wish to congratulate Meghan Rapinoe, Captain of the United States Women's National Team, for winning the Golden Ball Award for the best player in the tournament, and the Golden Boot Award for most goals scored in the least amount of time on the pitch. I also congratulate team captain Alex Morgan for winning the Silver Boot Award for most goals scored in a longer period of time, and to Rose Lavelle for the Bronze Ball Award for her extraordinary contributions to the success of the American team throughout the tournament. Madam Speaker, the glory brought to our country by this remarkable cohort of accomplished women could not have occurred had it not been for the passage in 1972 of the landmark Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally-funded educational program or activity. Title IX has given generations of women and girls the opportunity to participate in many extracurricular programs, but it has especially opened the door for women to participate in athletics. Title IX also extended the opportunity for women to compete at the next level, on highly-skilled and highly-competitive college teams. Without Title IX, many women and girls would have been forced to give up their dreams after high school. The opportunity for women's soccer players to compete at the collegiate level opened the doors for the creation of the Women's National Team. And, as demonstrated earlier this month in the 2019 World Cup, when given the opportunity to compete, American women will succeed. Madam Speaker, superior performance should be recognized and rewarded. In the 2019 World Cup, the United States Women's National Team set the record for winning the most World Cups of any women's team. The inaugural Women's World Cup occurred in 1991, and since then the United States Women's National Team has won four of the eight tournaments. Let me repeat that: The United States Women's National Team has won half of all the World Cups in history. During this same time period, the Men's National Team has not won a single World Cup. Yet, even after winning the 2019 World Cup, the members of the United States Women's National team will earn $31,000 less than the Men's team, which lost in the first knock-out round in 2014 World Cup and failed even to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. This pay disparity is outrageous and indefensible, and led members of the United States Women's National team to challenge this pay disparity in court action, which is now pending. Madam Speaker, at a minimum, our women's team should be paid equally for equal work, as is mandated by the Equal Pay Act and other civil rights laws. In addition, Congress should amend the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 to address professional athletics, where women and men compete in the same sports, but play for different teams in different leagues. Instead, they are receiving inferior pay for superior work. But despite all of the obstacles they faced, our national team still achieved immortality through their legendary feats in the 2019 Women's World Cup. I thank all the members of the United States Women's National Team for inspiring the next generation of female athletes to follow their dreams and reach for the stars. While they are doing that, it is incumbent for us in Congress to do all that is necessary to ensure that this generation of female athletes, and the next, have no barriers preventing them from manifesting the greatness which lies within them.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2615, the ``United States-Northern Triangle Enhancement Engagement Act.'' H.R. 2615 supports the people of Central America and strengthens United States national security by addressing the root causes of migration from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. H.R. 2615 will provide reports on drivers of migration from the Northern Triangle to the United States and will identify methods for the United States to strengthen fragile democracies in the region. Thousands of immigrants flee the Northern Triangle to seek asylum and refuge in the United States of America. The number of asylum seekers worldwide originating from the Northern Triangle reached 110,000 in 2015, a five-fold increase from 2012. Poverty, corrupt police forces, gang violence, political corruption, and economic instability exacerbate living conditions in the Northern Triangle. Homicide rates are extremely high for Central American countries; El Salvador is leading the way with a rate of 82.84 per 100,000 persons. Salvadorans, Hondurans, and Guatemalans leave their homes in search of physical security, democracy, freedom, and civil liberties . They look toward the U.S. as a beacon of hope and prosperity, often traveling miles while battling hardships and risks to pursue the American Dream. This bill seeks to combat corruption among political institutions in the region to reinforce security and lead to the development of civil society. We must address the origins and the structural causes of migration to address the issues that lead to mass migration to our southern borders. Our agencies are unequipped and are incapable of meeting the demand of sheltering and processing immigrants who arrive at our ports of entry. Our nation's security depends on the stability of the Northern Triangle. We must act to ensure that the countries in this region return to a functioning democracy, free of corruption and violence. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2615 to assist in reestablishing a democratic and peaceful societies in the countries of the Northern Triangle.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 441 which conveys the indignation and concern many of my colleagues and I have regarding the severe delay in the conclusion of and lack of accountability for the July 1994 AMIA Jewish Community Center attacks. On July 18, 1994, 85 innocent people lost their lives and 300 more were wounded in an act of terror and hate perpetrated against the Argentine Jewish Mutual Association (AMIA). This attack came two years after the bombing of the Embassy of Israel in Buenos Aires which claimed the lives of an additional 29 civilians. In both instances, there was considerable evidence that linked the attacks to the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah, which is supported by the Syrian Arab Republic and is sponsored by the Islamic Republic of Iran. In the quarter century since the bombing of the AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires, little has been done to bring those responsible, including Iranian officials and their Hezbollah proxies, to justice. Those charged with bringing the attackers to justice have unfortunately been made victims themselves or since been found to have undermined and misled their investigations into the attacks. Alberto Nisman, one of the original prosecutors that formally accused the Government of Iran of directing the bombing, was also critical of the Government of Argentina's response to the 1994 AMIA bombing. Nisman alleged that there was a conspiracy among high-ranking Argentinian government officials, including then-President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, to cover up Iranian involvement. Unfortunately, Nisman was shot in the head in his apartment the day before he was scheduled to present new findings to the Argentinian Congress. Other individuals responsible for investigating the AMIA bombing, Argentina's deadliest terrorist attack, have since been convicted by an Argentine court for interfering with the official inquiry and diverting the investigation away from the truth. As a senior member of the Committees on the Judiciary and on Homeland Security, I urge my fellow colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 441 and in condemning what has been a systemic failure to carry out justice for the victims of the July 18, 1994 terrorist attack on the AMIA Jewish Community Center.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 432, a resolution ``Condemning the attacks on peaceful protesters and supporting an immediate peaceful transition to a civilian-led democratic government in Sudan.'' H. Res. 432 is a bipartisan resolution calling on the Sudanese government to transition power to a civilian led government, to respect democratic principles, and to end all violence against its citizens. Since the ousting of President Al-Bashir on April 11, 2019 the Transitional Military Council (TMC) has seized power halting the proposed transition to a representative democracy. On June 3, 2019 multiple peaceful protesters were killed in Sudan as the Sudanese government continues to perpetuate violence against its own people. Protests in Sudan continue, however, as the Sudanese people call for a transition from a military ruling council to true democratic governance. It is critical for the United States Congress to stand with the women and men advocating and speaking up for the Sudanese people. I applaud the efforts and sacrifices pro-democracy activists have made and they ought to know that the United States fully supports their desire for freedom and peace, and strongly condemns the violent and oppressive tactics of the Transitional Military Council. When enacted, H. Res. 432 will lay out areas where the Sudanese government must improve if it wants to continue a productive engagement with the United States, including political reform and a respect for human rights. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H. Res. 432 to confront these atrocities we have seen in Sudan which pose a strong threat the democratic values we work to protect.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committee on the Judiciary, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 345, in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day. This resolution recognizes widening threats to freedoms of the press and expression around the world, affirms the centrality of a free and independent press to the health of democracy, and holds freedom of the press as a central principle in promoting democracy, human rights, and good governance in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, 2019. In this resolution, the House of Representatives: Expresses concern about threats to freedom of the press and free expression around the world on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day; commends journalists and media workers around the world, despite threats to their safety, for their essential role in-- promoting government accountability; defending democratic activity; and strengthening civil society; pays tribute to journalists who have lost their lives carrying out their work; calls on governments abroad to implement United Nations General Assembly Resolution 163 (2013), by thoroughly investigating and seeking to resolve outstanding cases of violence against journalists, including murders and kidnappings, while ensuring the protection of witnesses. Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 345 also condemns all actions around the world which suppress freedom of the press; and recognizes the importance of a free and independent press in supporting democracy, mitigating conflict, and promoting good governance around the world. Finally, the resolution calls on the President and the Secretary of State: To preserve and build upon the leadership of the United States on issues relating to freedom of the press, on the basis of the protections afforded the American people under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; to improve the rapid identification, publication, and response by the United States Government to threats against freedom of the press around the world; to urge foreign governments to transparently investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks against journalists; and to highlight the issue of threats against freedom of the press in the annual country reports on human rights practices of the Department of State and through diplomatic channels. I stand in strong support of this resolution and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass H. Res. 345, to commemorate the importance of World Press Freedom Day.

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. 1649, the ``Small Business Development Center Cyber Training Act of 2019.'' H.R. 1649 calls for the establishment of a cyber counseling certification program, or the approval of a similar existing program, to certify the employees of lead business development centers to provide cyber planning assistance to small business concerns. Cyber strategy refers to the necessary resources and tactics that assist in planning for cybersecurity and defending against cyber risks and cyber attacks. Technology becomes more advanced every day, and cyber threats follow that same trend, making them increasingly difficult to predict and prevent. Cyber attacks have cost companies with robust cybersecurity programs millions of dollars, and small businesses are no exception. Yet, small businesses often lack the resources available to larger companies and corporations, making them especially vulnerable to such attacks. A recent Ponemon study found that nearly 70 percent of all small businesses experienced a cyberattack in 2017, while nearly half admitted to having no understanding of how to protect their company against a cyber attack. Additionally, another study by Hiscox found that less than 20 percent of small businesses said they were confident in their cybersecurity readiness, and barely half had a clearly defined cybersecurity strategy at all. Due to the vulnerability of small business operations, we need extensive measures to identify, analyze, and alleviate threats of cyberattacks. This bill ensures that there are at least 5 or 10 percent of the total number of employees within a small business development center who are certified in providing cyber planning assistance. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1649 to protect the cybersecurity networks and facilitate cybersecurity training within our nation's small businesses.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, on this past Saturday, Houstonians gathered together at the Living Water International Apostolic Ministries in Houston with Pastor Stearns and about 10 other churches. I convened the press conference in the warehouse of this church filled with goods and necessities to respond to the most objectionable national order that I have ever heard from any President of the United States: to manipulate law enforcement and calling for national predawn raids across America. Now, no one in America wants open borders, and Democrats do not, but we do believe in due process, the Constitution, and the justness of the phraseology on the Statue of Liberty to bring our forlorn and worn to this country. We are the greatest experiment, and people in my constituency were frightened. I came home to say we must do something about it. And how powerful it was for the churches in our community to say: We will open our doors to those who are frightened about the fact that they will be separated from their children or their children separated from them. What a horrible image, internationally; how the United Nations has condemned it. And so on that day, we opened the churches of Houston for those migrants who were frightened by these predawn raids. One even occurred today. I finish my remarks by saying the 16th President of the United States really said what America is all about: ``We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield, and patriot grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.'' That is Abraham Lincoln. That is who we are. I thank Houston for opening its doors for those who are in fear.