Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I happen to live and be in the area of the Texas Children's Hospital. I have obviously supported the legislation of Danny Davis. The point is that people with preexisting conditions, including sickle cell, will not have access to healthcare under the Trump guidance. I am standing here not about the research, which is certainly beneficial, but about the fact that I am standing for those with sickle cell, which is a preexisting condition, to not be blocked from having good healthcare. That is why I rise to support H.R. 986, in order to ensure access to healthcare and not stopping preexisting conditions from being covered.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman very much for yielding. Just a second on memory lane, for those of us who were here for the Affordable Care Act, dozens of our committees, including the Judiciary Committee, heard the pain of people whose family members had died because they had no access to healthcare and/or they had junk policies. Mr. Chair, I rise today with the strongest of support for H.R. 986. I thank my good friend, Ann Kuster, for her great leadership and indicate that since the Affordable Care Act--and I know that we are now looking at Medicare for All and many others. My view of it is yes, so that we all can have access to healthcare. It is, in fact, sure that this bill that we now have, which is being attacked by the Trump administration in the Fifth Circuit right now because of my attorney general attacking the Affordable Care Act, Texas saw a national decrease of the uninsured from 14.8 to 8.8. Now this legislation, which is to turn back the Trump guidance on the issue of waivers, is vital because we have lower costs for health insurance because of the ability for people to access and be taken care of with the Affordable Care Act when they have preexisting conditions. Sickle cell, triple negative breast cancer, and diabetes all plague my constituency. Insulin costs are going through the roof. With this guidance that Trump has put in place, it will be worse. It will be compounded. Rates will go up, and people suffering from preexisting conditions, including pregnancy, will not get policies at a low cost. They will not have comprehensive coverage that will include mental health. Certainly, they will see a reverse of them being able to have coverage for preexisting conditions. That is the civil rights of healthcare. Preexisting conditions must be protected. I rise to enthusiastically support H.R. 986, and I demand that the Trump administration stop taking away constitutional rights in everything and denying people their right to good healthcare. Enough is enough. Let us support this legislation. Mr. Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 986, the ``Protecting Americans With Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2019,'' which blocks the Trump Administration's efforts to give states the ability to weaken the Affordable Care Act's critical protections for Americans with pre- existing conditions. On October 22, 2018, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), HHS, and Treasury issued a guidance on Section 1332 of the ACA, which authorizes states to waive certain requirements of the law and experiment with health insurance reforms that could improve the well- being and health of their residents. 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. Section 1332 requires states to meet four statutory ``guardrails'' simultaneously and demonstrate that the proposed waiver will provide comprehensive, affordable coverage to a comparable number of residents as under the ACA, without increasing the federal deficit. But in the 2018 guidance, HHS and Treasury revised the agencies' interpretation of the statutory requirements, and significantly loosened the standards that states must meet in order to receive waiver approval, setting forth weaker requirements that must be met for the affordability and comprehensiveness guardrails and adopted a new definition of what classifies as coverage. The 2018 guidance provided by the Trump Administration would allow 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 2018 guidance also allows states to receive waiver approval for proposals that direct the ACA's tax credit subsidies towards STLDI plans and other types of health insurance plans that do not provide protections for pre-existing conditions. H.R. 986 revokes and rescinds the October 2018 Section 1332 guidance and prohibits the Secretaries of HHS and Treasury from promulgating any substantially similar guidance or rule. These improper waivers leave consumers with less comprehensive plans that do not cover needed services, such as prescription drugs, maternity care and substance use disorder treatment. Another way the ``Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019,'' protects consumers is by prohibiting insurance companies from selling junk health insurance plans that do not provide coverage for essential medical treatments and drugs or cover people with pre-existing medical conditions. As a member of Congress who voted against each of the dozens of Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, I know first-hand how important and critical access to affordable, high quality, accessible health care available to everyone, including those with pre- existing conditions, to the well-being of American families. Because of the passage of the Affordable Care Act, the national uninsured rate has been slashed from 14.8 in 2012 to 8.8 percent in 2018. Texas has long led the nation in rate of uninsured so the comparable rates are 24.6 and 15 percent, respectively. Mr. Chair, I distinctly recall a candidate for the highest public office in the land saying ``Obamacare is a disaster'' and appealing for voters to support him with this question: ``What have you got to lose?'' The question deserves a response so I hope that person, who occupies the Oval Office, is listening to my answer. The Affordable Care Act, or ``Obamacare,'' has been an unmitigated success to the more than 20 million Americans who for the first time now have the security and peace of mind that comes with affordable, accessible, high quality health care. Mr. Chair, Tip O'Neill used to say that ``all politics is local'' so let me share with you how Obamacare has dramatically changed lives for the better for the people in my home state of Texas. 1.874 million Texans who have gained coverage since the ACA was implemented could lose their coverage if the ACA is entirely or partially repealed or invalidated. 1.1 million Texans who purchased high quality Marketplace coverage now stand to lose their coverage if Texas v. United States, No. 4:18- cv-00167-0 (N.D. Tex.), the lawsuit brought by Republican Governors, and now whole-heartedly supported and aided by the Trump Administration were to succeed. 508,000 kids in Texas who have gained coverage since the ACA was implemented are also at risk of having their coverage rolled back. 205,000 young adult Texans who were able to stay on a parent's health insurance plan thanks to the ACA now stand to lose coverage if the Republican Congress eliminates the requirement that insurers allow children to stay on their parents' plans until age 26. 646,415 Texans who received cost-sharing reductions to lower out-of- pocket costs such as deductibles, co-pays, and coinsurance are now at risk of having healthcare become unaffordable if the Republican Congress eliminates costsharing reductions. 10.28 million Texans who now have private health insurance that covers preventive services without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles stand to lose this access if the Republican Congress eliminates ACA provisions requiring health insurers to cover important preventive services without cost-sharing. 913,177 individuals Texans who received financial assistance to purchase Marketplace coverage in 2016, averaging $271 per individual, are at risk of having coverage become unaffordable if the Republican Congress eliminates the premium tax credits. 1.1 million Texans could have insurance if all states adopted the ACA's Medicaid expansion; these individuals will not be able to gain coverage if the Republican Congress eliminates the Medicaid expansion. Women in Texas who can now purchase insurance for the same price as men are at risk of being charged more for insurance if the ACA's ban on gender rating in the individual and small group markets is invalidated. Before the ACA, women paid up to 56 percent more than men for their health insurance. Roughly 4.5 million Texans who have pre-existing health conditions are at risk of having their coverage rescinded, being denied coverage, or being charged significantly more for coverage if the ACA's ban on pre-existing conditions is struck down. 346,750 Texas seniors who have saved an average of $1,057 each as a result of closing the Medicare prescription drug ``donut hole'' gap in coverage stand to lose this critical help going forward. 1.75 million Texas seniors who have received free preventive care services thanks to ACA provisions requiring coverage of annual wellness visits and eliminating cost-sharing for many recommended preventive services covered by Medicare Part B, such as cancer screenings, are at risk of losing access to these services if congressional Republicans go forward with their plan to repeal the ACA. The Affordable Care Act works and has made a life-affirming difference in the lives of millions of Americans, in Texas and across the country. This is what happens when a visionary president cares enough to work with a committed and empathetic Congress to address the real issues facing the American people. You want to know why the American people have Obamacare? It is because Obama cared. The same cannot be said about this Republican president and congressional Republicans who have made careers of attacking and undermining the Affordable Care Act's protections and benefits for the American people. I urge all Members to vote for H.R. 986 and send a powerful message to the President and the American people that this House will not stand idly by as this Administration tries to take away health care from more than 130 million persons. Instead, this House will resist by all constitutional and appropriate means, including opposing this Administration in the courts and by passing H.R. 986, the ``Protecting Pre-Existing Conditions and Making Health Care More Affordable Act of 2019.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I want to join both Congresswoman Jayapal and Congresswoman Lee on just reinforcing the devastation and the dastardliness of child separation from their parents. I would just like to very briefly say that this sad commemoration should equate to a commitment of zero tolerance for separating children from their families. We should end the migrant policy that includes child separation, the position of remaining in Mexico as you seek asylum, the losing of your space, or your bed, if you are in a shelter and have to be sent back to Mexico when you actually apply for asylum. All of these migrant policies, which included child separation, clearly can devastate the families. So I want to emphasize just one point that included my many trips to the border, including the time we had the opportunity to travel together, and I want to focus on the psychological and maybe irreparable damage that is being done particularly to children in the understandable period. That is not a technical term. I am not a sociologist or a psychologist, but in that period where the child may be somewhere between 4 and 15, or 4 and 12. Those are really years when, whether it is a boy or girl, they are bonding with mom. People must realize that those children traveled thousands of miles or 1,000- plus miles with that parent and mostly that mother, and it has been a dad. So that mother made a sacrifice, either out of lack of understanding of the language or signing a paper that she did not understand or thinking that she needed to separate because of the housing situation, and many of us saw the housing situation and the metallic blankets and the lack of space. Let me just say this for the personnel on the border. We found some very empathetic personnel on the border, men and women who do their job. But the resources of the facilities are absolutely inadequate and disgraceful, and they have been like that on the border of Texas for a very long time. So I am grateful for Congresswoman Lee and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, those who realize we have to really overhaul those facilities, that will include healthcare facilities and otherwise. But in that reunion, you might say--and there were good staff people who thought they were doing the right thing, and they were excited with the expectation. They had brought the children. I remember two little boys. First of all, there wasn't a dry eye in the room of those of us who had come. It was just unspeakable. It was overwhelming. It brought back memories. You thought about your children or your extended family members. So two little boys, crisp little white shirts on over at a table playing with the best red fire truck and truck that they could find. In walk mothers who went to different corners. But in walks this mother with her belongings, as I recollect, like in a pillowcase, not even a suitcase. Obviously, you have traveled 1,000 miles plus, and then you have been detained somewhere and your child went off some other place. She comes with those welled-up eyes of expectation. She stood by that table for the longest period of time. We all know there is no way you don't know someone is standing behind you or there is no way you don't recognize your mom even in the sight of your eye who was walking in. We know how mom and children are, mom and dad. They break that big grin, and they run like they have never run before to get into the arms of that mom and dad. This mom stood there with her pillowcase belongings for the longest period of time, and those little boys continued to play and ignore and play and ignore and play and ignore. I almost wanted to reach out and turn that little face back here. There was no way they did not know mom was standing there, but the detachment was so devastating. When that mom put her arms around precious little boy, he was so stiff that I knew this was going to take a very long time. What I was fearful of was, where they would be destined, there would be no resources for his treatment, for his ability to understand what happened. How callous this policy is, to date, that there are still some separated children; and with the leadership we have now, we don't know whether they will do it again. So I thank the gentlewoman for doing this because, even now, my eyes well up because children are children, and we will never repair the damage, but we must stop this policy. It must be zero tolerance. We must not have this policy ever again. It is truly inhumane, and it is not representative of the values of this Nation, in spite of some of the history we have had as a country. This is a nation where people believe in that sense of dignity and equality. Our values say that. We need to act on that and, certainly, humanity, which is so very important.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, first of all, let me thank Congresswoman Alma Adams for gathering us a couple of weeks ago to stand and be counted as members of the Black Maternal Mortality Caucus; and to continue her recognition that if we don't become problem solvers the problems will continue. So I want to join with my colleagues, and, in particular, Congresswoman Adams and Congresswoman Lee, both of whom I knew in the time that they were going through the loss of their moms. A mom and a mother are always a mom and a mother, so let me, in the name of my late mother, who I continue to remember, Ivalita Bennett Jackson, indicate that we stand here in your name and in the names of young mothers around the Nation and young mothers-to-be. I don't believe we could be doing a more important task than what we are doing, to not only bring relevance and substance to this question of why Black women, African American women, suffer more with maternal mortality and infant mortality; because we know what happens when that bond is broken by death or sickness, particularly in the infant stages of a young child's life. So I want to remind us of the beauty of pregnancy, and particularly, those pregnancies that these young women are certainly evidencing, just the beauty of the spirit, the softness of their faces and the contours of their body, excitement. If you have been around a pregnant expectant mother, meaning expectant of joy and excitement, then you understand. Should they not live? Should they not live, and should their children, their babies not live? We have come to find out that Black women are three to four times as likely than White women to die of pregnancy-related causes. A Black baby born today is twice as likely as a White baby born the same day, in the same California city--and I will mention the fact that California has made great strides--to perish before she can take her first steps or experience her first birthday. One in seven babies are born too soon or too small. We have euphemisms that mask the real impact of the maternal healthcare crisis. Good prenatal and maternity care is critically important for healthy pregnancies and healthy children. Congresswoman Adams knows that we have been on the floor discussing access to healthcare. We know that pregnancy has been described as a preexisting condition, which means that women, even if they could, could not access good healthcare. Collectively, we need to make greater efforts to arm the next generation with the right mix of robustness and agility and, I would say, righteousness; that we are righteously indignant that we live in the greatest Nation in the world, and here we are talking about the death of mothers and the death of their infant child. As I listened to Congresswoman Adams speak of her beautiful, taller- than-her grandchild, imagine that she says the healthcare that her daughter had, in spite of the horrific challenges--just think if she did not, or no one had listened to her about the pain in her body or how she felt. That is one the things that we find with Black women, that, in fact, they are not paid attention to as relates to the pain and medical symptoms that are represented by them. They are dismissed or taken less seriously. Let me quickly say that, as the senior member on the Crime Subcommittee, I have had the privilege of knowing that crime impacts humanity in many different ways. And so I introduced legislation called H.R. 5130, the Stop Infant Mortality and Recidivism Reduction Act of 2016. I am very glad, as I wrote the Violence Against Women Act, that I was able to include the SIMARRA Act in the 115th Congress, but it was proudly passed in H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019. The SIMARRA Act permits the Bureau of Prisons to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Federal prison systems for pregnant offenders, many of whom are African American, by establishing a pilot program, a critical stage, and developmental nurseries in Federal prisons for children born to inmates. The SIMARRA Act helps decrease, unprecedentedly high current infant mortality rates by allowing inmate mothers to provide healthy and safe gestation for their unborn, as well as providing a space for bonding with infants during their first 30 months of life. It is important to administer effective services for pregnant, incarcerated women and transcend our divide, to protect families and continue sheltering the lives of our most vulnerable children, babies born to mothers in prison. And although males account for 96 percent of the deaths, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, in 2014, the number of female prisoners who died was 154. I use this example to simply say, we found a problem in incarcerated women, many of them African American, and we sought to get in the way of that problem by finding a solution, to be able to help those mothers have a healthy pregnancy and those babies be born. So let me just simply say that I am glad to be on the floor to be with my sisters. I am unhappy to be on the floor because, as we stand here today, some African American mother is losing her life in birth or losing the life of her child. That is how devastating maternal mortality is. I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership, and I am here to stand with her and fight with her, and this caucus is going to help save lives. We are saving lives tonight.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as the Judiciary Committee sits at this time to uphold the rule of law, I want to make sure that the American people understand the role of the United States Congress, that is, to represent the people, to engage in oversight and truth. As a student of the Mideast, a visitor of the Mideast on behalf of this country on any number of occasions, and, of course, throughout the Iraq war, and, of course, also visiting that area of the world during the Afghan war, I know what our soldiers go through. Boots on the ground. I can never live their life, but I am very concerned about the presence of the U.S. military by way of a naval ship that is in the Mideast at this time. No explanation has been given to the American people. The Secretary of State makes a surprise visit to Iraq. I simply want to say that the powers of war are entrusted to the United States House of Representatives, the United States Congress. It is inappropriate for there to be saber rattling by this administration with Iran with no explanation as to why we send young men and women into harm's way. We should not use one approach to start a war to overcome an approach dealing with the investigation of the rule of law. I oppose any such saber rattling. We need to understand what is going on in the Mideast. We have to protect the men and women of the United States military, though, they fight for us.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the holiday of Cinco de Mayo commemorating the victory of the Mexican Army 1862 over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. The fifth day of May, or Cinco de Mayo, is a special day because it represents the importance of freedom, liberty and determination for the people of Mexico and for Mexican-Americans. It was on that day, May 5, 1862, that untrained, outnumbered, and outgunned Mexican forces--determined to protect their land-- successfully defended the town of Puebla against the French. The quest for an independent Mexico started on September 16, 1810, when the people of Mexico, following the will to become a free nation, refused to submit to Spanish rule. The struggle went on for 10 years. Finally, in 1821, the first independent Mexican government was established. But being an independent nation was not easy. Over the years, Mexico received economic support from several nations, France and England among them. Later on, even Spain supported the new country. Thus, Mexico became heavily indebted to foreign powers. Due to ongoing political unrest caused by many groups struggling for power, Mexico was not able to pay back the loans. On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all-foreign debt payments would be suspended for a period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume. In 1862, France, Spain, and England dispatched their fleets to Mexican shores pursuing not only money but also land rights as payment for their loans. A government representative greeted them and explained that Mexico acknowledged its debts but had no funds to pay them. They were offered payment warrants in exchange. The Spaniards and the British decided to accept the warrants and withdrew from the scene. But the French government's representative did not accept the offer and ordered his troops to invade the country and head toward Mexico City, the nation's capital. They had to cross through the state of Puebla to get to the capital. Mexican President Benito Juarez reacted immediately and prepared the defense. He commanded Ignacio Zaragoza, a young and brave General, to fortify the City of Puebla and repel the French invaders. The battle was by no means even. France, under Louis Napoleon's rule, had the world's most powerful army, and sent more than six thousand men to invade Mexico. But the courage and the love of freedom impelled the Mexican people to fight back. General Ignacio Zaragoza led 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians called Zacapoaxtlas. On the 5th of May 1862, the forts of Loreto and Guadalupe, in the city of Puebla, became the scene of the historic defeat of the great army of France. Against overwhelming odds, they managed to drive the enemy back, achieving a total victory over the best trained and equipped soldiers in the world and ending the era of European domination of the Americas. For Mexico, this day has come to represent a symbol of Mexican unity. In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is also a celebration of the rich cultural heritage Mexican Americans have brought to the United States. Hispanics are the fastest growing minority group in the United States. According to the most recent data available, the estimated Hispanic population in the U.S. is 57.5 million--constituting 17.8 percent of our nation's population. Hispanics now own a record number of small businesses--1.6 million, with annual revenues of more than $221 billion. Small businesses create two-thirds of American jobs, and the fastest- growing small business sector is Latino-owned firms. Today, there are 40 Hispanic Members in the United States Congress, including 4 Senators and 36 House Members, many of whom are Mexican- American, representing constituencies in all regions of the country, from California to New York, from Arizona to Illinois, from Colorado to Florida. These gains and numbers tell us that Hispanics are a driving force in our country--economically, socially and politically. Hispanics share the common goals with all other Americans of freedom, opportunity, and a chance to build a better life. In pursuing these aspirations, Hispanics have made important contributions to life in the United States in the fields of culture, sports, entertainment, business enterprise, science, politics and others. Today, millions of Americans will join our neighbors to the south in celebrating Cinco de Mayo. On this day, we are reminded that all people--regardless of their race, color, or gender--have enriched cultures and are worthy of respect and self-determination. I am happy to be here today to celebrate this momentous day and to recognize the values, traditions, and positive contributions of the Mexican culture.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as Members of Congress we know well, perhaps better than most how blessed our nation is to have in reserve such exceptional young men and women who will go on to become leaders in their local communities, states, and the nation in the areas of business, education, government, philanthropy, the arts and culture, and the military. We know this because we see them and benefit from their contributions every day. Many of them work for us in our offices as junior staff members, congressional fellows, or interns and they do amazing work for and on behalf of the constituents we are privileged to represent. Madam Speaker, I believe there is no higher calling than the call to serve a cause larger than ourselves. That is why I ran for public office. I was inspired to serve by President Kennedy who said, ``Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country,'' and by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who said: Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. . . . You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. By this measure, there are several other great young men and women who served as volunteers this year in my offices. They may toil in obscurity but their contributions to the constituents we serve are deeply appreciated. That is why today I rise to pay tribute to 8 extraordinary young persons for their service to my constituents in the 18th Congressional District of Texas and to the American people. They are: Makaila Davenport, Hampton University; Jaida Hampton, University of Kentucky; Jacqueline Olvera, Texas A&M University; Syeda-Asma Mudassar, University of San Francisco; Ivy Smith, Oberlin College; Kali Morrison, Texas Tech University; Chloe Valcourt, The Madeira School; and Holly Crowley, The Madeira School. Madam Speaker, the energy, intelligence, and idealism these wonderful young people brought to my office and those interning in the offices of my colleagues help keep our democracy vibrant. The insights, skills, and knowledge of the governmental process they gain from their experiences will last a lifetime and prove invaluable to them as they go about making their mark in this world. Because of persons like them the future of our country is bright, and its best days lie ahead. I wish them all well. Madam Speaker, I am grateful that such thoughtful committed young men and women can be found working in my office, those of my colleagues, and in every community in America. Their good works will keep America great, good, and forever young.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, as we enter the month of May, many of us will be gathering at the end of the month to honor and recognize those who have fallen. In mid-month, we will celebrate the mothers of this Nation, many of whom are veterans and who have died in battle. I rise today to speak about veteran suicide, and to view it as a national crisis. It is told that there are 20 veterans a day committing suicide. So, as I stand here today, tragically, a man or woman who has worn the uniform, who is willing to sacrifice himself or herself for this Nation, for the freedom of our people, for democracy, is taking their life. This is such a national crisis that I believe that this should be a major issue for all of us to ensure that we find the resources, including the resources for family members, early counseling, and a helping hand to ensure that those veterans who find themselves lonely or homeless and feel that there is no other way out but to commit suicide--many of them young--that we will find a way to legislate, but also to protect the men and women who stood for us.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I offer this amendment on behalf of myself, Congressman Moulton of Massachusetts and Congresswoman Hayes of Connecticut, and express my appreciation to them for their assistance and support. The Jackson Lee/Moulton/Hayes Amendment improves the bill by adding a finding which emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and multilateralism in responding to the global challenges facing the international community. The Paris Climate Accord was an example of the international leadership, commitment, and resolve that defeated fascism, created NATO, the European Union, the Marshall Plan, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and most importantly, preserved peace and freedom for the last 75 years. Collective international action is also needed to combat growing international challenges such as terrorism, human trafficking, and black-market sales of illegal weapons, drugs, and tobacco. No one country can solve these problems on its own, and this amendment emphasizes the importance of collective international action. The landmark Paris Climate Accord was established to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. This also brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. And in these efforts, we promote the importance of continued international cooperation that has sustained the global community through epidemics, famines, and natural disasters. A collective of rational actors acting in a selfless manner to achieve a rational result such as this requires leadership and systemic reasoning. Without this type of collective action and selfless resolve, we leave ourselves vulnerable to a Tragedy of Commons. When countries act solely in their best interests without regard to combatting international threats, everyone suffers. That is why a great person and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, so eloquently said: ``We are stronger together.'' The Jackson Lee/Moulton/Hayes Amendment reflects this important insight. I urge support of the Jackson Lee/Moulton/Hayes Amendment.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment on behalf of myself, Congressman Moulton of Massachusetts and Congresswoman Hayes of Connecticut, and express my appreciation to them for their assistance and support. The Jackson Lee/Moulton/Hayes Amendment improves the bill by adding a finding which emphasizes the importance of international cooperation and multilateralism in responding to the global challenges facing the international community. The Paris Climate Accord was an example of the international leadership, commitment, and resolve that defeated fascism, created NATO, the European Union, the Marshall Plan, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and most importantly, preserved peace and freedom for the last 75 years. Collective international action is also needed to combat growing international challenges such as terrorism, human trafficking, and black-market sales of illegal weapons, drugs, and tobacco. No one country can solve these problems on its own, and this amendment emphasizes the importance of collective international action. The landmark Paris Climate Accord was established to combat climate change and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. This also brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. And in these efforts, we promote the importance of continued international cooperation that has sustained the global community through epidemics, famines, and natural disasters. A collective of rational actors acting in a selfless manner to achieve a rational result such as this requires leadership and systemic reasoning. Without this type of collective action and selfless resolve, we leave ourselves vulnerable to a Tragedy of Commons. When countries act solely in their best interests without regard to combatting international threats, everyone suffers. That is why a great person and former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, so eloquently said: ``We are stronger together.'' The Jackson Lee/Moulton/Hayes Amendment reflects this important insight. I urge support of the Jackson Lee/Moulton/Hayes Amendment.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, we have gone through some very difficult times, and I want to call the roll: Tree of Life, Robert Gregory Bowers; Mother Emanuel Church, Dylann Roof; Christchurch, Brenton Harrison Tarrant; just recently, in San Diego, John Earnest; and recently arrested, Mark Steven Domingo. First of all, I want to thank the FBI and its investigation for stopping Mark Steven Domingo. I challenge all of us, as colleagues, to begin the debate and discussion on hate, White nationalism, and Nazism, for it is not something that we can allow to seed and grow. We can't allow someone who wants to attack a White nationalist group that is meeting because of hatred, nor can we allow someone to gun people down in their synagogues or mosques or churches. America is better than this, and we as Members of Congress need to begin to discuss race, discrimination, Nazism, White nationalism, sexism. We need to discuss it in a way that is even more than legislation. So I call upon the Nation, I call upon this President to stand up and announce to America that enough is enough and that he stands for the unity of all of us.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Kansas for this outstanding complementary amendment to a very important issue. I am, I believe, very much supportive, and I am supportive of the idea of the GAO producing a report examining the FCC's efforts to assess competition. That is an important record that we in the Congress need, and it complements the Save the Internet Act which represents true net neutrality protections that are designed for today and tomorrow without loopholes. The Save the Internet Act includes enhanced transparency protections and enacts specific rules against blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization. Additionally, the Save the Internet Act empowers the FCC to stop internet service providers from undermining the net neutrality principles through new and harmful mechanisms, but we want to work with those providers. My colleague just mentioned 5G. Nothing that we do here is going to inhibit, I believe, the opportunity for us to work together. Ms. Davids' amendment is a vital and important contribution to the idea of competition, and the idea of serving your area, and making sure that we understand how the competition is increased in wireline and wireless broadband internet access to many markets. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. I support her amendment, and I support the underlying bill, which is the Save the Internet Act, and I thank Mr. Doyle for his leadership over the years in this legislation.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I am reminded of the creation of the Homeland Security Committee and the Department of Homeland Security. It was in the aftermath of the heinous acts of 9/11, of which I was a Member of the United States Congress, and the description and actions are seared in my memory. We organized the Homeland Security Department to be the front lines of security, to recognize, and to determine what would be the best way to function. I will be introducing legislation about the security of the Homeland Security Department. The precipitous firings and resignations are putting this Nation in jeopardy and putting the men and women on the front lines for the work that they are doing, it is undermining that very important work. So today I rise as a cofounder and co-chair of the Afghanistan Caucus, to ask my colleagues to salute those who just lost their lives in battle in Afghanistan, soldiers from across the Nation. Their families are mourning, and we owe them a recognition that they wear the uniform and they are able or willing to sacrifice for us. I would ask my colleagues to take a moment of silence for those who died in the recent IED incident in Afghanistan. I ask now for a moment of silence for those soldiers who have fallen in battle.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Chair, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and an original co-sponsor, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1644, the ``Save the Internet Act of 2019.'' The Save the Internet Act puts a cop on the beat to protect consumers, small businesses, and competition from abusive practices of internet service providers and codifies popular, bipartisan, and targeted net neutrality protections. An overwhelming 86 percent of Americans opposed the FCC's roll back of the same protections that would be enacted by the Save the Internet Act, including 82 percent of Republicans. The Save the Internet Act mirrors the similar bipartisan Congressional Review Act legislation that passed the Senate last Congress and had 182 bipartisan signers in the House. The Save the Internet Act restores necessary, common-sense provisions for defending the internet put in place by the FCC during the Obama Administration and stops the current Trump-dominated FCC from applying more than 700 regulations under the Communications Act that are unnecessary to protecting an open internet such as rate setting. The Save the Internet Act represents true net neutrality protections that are designed for today and tomorrow without loopholes. The Save the Internet Act includes enhanced transparency protections, and enacts specific rules against blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization. The legislation empowers the FCC to investigate consumer and business complaints, and, when necessary, fine internet service providers for violations of the Communications Act. Additionally, the Save the Internet Act empowers the FCC to stop internet service providers from undermining net neutrality principles through new and harmful mechanisms. Because of the Save the Internet Act, no longer will internet service providers be able to exploit choke points online, such as interconnection points, which creates bottlenecks and stifle internet connectivity. Another reason why all Members should support the Save the Internet Act is because it provides important new authorities that can be used to support broadband access and adoption for rural communities and struggling Americans. The Save the Internet Act also restores authorities the FCC used starting in 2016 to fund broadband for low-income Americans, including veterans, seniors, students, and disabled Americans, under the Lifeline program that has subsidized phone service since the Reagan Administration, but only began fully supporting internet access recently. Madam Chair, nothing in the Save the Internet Act would diminish internet service providers' investments in broadband. It should be noted that internet service providers did not cut back on investing, deploying and increasing speeds in 2015 and 2016, when the kind of protections the bill restores were put in place by the FCC. In fact, after the Trump FCC repealed those protections, investments by many of the largest providers went down despite their claims that just opposite would happen. Finally, Madam Chair, it should be noted the legislation before us affirms several important principles and values, including the following: 1. A free and open internet is the single greatest technology of our time, and control should not be at the mercy of corporations. 2. A free and open internet stimulates internet service provider competition. 3. A free and open internet helps prevent unfair pricing practices. 4. A free and open internet promotes innovation. 5. A free and open internet promotes the spread of ideas. 6. A free and open internet drives entrepreneurship. In short, Madam Chair, a free, open, and vibrant internet protects and strengthens our democracy. I urge all Members to join me in voting to save the internet for all of our people by voting to pass H.R. 1644, the ``Save the Internet Act of 2019.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1331, ``The Local Water Protection Act'', which provides 200 million annually to support the nonpoint source management grants program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I support this legislation because it is necessary to counteract the current crisis of water pollution in our country. As an Energy and Environment Task Force Co-Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, I understand the necessity of this bill and its funding to managing sources of water pollution. It is unsustainable to think we can continue to allow runoff that carries pollutants, fertilizers, and sediment from fields; toxins from abandoned mines, and oils and heavy metals from roads, into lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. As pollutants in our waters increase, human exposure to toxins will follow in step, toxin exposure is directly linked to cancers and heart disease. Before the pollutants reach people they reach our waterways, adversely affecting a whole ecosystem, putting 1 to 11 percent of marine species in to extinction every decade. The strain on the marine life is not the only adverse effect to nature, global warming is also worsened when we turn a cheek to decreasing the pollution of our waterways. Water pollution is not a topic to be taken lightly and we are reminded of our current privileges of clean water when we look at cities that have experienced the unimaginable, such as Flint, Michigan. Flint, Michigan has lived in a state of fear, having to drink from bottles of filtered water in order to completely avoid lead poisoning and contamination. Citizens of Flint, Michigan had to abandon their homes and the residents had to be compensated for their property and their current and future health conditions that arise from the contamination by polluted water. Water pollution poses a threat in every state, including my home state of Texas. It was found just recently that in 938 instances, Texas companies released pollution that exceeded the levels permitted by federal clean water laws according to researchers who examined Texas Commission for Environmental Quality data. Texas was found in 2018 to have the most widespread radiated drinking water contamination affecting more than 3,500 utilities serving 22 million people. The contamination in Texas included detectable levels of radium-226 and radium-228 in a study conducted by the Environmental Working Group (EWG). Currently, it is required by law for states to submit reports to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the current sources of water pollution within their state, as well as plans to manage those sources of pollution. EPA provides grants for states to carry out their plans to manage water pollution. Mr. Speaker, we must not wait to take action when the health of our marine life, the state of Global Warming, and the health of our people are being affected. H.R. 1331 would allow instrumental programs to continue serving as a step in the right direction in protecting and healing our home.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, it is well known that the Department of Homeland Security, established after the heinous and unspeakable acts of 9/11, is one of America's most important departments. It is tragic that during the tenure of this administration, it has been in the midst of confusion and dishevelment. The Department needs long and strong leadership. Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol, many other departments that are crucial, those dealing with domestic terrorism, those dealing with transportation security, it needs someone that can make an independent decision that separating children from families is not the right thing to do; that the border crisis is a humanitarian crisis; that the fences that have been built are still being built through funding that has come from previous administrations. I wish well the Acting Secretary that is now in the position, but I will tell you that I wish more well to the hardworking employees every day that work to keep this Nation safe. Leave the Department alone, and let its leadership work its will on behalf of the security of the American people to do the right thing and to act accordingly to the decency of the rule of law.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, today, April 4, 2019, marks the 51st anniversary of one of the darkest and most sorrowful days in American history, the assassination in Memphis, Tennessee of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday. The mortal life of one of the towering figures of the 20th century may have been cut short on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel a half century ago, but the spirit that animated that life and inspired a nation lives on and reminds us that nothing is impossible when we are guided by the better angels of our nature. In remembering the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we commemorate a man of action, who put his life on the line for freedom and justice every day. We honor the courage of a man who endured harassment, threats and beatings, and even bombings. We celebrate the man who went to jail 29 times to achieve freedom for others, and who knew he would pay the ultimate price for his leadership, but kept on marching and protesting and organizing anyway. Dr. King once said that we all have to decide whether we ``will walk in the light of creative altruism or the darkness of destructive selfishness.'' ``Life's most persistent and nagging question,'' he said, is ``what are you doing for others?'' And when Dr. King talked about the end of his mortal life in one of his last sermons, on February 4, 1968 in the pulpit of Ebenezer Baptist Church, even then he lifted up the value of service as the hallmark of a full life: ``I'd like somebody to mention on that day Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others,'' he said. ``I want you to say on that day, that I did try in my life . . . to love and serve humanity.'' We should also remember that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was, above all, a person who was always willing to speak truth to power. There is perhaps no better example of Dr. King's moral integrity and consistency than his criticism of the Vietnam War being waged by the Johnson Administration, an administration that was otherwise a friend and champion of civil and human rights. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. Martin's youth was spent in our country's Deep South, then run by Jim Crow and the Ku Klux Klan. For young African-Americans, it was an environment even more dangerous than the one they face today. A young Martin managed to find a dream, one that he pieced together from his readings--in the Bible, and literature, and just about any other book he could get his hands on. Not only did those books help him educate himself, but they also allowed him to work through the destructive and traumatic experiences of blatant discrimination, and the discriminatory abuse inflicted on himself, his family, and his people. As a youngster, Dr. King learned to use his imagination and his dreams to see right through those ``White Only'' signs--to see the reality that all men, and women, regardless of their place of origin, their gender, or their creed, are created equal. Dr. King was a dreamer and through dreams he was able to lift his mind beyond the reality of his segregated society to a beloved place where it was possible that white and black, red and brown, and all others live, work, and prosper together in harmony. But the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not an idle daydreamer. He shared his visions through speeches that motivated others to join in his nonviolent effort to lift themselves from poverty and isolation by creating a new America where equal justice and institutions were facts of life. In the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote, ``We hold these truths to be self evident, that all Men are Created Equal.'' At that time and for centuries to come, African-Americans were historically, culturally, and legally excluded from inclusion in that declaration. Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King's ``I Have a Dream'' Speech, delivered 54 years ago, on August 28, 1963, was a clarion call to each citizen of this great nation that we still hear today. His request was simply and eloquently conveyed--he asked America to allow of its citizens to live out the words written in its Declaration of Independence and to have a place in this nation's Bill of Rights. The 1960s were a time of great crisis and conflict. It was the decade of the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the assassinations of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy, Malcolm X, Presidential Candidate Robert Kennedy, and the man we honor here today. The dream expressed and shared by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped win major victories in the battle for civil rights. It started when Dr. King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, with Rosa Parks and others, which lasted for 381 days, and ended when the United States Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation on all public transportation. But the dream did not die there. It continued with a peaceful march for suffrage that started in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965, a day that was immediately known and will always be remembered as ``Bloody Sunday,'' when a peaceful march for voting rights ended in bloodshed and violence at the hands of law enforcement officers as the marchers crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge. When the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was stolen from us, he was a very young 39 years old. People remember that Dr. King died in Memphis, but few can remember why he was there. On that fateful day in 1968 Dr. King came to Memphis to support a strike by the city's sanitation workers. The garbage men there had recently formed a chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to demand better wages and working conditions. But the city refused to recognize their union, and when the 1,300 employees walked off their jobs the police broke up the rally with mace and Billy clubs. It was then that union leaders invited Dr. King to Memphis. Despite the danger he might face entering such a volatile situation, it was an invitation he could not refuse. Not because he longed for danger, but because the labor movement was intertwined with the civil rights movement for which he had given up so many years of his life. The death of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will never overshadow his life. That is his legacy as a dreamer and a man of action. It is a legacy of hope, tempered with peace. It is a legacy not quite yet fulfilled. I hope that Dr. King's vision of equality under the law is never lost to us, because without that vision--without that dream--we can never continue to improve the human condition. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood that a life well lived, and all of the noblest virtues--courage, wisdom, grace, love-- were rooted in service to others. And he memorably expressed this idea in his last sermon, the one given at Mason Temple in Memphis on April 3, 1968, the evening before he was felled by an assassin: But then the Good Samaritan came by. And he reversed the question: ``If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?'' That's the question before you tonight. Not, ``If I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job. Not, ``If I stop to help the sanitation workers what will happen to all of the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor?'' The question is not, ``If I stop to help this man in need, what will happen to me?'' The question is, ``If I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them?'' That's the question. Let us rise up tonight with a greater readiness. Let us stand with a greater determination. And let us move on in these powerful days, these days of challenge to make America what it ought to be. We have an opportunity to make America a better nation. And I want to thank God, once more, for allowing me to be here with you. So in these difficult days of challenge, let us remember and take inspiration from the remarkable, extraordinary, and consequential life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and move forward together, with greater readiness and determination, to make America a place where all of her people enjoy the blessings of justice, equality, and human dignity. Let us, the living, continue that struggle today and forever, in the incandescent spirit of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1433 the ``DHS MORALE Act'', which would help improve morale among the 240,00 employees of the Department by creating and cataloguing leadership development opportunities, identifying and addressing factors that impact employee engagement, and recognizing employee contributions through the many plans it offers such as the employee effort recognition award plan which recognizes employees for their efforts over the year and through the DHS Rotation Program to create opportunities for employees. As a senior member of the Committee and a former chair and ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee and Transportation Security Subcommittee, I understand how important this bill will be in enhancing employee engagement. H.R. 1433 addresses and is responsible to the needs of DHS employees by developing frameworks to create leadership opportunities and by assessing the needs of the employees in supervisory as well as non- supervisory roles. The DHS Rotation Program is one of the many programs that this bill has helped steer employees towards by having the Chief Human Capital Officer maintain a catalogue of development opportunities. The bill also establishes an Employee Engagement Steering Committee-- through which factors are identified that affect employee morale comprised of representatives and individuals throughout the department and labor organizations representing the DHS employees and involvement and solutions sought to counter-act those problems. This process enhances employee morale as it requires a Department wide Engagement Action Plan to be implemented which comes through the input from the Steering committee. The bill directs that employees be recognized for their efforts over the year by establishing an Employee Award Program which help with the goals of the department. This bill greatly helps DHS move in a positive direction when it comes to addressing its longstanding problems of the morale concerns of employees. I strongly support this bill and urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for its passage.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1593, Class Act of 2019, which addresses the increasing risks of security in schools. As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I ensure you that this bill will improve the safety plans and policies within our schools as well as the communication between the homeland security and the Homeland Security Committee. This Class Act will ensure a council within the Department of Homeland Security that coordinates with school security departments of their policies, plans, and activities in regards to security, and require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress on the council's effort. Between January and May 2018, school shootings averaged one per week. Schools need to be buildings of safety where children can gain an education in peace. During Homeland Security Committee markups of H.R. 1593, the ``Coordinating and Leveraging Activities for School Security Act.'' I want to thank and recognize Chairman Payne for his tireless work to improve the Department of Homeland Security's capability and capacity to provide services to our youngest citizens. His dedication to meeting the homeland security needs of children is greatly appreciated. The amendment I offer to H.R. 1593, the ``Coordinating and Leveraging Activities for School Security Act,'' directs that any engagement with stakeholders should be reflected in the final report provided by this bill. There are many factors that contribute to school security that we should acknowledge in the bill's report. I am particularly interested in the work of school architects who design schools and, for decades, have worked successfully to address difficult safety challenges in school design. As a direct result of school architects, schools are engineered to be resilient against fires, and high winds caused by tornadoes. School architects are taking on the challenge of addressing the threat of active shooters in schools by developing designs that create visual blind spots in classrooms and hall-ways as well as engineering features that would delay an active shooter long enough to allow first responders to arrive. It is my hope that stakeholders will also include students and teachers who can provide different perspectives on what constitutes school safety. For these reasons, I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 1593.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1589 the ``CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2019'' which amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish chemical sharing function of the Office of Intelligence and require dissemination of information to responsible entities relating to the homeland security. As a Senior member of the Homeland Security committee, I understand how important this bill is in order to establish safety with chemical use. This bill requires examination of terrorist capabilities with these chemicals as well as threats from global diseases. Terrorist supporters often promote the use of dangerous chemicals online and this bill would help to counter-act that issue. H.R. 1589 supports the analysis of all chemicals used to ensure safety as well as supporting the analysis of claims of terrorist actors which enhances prevention and protection capabilities. H.R. 1589 would allow more specific security measures to be implemented to cater to any threats to the State or any other entities. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis will be coordinating with other required agencies in order to provide information to the department to ensure optimum safety. H.R. 1589 will be extremely important in order to share information that is paramount throughout the department. I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to pass H.R. 1589.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York and the gentleman from Texas. We may have some agreements because, frankly, I think there is not one person on this floor, in this House and in the Senate, who does not believe that there has been enormous violence in Yemen. I have been to Yemen. I want to go back. I know that it is, if not the poorest, one of the poorest nations in the world. The children are suffering. There is a humanitarian crisis. If the United States should be engaged in any aspect of this, let our presence loom large in a humanitarian way. I think it is important to remind my colleagues of the vicious bombing of an innocent school bus where 40 children died and any number of other incidences where children were involved and died. Now, these children are suffering from malnutrition and are dying from lack of access to healthcare, as well as no food. We can be a major force, the United States, in providing that humanitarian aid. But this is a resolution already passed by the other body, the Senate, that indicates that, if we are to be engaged in a war, there must be a debate under the Constitution about taking Americans into war. Because the Americans who offer their sons and daughters clearly are sacrificing. And those who put on the uniform--and we thank them-- are willing to sacrifice their lives. This is a conflict between the Saudis and Houthis. It is a violence that is going to go on and on. And if we are to prop them up--the Saudis--they will never stop. They will never seek reconciliation. They will never stop killing the babies because of an ``accident,'' they declared: It was a mistake. We don't know how it happened. We cannot allow Yemeni children, or any children, to be in the line of fire. So, this resolution indicates that the Congress must make a determinative, if you will, assessment and engagement through the War Powers Act and its powers to declare war under the Constitution. Frankly, I believe that this is a must-pass resolution. It must be signed immediately, and can be signed, by the President of the United States, and we can begin to, in an effective manner, withdraw troops and provide humanitarian aid to save the lives of children. Madam Speaker, I support the resolution, and I thank the Senate for sending it to us. We should vote on it and pass it now.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S.J. Res. 7, which directs the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress. The passage of S.J. Res. 7 would mark the first time in the 45 years since the enactment of the War Powers Act that the House of Representatives successfully invoked the statute's removal mechanism to compel the Executive Branch to remove American troops from harm's way. I support this resolution because, Congress has the sole power to declare war under Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the United States Constitution. Madam Speaker, Congress has not declared war with respect to, or provided a specific statutory authorization for, the conflict between military forces led by Saudi Arabia, including forces from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, and Sudan (the Saudi-led coalition), against the Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, in the Republic of Yemen. Since March 2015, members of the United States Armed Forces have been introduced into hostilities between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis, including providing to the Saudi-led coalition aerial targeting assistance, intelligence sharing, and mid-flight aerial refueling. The United States has established a Joint Combined Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia, in which members of the United States Armed Forces assist in aerial targeting and help to coordinate military and intelligence activities. Madam Speaker, the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis constitutes, within the meaning of Section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1543(a)), either hostilities or a situation where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances into which United States Armed Forces have been introduced. Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)) states that, ``at any time that United States Armed Forces are engaged in hostilities outside the territory of the United States, its possessions and territories without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization, such forces shall be removed by the President if the Congress so directs.'' Most importantly, no specific statutory authorization for the use of United States Armed Forces with respect to the conflict between the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis in Yemen has been enacted. Also, no provision of law explicitly authorizes the provision of targeting assistance or of midair refueling services to warplanes of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates that are engaged in such conflict. For this reason, the resolution directs that the President remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen, except United States Armed Forces engaged in operations directed at al-Qaeda or associated forces, by not later than the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment. The resolution makes clear that the term ``hostilities'' includes in- flight refueling, non-United States aircraft conducting missions as part of the ongoing civil war in Yemen. Madam Speaker, Yemen is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world right now. The Yemen crisis began in the Arab Spring of 2011, when an uprising forced the country's long-time authoritarian president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to hand over power to his deputy, Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has launched an estimated 18,000 air strikes on Yemen, attacking hospitals, schools, water treatment plants, funerals, markets and even farms. The Saudis also imposed a blockade on food, fuel and medicine from freely entering the country in what can only be described as a deliberate effort to starve the civilian population into submission. More than 14 million Yemenis are steps away from starvation and at least 85,000 children under the age of five have perished from war- related hunger and disease. The United States has supported the Saudi led air campaign with mid- air refueling support, intelligence and targeting assistance, and other support. Yemen is experiencing the world's worst famine in 100 years, with 12 million to 13 million innocent civilians at risk of dying from the lack of food within months. Madam Speaker, too many lives hang in the balance to allow American involvement in Yemen war to continue. I ask all members to join me in supporting S.J. Res. 37.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, today, we finished one stop of a journey, and that is the journey to pass the Violence Against Women Act. I have had the privilege to see and shepherd this bill throughout my congressional tenure, having stood alongside senior Members many years ago in the first reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. This bill was started today in 2016. We began to work and reach across the aisle to do what is right for the victims of so many horrific crimes. We wanted children to be protected, immigrant women to be protected. We wanted to make sure that Native American women were protected. We wanted law enforcement and prosecutors to have the tools. We wanted to stop the backlog in rape kits that had not been processed. We did that today with a collective group of Republican and Democratic Members on a bill that should be nonpartisan. We worked hard, and I was gratified that we wound up giving a bill to the Senate and that they must ask the question: Are they not going to support a bill that was bipartisan? Madam Speaker, I thank Monalisa Dugue, Milagros Cisneros, Joe Graupensperger, Amy Rutkin, and Chairman Nadler. I thank Karen Bass and all those women who worked together, including the outstanding work that was done on the MTR with Debbie Dingell. Madam Speaker, we are thanking them because we are moving forward to protect women in this country, including against sex trafficking, which was in the bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I think all of us have heard, in some way, paraphrased: While Rome is burning, much fiddling is going on. I am grateful for all of the Members of Congress who helped construct this legislation. I want to remind my friends, as the authorizations proceeded in the 1990s into the 2000s of the Violence Against Women Act, the last authorization was technically supposed to be in 2010, but it took 3 years until 2013. Working with advocates who represent almost 200 groups, Republicans and Democrats, organizations who deal with women impacted by domestic violence and other sexual assault issues and acts, they indicated that they wanted to see this bill expanded to cover Native American women, they wanted to protect immigrant women who are left vulnerable, they wanted to make sure it was gender-neutral in many instances. But, as I recall, in 2010, it was Native American and immigrants, so it took 3 years. And all the bill wanted to do was to simply protect people who are vulnerable. In this bill, that has been 3 years in writing--with every opportunity with the preceding chairman of this committee, preceding Congress, and members on the Judiciary Committee to sit with us to work--I, for one, remember constant meetings with staff and members interested, Democratic members, in how we can work together. This bill is long in waiting for prosecutors and law enforcement. They are waiting on the $291 million for stock grants and resources for women's shelters. This bill is a bipartisan bill. I thank Mr. Fitzpatrick for his work. And in this bill is a whole section on healthcare that Mr. Fitzpatrick's bill allowed us to put in.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. It is an important contribution to this legislation. There is an amendment by Mr. Gohmert, my friend from Texas, on female genital mutilation. It is an amendment that we worked on, in discussion about reporting on the incidences with Indian women, Native American women. My amendment was joined, supported, by Republicans in the Judiciary Committee. This bill is bipartisan, but, most of all, it is a response to desperation of need. The Violence Against Women Act is long overdue for being reauthorized. This is a strong product that covers so many issues to protect women and to ensure that those who have convictions with gun violence do not allow them to come and kill an innocent mom with her children. Mr. Speaker, we must pass this bill. The rule is a good rule. Support the rule. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Rule and the underlying bill of H.R. 1585. The Violence Against Women Act (``VAWA'') is landmark legislation which--through policy reforms, interstate cooperation and grant allocation--has been pivotal in providing a national response to protecting half of the population. Equally important, it has ushered in a seismic transformation on how society perceives violence against women. The law has enhanced and improved the lives of girls and women, boys and men. There are many similarities between the year that VAWA initially passed in 1994, and the moment in which we all find ourselves today. When it was first passed, the country was experiencing reverberations to yet another polarizing battle to fill a seat on the Supreme Court. Then the courageous victim sharing her truth was Anita Hill. Today, as VAWA is yet again scheduled to expire, the country is assessing the ripples created by the #MeToo movement. But despite the passage of over a quarter-century since its first enactment, the malignant treatment received by a courageous person willing to share her story unfortunately endures. The need to create a safe space for victims of violence, especially women, supported with substantial resources to address this scourge has taken on a new urgency in this era of the #MeToo movement. When discussing VAWA, we cannot forget the victims of domestic violence like Brittany Smith, who was 23 years old and was gunned down last year in Houston, by her boyfriend and San Diego-based Marine; nor can we forget Charlene Caldwell, a mother and grandmother beaten to death last year by a baseball bat at the hands of her boyfriend in Houston. Domestic violence was alleged in both of these horrific events. Unfortunately, there are too many stories like Charlene's or Brittany's. The stories of these two women remind us of the urgency to protect survivors now, before it is too late, because many of these deaths are preventable. Despite the experiences of #MeToo survivors or victims like Ms. Smith or Ms. Caldwell, all is not for naught. Since VAWA's codification in 1994, more victims report episodes of domestic violence to the police and the rate of non-fatal intimate partner violence against women has decreased by almost two-thirds. VAWA has also led to a significant increase in the reporting of sexual assault. For example, the percentage of victims of rape and sexual assault who report the assault to the police increased from 28.8 percent in 1993-- the year prior to VAWA's initial passage--to 50 percent in 2010. In the first 15 years of VAWA's validity, rates of serious intimate partner violence declined by 72 percent for women and 64 percent for men. Research suggests that referring a victim to a domestic violence or sexual assault advocate has been linked to an increased willingness to file a police report--survivors with an advocate filed a report with law enforcement 59 percent of the time, versus 41 percent for individuals not referred to a victim advocate. This progress cannot be allowed to stop. Congress must continue sending the clear message that violence against women is unacceptable. Prior to VAWA, law enforcement lacked the resources and tools to respond effectively to domestic violence and sexual assault. Each reauthorization of VAWA has improved protections for women and men, while helping to change the culture and reduce the tolerance for these crimes. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019 improves current law in several important respects, and takes a holistic approach to the goal of eliminating the harm faced by victims of violence, and making vital services accessible to victims of this scourge. For example, this iteration of VAWA contains guidance on the use of grants to activate judicial and law enforcement tools to develop and enforce firearm surrender policies; expands permissible use of grant funding for programs focused on increasing survivor/law enforcement/ community safety; and provides legal assistance for dependent children in appropriate circumstances. It also updates programs designed to reduce dating violence, help children exposed to violence and engage men in preventing violence against women. Additionally, the bill improves services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It provides policies, protection, and justice for young victims of violence, including extending the Rape Prevention and Education grant program, addressing bullying of young people, improving grants focused on prevention education for students, and expanding relevant training for school-based and campus health centers; and reauthorizes and updates programs designed to reduce dating violence, help children exposed to violence, and engage men in preventing violence. This bill also recognizes the cascading ills associated with identifying, eliminating, and preventing the reemergence of domestic violence. This bill expands grants under the Public Health Service Act to support implementation of training programs to improve the capacity of early childhood programs to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking among the families they serve; preserves and expands housing protections for survivors; provides economic security assistance for survivors, by reauthorizing the National Resource Center on Workplace Responses; protects employees from being fired because they are survivors of sexual assault or domestic violence; and protects survivors' eligibility to receive Unemployment Insurance. Recognizing that many women are victimized at the hands of intimate partners, this iteration of VAWA helps prevent ``intimate partner'' homicides, by including provisions expanding firearms laws to prohibit persons convicted of dating violence from possessing firearms, prohibiting persons convicted of misdemeanor stalking from possessing firearms, and prohibiting individuals subject to ex parte protective orders from possessing firearms. Accordingly, the bill helps protect Native American women, by including provisions to improve the response to missing and murdered Native American women, improving tribal access to federal crime information databases, and reaffirming tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian perpetrators of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and trafficking for all federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaskan Natives. Additionally, this bill protects the Office on Violence Against Women in the Department of Justice from being de-emphasized, merged, or consolidated into any other DOJ office. VAWA is central to our nation's effort to fight the epidemic of domestic, sexual, and dating violence and stalking. This work did not happen on its own. It was the product of a collaborative effort of stakeholders, including victim advocates. It was the product of those willing to share their stories of the abuse suffered at the hands of those who were entrusted to love, but instead harmed. The courage, strength, and resilience displayed by survivors has reminded all that we must continue to foster an environment for victims of violence to come forward and expose episodes of violence against women. This bill represents the good that can come when courageous people with a story to tell come forward with the belief that through their pain, the lives of others can be helped. Having listened to concerned stakeholders from all pockets of the country, we have put pen to paper and produced a bill that is endorsed by the bipartisan National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (NTF), which is a national collaboration comprising a large and diverse group of 35 national, tribal, state, territorial, and local organizations, advocates, and individuals that focus on the development, passage and implementation of effective public policy to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Indeed, there is no reason our work on this cannot be bipartisan, as has been the custom of prior Congresses in authorizing this critical piece of legislation. The love for a spouse, the comfort of a mother and the best wishes for a sister know no political allegiance.