Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, yesterday, I introduced H.R. 2898, the ``Buddy Check Week Act of 2019,'' which provides support and training to organize outreach events and educate veterans on how to conduct peer wellness checks and recognize signs of problems in fellow veterans that indicate suicide risks. The Buddy Check Week Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with veterans, non-profits that serve veterans, mental health experts, and members of the Armed Forces, to develop and implement collaborative education opportunities for veterans to learn how to conduct wellness checks. A wellness check involves contacting veterans who may be demonstrating signs of having difficulty and making sure they receive visits to see how they are doing and provide support for any needs. The VA will provide online or in-person training to individuals, as well as provide opportunities for Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) to learn how to: train individuals to conduct peer wellness checks, transfer phone calls to the Veterans Crisis Line, and be resilient when handling a veteran in crisis. The bill inspired by the American Legion's ``Buddy Check National Week of Calling,'' held March 11-16, 2019. The American Legion unveiled this new initiative to connect past and present veterans and ensure that they receive the care they need. A Buddy Check Week will provide the time, space, and resources needed to help these veterans through personal interaction and kindness. This legislation will amplify the work of the American Legion and support efforts to conduct outreach to veterans across the nation. Madam Speaker, veteran suicide is a pervasive and critical issue, threatening the lives of many of our bravest and most patriotic Americans. Although, the VA has screening protocols designed to aid veterans and stage suicide interventions, some 6,000 veterans a year tropically fall through the cracks of this system, finding themselves without the necessary aid and resources that were promised to them by the VA and commit suicide. Many Suicide Prevention Coordinators and offices specializing in veterans affairs report being overworked and unable to keep up with their many responsibilities. On average, about 20 veterans die every day by suicide, and since 2017, 25 veterans have taken their lives on the grounds of Veterans Affairs hospitals, including seven this year and at least four last month, actively seeking help from an unprepared agency before committing suicide. It is long past time for the federal government to provide the necessary legislation to address the troubling uptick in veteran suicides and help improve suicide prevention and mental health resources at the at VA. To truly address this issue, we need to make sure that the VA and veterans aid organizations have the tools needed to serve every veteran that walks through their doors. It is critically important that we provide training on the signs that a veteran may be in crisis and the needed make it easier to get them the help that they need. I believe this bill is a step in the right direction toward making sure that happens. Madam Speaker, it is unconscionable that a veteran will commit suicide every hour. The fact that veterans make up just 20 percent of the male population, yet veterans make up close to 32 percent of all male suicides is shocking and must spur our action. It does not have to be this way, Madam Speaker, and we can do something about it, starting with the passage of H.R. 2898, the ``Buddy Check Week Act.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to announce to the House that I have introduced H. Res. 396, a resolution authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise the power vested by Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5 of the Constitution in respect to acts of misconduct by Donald John Trump, President of the United States. I invite every Member of the House to join me in cosponsoring this important and necessary step to uphold the rule of law, preserve the strength of our democracy, and affirm the rightful place of the Congress as a co-equal branch of government with the constitutional duty to check and hold accountable a wayward head of the Executive Branch. This resolution is both necessary and timely. Last week, hours before the House Judiciary Committee was to vote to hold Attorney General Bill Barr in contempt of congress, the President indicated that he intended to assert executive privilege to deny Congress and the American people the Mueller Report. Yesterday, the White House Counsel indicated that it believes that the House Judiciary Committee's inquiry was an improper exercise of its oversight powers and was instead intended to ``harass'' the President. The White House Counsel, in mistaken belief that the Mueller Investigation was the final word into investigations concerning this President, stated that Congress was not permitted ``an unauthorized do- over of exhaustive law enforcement investigations conducted by the Department of Justice.'' The White House position is clearly wrong on history, on the law, and on the Constitution, but more that than, it is reckless and destabilizing. It disregards or misapprehends the nature, structure, and purpose of the system of government devised by the Framers that served us well for nearly 250 years. It contemplates branches of government superior to others and represents an indifference, belligerence and disrespect towards Article I of the Constitution unseen in American history. Congressional requests for documents have been ignored, subpoenas have been flouted, witnesses refuse to appear for congressional oversight hearings, norms shattered. This is intolerable and why, in consultation with and by working with my colleagues, I have introduced H. Res. 396, a resolution authorizing and directing the Committee on the Judiciary to investigate whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise the power vested by Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5 of the Constitution in respect to acts of misconduct by Donald John Trump, President of the United States. This is a significant measure because it invoives not just the standing committees but the whole House of Representatives, the body that is vested by the Constitution with the ``sole power of impeachment.'' Madam Speaker, if approved by the House, H. Res. 396 gives the Committee on Judiciary a broad and affirmative mandate by the body that is vested with the sole power conveyed by Article 1, Section 2, Clause 5 to investigate the areas of possible misconduct listed in the Resolving clause. Since 1900, responsibility for conducting investigations of the type envisioned by the resolution has been delegated by the House to the Committee on the Judiciary. Nothing in the resolution preempts or forecloses any other Committee of the House from exercising its oversight authority and adoption of the resolution will convey to the Administration, the public, and relevant witnesses the seriousness to which the House takes its responsibilities to act as a check on a wayward Executive and the gravity of the findings and conclusions set forth in the Mueller Report. Finally, nothing in the resolution compels the Committee on the Judiciary to reach a particular result or make a particular recommendation; rather, the resolution charges the Committee with undertaking a comprehensive investigation following the evidence where it leads and reporting its conclusions and recommendations to the full House. Madam Speaker, the time has come to reassert proper oversight in our system of government. During the first two years of this administration, House Republicans shirked their oversight responsibilities. This new House majority, propelled by the largest class of women and the most diverse class in history, will do its job to ensure the preservation of this government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support of the ``Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019.'' H.R. 1994, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act helps Americans to save more for a secure retirement and delivering a urgently needed fix for Gold Star military families facing drastic tax hikes under the GOP tax scam. This legislation: Makes it easier for small businesses to offer retirement plans to their employees; Ensures that hard-working home health care workers can receive retirement benefits; and, Eliminates the unexpected and unfair enormous tax increases caused by the GOP tax scam that were on the survivorship benefits of children in Gold Star military families already facing the extraordinary hardship of losing a loved one. The spouses of our fallen heroes sometimes sign over earned benefits to their children to ensure the family receives all benefits. This bill will help Gold Star Families who are being taxed unfairly by the Trump Tax Cut. But because the new Republican tax law brought changes to how children's assets are taxed, many Gold Star Families are required to pay thousands of additional dollars in taxes on survivor benefits--a crushing blow to families who have already given so much to our country. Prior to the Trump Tax Cut Scam, money given by the military to the children of troops who died on duty were taxed at the same rate as their surviving parents. But under Trump's tax cuts the changes included in the December 2017 tax law overhaul, those benefits were instead treated the same as family estate transfers, which increased the tax rate from no more than 15 percent to up to 37 percent. This change significantly raised the tax bills for many of those military families. It is important to provide these needed changes to protect Gold Star Families, and I look forward to the additional changes that are under way to help others hurt by the inequity of the Trump tax hike for the very rich.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as the founding Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus and a senior member of the Committee on the Judiciary, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2480, the ``Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.'' I support H.R. 2480 because this legislation will help states to address the recent rise in child abuse and neglect by providing strategic funding to build networks of prevention services designed to strengthen families and to improve the quality of child protective services. Madam Speaker, child abuse and neglect is a pervasive public health problem that continues to affect millions of children across the country. Although we witnessed significant declines in the rate of child abuse and neglect across the 1990s and 2000s, the rate of child maltreatment has ticked up in recent years as the opioid epidemic has devastated families and communities across the country. In 2017, more children received an investigation or response from child protective services agencies than any other time in the decade prior. It is long past time for the federal government to provide the necessary funding to reverse the rise in child maltreatment. The ``Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act'' authorizes $270 million for the expansion of prevention services to reach over 3 million children annually and another $270 million to foster new research and support state child protective services agencies to expand services to meet increased demand without sacrificing quality. Madam Speaker, another reason I strongly support this legislation is that it will also help address child abuse and neglect by improving the quality of federal and state data. Specifically, the ``Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act'' establishes uniform standards for counting child fatalities and near fatalities related to child maltreatment and will create an electronic system that allows states to share data from their child abuse and neglect registries with other states. H.R. 2480 also combats childhood maltreatment and protects children by initiating protocol designed to detect infant abuse earlier, prevent child injuries and fatalities and halting the effects of maltreatment before they even develop. By supporting the training and careers of medical and child welfare professionals, the ``Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act'' will help successfully identify and respond to signs of potential abuse in infants under age three, better protecting them from the immediate and lifelong negative impacts of childhood maltreatment and offering an ensured solution to end abuse. Madam Speaker, it is unconscionable that 1 in 7 children in the United States suffers from child abuse or neglect. The effects of this abuse are far-reaching and severe, hindering a child's mental, physical, and emotional development with consequences that may follow the person through his or her lifetime. Childhood maltreatment has also been linked to higher risk for a wide range of long-term and future health concerns, including diabetes, lung disease, and cancer. It does not have to be this way, Madam Speaker, and we can do something about it, starting with passage of H.R. 2480, the ``Stronger Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my strong opposition to the so-called ``fetal heartbeat'' laws recently enacted in Georgia, Alabama, Missouri, Texas, and other states.

Mr. JACKSON LEE

Mr. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise during this Special Order to pay tribute to the Honorable Judge Damon J. Keith, a pivotal civil rights leader and legal trailblazer that our country lost on April 28, 2019 at the age of 96. When Judge Damon J. Keith was nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1967 to serve as Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, it was at a time when there were very few African American federal judges. Judge Damon J. Keith said, ``I never had a black teacher. . . . There wasn't a black police officer above the rank of sergeant. There were no black judges. There were not black elected officials.'' Judge Damon J. Keith's appointment to the U.S. District Court was the same year that Thurgood Marshall was nominated and confirmed to the Supreme Court Bench as an associate justice. When Judge Damon J. Keith was later nominated by President Jimmy Carter to serve on the federal court of appeals, he was the sixth African American appointed to serve on a U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The sixth. Judge Keith made a series of landmark decisions that changed the social and legal landscape of this country throughout his 52 years of service on the bench, including: Davis v. School District of City of Pontiac, 309 F. Supp. 734 (E.D. Mich. 1970), which ordered citywide buses to integrate and helped integrate Pontiac public schools. Judge Keith stood up to the KKK with this ruling and it became the first case to extend federal court-ordered integration to the North. Then, Judge Keith ruled that President Nixon and U.S. Attorney General John Mitchell did not have the right to wiretap in domestic security cases without a court order in United States v. United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, 407 U.S. 297 (1972). That same year Judge Keith ruled in Garrett v. City of Hamtramck, 335 F. Supp. 16 (E.D. Mich. 1971), that Hamtramck practiced so-called ``Negro removal'' under the guise of urban renewal and ordered the city to build new public housing. In Stamps v. Detroit Edison Co., 365 F. Supp. 87 (E.D. 1973), Judge Keith ordered Detroit Edison to pay 4 million to black employees and start an affirmative action program in a historic job-discrimination case. Furthering integration of public spaces and jobs, in Baker v. City of Detroit, 483 F. Supp. 919 (E.D. 1979), Judge Keith ordered the Detroit Police Department to carry out Detroit Mayor, Coleman Young's plan to integrate. And in Detroit Free Press v. Ashcroft, 195 F. Supp. 2d 937 (E.D. 2002), he upheld a lower court's decision prohibiting the Justice Department from barring the public and press from deportation hearings involving people suspected of supporting terrorism. Judge Keith did his job amid death threats and the obstacles of racial bigotry. Judge Keith's dedication to civil rights and civil liberties came from a life dealing with racial inequality as a solider and a young man. Judge Damon J. Keith was born July 4, 1922. Judge Keith was the grandson of slaves and the son of a Ford factory worker who made 5 dollars a day. Judge Keith was youngest of seven children and he was the first member of his family to earn a college degree. Once Judge Keith graduated from college during World War II in 1943, he enlisted in a segregated U.S. Army. Judge Keith recalled the three years he spent in the Quartermaster Corps during World War II in Europe as ``absolutely degrading,'' partly because the ``all-colored'' unit did not have a single black officer. After Judge Keith was discharged in 1946 as a sergeant, he returned home to experience White German soldiers riding in the front seats of buses and dining in restaurants where he was not welcome. Judge Keith's experience seeing African American soldiers being treated with less respect than White German prisoners of war, made him vow to fight for civil rights here at home. So, Judge Keith attended and graduated from Howard University Law School with his JD in 1949. While in law school, Judge Keith helped research civil rights cases, participated in mock trials and watched rising legal stars, like Thurgood Marshall, the NAACP's chief legal counsel, practice his legal arguments and argue cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. After Judge Keith graduated law school in 1949, he went on to not only pass the bar but found one of the first Black law firms in Detroit city. Judge Keith was a man dedicated to change and as he climbed the legal ranks, Judge Keith brought women and minorities up with him, not just African-Americans but also Hispanics and Asians. Judge Keith hired more minorities law clerks than any other federal judge and encouraged those he helped to do the same for other young minorities. But, not only should Judge Keith be rewarded for what he has done as judge, but for what he has done as a man. Judge Keith became the surrogate father and guardian for Willie Horton, guiding the young athlete from a troubled neighborhood into manhood and to stardom with the Detroit Tigers. It was also Judge Keith who came to Rosa Parks's rescue in 1994 when the Civil Rights icon had been attacked by a burglar in her Detroit home. Judge Keith helped her find a safe place to live in the aftermath. Judge Keith's eldest daughter, Cecile Keith, said Saturdays was spent with their father, who would take them to dance classes, music lessons, and choir rehearsals, and afterward they would go out for hamburger and French fries. Judge Keith took his children to the movies, Tiger games, played ball in their backyard, and he taught them how to ride bikes. Judge Keith was more than a civil rights activist and he was more than a trailblazer. Judge Keith was also a father and husband. Judge Keith was a man dedicated to his wife, family, and to his community. Judge Keith has always been a beacon of justice and we are a better country because of his work and are forever in his debt.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 106 denouncing female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and urging the international community and the Federal Government to increase efforts to eliminate this harmful practice. Female genital mutilation is a clear human rights violation and must be ended immediately. In many parts of the world, female genital mutilation is still performed by a religious leader, town elder, or a medical professional with limited training using crude instruments which can include broken glass, kitchen knives, and razor blades, however, antiseptics and anesthesia are rarely used. Leaving these young women, many of which are between the ages of 4 and 13, susceptible to elevated risk of HIV transmission, hemorrhaging, chronic pelvic inflammation, septicemia, and delayed menarche. In about 15 percent of cases, infibulation, the most severe form of FGM/C, involves the removal of the labia and the suturing together of the vulva. This practice may place the victim's life at risk and victims of infibulation must be cut open to have intercourse and may be repeatedly opened and closed at the husband's will to ensure fidelity. The practice of FGM/C abroad has persisted due to strong sociocultural influences which ensure that it is secretly done and underreported. And despite many international efforts, anti-FGM/C legislation has not ended the practice in many countries. FGM/C is still embraced by practitioners of all the major faiths-- Christianity, Islam and traditional worship on the contents of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. In the past, the U.S., largely through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Health Organization have made several recommendations designated to end the practice of FGM/C. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 513,000 women and girls in the United States were at risk of, or had been subjected to, female genital mutilation, the United States must be a beacon against this type of immoral practice. That is why I, along with former Representative Joe Crowley, introduced the Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Act, supported by international human rights group Equality Now, that required the federal government to undertake a national study to provide data on and insight into the prevalence of FGM/C in the U.S. and establish a multi-agency strategy to bring the practice to an end. Following the introduction of the Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation Act, I partnered with 58 other members of Congress to pen a bipartisan letter to the State, Health & Human Services, and Education agencies, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the White House Office of Management and Budget, calling for a cross-agency plan to further fight FGM/C. This letter included requests for resources to help law enforcement, health workers, and educators detect the practice here the United States, plus a hotline for girls who may be in danger of mutilation. Given the abhorrent nature of this practice, states should have in place laws that require healthcare professionals, school employees, and other professionals who work with children to report any suspected practice of female genital mutilation to the appropriate law enforcement entity. FGM/C is currently a crime in 26 States, including Michigan and Texas; it is also a Federal crime. Around the world, at least five girls are mutilated, cut, every hour, and an estimated 100 million girls and 140 million women worldwide are living with the consequences of FGM/C. Even though, FGM/C has been banned in the United States, since 1996, people continue to engage in this abusive practice. It is with great concern that I stand before you today, still fighting to eradicate the practice of FGM/C globally. Even more concerning is recently, The Justice Department stopped defending a federal prohibition on female genital mutilation making it difficult to combat this practice here at home. This recalcitrant act coincides with an emerging view inside the Justice Department that it is up to the Trump administration, not members of Congress, to decide whether a law has merit and should be enforced. The World Health Organization has asserted that FGM/C has no health benefits for women and girls, and can have long-term negative impacts on the physical, psychological, sexual, reproductive health, and to their general well-being. We cannot be indifferent to this human rights violation that puts so many lives at risk, here in the United States, and around the world. H. Res. 106 makes clear that this practice is rooted in gender inequality, gender-based violence, and discrimination. It affirms our dedication to protecting women and girls globally and will help us accelerate eradication and improve access to care for survivors of this practice. Because this intolerable practice has no medical benefits, it has no place in our society, and those who commit these horrendous crimes should be held accountable for their actions. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this clearly bipartisan resolution. Put aside partisanship and protect our women and girls from this painful and archaic practice.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, what an amazing day: 100 years ago, the Congress voted out a resolution to empower women with the right to vote. What is interesting, the last day, the last State, Tennessee, when the vote was taken, or when it was about to be taken, the then-Speaker, who was against it, wearing a red rose, said: We have got the votes. But there is nothing like the power of a woman and the power of a mother. And a young legislator got a letter from his mother that very morning that said: Son, be a good boy, and vote to let women vote. And, lo and behold, Tennessee ratified that right because that 24- year-old voted to let women vote. It is an important time now for women to be empowered, because the States of Alabama and Texas and Mississippi and Missouri and others are now trying to reign back the rights of women and the right to choose. We respect other values. We respect the Constitution and the Ninth Amendment, but Alabama and Mississippi and Texas and Missouri, we are not going back, because women got the right to vote. And just like that young man, be a good boy and leave women alone, for them to choose their own right, the right to vote.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a long-time advocate for veterans' well-being and resources, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2333, the ``Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act.'' I support H.R. 2333 because this legislation will provide much needed assistance to the VA to reduce the incidence of suicide among our veterans. The ``SPCA'' provides DVA suicide prevention coordinators with the resources needed to effectively do their job of providing veterans with critical mental health resources to veterans in need. Madam Speaker, veteran suicide is a pervasive and critical issue, threatening, and in to many heartbreaking cases, taking the lives of many of our heroes. Although, the Department of Veterans Administration has screening protocols designed to aid veterans and to stage suicide interventions, about 6,000 veterans fall through the cracks of this system annually, finding themselves without the necessary aid and resources that were promised to them. Many suicide prevention coordinators and offices specializing in veterans affairs report being overworked and unable to keep up with the demand for their services. On average, about 20 veterans die every day by suicide and since 2017, 25 veterans have taken their lives on the grounds of Veterans Affairs hospitals, including seven this year and at least four last month. These veterans were actively seeking help from an unprepared and under resourced agency before they took their lives. It is long past time for Congress to provide the help needed to address the troubling increase in veteran suicides and help improve suicide prevention and mental health resources at the at DVA. It is imperative that the DVA has the tools it needs to serve every veteran that walks through the door. The ``Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act'' would require the Comptroller General to assess the responsibilities, workload, and vacancy rates of the Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention Coordinators and report it to Congress within one year, on the ability of the DVA to detect and protect veterans from self-harm. It is critically important that we provide suicide prevention coordinators with the resources needed to successfully combat the troubling trend of veteran suicide, and I believe this bill is a necessary step in the right direction. Madam Speaker, it is unconscionable that a veteran will commit suicide every hour. The fact that veterans make up just 20 percent of the male population, yet veterans make up close to 32 percent of all male suicides is shocking and must spur our action. It does not have to be this way, Madam Speaker, and we can do something about it, starting with the passage of H.R. 2333, the ``Suicide Prevention Coordinators Act.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the sponsor of this legislation for really tapping into something that every single Member must face with their veterans, and certainly those who have been out of the military for a period of time, and then all of our new veterans who are coming in from some of the more recent conflicts that we have had, and wars that we have had. Just about a week or so ago, I was meeting with veterans from a certain battalion that had flown into Houston to share with us their concerns about the state of mind and the increasing amount of suicides among veterans, but, in addition to those conversations and ones that I have had, the idea of a Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration and the Under Secretary of Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition of the Department of Veterans Affairs to oversee vocational rehabilitation employment, educational assistance, veterans housing loans, and the verification of small businesses. I think this is important because veterans want to know that they can fully integrate into society when they return home. One of the initiatives that I had was to ensure that their service- related professions, whatever their assignments were in the military, would equate in civilian life and that they would be respected for their hierarchy of rank and also responsibility. Having an office like this one helps those veterans with creative minds who want to start small businesses. When we had the impact of Hurricane Harvey, one of the hardest hit groups were small businesses. We carved out dollars to help small businesses by grants and not loans because that is the economic engine of this Nation. With respect to veterans, they are very creative. They see solutions where there are problems. To have an office that would focus on their vocational rehabilitation, employment, and giving them educational assistance, that is also very important. I have gone to my college campuses and met many, many, many veterans who are using some of the dollars that this House provided for them back during the first time Speaker Pelosi was Speaker, when we voted on major reformation of the process of giving dollars to veterans for their educational assistance, a great bill dealing with Iraq and Afghanistan veterans that has helped them a lot. I see the impact that getting a home has on veterans as well, and I have been involved in projects where organizations are in the business of donating homes to disabled vets. What a difference it makes in their lives. Madam Speaker, I applaud the author of this legislation and the Veterans' Affairs Committee as well because you are now looking holistically at these veterans and giving them a hand up, as they want, and not a handout.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his courtesies. Madam Speaker, I rise to support this bill, H.R. 2045, because, as I have said, whether it is a homeless vet, whether it is a vet who has been a veteran for a long period of time or those in the recent conflicts or those coming home today, this is a package that they need. This is what Members of Congress try to help them with, in their offices. If we knew that we had an office in the Veterans Affairs Department that deals with education, vocational rehabilitation, and small business, and it is a one-stop shop, I think that our veterans will appreciate that very much. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I ask my colleagues to support H.R. 2045.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much, and I thank Mr. Cicilline. Let me refute the suggestion that this is a bill that was rushed to the floor. This is a work that has been germinating for 5 years plus, and many of us have watched and been engaged in meetings and collaboration to ensure that the bill would reflect all of what America is about. I want to speak to my religious friends--that is, all of us claim a religion of some form--and I want to say to them that religious liberty is not dead, but it is alive. This bill focuses on saving lives; it focuses on understanding what it means to be transgender and denied the right to serve in the United States military. It stands up for African American transgender women who have been killed in the South, in the region that I live in; and it stands up for the person who knocked on the door and could not get housing because of their status. And so I would ask my friends who are Mormon, Seventh Day Adventists, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and other religions: How would you feel if you knocked on a door and you could not get in, if they had no place for you at the inn? So I am well-aware of the Restorative Act, dealing with religion, passed in 1993, but I am also aware of the Supreme Court case, the Hodges case in 2015, which said: ``They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.'' That is what this bill is doing, and the Constitution will protect those who are involved in the religious practices. As it has indicated: ``We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union.'' And then you go to the Bill of Rights, and it has as Amendment Number I: ``Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.'' The Constitution will be alongside of the Equality Act, and we will be able to have fair housing and civil rights, and we will be able to deal with this issue.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for the time. It will allow, with this Constitution alongside of the Equality Act, the idea that the Civil Rights Act stands for those in the LGBTQ community, the Civil Rights Act in title VI and title II and title VII; and they will stand alongside of the ACLU and the NAACP and the Urban League and LULAC and all of the civil rights groups. They will stand alongside those of us who have been fighting for fair housing time after time so that, when we knock on the door, no matter who you are in this country, you will have the Constitution and the Equality Act. Mr. Speaker, I ask my friends and others in the religious community to support the Equality Act. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Committee on the Judiciary and an original cosponsor, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5, the ``Equality Act of 2019.'' Let me thank my colleague on the Judiciary Committee, Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island, for introducing this landmark legislation and his tireless efforts in making this day a reality. Mr. Speaker, our nation's long but inexorable march towards equality reaches another milestone today. For as long as our national charters have been in existence, we have endeavored to ask ourselves: what do we mean when we say ``We the People?'' How expansive do we hold our pledge that all are entitled to the blessings of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. To be certain our nation has come a long way, but as we debate this critical bill, I am reminded of the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. __ 135 S.Ct. 2584 (2015), and its powerful conclusion explaining the profound power of love and marriage, and the desire to be seen as equal in the eyes of the law: No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right. Despite significant legal advances over the past several years, including marriage equality, LGBTQ Americans remain vulnerable to discrimination on a daily basis and too often have little recourse. The Equality Act has the bipartisan support of Members of Congress, with nearly 240 co-sponsors, as well as the strong support of the business community, and most important, the overwhelming support of the American people. More than 70 percent of Americans support the Equality Act. This has been a long journey; the first Equality Act was introduced nearly 45 years ago. It is long past time to secure the civil rights of LGBTQ people across the country and accord them full membership in the American family. With the Trump Administration rolling back protections at the federal level and anti-equality opponents continuing to push discriminatory bills at the state level, LGBTQ people cannot wait another year for affirmation that they are worthy of the dignity of their peers and deserving of equal protection of the laws. Today, too many LGTBQ Americans in too many places remain too vulnerable to discrimination on a daily basis with too little legal recourse. Fifty percent of the national LGBTQ community live in states where, though they may have the right to marry, they have no explicit non- discrimination protections in other areas of daily life. The Equality Act extends the full anti-discrimination protections of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other key pillars of fairness and justice in our country to LGBTQ Americans. Sexual orientation and gender identity deserve full civil rights protections, not just in the workplace, but in every place: in education, housing, credit, jury service, public facilities, and public accommodations. Today, there are only 21 states that have explicit laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations, and only 20 states have such protections for gender identity. In most states, a same-sex couple can get married on Saturday, then be legally denied service at a restaurant on Sunday, and be fired from their jobs on Monday, and evicted from their apartment on Tuesday. Mr. Speaker, let me take a moment to discuss in more detail several of the important elements of the Equality Act. The Equality Act amends existing federal civil rights laws to explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in education, employment, housing, credit, Federal jury service, public accommodations, and the use of Federal funds. It does so by adding sex in some places where it had not previously been protected, and clarifying that sex includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, the H.R. 5, the ``Equality Act of 2019'' amends: 1. Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide basic protections against discrimination in public accommodations by adding sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity; 2. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to provide basic protections against discrimination by recipients of federal financial assistance by adding sex, including sexual orientation, and gender identity; 3. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, the Government Employee Rights Act of 1991, and the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to make explicit protections against workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity; 4. The Fair Housing Act of 1968 to make protections against housing discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity explicit; 5. The Equal Credit Opportunity Act to make protections against credit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity explicit; and 6. The Jury Selections and Services Act to make protections against discrimination in federal jury service based on sexual orientation or gender identity explicit.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this resolution honoring retired Congressman John Conyers on the occasion of his 90th Birthday. Congressman Conyers was born in Highland Park, Michigan, on May 16, 1929, and grew up in the city of Detroit. Like many men of his generation, he served in the military and was stationed in Korea, during the Korean War, as an officer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, where he was awarded combat and merit citations. Following the completion of his military service, he earned both his B.A. (1957) and LL.B. (1958) degrees from Wayne State University and became an active member of the Michigan Bar. He had the distinction of working on the staff of Congressman John Dingell, serving as counsel to Detroit-area labor union locals and as a referee for Michigan's workmen's compensation department. His commitment to civil rights was forged during the great movement of the 1960's, when traveling throughout the South, and was in Selma, Alabama, for the Freedom Day voter registration drive in 1963. In correspondence, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would later remark that Conyers presence in Selma, Alabama ``had an electric effect on the voteless and beleaguered Negro citizens of this city, state and nation.'' Conyers legislative career began in 1964 when he ran for an open seat in Michigan's 1st District, following the landmark 1964 Baker v. Carr decision, and defeated his opponent with 84 percent of the vote. In this race, Congressman Conyers received the only known political endorsement from Dr. King and Rosa Parks, known for her prominent role in the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott, moved to Detroit and served on Conyers' staff between 1965 and 1988. Congressman Conyers went on to serve 26 terms, winning re-election twenty-five times, and is the third longest-serving member of the House in history, and the sixth longest-serving member of Congress in history. He was one of the 13 members who founded the Congressional Black Caucus in 1969 and was considered the Dean of the Caucus during his tenure. As a freshman member, Congressman Conyers won a seat on the Judiciary Committee and went on to serve as Chairman of that committee from 2007 to 2011, along with serving as the ranking Democratic member on the Committee from 1995 to 2007 and again from 2011 to 2017. During his tenure, he successfully worked to oppose initiatives that violated Constitutional values and served as a beacon of hope to those facing poverty and injustice. He was the first member to introduce legislation or hold hearings on an important series of civil rights issues, including: police misconduct; LGBTQ protections; violence against the Arab and Muslim American communities; AIDS in the African-American community; environmental racism; and restorative justice, just to name a few. Over the course of his legislative career, Congressman Conyers was responsible for more than 100 bills, amendments, and resolutions being enacted, including 57 on which he was the overall lead sponsor, and an additional 56 that he managed or was the lead Democratic sponsor. From his position on the Judiciary Committee, he led many of our most notable legislative efforts on civil rights and civil liberties, including: the Martin Luther King Holiday Act, the Voting Rights act Reauthorizations, the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorizations, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Pattern and Practice Enforcement Act, the USA Freedom Act, the Fair Sentencing Act, the ``Motor Voter'' Act, and the Innocence Protection Act. For these reasons, Congressman Conyers is recognized as a champion of civil rights and civil liberties, receiving numerous honors, including the NAACP Spingarn Medal and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights Hubert H. Humphrey Award. Always a leader and gentleman, Congressman Conyers walked the halls of this institution for more than 50 years, leaving a lasting impact through his dedication to freedom and justice for all people. Like so many in this body, I am proud to have been his colleague and friend. The celebration of his 90th birthday is an ideal time to reflect on his accomplishments and celebrate his distinguished legislative career. His dedication and commitment to service is an example for us all. He will always be the Chairman.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege of serving in this august body, and serving the American people and the people of the 18th Congressional District. Just a few minutes ago, I was at Arlington Cemetery participating in the wreath-laying ceremony for the women of the United States military, those who have fallen in battle, and recognizing young and new women members of the United States military. In fact, Sergeant Kelly, whom I honored, is in combat, having been given permission to be engaged in combat since 2015 by the Pentagon and the United States Defense Department. That means that I have the greatest respect for all of these men and women and take very seriously the issues of war and peace. I was here in the United States Congress during the heinous and devastating attack on this Nation on 9/11. I was here for Afghanistan and Iraq, the Kosovo war, the Bosnian war. Every one of those war zones I visited. I saw the men and women sacrifice. I take very seriously this issue of war. I am very concerned with the efforts now in the waters in the Mideast, with the intelligence that is alleged by the administration that is coming and this saber-rattling that is occurring, because the lives of our men and women will be put in harm's way. Congress must be engaged, and I demand that, beyond the immediate briefing today, the Members of the United States Congress, those who care about national security, homeland security, be briefed as to why our vessels are there, others are headed there, and the allegations or suggestion that 120,000 troops will be moving in that direction. America is strong. We have no fear, but we have always been a defender, not an offender. Iran is not just any old country in the Mideast. Shamefully, we disengaged from the Iran nuclear deal--wrong decision, evidenced by what is happening today. You cannot backdoor conversations. You have to show yourself willing to negotiate with leaders from the position of facts and knowledge. I can't stomach the frivolous engagements and noninformation that is translating into our men and women put in harm's way. We must be involved and engaged. So I ask the administration to do so posthaste. I ask that we move forward with knowledge of what is going on, and each and every Member of this body and the other body should be knowledgeable about this point. I return to a local issue that has bothered me, and as a member of the Judiciary Committee, I want the family of Pamela Turner, who is now deceased, to know that I stand with them. I do not give a blanket assessment of the great law enforcement we have in this Nation, but I am appalled at the shooting death of an African American woman, Black woman, shot down in cold blood in the streets. Yes, this lady was walking her dogs in her apartment complex. There are suggestions that this individual was well-known to police and that there were some mental health issues, something that we have to fight against and give resources. Unfortunately, she was with warrants. I have no quarrel with people doing their job; but you are in your home, your apartment, walking your dogs, any other means could have been utilized to pick you up on warrants. You are not going anywhere. We know your address. Through an unfortunate interaction, altercation, the gun was taken out by a law enforcement officer, and she was shot five times--not once to wound, but five times. So this requires, for the comity of relationships and respect, a full Federal and State investigation--we cannot hide--just as I have indicated that shooting on Harding Street, recently, by officers requires a thorough and full investigation, which is going on right now. So I would simply say that because we are the land of the free and the brave, we are adherents to the Constitution and democracy and dignity and justice for all, this is an untenable and unacceptable act, that I could be walking my dogs, unarmed, and I proceed into an unfortunate circumstance which included a Taser, but then it results in the absolute ending of my life, and I may be a person who needed mental health assistance. I am deeply troubled to learn of the death of the Pamela Shantay Turner, who was shot and killed by a Baytown Police Officer. She was a mother of three children, and she died the day after Mother's Day. In the investigation following Ms. Turner's death, the officer indicated that he was patrolling as part of his duty, and recognized Ms. Turner from ``prior dealings'' and proceeded to commence an arrest but she resisted. Nothing in the record suggests any wrongdoing by Ms. Turner prior to this chance encounter with Baytown Police. Reports suggest the officer attempted to arrest Ms. Turner. The officer alleges Ms. Turner reached for his Taser and a lieutenant with the Baytown police claims that Ms. Turner actually tased the officer. According to the Baytown Police Department, the officer fired his duty weapon and struck multiple rounds at Ms. Turner. The shooting was recorded by a civilian and caught on cell phone video. After her death, it was revealed that Ms. Turner suffers from serious mental ailment. Prior to her death, Ms. Turner, 44, was heard stating that she was pregnant. After her death, this was determined not to be the case. I stand with the family of Pamela Turner. We must get to the truth; the facts and we will not relent until justice is served. The circumstances surrounding Ms. Turner's death are shocking and I demand a state and federal inquiry into her death. First, what predicate did the officer involved have in detaining Ms. Turner? Why were no efforts made to deescalate the controversy so that it did not end in a loss of life? And, if Ms. Turner was known to law enforcement in prior dealings, did they not also know about her mental state? In recent months, we have seen too many instances of these types of killings. During National Police Week we honor our officers and I abhor attacks on our brave law enforcement personnel. As a member of the House Judiciary Committee, I look forward to working with law enforcement to protect justly our citizens and them. This disturbing act should not have happened and should never be repeated.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me, too, add my appreciation and congratulations to Head Start, a very viable program, not only in my district, as I watched little children become empowered with education, but also around the Nation. I congratulate all of those who were engaged in its beginning, and I thank them for their brilliance and their leadership. I rise today to say that we are troubled because the work of this body is to legislate on behalf of the people of the United States. We are, in fact, the people's House, and we have done our work. We have passed disaster funding. Those of us who are, if you will, the remnants of various hurricanes in the 2017 season--in particular, those that impacted the East Coast, Puerto Rico, Houston, and the State of Texas--are waiting for disaster funding, which we have done. We are waiting for the Violence Against Women Act to be passed. We are waiting for the universal background checks to be passed. We are waiting for protecting people against losing their preexisting condition coverage and, of course, lowering prescription drugs to pass. All that has been passed in this House. We are waiting as we begin to debate the Equality Act that will have a blind eye to anyone's difference and be able to celebrate them and support them without discrimination. Where is the other body? Why haven't they passed a bill in 3 months? Why can't we do the work for the American people? It is time to get the job done.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to rise and support, enthusiastically, H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act. This omnibus bill combines three key bills to lower drug costs by promoting generic competition--long overdue--and four key bills to strengthen healthcare, reverse the GOP sabotage, and rescind the Trump administration's devastating junk plan rule. I know full well what happens when individuals are impacted by junk plans, and they don't have the courage they need. I encourage my good friends on the other side of the aisle to drop politics and join with us to pass this legislation. This omnibus bill invests most of the savings of $13.8 billion created by its cracking down on junk plans into strengthening healthcare, which will fund about 500,000 additional enrollees into non-group coverage and Medicaid. Let me say to you, in 2017, due to the direct interference by the Trump administration, the number of uninsured people increased by 700,000, the first increase since implementation of the Affordable Care Act. I know full well that Texas, which is the number one State in the number of uninsured, is experiencing the devastation of not having the expanded Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act at its fullest. We had a roundtable discussion with people who experience diabetes. Insulin is going through the roof. These people are suffering. The average uninsured resident in my congressional district pays 23 times more for a form of insulin than people living in Australia, 15 times more than they would in the United Kingdom, and 13 times more than they would in Canada. Let's protect those with preexisting conditions, and let's pass this bill to bring down these drugs and save the lives of our constituents. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 987, the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Cost Act. This is an omnibus bill that includes the: H.R. 938, The BLOCKING (Bringing Low-Cost Options and Competition While Keeping Incentives for New Generics) Act; H.R. 1499, Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs of 2019; H.R. 965, The CREATES (Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples) Act; and H.R. 1010, Rescinding Trump Administration's Final Rule Promoting Junk Insurance Plans. This omnibus bill invests most of the savings of $13.8 billion created by its cracking down on junk plans into strengthening health care, which will fund about 500,000 additional enrollees in nongroup coverage and Medicaid. Health care should be a fundamental right for all Americans. This is why I introduced the Breath of Fresh Air Act, which establishes a Department of Education grant program to be used by local education agencies for the purchase of nebulizers for use in elementary and secondary schools and secured passage of Amendments to the Commerce Justice State spending bills that preserve and expand upon green spaces needed to reduce the worse symptoms of respiratory illnesses. Each Congress I have secured adoption of amendments to Department of Defense Appropriations and Authorization Bills that increase funding for triple negative breast cancer research and treatment. I am an original sponsor of H.R. 366, the Insulin Access for All Act of 2019, which addresses the extreme financial hardship most vulnerable Americans face and too many may face untimely deaths due to insulin rationing. Last month, I held a forum in my Congressional district in Houston Texas that engaged physicians, patients, public health officials in a discussion about the high cost of insulin. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) led to historic gains in health insurance coverage by extending Medicaid coverage to many low-income individuals and providing Marketplace subsidies for individuals below 400 percent, of poverty. The number of uninsured nonelderly Americans decreased from over 44 million in 2013, the year before major provisions of the ACA went into effect, to just below 27 million in 2016. Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has been doing all that it can to undermine the ACA and deny deserving Americans access to affordable health insurance. In 2017, due to direct interference by the Trump Administration the number of uninsured people increased by nearly 700,000 people, the first increase since implementation of the ACA. One of the most difficult challenges are the hurdles to healthcare created by lack of health insurance and the expense of prescription medication. In 2017, private health insurance coverage continued to be more prevalent than government coverage, at 67.2 percent and 37.7 percent, respectively. Of the subtypes of health insurance coverage, employer-based insurance was the most common, covering 56 percent of the population for some or all of the calendar year, followed by Medicaid (19.3 percent), Medicare (17.2 percent), direct-purchase coverage (16.0 percent), and military coverage (4.8 percent). Unfortunately, the state of Texas remains the state with the most uninsured persons at 17 percent because it refuses to accept federal Medicaid funding to cover the poorest residents of the state. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, one in four people taking prescription drugs report difficulty affording their medication. In 2017, diabetes contributed to the death of 277,000 Americans--and was the primary cause of death for 85,000 of those individuals. That same year diagnosed diabetes cost the United States an estimated $327 billion--including $237 billion in direct medical costs and $90 billion in productivity losses. Diabetes drugs, including insulin and oral medications that regulate blood sugar levels, play a critical role in helping people with diabetes manage their condition and reduce the risk of diabetes-related health complications. After the Democrats took control of the House in January we got to work on a report on the high cost of insulin and we determined that the Americans with diabetes are in crisis. Insulin--used by approximately 7.5 million Americans to treat their diabetes--was discovered nearly a century ago by Canadian researchers Frederick Banting, Charles Best, J.B. Collip, and J.J.R. Macleod, who assigned their patent to the University of Toronto with the goal of making the medication widely available. The researchers charged $3.00 to transfer ownership of insulin to the University of Toronto. Even though analog insulin has been on the market for nearly 30 years, it has no meaningful generic competition. Over the past two decades, manufacturers have systematically and dramatically raised the prices of their insulin products by more than tenfold--often in lockstep. These prices dwarf manufacturing costs. One study found manufacturers could charge as little as $7 to $11 per month for insulin and still make a profit. In recent years, the high prices of diabetes drugs have placed a tremendous strain on diabetes patients as well as the federal government, which provides diabetes medications to more than 43 million Medicare beneficiaries. Reva Verma, is a type 1 diabetic who faces firsthand the struggles of managing diabetes in an era of skyrocketing insulin prices. Diabetes is a life-threatening disease that disproportionately affects communities of color. Diabetes is associated with serious health problems, including heart disease and stroke, kidney failure, and blindness. There are 15,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the Eighteenth Congressional District who have been diagnosed with diabetes. These individuals are my constituents and I know that on average, each of them pay 4.8 times the cost of similar medication in Australia, 3.6 times the cost in the United Kingdom, and 2.6 times the cost in Canada. Additionally, in the Eighteenth Congressional District, there are 191,000 uninsured residents in this district and, because they lack insurance, they often pay significantly more than their insured counterpart, or any patient overseas. The average uninsured resident in my congressional district pays 23 more times for a form of insulin than people living in Australia, 15 more times than they would in the United Kingdom, and 13 more times than they would in Canada. The consequences of these staggering costs are not benign. Many patients often speak of having to make heart-wrenching decisions about what to buy with the commonly fixed incomes attendant to seniors. Many medical professionals indicate that the high prices for prescription drugs are a function of a lack of competition, and authorizing Medicare to create a program to negotiate drug prices may be an estimable way to lower the cost of prescription drugs. All told this reflects a disturbing trend: in our country, the cost of branded drugs tends to go up, whereas in other countries, the costs tend to go down. These high prices lead many people to ration or stop taking their medications, which can result in serious health complications and even death, as the Energy and Commerce Committee heard in direct testimony earlier this year. The prices of diabetes medications--and insulin in particular--are far higher in the United States than they are overseas, in part because certain federal programs lack the authority to negotiate directly with drug manufacturers. The Democratic majority came into office with a promise to the American people, to make sure that they had affordable and dependable healthcare. Today, we are delivering on that promise, not just for persons with diabetes but for all Americans who have pre-existing conditions that require medication management.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as a member of the Law Enforcement Caucus and a senior member of the Committees on Judiciary and Homeland Security, I rise to commemorate National Police Week, which runs from May 12 through May 18, 2019. It is altogether fitting and proper that we do this. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is the nation's monument to law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. Dedicated on October 15, 1991, the Memorial honors federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the safety and protection of our nation and its people. Carved on its walls are the names of 21,910 officers who have been killed in the line of duty throughout U.S. history, dating back to the first known death in 1791. Added to the Wall this year will be the names of the 158 police officers killed in the line of duty in 2018. Madam Speaker, enshrined on the Memorial Wall of Honor also are the names of 1,751 fallen peace officers from the state of Texas, the most of any state, including 115 members of the Houston Police Department who gave their lives to keep their city safe. Madam Speaker, today there are more than 900,000 law enforcement personnel serving the people of our country, the highest amount ever. About 12 percent of them are female. These brave men and women risk their lives to keep the peace and keep us safe, but they are too often taken by the violence they are working to prevent. Every year, a law enforcement officer is killed somewhere in the United States every 55 hours, and there are also 60,211 assaults against our law officers each year, resulting in 17,476 injuries. Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent the people of the 18th Congressional District of Texas in paying tribute to the 158 fallen heroes who will be joining the 21,910 gallant men and women who gave the last full measure of devotion to the communities they took an oath to protect and serve. Madam Speaker, I ask for a moment of silence in memory of the 158 officers who died in the line of duty in 2018 and an additional 213 officers who died in previous years but whose story had been lost to history, the names of all of whom will be added to the National Peace Officers Memorial Wall of Honor. Houston Law Enforcement Officers Memorialized on the Wall of Honor 1. Timothy Scott Abernethy; End of Watch: December 7, 2008; Houston, Texas, P.D. 2. Charles H. Baker; End of Watch: August 16, 1979; Houston, Texas, P.D. 3. Johnny Terrell Bamsch; End of Watch: January 30, 1975; Houston, Texas, P.D. 4. Claude R. Beck; End of Watch: December 10, 1971; Houston, Texas, P.D. 5. Jack B. Beets; End of Watch: March 30, 1955; Houston, Texas, P.D. 6. TROY A. BLANDO; End of Watch: May 19, 1999; Houston, Texas, P.D. 7. James Charles Boswell; End of Watch: December 9, 1989; Houston, Texas, P.D. 8. C.E. Branon; End of Watch: March 20, 1959; Houston, Texas, P.D. 9. John M. Cain; End of Watch: August 3, 1911; Houston, Texas, P.D. 10. Richard H. Calhoun; End of Watch: October 10, 1975; Houston Texas Police Department. 11. Dionicio M. Camacho; End of Watch: October 23, 2009; Harris County, Texas, S.O. 12. Henry Canales; End of Watch: June 23, 2009; Houston, Texas, P.D. 13. Frank Manuel Cantu, Jr.; End of Watch: March 25, 2004; Houston, Texas, P.D. 14. E.C. Chavez; End of Watch: September 17, 1925; Houston, Texas, P.D. 15. Charles Roy Clark; End of Watch: April 3, 2003; Houston, Texas, P.D. 16. Charles Robert Coates II; End of Watch: February 23, 1983; Houston, Texas, P.D. 17. Pete Corrales; End of Watch: January 25, 1925; Houston, Texas, P.D. 18. Rufus E. Daniels; End of Watch: August 23, 1917; Houston, Texas, P.D. 19. Johnnie Davidson; End of Watch: February 19, 1921; Houston, Texas, P.D. 20. Worth Davis; End of Watch: June 17, 1928; Houston, Texas, P.D. 21. Keith Alan Dees; End of Watch: March 7, 2002; Houston, Texas, P.D. 22. Reuben Becerra Deleon; End of Watch: October 26, 2005; Houston, Texas, P.D. 23. William Edwin DeLeon; End of Watch: March 29, 1982; Houston, Texas, P.D. 24. Floyd T. Deloach, Jr.; End of Watch: June 30, 1965; Houston, Texas, P.D. 25. George D. Edwards; End of Watch: June 30, 1939; Houston, Texas, P.D. 26. Dawn Suzanne Erickson; End of Watch: December 24, 1995; Houston, Texas, P.D. 27. J.C. Etheridge; End of Watch: August 23, 1924; Houston, Texas, P.D. 28. James E. Fenn; End of Watch: March 14, 1891; Houston, Texas, P.D. 29. E.D. Fitzgerald; End of Watch: September 30, 1930; Houston, Texas, P.D. 30. C. Edward Foley; End of Watch: March 10, 1860; Houston, Texas, P.D. 31. Joseph Robert Free; End of Watch: October 18, 1912; Houston, Texas, P.D. 32. Guy P. Gaddis; End of Watch: January 31, 1994; Houston, Texas, P.D. 33. James T. Gambill; End of Watch: December 1, 1936; Houston, Texas, P.D. 34. Florentino M. Garcia, Jr.; End of Watch: November 10, 1989; Houston, Texas, P.D. 35. Ben Eddie Gerhart; End of Watch: June 26, 1968; Houston, Texas, P.D. 36. G.Q. Gonzalez; End of Watch: February 28, 1960; Houston, Texas, P.D. 37. Charles R. Gougenheim; End of Watch: April 30, 1955; Houston, Texas, P.D. 38. Carl Greene; End of Watch: March 14, 1928; Houston, Texas, P.D. 39. Leon Griggs; End of Watch: January 31, 1970; Houston, Texas, P.D. 40. Maria Michelle Groves; End of Watch: April 10, 1987; Houston, Texas, P.D. 41. Gary Allen Gryder; End of Watch: June 29, 2008; Houston, Texas, P.D. 42. Antonio Guzman, Jr.; End of Watch: January 9, 1973; Houston, Texas, P.D. 43. Howard B. Hammond; End of Watch: August 18, 1946; Houston, Texas, P.D. 44. James Donald Harris; End of Watch: July 13, 1982; Houston, Texas, P.D. 45. David Michael Healy; End of Watch: November 12, 1994; Houston, Texas, P.D. 46. Timothy A. Hearn; End of Watch: June 8, 1978; Houston, Texas, P.D. 47. Oscar Hope; End of Watch: June 22, 1929; Houston, Texas, P.D. 48. Elston M. Howard; End of Watch: July 20, 1988; Houston, Texas, P.D. 49. David Huerta; End of Watch: September 19, 1973; Houston, Texas, P.D. 50. James Bruce Irby; End of Watch: June 27, 1990; Houston, Texas, P.D. 51. Bobby L. James; End of Watch: June 26, 1968; Houston, Texas, P.D. 52. John C. James; End of Watch: December 12, 1901; Houston, Texas, P.D. 53. Rodney Joseph Johnson; End of Watch: September 21, 2006; Houston, Texas, P.D. 54. Ed Jones; End of Watch: September 13, 1929; Houston, Texas, P.D. 55. P.P. Jones; End of Watch: January 30, 1927; Houston, Texas, P.D. 56. Frank L. Kellogg; End of Watch: November 30, 1955; Houston, Texas, P.D. 57. S.A. Buster Kent; End of Watch: January 12, 1954; Houston, Texas, P.D. 58. James F. Kilty; End of Watch: April 8, 1976; Houston, Texas, P.D. 59. Kent Dean Kincaid; End of Watch: May 23, 1998; Houston, Texas, P.D. 60. Louis R. Kuba; End of Watch: May 17, 1967; Houston, Texas, P.D. 61. J.D. Landry; End of Watch: December 3, 1930; Houston, Texas, P.D. 62. Robert Wayne Lee; End of Watch: January 31, 1971; Houston, Texas, P.D. 63. Fred Maddox, Jr.; End of Watch: February 24, 1954; Houston, Texas, P.D. 64. Eydelmen Mani; End of Watch: May 19, 2010; Houston, Texas, P.D. 65. A.P. Marshall; End of Watch: November 8, 1937; Houston, Texas, P.D. 66. Charles R. McDaniel; End of Watch: August 4, 1963; Houston, Texas, P.D. 67. E.G. Meinke; End of Watch: August 23, 1917; Houston, Texas, P.D. 68. Harry Mereness; End of Watch: October 18, 1933; Houston, Texas, P.D. 69. Noel R. Miller; End of Watch: June 6, 1958; Houston, Texas, P.D. 70. Kenneth L. Moody; End of Watch: November 26, 1969; Houston, Texas, P.D. 71. Horace Moody; End of Watch: August 23, 1917; Houston, Texas, P.D. 72. William Moss; End of Watch: September 12, 1983; Houston Airport Police, Texas 73. Dave Murdock; End of Watch: June 27, 1921; Houston, Texas, P.D. 74. William E. Murphy; End of Watch: April 1, 1910; Houston, Texas, P.D. 75. David Franklin Noel; End of Watch: June 17, 1972; Houston, Texas, P.D. 76. M.E. Palmer; End of Watch: March 24, 1938; Houston, Texas, P.D. 77. Isaac Parson; End of Watch: May 24, 1914; Houston, Texas, P.D. 78. Ross Patton; End of Watch: August 23, 1917; Houston, Texas, P.D. 79. Stephen Albert Perez; End of Watch: August 27, 2017; Houston, Texas, P.D. 80. W.B. Phares; End of Watch: September 30, 1930; Houston, Texas, P.D. 81. Herbert N,Planer; End of Watch: February 18, 1965. Houston, Texas, P.D. 82. Ira Raney; End of Watch: August 23, 1917; Houston, Texas, P.D. 83. Winston J. Rawlings; End of Watch: March 29, 1982; Houston, Texas, P.D. 84. Jerry Lawrence Riley; End of Watch: June 18, 1974; Houston, Texas, P.D. 85. John Charles Risley; End of Watch: October 23, 2000; Harris County, Texas, S.O. 86. Sandra Ann Robbins; End of Watch: March 17, 1991; South Houston, Texas, P.D. 87. George G. Rojas; End of Watch: January 28, 1976; Houston, Texas, P.D. 88. Michael P. Roman; End of Watch: January 6, 1994; Houston, Texas, P.D. 89. John Anthony Salvaggio; End of Watch: November 25, 1990; Houston, Texas, P.D. 90. Louis L. Sander; End of Watch: January 21, 1967; Houston, Texas, P.D. 91. Jeffery Scott Sanford; End of Watch: September 14, 1991; Harris County, Texas, S.O. 92. Kathleen C. Schaefer; End of Watch: August 18, 1982; Houston, Texas, P.D. 93. Robert Schultea; End of Watch: August 25, 1956; Houston, Texas, P.D. 94. Daryl Wayne Shirley; End of Watch: April 28, 1982; Houston, Texas, P.D. 95. Richard Snow; End of Watch: March 17, 1882; Houston, Texas, P.D. 96. Bruno David Soboleski; End of Watch: April 12, 1991; Houston, Texas, P.D. 97. Jerry Leon Spruill; End of Watch: October 27, 1972; Houston, Texas, P.D. 98. R.H. Sullivan; End of Watch: March 9, 1935; Houston, Texas, P.D. 99. John W, Suttle; End of Watch: August 3, 1959; Houston, Texas, P.D. 100. Cuong Huy Trinh; End of Watch: April 6, 1997; Houston, Texas, P.D. 101. Alberto Vasquez; End of Watch: May 22, 2001; Houston, Texas, P.D. 102. James T. Walker; End of Watch: March 8, 1963. Houston, Texas, P.D. 103. Victor R. Wells III; End of Watch: October 2, 1980; Houston, Texas, P.D. 104. R.O. Wells; End of Watch: July 30, 1927; Houston, Texas, P.D. 105. Albert Charles Wilkins; End of Watch: January 6, 1978; Harris County, Texas, C.O. 106. Kevin Scott Will; End of Watch: May 29, 2011; Houston, Texas, P.D. 107. Henry Williams; End of Watch: February 8, 1886; Houston, Texas, P.D. 108. William C. Williams Jr; End of Watch: April 16, 1930; Harris County, Texas, S.O. 109. Edd Williams; End of Watch: January 12, 1974; Harris County, Texas, S.O. 110. James Franklin Willis; End of Watch: July 1, 1964; Houston, Texas, P.D. 111. Marvin Alton Winter; End of Watch: December 4, 1937; Harris County, Texas, C.O., Pct. 4 112. Andrew Winzer; End of Watch: February 18, 1988; Houston, Texas, P.D. 113. Jeter Young; End of Watch: June 19, 1921; Houston, Texas, P.D. 114. Herman Youngst; End of Watch: December 12, 1901; Houston, Texas, P.D. 115. Joe A. Zamarron; End of Watch: April 18, 1981; Houston, Texas, P.D.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule governing debate of H.R. 5, the Equality Act, and the underlying legislation. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of this legislation and I commend once more the tireless work of my colleague, the gentleman from Rhode Island, Mr. Cicilline. I was proud to stand by him at its introduction, and championed it during our hearing on the matter in this committee, the first such hearing on the matter, for which I would also like to commend the Judiciary Committee Chairman, Jerry Nadler. Much has changed in recent years about Americans' attitude towards members of the LGBTQ community. While Americans can be happy that we as a society have made strides in marriage equality, there is much work to do. Despite significant legal advances over the past several years-- including marriage equality, LGBTQ Americans remain vulnerable to discrimination on a daily basis and too often have little recourse. Fifty percent of the national LGBTQ community live in states where, though they have the right to marry, they have no explicit non- discrimination protections in other areas of daily life. In most states, a same-sex couple can get married one day and legally denied service at a restaurant, be fired from their jobs or evicted from their apartment the next. The Equality Act is historic legislation that says, unequivocally, that LGBTQ Americans deserve the full protections guaranteed by the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Equality Act extends anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ Americans with regard to employment, education, access to credit, jury service, federal funding, housing, and public accommodations. No American should ever be treated as less than equal in the eyes of the law. The Equality Act will guarantee that LGBTQ Americans in Texas and across the country cannot be discriminated against because of who they are or whom they love. It is long past time for this legislation to become law and that is why I proudly joined my colleagues today to get the job done. In some areas, federal law prohibiting sex discrimination has already been properly interpreted by federal courts and administrative agencies to include discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Equality Act affirms these interpretations of existing law and makes the prohibition against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity explicit, in order to provide greater clarity to members of the public, employers, schools, businesses and others. In areas where sex discrimination is not already prohibited, the bill amends existing law to bar discrimination on the basis of sex, as well as sexual orientation and gender identity. The need for this legislation is all the more urgent following recent news that the Supreme Court has granted a writ of Certiorari to a trio of three cases to test the reach of the Civil Rights act to determine if they cover gay and transgendered individuals. With the political reality on the Court as it is, this body--the House of Representatives--owes it to our constituents to ensure that critical issues related to the civil rights of our fellow citizens are handled by their elected representatives, and not left to the whims of a reconstituted Trump Court demonstrably antagonistic towards the interests of minorities. This is why the Equality Act has the bipartisan support of Members of Congress, the strong support of the business community, and the overwhelming support of the American people--with more than 7 in 10 supporting the Equality Act. On behalf of LGBTQ Texans and all Americans, I am proud to be one of the original co-sponsors of H.R. 5, the Equality Act. I look forward to voting YES when it comes to the House Floor, tomorrow and working towards full enactment. With this critical legislation, we will finally, fully end discrimination against LGBTQ Americans, and move our nation closer to fulfilling the promise of equality, opportunity and justice for every American. In the meanwhile, I support the rule governing debate of H.R. 5 and the underlying legislation. The text of the material previously referred to by Mr. Cole is as follows: Amendment to House Resolution 377 At the end of the resolution, add the following: Sec. 4. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the bill (H.R. 336) to make improvements to certain defense and security assistance provisions and to authorize the appropriation of funds to Israel, to reauthorize the United States-Jordan Defense Cooperation Act of 2015, and to halt the wholesale slaughter of the Syrian people, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The amendment described in section 5 of this resolution shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader or their respective designees; and (2) one motion to recommit with or without instructions. Sec. 5. The amendment referred to in Section 4 is an amendment to H.R. 336 to add at the end of the bill the following: ``SEC. 406. CLARIFICATION OF DEADLINE FOR REPORT ON

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to tell the story, very briefly, of little 4-year-old Maleah Davis, who has now been missing for almost 2 weeks. Just a few days ago, it was said that her dad was taking her and her younger brother to the airport. All of a sudden, he says she was kidnapped. This is a little girl who was taken away from this family by CPS last year and, unfortunately, returned to that family by a judge at the beginning of this year. The little girl was abused and had brain surgery. All of a sudden, after being kidnapped, the story that was told by the father was that he was unconscious from Friday to Saturday evening at 6 p.m. My heart has gone out to that family and that little girl. I thank law enforcement in Texas and in Houston, along with Texas EquuSearch and other volunteers who poured their hearts out to find this little girl. We now know that this individual is under arrest. Blood has been found in the apartment. Other items or activity suggest that maybe that wasn't the true story. I believe, as the chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, we must define how CPS returns children to their families, and there must be national standards. I pray for the little girl, and I pray for those who love her.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019. This bill is a comprehensive emergency disaster supplemental bill to help meet the urgent needs of American communities still struggling to recover from recent hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters. This robust disaster package includes $17.2 billion in long overdue emergency spending for disaster-stricken communities across our nation and territories. It builds on the legislation that passed the House in January-- including an additional $3 billion to address the urgent needs of those living in the Midwest (Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa and Kansas) and South (Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas) who have been devastated by flooding and tornadoes in recent months. This bill also provides some additional disaster assistance to communities continuing to recover from Hurricane Harvey. House Democrats are standing up and taking action to help communities across the United States and in Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa recover and heal from devastating disasters--these communities should not be held hostage because of President Trump's personal contempt for Puerto Rico. Senate Republicans should come to their senses and join Democrats in advancing this bill and speeding relief to millions of Americans. Included in this legislation is critical funding for: Infrastructure and community development to rebuild our transportation systems and repair housing, businesses and public infrastructure; Farmers and rural communities to bolster the farmer safety net and restore disaster-damaged lands; Social services, mental health, education and dislocated worker initiatives to invest in the well-being of children, workers and families in disaster-struck areas--including providing critical nutrition and Medicaid assistance for Puerto Rico and U.S. territories; DOD and Veterans Affairs to repair and rebuild hurricane-damaged bases and facilities; and Disaster resiliency to mitigating damage and costs from future disasters which are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change. American families hit by natural disasters deserve to know that their government will stand with them throughout the road to recovery. Democrats are committed to delivering this assistance to our fellow Americans as they work to rebuild their lives and their communities. Another reason I strongly support this bill is that H.R. 2157, the ``Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019,'' provides much needed and long overdue relief to Americans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands still suffering from the ravages of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, as well as relief to victims of Hurricane Michael which struck Alabama, Florida, and Georgia in October 2018. It also provides relief to the victims of the Midwestern floods that have caused so much damage in Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas. I support this legislation and offered an amendment that would have provided additional funding for electricity delivery and necessary expenses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Maria, and Super Typhoon Yutu including technical assistance related to electric grids. As the representative of the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas, which was ground zero for Hurricane Harvey, I regularly hear from constituents expressing their concern with ineffective and inadequate FEMA mechanisms put in place to help rectify the damage caused by natural disasters. That is why I also offered an amendment to H.R. 2157 that would prohibits funds in the bill from being used to prevent the FEMA Administrator from monitoring the response given to disaster victims in order to ensure quality control or becoming aware of complaints regarding the response given to disaster victims and having in place a mechanism to address such complaints. A third Jackson Lee amendment to H.R. 2157 would have provided a minimum of $1 million for wastewater and drinking water treatment works and facilities impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Hurricane Sandy inflicted more than $70 billion in damages in 2012, and Matthew cost the U.S. about $10.3 billion in 2016. With Harvey, an estimated 13 million people were affected, nearly 135,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the historic flooding, and up to a million cars were wrecked. Hurricane Harvey ranks as the second-most costly hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since 1900, causing more than $125 billion in damage. Our residents need more money than for single-family home repairs, whether it is disaster recovery or general housing dollars and I will continue to stride on behalf of the neighborhoods and on behalf of hard-working homeowners who deserve these funds, so they can continue on with their lives and return to their homes. Victims of natural disasters are entitled to know who to contact when issues related to FEMA arise and to be assured that their questions are answered, and complaints addressed. Allocating funding for measures such as Electricity Delivery for necessary expenses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Super Typhoon Yutu, is vital to negate the effects of these catastrophic events from significantly worsening. Hospitals, first-responders, and a number of other vital institutions that help our communities recover from the aftereffects of natural disasters need access to electricity. Moreover, with the severity of natural disasters and the ranging of their locations we must be proactive in our preparation for recovery. Alternatively, water is the most essential resource known to man. A human can go for more than three weeks without food--Mahatma Gandhi survived 21 days of complete starvation--but water is a different story. At least 60 percent of the adult body is made of it and every living cell in the body needs it to keep functioning. Under extreme conditions an adult can lose 1 to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour and if that lost water is not replaced, the total volume of body fluid can fall quickly and, most dangerously, blood volume may drop. We do not have the luxury of not preparing for hurricanes, floods. earthquakes, mudslides, tornados or other natural disasters. With these events it is not a question of if, but when. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying legislation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Chairwoman, allow me to thank my very important sponsor of this amendment and, as well, our Republican colleagues for their leadership. We are underwater in Houston. We are concerned about Puerto Rico and support the underlying bill. If this amendment passes, we will be able to help all of those who have been impacted by disaster: 203,000 homes, 12,700 of which were destroyed. Four billion dollars are important dollars, and to have that delay really hinders those who are suffering now. You can imagine that we will be going home to overflowing bayous and homes and people who are in fear. Therefore, this amendment, particularly in the shortening of the time, recognizes that disasters mean emergencies, and people in emergencies are desperate and they need help. So I am delighted to support this amendment and will join with the gentlewoman as we move forward on improving how FEMA responds, as well, to these disasters and how we can work further with the Army Corps of Engineers. This important amendment is going to be a lifesaver for so many by shortening the time in which these regulations will be able to be rendered, and I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and her leadership. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of the Fletcher-Jackson Lee Amendment to, H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019. The Fletcher-Jackson Lee Amendment shortens the time requirement of the publication of rules of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Fund in Public Law 115-123. Flooding is a serious problem in Houston, today areas of the city are experiencing high water placing residents, businesses and city services at risk. I am in strong support of this amendment because of the desperate situation of those who have lost their homes during disasters and the unacceptable length of time victims have had to wait for housing assistance. Hurricane Harvey was the largest housing disaster in our nation's history. Hurricane Harvey damaged 203,000 homes, of which 12,700 were destroyed. The nine-county Houston metro area impacted by Hurricane Harvey covers 9,444 square miles, an area larger than five states, including New Hampshire, New Jersey and Connecticut. Harris County covers 1,778 square miles, enough space to fit New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Austin and Dallas, with room still to spare. Hurricane Harvey dropped 21 trillion gallons of rainfall on Texas and Louisiana, most of it on the Houston Metroplex. The underlying bill is a comprehensive emergency disaster supplemental bill to help meet the urgent needs of American communities still struggling to recover from recent hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, floods and other natural disasters. This robust disaster package includes $17.2 billion in long overdue emergency spending for disaster-stricken communities across our nation and territories. It builds on the legislation that passed the House in January-- including an additional $3 billion to address the urgent needs of those living in the Midwest (Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa and Kansas) and South (Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas) who have been devastated by flooding and tornadoes in recent months. This bill also provides some additional disaster assistance to communities continuing to recover from Hurricane Harvey. House Democrats are standing up and taking action to help communities across the United States and in Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa recover and heal from devastating disasters--these communities should not be held hostage because of President Trump's personal contempt for Puerto Rico. Senate Republicans should come to their senses and join Democrats in advancing this bill and speeding relief to millions of Americans. Included in this legislation is critical funding for: Infrastructure and community development to rebuild our transportation systems and repair housing, businesses and public infrastructure; Farmers and rural communities to bolster the farmer safety net and restore disaster-damaged lands; Social services, mental health, education and dislocated worker initiatives to invest in the well-being of children, workers and families in disaster-struck areas-- including providing critical nutrition and Medicaid assistance for Puerto Rico and U.S. territories; DOD and Veterans Affairs to repair and rebuild hurricane-damaged bases and facilities; and Disaster resiliency to mitigating damage and costs from future disasters which are becoming more frequent as a result of climate change. American families hit by natural disasters deserve to know that their government will stand with them throughout the road to recovery. Democrats are committed to delivering this assistance to our fellow Americans as they work to rebuild their lives and their communities. Another reason I strongly support this bill is that H.R. 2157, the ``Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019,'' provides much needed and long overdue relief to Americans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands still suffering from the ravages of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, as well as relief to victims of Hurricane Michael which struck Alabama, Florida, and Georgia in October 2018 and to the victims of the Midwestern floods that have caused so much damage in Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas. Madam Chair, H.R. 2157, the ``Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019,'' provides much needed and long overdue relief to Americans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands still suffering from the ravages of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, as well as relief to victims of Hurricane Michael which struck Alabama, Florida, and Georgia in October 2018 and to the victims of the Midwestern floods. I support this legislation and offered an amendment that would have provided additional funding for electricity delivery and necessary expenses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Maria, and Super Typhoon Yutu including technical assistance related to electric grids. As the representative of the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas, which was ground zero for Hurricane Harvey, I regularly hear from constituents expressing their concern with ineffective and inadequate FEMA mechanisms put in place to help rectify the damage caused by natural disasters. That is why I also offered an amendment to H.R. 2157 that would prohibits funds in the bill from being used to prevent the FEMA Administrator from monitoring the response given to disaster victims in order to ensure quality control or becoming aware of complaints regarding the response given to disaster victims and having in place a mechanism to address such complaints. A third Jackson Lee amendment to H.R. 2157 would have provided a minimum of $1 million for wastewater and drinking water treatment works and facilities impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Hurricane Sandy inflicted more than $70 billion in damages in 2012, and Matthew cost the U.S. about $10.3 billion in 2016. With Harvey, an estimated 13 million people were affected, nearly 135,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the historic flooding, and up to a million cars were wrecked. Hurricane Harvey ranks as the second-most costly hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since 1900, causing more than $125 billion in damage. Our residents need more money than for single-family home repairs, whether it is disaster recovery or general housing dollars and I will continue to stride on behalf of the neighborhoods and on behalf of hard-working homeowners who deserve these funds, so they can continue on with their lives and return to their homes. Victims of natural disasters are entitled to know who to contact when issues related to FEMA arise and to be assured that their questions are answered, and complaints addressed. Allocating funding for measures such as Electricity Delivery for necessary expenses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Super Typhoon Yutu, is vital to negate the effects of these catastrophic events from significantly worsening. Hospitals, first-responders, and a number of other vital institutions that help our communities recover from the aftereffects of natural disasters need access to electricity. Moreover, with the severity of natural disasters and the ranging of their locations we must be proactive in our preparation for recovery. Alternatively, water is the most essential recourse known to man. A human can go for more than three weeks without food--Mahatma Gandhi survived 21 days of complete starvation--but water is a different story. At least 60 percent of the adult body is made of it and every living cell in the body needs it to keep functioning. Under extreme conditions an adult can lose 1 to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour and if that lost water is not replaced, the total volume of body fluid can fall quickly and, most dangerously, blood volume may drop. We do not have the luxury of not preparing for hurricanes, floods. earthquakes, mudslides, tornados or other natural disasters. With these events it is not a question of if, but when. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying legislation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, on Tuesday, May 7, 2019, I was unavoidably detained in my congressional district by inclement weather and was not present for Roll Call Votes 185 and 186. Had I been present, I would have voted as follows: 1. On Roll Call 185, I would have voted ``aye.'' (On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H. Res. 273, Reaffirming the United States commitment to Taiwan and to the implementation of the Taiwan Relations Act) 2. On Roll Call 186, I would have voted ``aye.'' (On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 1704, Championing American Business Through Diplomacy Act of 2019)

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, this week the Nation has seen this Congress deal with the questions of the rule of law and the Constitution. But this Congress believes that our work is for the people and, at the same time, our oversight on issues of national security are immense and important. Yesterday, I raised a question of military presence off the shores of Iran; for no explanation has been given to the United States Congress on the need for that presence. And having been a Member of Congress during the Iraq war and, certainly, during the war in Afghanistan, committed to the men and women of the United States military, only Congress can declare war. This administration must advise and seek consent of Congress. But those of us who are concerned about national security, with the jurisdictional committees, must be briefed, and must be made aware to protect the American people. So I stand here today to say the rule of law is important, but the national security of this country is important. No war without the involvement and engagement of the United States Congress. We believe in peace and diplomacy.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding, and I thank her for her leadership. Madam Speaker, the American people will insist that this legislation passes. My Republican friends, since my time in helping to pass the Affordable Care Act, have never offered a plan to ensure that America's wonderful citizens have good healthcare and that those with preexisting conditions, such as many of us, including myself and many of my constituents in Houston, Texas, are able to access healthcare. Let me be clear on what this legislation does, as I thank Representative Kuster for her leadership. H.R. 986, of which I am strongly in support of, is a saving grace. What it does is it stops the Trump administration in their tracks from watering down an opportunity of flexibility, section 1332. Here is what is going to happen if we do not pass this legislation: We will stop the coverage of preexisting conditions, period; There will be no protections; You will see a rise in costs in healthcare; Short-term plans will be thrown to the people and other plans that will destabilize the risk pool; It will limit access to comprehensive coverage because the Trump guidance says: Just give access and don't worry about if the plan even allows you to be admitted into a hospital; And finally, it will reduce benefits like maternity coverage, mental healthcare, and coverage of prescription drugs. Is that what Americans want? Every day, in my district, I am seeing people desperate for healthcare. There has been not one proposal coming here. I rise as well to support the supplemental appropriations, because I have been to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. We need these resources. But I have also seen the devastation of victims impacted by Hurricane Michael in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia; the damage in Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, and now in Houston, 10 inches of rain and flooding and more rain coming. I know that people who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey are still suffering. This particular legislation, appropriations, is important. It is important, in particular, to ensure that we add more funding and that we shore up the infrastructure. I submitted amendments that covered the idea of improving FEMA so that it would stay longer and it would have oversight to know whether it is helping people; to increase energy services so that we don't black out so that people are suffering; and to make sure we have the right kind of water. There are many other elements to the appropriations bill which I hope to debate at a later time, but this rule should be supported. Let me additionally go back to the H.R. 986 legislation and indicate that preexisting diseases cover things like sickle cell, which 1 in 13 African American babies are born with; triple negative breast cancer, which is the most deadly and causes immediate or short-term life to White women, Black women, Asian Pacific Islander, American Indian, and Alaska Native women; diabetes; and HIV/AIDS. This is why H.R. 986 is important, Madam Speaker, and why the appropriations bill is important. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong and unequivocal support for the rule governing debate on H.R. 986, the ``Protecting Americans With Pre- Existing Conditions Act of 2019'' as well as the underlying legislation and ask all Members to join me in supporting these legislative initiatives that combat the Trump Administration's ongoing efforts to take away health care from more than 100 million Americans and to make health care dramatically less affordable for those fortunate enough to be insured. Another reason I strongly support this rule is that it makes in order H.R. 2157, the ``Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019,'' which provides much needed and long overdue relief to Americans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands still suffering from the ravages of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, as well as relief to victims of Hurricane Michael which struck Alabama, Florida, and Georgia in October 2018 and to the victims of the Midwestern floods that have caused so much damage in Nebraska, Missouri, South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas. H.R. 986, rescinds this damaging, dangerous guidance immediately, and reinforces the ACA's vital protections for people with pre-existing conditions. It also prevents the Secretaries of HHS and Treasury from promulgating any substantially similar guidance or rule in the future. Section 1332 of the State Innovation Waivers included in the ACA has a clear statutory directive that states must maintain the level of benefits, affordability, and coverage provided to state residents by the ACA. This Administration's 2018 Guidance allows states to simply demonstrate that a comparable number of residents will have access to comprehensive and affordable coverage, regardless of whether they actually enroll in that coverage, thereby allowing the Secretaries of HHS and Treasury to approve waivers that do not provide coverage that is as affordable or as comprehensive as under the ACA. The ``Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act'' is a vital legislative measure that emphasizes the importance of not limiting coverage for individuals with pre-existing conditions or imposing lifetime limits on access to care. Predatory practices such as this will prove to be devastating to communities across the nation, many of which, who will be affected are disproportionately communities of color. The people receiving the life-sustaining medical protections under this provision will be cast aside and left with no way to cover the exorbitant healthcare costs that would otherwise be covered in through the Affordable Care Act. Relenting on this protection will put a great number of my constituents and various communities across the nation at terrible risk. Specifically, in the 18th Congressional District many of my constituents are disproportionally affected by several pre-existing conditions such as: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) affects approximately 100,000 Americans and occurs among about 1 out of every 365 Black or African-American births. SCD occurs among about 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American births. And 1 in 13 Black or African-American babies is born with sickle cell trait (SCT). During 2005, medical expenditures for children with SCD averaged $11,702 for children with Medicaid coverage and $14,772 for children with employer-sponsored insurance. About 40 percent of both groups had at least one hospital stay. The most common cancer in women, no matter your race or ethnicity. The most common cause of death from cancer among Hispanic women. The second most common cause of death from cancer among white, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native women. Diabetes is at an all-time high in the U.S. and continues to increase exponentially every year. The CDC's Division of Diabetes Translation states that over 30 million Americans are living with Diabetes, over a quarter undiagnosed. This trend continues in the state of Texas, where Diabetes is the 6th leading cause of death. Nearly 12 percent of Texas is living with diagnosed Diabetes. According to a collaboration report between the nonprofit Texas Health Institute, the State Demographer's Office and Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, one in three adult Texans are either diagnosed with diabetes, have diabetes but have not yet been diagnosed, or are at high risk for developing the disease within a decade. Approximately 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV today. About 15 percent of them (1 in 7) are unaware they are infected. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that the decline in HIV infections has plateaued because effective HIV prevention and treatment are not adequately reaching those who could most benefit from them. These gaps remain particularly troublesome in rural areas and in the South and among disproportionately affected populations like blacks/ African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos. The overall prevalence of CKD in the general population is approximately 14 percent. High blood pressure and diabetes are the main causes of CKD. Almost half of individuals with CKD also have diabetes and/or self- reported cardiovascular disease (CVD). More than 661,000 Americans have kidney failure. Of these, 468,000 individuals are on dialysis, and roughly 193,000 live with a functioning kidney transplant. Kidney disease often has no symptoms in its early stages and can go undetected until it is very advanced. For this reason, kidney disease is often referred to as a ``silent disease.'' What is also concerning is the overwhelming number of constituents plagued by these diseases, are people of color, African American, Latino, and Native American. H.R. 986 stopped the Trump Administration in its tracks from taking away health care from vulnerable Americans. Madam Speaker, the Trump administration cannot be trusted to act in the best interests of the American people that is why I offered two amendments to H.R. 986, which would extend the prohibitions of the bill to (1) ban lifetime limits with respect to persons with preexisting conditions and (2) prevent the Secretaries from taking any action that would reduce the affordability of comprehensive coverage for children under 26 with pre-existing conditions who are covered under their parents' policies. I will soon be introducing legislation that will achieve these important objectives and protect vulnerable Americans from an uncaring Administration that is unceasing in its efforts to take away health care from vulnerable Americans. Madam Speaker, H.R. 2157, the ``Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019,'' provides much needed and long overdue relief to Americans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands still suffering from the ravages of Hurricanes Maria and Irma, as well as relief to victims of Hurricane Michael which struck Alabama, Florida, and Georgia in October 2018 and to the victims of the Midwestern floods. I support this legislation and offered an amendment that would have provided additional funding for electricity delivery and necessary expenses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Super Typhoon Yutu including technical assistance related to electric grids. As the representative of the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas, which was ground zero for Hurricane Harvey, I regularly hear from constituents expressing their concern with ineffective and inadequate FEMA mechanisms put in place to help rectify the damage caused by natural disasters. That is why I also offered an amendment to H.R. 2157 that would prohibit funds in the bill from being used to prevent the FEMA Administrator from monitoring the response given to disaster victims in order to ensure quality control or becoming aware of complaints regarding the response given to disaster victims and having in place a mechanism to address such complaints. A third Jackson Lee amendment to H.R. 2157 would have provided a minimum of $1 million for wastewater and drinking water treatment works and facilities impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Hurricane Sandy inflicted more than $70 billion in damages in 2012, and Matthew cost the U.S. about $10.3 billion in 2016. With Harvey, an estimated 13 million people were affected, nearly 135,000 homes damaged or destroyed in the historic flooding, and up to a million cars were wrecked. Hurricane Harvey ranks as the second-most costly hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland since 1900, causing more than $125 billion in damage. Our residents need more money than for single-family home repairs, whether it is disaster recovery or general housing dollars and I will continue to stride on behalf of the neighborhoods and on behalf of hard-working homeowners who deserve these funds, so they can continue on with their lives and return to their homes. Victims of natural disasters are entitled to know who to contact when issues related to FEMA arise and to be assured that their questions are answered, and complaints addressed. Allocating funding for measures such as Electricity Delivery for necessary expenses related to the consequences of Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Irma, and Super Typhoon Yutu, is vital to negate the effects of these catastrophic events from significantly worsening. Hospitals, first-responders, and a number of other vital institutions that help our communities recover from the after-effects of natural disasters need access to electricity. Moreover, with the severity of natural disasters and the ranging of their locations we must be proactive in our preparation for recovery. Alternatively, water is the most essential recourse known to man. A human can go for more than three weeks without food--Mahatma Gandhi survived 21 days of complete starvation--but water is a different story. At least 60 percent of the adult body is made of it and every living cell in the body needs it to keep functioning. Under extreme conditions an adult can lose 1 to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour and if that lost water is not replaced, the total volume of body fluid can fall quickly and, most dangerously, blood volume may drop. We do not have the luxury of not preparing for hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, mudslides, tornados or other natural disasters. With these events it is not a question of if, but when. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying legislation.