Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I first want to acknowledge the passing of a dear friend, Congressman Ralph Hall, who was a great leader and a great Texan. But I also rise today, Mr. Speaker, to ensure that the American people know what we did this week; and that is condemning anti-Semitism as hateful expressions of intolerance that are contradictory to the values and aspirations that define the United States of America. This is the strongest, most definitive denouncing of anti-Semitism that the United States Congress has ever voted on--407 votes. This summer I will be in my almost 30th year of sending young people to Israel in a kibbutz program named after former Congressman Mickey Leland. We understand the value of applauding all people, and, yes, we don't want Americans who happen to be Muslims to be discriminated against or associated with the burning towers, Muslims who have served in the United States military or white nationalists who will be willing to talk about the hatefulness against African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, Asians, and Pacific Islanders. Mr. Speaker, this is an important statement, and I am glad to have been associated with it. We should applaud all those who voted for it.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership and Mr. Sarbanes for his leadership and for allowing us to tell our stories. Let me tell you the story of Texas. In 2017, right before a bond election in my district and surrounding areas, 4,000 people were taken off the voting rolls. In 2018, the Secretary of State's Office purged people off the voting rolls with absolutely no understanding and no notice. H.R. 1 expands the access to the ballot box by creating voluntary automatic voter registration access across the country, ensuring that the rights of individuals who have completed felony sentences--family members, your neighbors who have done their time--have the ability to register as well, and expanding early voting. Be reminded of the 2000 election when those who had done their time, were citizens, went to the voting poll, and they were told: Oh, you cannot vote. It ends partisan gerrymandering, but in particular, it focuses on opportunities for voting. So I am here to say those provisions are crucial to providing the American public its constitutional right to vote, and we should support that right. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1, The ``For the People Act of 2019,'' which expands access to the ballot box, reduces the influence of big money in politics, and strengthens ethics rules for public servants. I am proud to be one of 226, co-sponsors, and one of the original cosponsors, of H.R. 1, which will increase public confidence in our democracy by reducing the role of money in politics, restoring ethical standards and integrity to government, and strengthening laws to protect voting. Specifically, the For the People Act will: 1. Make it easier, not harder, to vote by implementing automatic voter registration, requiring early voting and vote by mail, committing Congress to reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act and ensuring the integrity of our elections by modernizing and strengthening our voting systems and ending partisan redistricting. 2. Reform the campaign finance system by requiring all political organizations to disclose large donors, updating political advertisement laws for the digital age, establishing a public matching system for citizen-owned elections, and revamping the Federal Election Commission to ensure there's a cop on the campaign finance beat; and 3. Strengthen ethics laws to ensure that public officials work in the public interest by extending conflict of interest laws to the President and Vice President; requiring the release of their tax returns; closing loopholes that allow former members of Congress to avoid cooling-off periods for lobbying; closing the revolving door between industry and the federal government; and establishing a code of conduct for the Supreme Court. H.R. 1 expands access to the ballot box by taking aim at institutional barriers to voting. This bill ensures that individuals who have completed felony sentences have their full rights restored and expands early voting and simplify absentee voting; and modernize the U.S. voting system. Mr. Chair, this legislation and this hearing is particularly timely because more than half a century after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we are still discussing voter suppression--something which should be a bygone relic of the past, but yet continues to disenfranchise racial minorities, immigrants, women, and young people. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a watershed moment for the Civil Rights Movement--it liberated communities of color from legal restrictions barring them from exercising the fundamental right to civic engagement and political representation. But uncaged by Supreme Court's infamous 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013), which neutered the preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act, 14 states, including my state of Texas, took extreme measures to enforce new voting restrictions before the 2016 presidential election. It is not a coincidence that many of these same states have experienced increasing numbers of black and Hispanic voters in recent elections. If not for invidious, state-sponsored voter suppression policies like discriminatory voter ID laws, reduced early voting periods, and voter intimidation tactics that directly or indirectly target racial minorities, the 2016 presidential election might have had a drastically different outcome. Mr. Chair, H.R. 1 must be passed because many of the civil rights that I fought for as a student and young lawyer have been undermined or been rolled back by reactionary forces in recent years. To add insult to injury, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order establishing a so-called ``Election Integrity'' Commission to investigate not voter suppression, but so-called ``voter fraud'' in the 2016 election. Trump and his followers have been unceasing in their efforts to perpetuate the myth of voter fraud, but it remains just that: a myth. Between 2000 and 2014, there were 35 credible allegations of voter fraud out of more than 834 million ballots cast--that is less than 1 in 28 million votes! An extensive study by social scientists at Dartmouth College uncovered no evidence to support Trump's hysterical and outrageous allegations of widespread voter fraud ``rigging'' the 2016 election. Just for the record, Mr. Chair, the popular vote of the 2016 presidential election was: Hillary Clinton, 65,853,516 Donald Trump, 62,884,824 Trump's deficit of 2.9 million was the largest of any Electoral College winner in history by a massive margin, and despite the allegations of the current Administration, there have been only 4 documented cases of voter fraud in the 2016 election. The Voter Fraud Commission, like many of Trump's business schemes, was a massive scam built on countless lies that do not hold up to any level of scrutiny. As Members of Congress, we should be devoting our time, energy, and resources addressing Russian infiltration of our election infrastructure and campaigns, along with other pressing issues. Instead of enjoying and strengthening the protections guaranteed in the Voting Rights Act--people of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, and immigrants--have been given the joyless, exhausting task of fending off the constant barrage of attacks levelled at our communities by Trump and other conspiracy theorists. Not only are we tasked with reversing the current dismal state of voter suppression against minorities; we are forced to refute the blatant, propagandist lie of voter fraud. To this end, I have been persistent in my efforts to protect the rights of disenfranchised communities in my district of inner-city Houston and across the nation. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have cosponsored dozens of bills, amendments, and resolutions seeking to improve voters' rights at all stages and levels of the election process. This includes legislation aimed at: 1. Increasing voter outreach and turnout; 2. Ensuring both early and same-day registration; 3. Standardizing physical and language accessibility at polling places; 4. Expanding early voting periods; 5. Decreasing voter wait times; 6. Guaranteeing absentee ballots, especially for displaced citizens; 7. Modernizing voting technologies and strengthening our voter record systems; 8. Establishing the federal Election Day as a national holiday; and 9. Condemning and criminalizing deceptive practices, voter intimidation, and other suppression tactics; Along with many of my CBC colleagues, I was an original cosponsor of H.R. 9, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act, which became public law on July 27, 2006. I also authored H.R. 745 in the 110th Congress, which added the legendary Barbara Jordan to the list of civil rights trailblazers whose memories are honored in the naming the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act. This bill strengthened the original Voting Rights Act by replacing federal voting examiners with federal voting observers--a significant enhancement that made it easier to safeguard against racially biased voter suppression tactics. In the 114th Congress, I introduced H.R. 75, the Coretta Scott King Mid-Decade Redistricting Prohibition Act of 2015, which prohibits states whose congressional districts have been redistricted after a decennial census from redrawing their district lines until the next census. Prejudiced redistricting, or gerrymandering as it is more commonly known, has been used for decades to weaken the voting power of African Americans, Latino Americans, and other minorities since the Civil Rights Era. Immediately after the Shelby County ruling, which lifted preclearance requirements for states with histories of discrimination seeking to change their voting laws or practices, redistricting became a favorite tool for Republicans who connived to unfairly gain 3 congressional seats in Texas. In the 110th Congress, I was the original sponsor of H.R. 6778, the Ex-Offenders Voting Rights Act of 2008, which prohibited denial of the right to vote in a federal election on the bases of an individual's status as a formerly incarcerated person. The Ex-Offenders Voting Rights Act sought to reverse discriminatory voter restrictions that disproportionately affect the African American voting population, which continues to be targeted by mass incarceration, police profiling, and a biased criminal justice system. Those of us who cherish the right to vote justifiably are skeptical of Voter ID laws because we understand how these laws, like poll taxes and literacy tests, can be used to impede or negate the ability of seniors, racial and language minorities, and young people to cast their votes. Voter ID laws are just one of the means that can be used to abridge or suppress the right to vote but there are others, including: 1. Curtailing or Eliminating Early Voting; 2. Ending Same-Day Registration; 3. Not counting provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct on Election Day will not count; 4. Eliminating Teenage Pre-Registration; 5. Shortened Poll Hours; 6. Lessening the standards governing voter challenges used by vigilantes, like the King Street Patriots in my city of Houston, to cause trouble at the polls; 7. ``Voter Caging,'' to suppress the turnout of minority voters by sending non-forwardable mail to targeted populations and, once the mail is returned, using the returned mail to compile lists of voters whose eligibility is then challenged on the basis of residence under state law; and 8. Employing targeted redistricting techniques to dilute minority voting strength, notably ``Cracking'' (i.e., fragmenting and dispersing concentrations of minority populations); ``Stacking'' (combining concentrations of minority voters with greater concentrations of white populations); and ``Packing'' (i.e., over-concentrating minority voters in as few districts as possible). Mr. Chair, we must not allow our democracy to slide back into the worst elements of this country's past, to stand idly by as our treasured values of democracy, progress, and equality are poisoned and dismantled. I urge all members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 1, the ``For The People Act of 2019.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1, The ``For the People Act of 2019,'' which expands access to the ballot box, reduces the influence of big money in politics, and strengthens ethics rules for public servants. I am proud to be one of 226, co-sponsors, and one of the original cosponsors, of H.R. 1, which will increase public confidence in our democracy by reducing the role of money in politics, restoring ethical standards and integrity to government, and strengthening laws to protect voting. Specifically, the For the People Act will: 1. Make it easier, not harder, to vote by implementing automatic voter registration, requiring early voting and vote by mail, committing Congress to reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act and ensuring the integrity of our elections by modernizing and strengthening our voting systems and ending partisan redistricting. 2. Reform the campaign finance system by requiring all political organizations to disclose large donors, updating political advertisement laws for the digital age, establishing a public matching system for citizen-owned elections, and revamping the Federal Election Commission to ensure there's a cop on the campaign finance beat; and 3. Strengthen ethics laws to ensure that public officials work in the public interest by extending conflict of interest laws to the President and Vice President; requiring the release of their tax returns; closing loopholes that allow former members of Congress to avoid cooling-off periods for lobbying; closing the revolving door between industry and the federal government; and establishing a code of conduct for the Supreme Court. H.R. 1 expands access to the ballot box by taking aim at institutional barriers to voting. This bill ensures that individuals who have completed felony sentences have their full rights restored and expands early voting and simplify absentee voting; and modernize the U.S. voting system. Mr. Chair, this legislation and this hearing is particularly timely because more than half a century after the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we are still discussing voter suppression--something which should be a bygone relic of the past, but yet continues to disenfranchise racial minorities, immigrants, women, and young people. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a watershed moment for the Civil Rights Movement--it liberated communities of color from legal restrictions barring them from exercising the fundamental right to civic engagement and political representation. But uncaged by Supreme Court's infamous 2013 decision in Shelby County v. Holder, 570 U.S. 529 (2013), which neutered the preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act, 14 states, including my state of Texas, took extreme measures to enforce new voting restrictions before the 2016 presidential election. It is not a coincidence that many of these same states have experienced increasing numbers of black and Hispanic voters in recent elections. If not for invidious, state-sponsored voter suppression policies like discriminatory voter ID laws, reduced early voting periods, and voter intimidation tactics that directly or indirectly target racial minorities, the 2016 presidential election might have had a drastically different outcome. Mr. Chair, H.R. 1 must be passed because many of the civil rights that I fought for as a student and young lawyer have been undermined or been rolled back by reactionary forces in recent years. To add insult to injury, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order establishing a so-called ``Election Integrity'' Commission to investigate not voter suppression, but so-called ``voter fraud'' in the 2016 election. Trump and his followers have been unceasing in their efforts to perpetuate the myth of voter fraud, but it remains just that: a myth. Between 2000 and 2014, there were 35 credible allegations of voter fraud out of more than 834 million ballots cast--that is less than 1 in 28 million votes. An extensive study by social scientists at Dartmouth College uncovered no evidence to support Trump's hysterical and outrageous allegations of widespread voter fraud ``rigging'' the 2016 election. Just for the record, Mr. Chair, the popular vote of the 2016 presidential election was: Hillary Clinton, 65,853,516. Donald Trump, 62,884,824. Trump's deficit of 2.9 million was the largest of any Electoral College winner in history by a massive margin, and despite the allegations of the current Administration, there have been only 4 documented cases of voter fraud in the 2016 election. The Voter Fraud Commission, like many of Trump's business schemes, was a massive scam built on countless lies that do not hold up to any level of scrutiny. As Members of Congress, we should be devoting our time, energy, and resources addressing Russian infiltration of our election infrastructure and campaigns, along with other pressing issues. Instead of enjoying and strengthening the protections guaranteed in the Voting Rights Act--people of color, women, LGBTQ individuals, and immigrants--have been given the joyless, exhausting task of fending off the constant barrage of attacks levelled at our communities by Trump and other conspiracy theorists. Not only are we tasked with reversing the current dismal state of voter suppression against minorities; we are forced to refute the blatant, propagandist lie of voter fraud. To this end, I have been persistent in my efforts to protect the rights of disenfranchised communities in my district of inner-city Houston and across the nation. Throughout my tenure in Congress, I have cosponsored dozens of bills, amendments, and resolutions seeking to improve voters' rights at all stages and levels of the election process. This includes legislation aimed at: 1. Increasing voter outreach and turnout; 2. Ensuring both early and same-day registration; 3. Standardizing physical and language accessibility at polling places; 4. Expanding early voting periods; 5. Decreasing voter wait times; 6. Guaranteeing absentee ballots, especially for displaced citizens; 7. Modernizing voting technologies and strengthening our voter record systems; 8. Establishing the federal Election Day as a national holiday; and 9. Condemning and criminalizing deceptive practices, voter intimidation, and other suppression tactics; Along with many of my CBC colleagues, I was an original cosponsor of H.R. 9, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act, which became public law on July 27, 2006. I also authored H.R. 745 in the 110th Congress, which added the legendary Barbara Jordan to the list of civil rights trailblazers whose memories are honored in the naming the Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act. This bill strengthened the original Voting Rights Act by replacing federal voting examiners with federal voting observers a significant enhancement that made it easier to safeguard against racially biased voter suppression tactics. In the 114th Congress, I introduced H.R. 75, the Coretta Scott King Mid-Decade Redistricting Prohibition Act of 2015, which prohibits states whose congressional districts have been redistricted after a decennial census from redrawing their district lines until the next census. Prejudiced redistricting, or gerrymandering as it is more commonly known, has been used for decades to weaken the voting power of African Americans, Latino Americans, and other minorities since the Civil Rights Era. Immediately after the Shelby County ruling, which lifted preclearance requirements for states with histories of discrimination seeking to change their voting laws or practices, redistricting became a favorite tool for Republicans who connived to unfairly gain 3 congressional seats in Texas. In the 110th Congress, I was the original sponsor of H.R. 6778, the Ex-Offenders Voting Rights Act of 2008, which prohibited denial of the right to vote in a federal election on the basis of an individual's status as a formerly incarcerated person. The Ex-Offenders Voting Rights Act sought to reverse discriminatory voter restrictions that disproportionately affect the African American voting population, which continues to be targeted by mass incarceration, police profiling, and a biased criminal justice system. Those of us who cherish the right to vote justifiably are skeptical of Voter ID laws because we understand how these laws, like poll taxes and literacy tests, can be used to impede or negate the ability of seniors, racial and language minorities, and young people to cast their votes. Voter ID laws are just one of the means that can be used to abridge or suppress the right to vote but there are others, including: 1. Curtailing or Eliminating Early Voting; 2. Ending Same-Day Registration; 3. Not counting provisional ballots cast in the wrong precinct on Election Day will not count; 4. Eliminating Teenage Pre-Registration; 5. Shortened Poll Hours; 6. Lessening the standards governing voter challenges used by vigilantes, like the King Street Patriots in my city of Houston, to cause trouble at the polls; 7. ``Voter Caging,'' to suppress the turnout of minority voters by sending non-forwardable mail to targeted populations and, once the mail is returned, using the returned mail to compile lists of voters whose eligibility is then challenged on the basis of residence under state law; and 8. Employing targeted redistricting techniques to dilute minority voting strength, notably ``Cracking'' (i.e., fragmenting and dispersing concentrations of minority populations); ``Stacking'' (combining concentrations of minority voters with greater concentrations of white populations); and ``Packing'' (i.e., over-concentrating minority voters in as few districts as possible). Mr. Chair, we must not allow our democracy to slide back into the worst elements of this country's past, to stand idly by as our treasured values of democracy, progress, and equality are poisoned and dismantled. I urge all members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 1, the ``For The People Act of 2019.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Chair, I thank the chairman and Mr. Clyburn, who, for years, has been working on this issue. Madam Chair, H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, is long in coming. It responds to many people, but it responds to Dylann Roof. In 2015, he went to a gun store to get a gun. He was not the normal purchaser, and it did not approve in 90 seconds, as most of them do. But in a day or two, when it had not yet been approved, Dylann Roof was able to get a gun. And Dylann Roof's whole message was: I am going to start a race war by going into an unlocked church on a prayer night and kill nine worshippers praying to their God and their pastor--whose wife was here today. The question has to be: When are we going to stop the senseless killings and the eons and eons of mass shootings? My good friend from Georgia (Mr. Collins) is a man of faith. I was in the committee room as a senior member on the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations as we were trying to deliberate his concern, a very vital concern, one that I have, to love people with disabilities, to love them and treat them with dignity. The language in this legislation does that as best we could at the time, because it puts the language adjudicated, determined by some objective body, that you have a health problem that deals with a mental concern. The question has to be, if it is not workable, you pass the bill. All of us have made a commitment to work through this process and to give dignity to every person, including veterans. But at the same time, would you want to have a situation that happened with Dylann Roof, a convicted felon who grabbed a gun in 2 days and killed nine innocent people, or killed people in various other places, from Columbine, to Aurora, to Virginia Tech?

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Look at the stories of mass shootings, or look at the violence in cities where people are getting guns. Madam Chair, I would make the argument that, today, we must pass H.R. 1112. The mercy of all of us dealing with issues to give dignity to those who suffer from illnesses that embrace mental illness concerns, it was because Mr. Collins, a man of faith, offered that suggestion. Therefore, we are going to move forward with the commitment to work it through and provide the dignity necessary, but to save the lives and to give tribute in death to those who lost their lives at the hands of Dylann Roof. Vote for H.R. 1112. Madam Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1112, the ``Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019,'' legislation that would strengthen the background check system that is already in place to purchase a firearm. I thank the Majority Whip, Congressman Clyburn, for introducing H.R. 1112 in response to the atrocity perpetrated at Mother Emmanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, which killed nine members of one of the most historically significant churches in African American history. One June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof was responsible for the mass shooting that took the lives of nine individuals at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. The victims were later referred to as ``The Charleston Nine'' and ``The Emanuel Nine''. Under current law, after a prospective buyer completes the appropriate form, the holder of a Federal Firearms License initiates the background check by phone or computer. If a determination is not obtained within three business days then the transfer may legally be completed by default proceeding and that is how Dylan Roof obtain the handgun he used to commit the killings, which he purchased from a retail store in West Columbia, SC. H.R 1112, the ``Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019,'' would strengthen the background check procedures that firearms licensees or dealers follow before selling or transferring a firearm. As under current law, firearms dealers would be required to run a background check on prospective buyers using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (``NICS''). Over 90% of NICS checks are completed within 90 seconds. Under H.R. 1112, if the NICS system has not returned an answer to the licensed firearms dealer within ten days, the prospective firearms purchaser may file a petition with the Attorney General for review. Then, after another ten-day period has expired, the licensed firearms dealer may sell or transfer the firearm to the prospective purchaser if it has not received a response through the NICS system and the dealer has no reason to believe that the purchaser is prohibited from obtaining a firearm under federal, state, or local law. Under this measure, licensed firearms dealers could not sell or transfer under the ``default proceed'' provision until at least 20 days have passed since the initial background check, thus closing the so- called ``Charleston loophole.'' An internal assessment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) demonstrated that the National Instant Criminal Background Checks System (``NICS'') yields results that are approximately 99.3 percent to 99.8 percent accurate, and in 90 percent of cases, are processed within 90 seconds. We must be constructive and proactive in our response to the countless mass shootings and gun violence in our country that continue to claim so many innocent lives. Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (``CDC'') found firearm-related deaths rose for the second- straight year in 2016, largely due to spikes in gun violence. In 2016, the new CDC report on preliminary mortality data shows that there were more than 38,000 gun-related deaths in the U.S.--4,000 more than 2015. An Associated Press analysis of FBI data shows there were about 11,000 gun-related homicides in 2016, up from 9,600 in 2015. Congress must act to keep our country safe through gun safety and violence deterrence. There is nearly one mass shooting per day in the United State--355 mass shootings in 2015. In December 2012, a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 20 children, 6 adults, and himself. Since December 2012, there have been at least 1,518 mass shootings, with at least 1,715 people killed and 6,089 wounded. On the night of October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire on a large crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip, leaving 58 people dead and 527 injured. On November 5, 2017, a mass shooting occurred at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where the gunman, 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, killed 26 and injured 20 others. Every day, on average, 92 Americans are victims of gun violence, resulting in more than 33,000 deaths annually. States with higher gun ownership rates have higher gun murder rates-- as much as 114 percent higher than other states. A recent study by the CDC looking at 30 years of homicide data found that for every 1 percent increase in a state's gun ownership rate, there is a nearly 1 percent increase in its firearm homicide rate. Gun death rates are generally lower in states with restrictions such as safe storage requirements or assault weapons bans. Mass shootings stopped by armed civilians in the past 33 years: 0. This is why legislation put forward to arm teachers is not the solution. Stronger legislation is needed to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands because unfortunately, more than 75 percent of the weapons used in mass shootings between 1982 and 2012 were obtained legally. We must look at gun violence in its totality to determine what are the root causes of these alarming rates of lives cut short. We are elected by our constituents to lead in resolving the issues that plague our country, and the issue of gun violence is a definite plague across the nation. My good friend, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, gave a statement after four of his officers were shot while on duty. He rightfully admonished us elected officials who, so far, have accomplished absolutely nothing about the public-health epidemic of gun violence. Thanks to the new Democratic majority in Congress, we had a long overdue Gun Safety Hearing in the Judiciary Committee. That hearing is the first step in the legislative process of addressing the epidemic. Chief Acevedo was a witness at that hearing, testifying that if the proposed legislation on background checks is enacted and saves at least one life, then it is worth it. Back in my state, despite incident after incident of rampant gun violence, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, both prominent Republican opponents of gun control, issued the usual statements offering the usual thoughts and prayers. Chief Acevedo said, ``I appreciate your prayers . . . but the question is, what are policymakers willing to do, besides prayers, to address a public-health epidemic?'' I want to answer his question--``what ARE we going to do?'' We are going to overcome the fierce opposition from House minority members. We are going to overcome a recalcitrant and reluctant Senate. And finally, we are going to overcome the opposition of the President and the gun lobby. I am a defender and supporter of the constitution. I appreciate the Second Amendment and the right that it provides our citizens. However, I am also a defender of the right to live, the greatest divine right of all. I want all Americans to enjoy their Second Amendment right, but not at the expense of the lives of our children, students, communities, and law enforcement officials. Imagine going to grade school in this day and age and having to undergo ``active shooter'' drills. Imagine having children in grade school today. Imagine the anxiety parents feel knowing that any day the precious lives of their children may be interrupted by someone with an AK-47 or AR-15. Imagine a brighter future for America's children, one that does not include active shooter drills and funerals for adolescents. We can help make that future a reality and we can start by voting to pass H.R. 1112, the ``Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019,''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman very much, and I thank him for his leadership on a very important enhancement to the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, which requires the FBI to report on the number of petitions it was not able to make a determination on within the 10-day period. I think Mr. Schneider knows that why we are here on the floor is to save lives, to be able to protect innocent people from being subjected to what the Emanuel Nine were: worshippers in a church with their pastor, praying, as this country allows one to do. It is my belief that the Schneider-Jackson Lee amendment should be passed, because with this critical data and compliance reporting we can learn more about legislative injustices like the one that enabled Dylann Roof to process a handgun used to murder the nine innocent persons at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and to remind everybody he had not been approved by the NICS reporting system, and he was able to come back. This system allows us to know how many have not been approved, to be able to address the question, to have better policies dealing with protecting gun violence. It is my privilege to join my colleague in supporting the Schneider- Jackson Lee amendment. Madam Chair, I close by saying that this tracks the Accidental Firearms Transfer Reporting Act that I introduced in previous Congresses in H.R. 3125 and H.R. 57. I look forward to working with my colleague as we expand reasonable gun safety legislation to protect our children, our families, and Americans. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of this amendment which I am proud to cosponsor with the gentleman from Illinois, Congressman Brad Schneider. I thank the Rules Committee for making the Schneider/Jackson Lee Amendment in order and thank the Majority Whip for introducing the underlying legislation, H.R. 1112, the ``Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019.'' H.R. 1112, the ``Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019,'' would strengthen the background check procedures that firearms licensees or dealers follow before selling or transferring a firearm. As under current law, firearms dealers would be required to run a background check on prospective buyers using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (``NICS''). Over 90% of NICS checks are completed within 90 seconds. If the NICS system has not returned an answer to the licensed firearms dealer within ten days, the prospective firearms purchaser may file a petition with the Attorney General for review. Then, after another ten-day period has expired, the licensed firearms dealer may sell or transfer the firearm to the prospective purchaser if it has not received a response through the NICS system and the dealer has no reason to believe that the purchaser is prohibited from obtaining a firearm under federal, state, or local law. Under this measure, licensed firearms dealers could not sell or transfer under the ``default proceed'' provision until at least 20 days have passed since the initial background check. The Schneider/Jackson Lee Amendment strengthens the bill by requiring the FBI to report on the number of petitions on which it was not able to make a determination regarding the eligibility of the transferee to possess a firearm within the 10-day period allotted by H.R. 1112. I urge my colleagues to support the Schneider/Jackson Lee Amendment because, with this critical data and compliance reporting, we can learn more about legislative interstices like the one that enabled Dylan Roof to possess the handgun used to murder 9 innocent persons at Mother Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, as well as the numerous other cases where a firearm was handed over to an unintended and potentially dangerous recipient. Making sure that policy makers have the most accurate, reliable, and current data regarding background checks is one of the main reasons I introduced the Accidental Firearms Transfers Reporting Act in the 114th and 115th Congress (H.R. 3125 and H.R. 57 respectively). Madam Chair, if anything, it is gun violence that is a national emergency, and reducing gun violence should be one of Congress's highest priorities. The Schneider/Jackson Lee Amendment will help to do that. I ask my colleagues to support the Schneider/Jackson Lee Amendment in order. Again, I thank Majority Whip Clyburn for introducing the underlying legislation and Congressman Schneider for his work on this salutary amendment. I urge all Members to support the Schneider/Jackson Lee Amendment. [Feb. 20, 2018] List of Mass Shootings Since Columbine Massacre (By Zayed Abdalla) Below is a list of all mass shootings in the United States which occurred after the Columbine High School Massacre. Dates and death tolls (excluding the shooter) are included. Although many other mass shootings have occurred, for the sake of time and physical space, only shootings involving the death of five or more people have been included in this article. 1. Columbine High School Shooting, Littleton, Colorado-- April 1999: 13 Dead 2. Atlanta Shootings, Atlanta, Georgia--July 1999: 12 Dead 3. Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting, Fort Worth, Texas-- September 1999: 7 Dead 4. Xerox Killings, Honolulu, Hawaii--November 1999: 7 Dead 5. Tampa Hotel Shootings, Tampa, Florida--December 1999: 5 Dead 6. Wakefield Massacre, Wakefield, Massachusetts--December 2000: 7 Dead 7. Lockheed Martin Shooting, Median, Mississippi--July 2003: 6 Dead 8. Living Church of God Shooting, Brookfield, Wisconsin-- March 2005: 7 Dead 9. Red Lake High School, Red Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota--March 2005: 9 Dead 10. Goleta Postal Shootings, Goleta, California--January 2006: 7 Dead 11. Capitol Hill Massacre, Seattle Washington--March 2006: 6 Dead 12. West Nickel Mines Amish School, Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania--October 2006: 5 Dead 13. Tolley Square Shooting, Salt Lake City, Utah--February 2007: 5 Dead 14. Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, Virginia--April 2007: 32 Dead 15. Crandon Shooting, Crandon Wisconsin--October 2007: 6 Dead 16. Westroads Mall Shooting, Omaha Nebraska--December 2007: 8 Dead 17. Kirkwood City Council Shooting, Kirkwood, Missouri-- February 2008: 6 Dead 18. Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois-- February 2008: 5 Dead 19. Atlantis Plastics Shooting, Henderson Kentucky--June 2008: 5 Dead 20. Carthage Nursing Home Shooting--Carthage, North Carolina--March 2009: 8 Dead 21. Geneva County Massacre, Geneva and Samson, Alabama-- March 2009: 10 Dead 22. Binghampton Shootings, Binghampton--April 2009: 13 Dead 23. Fort Hood Shooting, Fort Hood, Texas--November 2009: 13 Dead 24. Hartford Beer Distributor Shooting, Manchester, Connecticut--August 2010: 8 Dead 25. Tucson Shooting, Tucson, Arizona--January 2011: 6 Dead 26. Seal Beach Shooting, Seal Beach, California--October 2011: 8 Dead 27. Oikos University, Oakland, California--April 2012: 7 Dead 28. Seattle Cafe Shooting, Seattle, Washington--May 2012: 5 Dead 29. Aurora Shooting, Aurora, Colorado--July 2012: 12 Dead 30. Sikh Temple Shooting, Oak Creek, Wisconsin--August 2012: 6 Dead 31. Accent Signage Systems Shooting, Minneapolis, Minnesota--September 2012: 6 Dead 32. Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Connecticut-- December 2012: 27 Dead 33. Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, California--June 2013: 5 Dead 34. Hialeah Shooting, Hialeah, Florida--July 2013: 6 Dead 35. Washington Navy Yard Shooting, Washington D.C.-- September 2013: 12 Dead 36. University of California Santa Barbara, Isla Vista, California--May 2014: 6 Dead 37. Marysville Pilchuck High School, Marysville, Washington--October 2014: 4 Dead 38. Charleston Church Shooting, Charleston, South Carolina--June 2015: 9 Dead 39. Chattanooga Military Recruitment Center, Chattanooga Tennessee--July 2015: 5 Dead 40. Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, Oregon--October 2015: 9 Dead 41. San Bernardino Attack, San Bernardino, California-- December 2015: 14 Dead 42. Kalamazoo Shooting Spree, Kalamazoo County, Michigan-- February 2016: 6 Dead 43. Orlando Night-club Shooting, Orlando, Florida--June 2016: 49 Dead 44. Dallas Police Shooting, Dallas Texas--July 2016: 5 Dead 45. Cascade Mall Shooting, Burlington, Washington-- September 2016: 5 Dead 46. Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida--January 2017: 5 Dead 47. Las Vegas Shooting, Las Vegas, Nevada--October 2017: 58 Dead 48. Sutherland Springs Church, Sutherland Springs, Texas-- November 2017: 26 Dead 49. Rancho Tehama Shooting, Rancho Tehama, California-- November 2017: 5 Dead 50. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida--February 2018: 17 Dead

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman, and I certainly thank the ranking member for being present here today. I hold up in my hand pages and pages of mass shootings, which I will include in the Record. List of Mass Shootings Since Columbine Massacre (By Zayed Abdalla, Feb 20, 2018) Below is a list of all mass shootings in the United States which occurred after the Columbine High School Massacre. Dates and death tolls (excluding the shooter) are included. Although many other mass shootings have occurred, for the sake of time and physical space, only shootings involving the death of five or more people have been included in this article. 1. Columbine High School Shooting, Littleton, Colorado-- April 1999: 13 Dead 2. Atlanta Shootings, Atlanta, Georgia--July 1999: 12 Dead 3. Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting, Fort Worth, Texas-- September 1999: 7 Dead 4. Xerox Killings, Honolulu, Hawaii--November 1999: 7 Dead 5. Tampa Hotel Shootings, Tampa, Florida--December 1999: 5 Dead 6. Wakefield Massacre, Wakefield, Massachusetts--December 2000: 7 Dead 7. Lockheed Martin Shooting, Median, Mississippi--July 2003: 6 Dead 8. Living Church of God Shooting, Brookfield, Wisconsin-- March 2005: 7 Dead 9. Red Lake High School, Red Lake Indian Reservation, Minnesota--March 2005: 9 Dead 10. Goleta Postal Shootings, Goleta, California--January 2006: 7 Dead 11. Capitol Hill Massacre, Seattle Washington--March 2006: 6 Dead 12. West Nickel Mines Amish School, Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania--October 2006: 5 Dead 13. Tolley Square Shooting, Salt Lake City, Utah--February 2007: 5 Dead 14. Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg, Virginia--April 2007: 32 Dead 15. Crandon Shooting, Crandon Wisconsin--October 2007: 6 Dead 16. Westroads Mall Shooting, Omaha Nebraska--December 2007: 8 Dead 17. Kirkwood City Council Shooting, Kirkwood, Missouri-- February 2008: 6 Dead 18. Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois-- February 2008: 5 Dead 19. Atlantis Plastics Shooting, Henderson Kentucky--June 2008: 5 Dead 20. Carthage Nursing Home Shooting--Carthage, North Carolina--March 2009: 8 Dead 21. Geneva County Massacre, Geneva and Samson, Alabama-- March 2009: 10 Dead 22. Binghampton Shootings, Binghampton--April 2009: 13 Dead 23. Fort Hood Shooting, Fort Hood, Texas--November 2009: 13 Dead 24. Hartford Beer Distributor Shooting, Manchester, Connecticut--August 2010: 8 Dead 25. Tucson Shooting, Tucson, Arizona--January 2011: 6 Dead 26. Seal Beach Shooting, Seal Beach, California--October 2011: 8 Dead 27. Oikos University, Oakland, California--April 2012: 7 Dead 28. Seattle Cafe Shooting, Seattle, Washington--May 2012: 5 Dead 29. Aurora Shooting, Aurora, Colorado--July 2012: 12 Dead 30. Sikh Temple Shooting, Oak Creek, Wisconsin--August 2012: 6 Dead 31. Accent Signage Systems Shooting, Minneapolis, Minnesota--September 2012: 6 Dead 32. Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, Connecticut-- December 2012: 27 Dead 33. Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, California--June 2013: 5 Dead 34. Hialeah Shooting, Hialeah, Florida--July 2013: 6 Dead 35. Washington Navy Yard Shooting, Washington D.C.-- September 2013: 12 Dead 36. University of California Santa Barbara, Isla Vista, California--May 2014: 6 Dead 37. Marysville Pilchuck High School, Marysville, Washington--October 2014: 4 Dead 38. Charleston Church Shooting, Charleston, South Carolina--June 2015: 9 Dead 39. Chattanooga Military Recruitment Center, Chattanooga Tennessee--July 2015: 5 Dead 40. Umpqua Community College, Roseburg, Oregon--October 2015: 9 Dead 41. San Bernardino Attack, San Bernardino, California-- December 2015: 14 Dead 42. Kalamazoo Shooting Spree, Kalamazoo County, Michigan-- February 2016: 6 Dead 43. Orlando Night-club Shooting, Orlando, Florida--June 2016: 49 Dead 44. Dallas Police Shooting, Dallas Texas--July 2016: 5 Dead 45. Cascade Mall Shooting, Burlington, Washington-- September 2016: 5 Dead 46. Fort Lauderdale Airport Shooting, Fort Lauderdale, Florida- January 2017: 5 Dead 47. Las Vegas Shooting, Las Vegas, Nevada--October 2017: 58 Dead 48. Sutherland Springs Church, Sutherland Springs, Texas-- November 2017: 26 Dead 49. Rancho Tehama Shooting, Rancho Tehama, California-- November 2017: 5 Dead 50. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida--February 2018: 17 Dead According to The Washington Post, since 1966, 1077 individuals have been fatally shot and wounded as a result of mass shootings in which more than four people perished; Children and teenagers compose about a tenth of these fatalities. Almost 300 guns have been obtained by authorities in these shootings, and over half of them were obtained legally. The AR-15 rifle has been increasingly used in such shootings, with the latest being in this month's most recent high school shooting in Florida. It is estimated that more than 8 million of these weapons are owned in American households. The trend in mass shootings has been rising notably since 2006-07.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I thank Moms Demand Action, and I thank all those who have offered themselves in this fight. I thank our chair, Mr. Thompson, for his constant and persistent work. Through my tenure as ranking member of the Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee, and now third in seniority on the Judiciary Committee, it has given me a picture that many have not seen, and that is that we have been fighting for gun safety legislation for almost three decades. It seems that even though Mr. Cohen is in a hearing right now where facts are being disputed, there are no facts to dispute the fact that people die from guns. And those who get guns are never regulated. By no means do I want you not to have a handgun to protect yourself, or to enforce gun trafficking laws, or to make sure that prosecutors prosecute those for gun possession, but it begs the question. What is the question? The interpretation of the Second Amendment is no one should prohibit the right to bear arms. As I stand here today, there is nothing in the underlying bill that is prohibiting that. It is simply common sense and giving dignity to those who died at the Columbine High School shooting, the Atlanta shooting, the Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting, the Lockheed Martin shooting, the Living Church of God shooting, the Red Lake High School shooting, the Northern Illinois University shooting, the Santa Fe shooting in Texas, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, and the Sutherland Springs church shooting in Texas. It says that you have to have a check, a background check. It closes the gun show loophole. It gives exemptions for the issues of domestic violence and sexual assault. It allows families to transfer, and ranchers, farmers, and fishers to transfer. My God, what more do we want? People have died. Are we not going to show that we are committed to saving lives, not to abuse the Second Amendment, to misuse it? We can bear arms. But the question is whether or not we will recognize that there are 350-plus million Americans, and there are more guns in this country than there are citizens. I beg of my colleagues: Stop the violence. Vote for this bill. Mr. Chair, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and an original co-sponsor, I rise in strong of H.R. 8, the ``Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019,'' legislation that strengthens the background check system that is already in place to purchase a firearm. A 2013 study found that approximately 80 percent of all firearms acquired for criminal purposes were obtained from sources who were not required to run a background check and that 96 percent of inmates who were not prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time they committed their crime obtained their gun this way. This loophole exists largely because unlicensed sellers need not conduct any background check under current law, even if the sellers sell a large number of guns. H.R. 8, the ``Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019,'' would make it illegal for any person who is not a licensed firearm importer, manufacturer, or dealer to transfer a firearm to any other person who is not so licensed without a background check. Individuals seeking to transfer a firearm under this measure would be required to visit a licensed firearms dealer to run the necessary background check before the transfer could be finalized. H.R. 8 is intended to provide an accurate and speedy means of ensuring firearms do not end up in the wrong hands. An internal assessment by the Federal Bureau of investigation (FBI) demonstrated that the National Instant Criminal Background Checks System (``NICS'') yields results that are approximately 99.3 percent to 99.8 percent accurate, and in 90 percent of cases, are processed within 90 seconds. We must be constructive and proactive in our response to the countless mass shootings and gun violence in our country that continue to claim so many innocent lives. Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (``CDC'') found firearm-related deaths rose for the second- straight year in 2016, largely due to spikes in gun violence. In 2016, the new CDC report on preliminary mortality data shows that there were more than 38,000 gun-related deaths in the U.S.--4,000 more than 2015. An Associated Press analysis of FBI data shows there were about 11,000 gun-related homicides in 2016, up from 9,600 in 2015. Congress must act to keep our country safe through gun safety and violence deterrence. There is nearly one mass shooting per day in the United States--355 mass shootings in 2015. In December 2012, a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 20 children, 6 adults, and himself. Since December 2012, there have been at least 1,518 mass shootings, with at least 1,715 people killed and 6,089 wounded. On the night of October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire on a large crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival on the Las Vegas Strip, leaving 58 people dead and 527 injured. On November 5, 2017, a mass shooting occurred at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where the gunman, 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley, killed 26 and injured 20 others. Every day, on average, 92 Americans are victims of gun violence, resulting in more than 33,000 deaths annually. States with higher gun ownership rates have higher gun murder rates-- as much as 114 percent higher than other states. A recent study by the CDC looking at 30 years of homicide data found that for every 1 percent increase in a state's gun ownership rate, there is a nearly 1 percent increase in its firearm homicide rate. Gun death rates are generally lower in states with restrictions such as safe storage requirements or assault weapons bans. Mass shootings stopped by armed civilians in the past 33 years: 0. This is why legislation put forward to arm teachers is not the solution. Stronger legislation is needed to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands because unfortunately, more than 75 percent of the weapons used in mass shootings between 1982 and 2012 were obtained legally. We must look at gun violence in its totality to determine what are the root causes of these alarming rates of lives cut short. We are elected by our constituents to lead in resolving the issues that plague our country, and the issue of gun violence is a definite plague across the nation. My good friend, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, gave a statement after four of his officers were shot while on duty. He rightfully admonished us elected officials who, so far, have accomplished absolutely nothing about the public-health epidemic of gun violence. Thanks to the new Democratic majority in Congress, we had a long overdue Gun Safety Hearing in the Judiciary Committee. That hearing is the first step in the legislative process of addressing the epidemic. Chief Acevedo was a witness at that hearing, testifying that if the proposed legislation on background checks is enacted and saves at least one life, then it is worth it. I want to take this opportunity to thank my colleague, Congressman Mike Thompson, for his leadership of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and for introducing this timely and important legislation. Congressman Thompson sat in the audience during the entirety of the Gun Safety Hearing on February 13, 2019, demonstrating his longstanding commitment to the issue. Also helping to bring us to this point today is Congresswoman Robin Kelly of Illinois, who represents one of the most affected districts when it comes to gun violence. She is a valiant leader who will not rest until the Congress finds solutions for communities like hers and others all over this country. I want to thank Aalayah Eastmond, a survivor from the Parkland School Shooting, for testifying as a witness at the House Judiciary Gun Safety Hearing. Her heartfelt and vivid testimony was met with a standing ovation by the crowded audience in the hearing. Back in my state, despite incident after incident of rampant gun violence, Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, both prominent Republican opponents of gun control, issued the usual statements offering the usual thoughts and prayers. Chief Acevedo said, ``I appreciate your prayers . . . but the question is, what are policymakers willing to do, besides prayers, to address a public-health epidemic?'' I want to answer his question--``what ARE we going to do?'' We are going to overcome the fierce opposition from House minority members. We are going to overcome a recalcitrant and reluctant Senate. And finally, we are going to overcome the opposition of the President and the gun lobby. I am a defender and supporter of the Constitution. I appreciate the Second Amendment and the right that it provides our citizens. However, I am also a defender of the right to live, the greatest divine right of all. I want all Americans to enjoy their Second Amendment right, but not at the expense of the lives of our children, students, communities, and law enforcement officials. Imagine going to grade school in this day and age and having to undergo ``active shooter'' drills. Imagine having children in grade school today. Imagine the anxiety parents feel knowing that any day the precious lives of their children may be interrupted by someone with an AK-47 or AR-15. Imagine a brighter future for America's children, one that does not include active shooter drills and funerals for adolescents. We can help make that future a reality and we can start by voting to pass H.R. 8, the ``Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an angel, Juan Carlos Salgado, a Houston resident and Good Samaritan who passed away on January 13, 2019, in Houston, Texas at the age of 41. On the evening of January 13, 2019, Juan Salgado was walking to a local market to pick up dinner, but he never made it because while crossing Telephone Road near Red Robin Lane, Juan Salgado was struck by two cars and died at the scene. Madam Speaker, Juan Salgado was not one to draw attention; rather he kept to himself and worked hard as a landscaper, and sent his extra earnings to his mother in Guerrero, Mexico. But there is more to the story of this wonderful man. Three weeks before his death, on December 24, 2018, in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve, a drunk driver collided with a Houston Police Department cruiser that was en route to assist a fellow officer. Juan Salgado heard the crash from his apartment and ran toward the police vehicle, now in flames. Juan Salgado fought to free the two officers, John Daily and Alonzo Reid, who were trapped inside, and breaks his right hand when he punched through a window to free Officer Reid. After freeing both officers and pulling them to safety, Juan Salgado left the scene and returned to his familiar and comfortable state of obscurity. The day after saving Officers Daily and Reid, Juan Salgado was back at work as a landscaper. This documented hero was an undocumented immigrant. But it was not his immigration status that Juan Salgado thought about on that fateful Christmas Eve. Instead, he saw two human beings who needed assistance and he did not hesitate to offer it knowing the danger it posed to him and his resident status in the United States. Madam Speaker, Juan Salgado put his community above himself and because of his selflessness Officers Daily and Reid are alive today. I offer my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Juan Salgado as they mourn the loss of this unsung hero.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from California for her astuteness, and, certainly, the manager of this legislation, and our friends on the other side of the aisle. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to try to craft the importance of H.J. Res. 46 that we will ultimately be debating today. As an original cosponsor, I was quick to try to bring order and to recognize the importance of the Constitution. Clearly, the statute might be interpreted to be used in a reckless manner. But it is precise in that it deals with the necessity of building military construction and other matters in the course of war that are an emergency. It might even cover rising gun violence, the fact that we have more guns in the United States than we have citizens. It might be that if there was a pending war on the southern border, one might determine that that is the case. It might be that, in 2001, the first sense of terrorism came when an individual crossed the northern border to attack the United States. If that had continued with throngs of terrorists coming across the northern border, the President then might have declared a national emergency. But we do not have that, Mr. Speaker. What we have is a person's desire. We understand that the apprehensions at the southern border have actually gone down. The combined 521,000 apprehensions for border and Customs agents for fiscal year 2018 was 32,288 apprehensions fewer. Those who are coming across the border in the last 6 to 8 months are coming across as mothers and children fleeing the catastrophe of bloodshed in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. These are people desperate for help. They are coming through legal ports of entry. How do I know that? I have stood and watched them come. I have spoken to a mother whose baby was 45 days old. She had birthed on her road here, not because she just wanted a vacation, but because they had committed to decapitating her if she did not leave town immediately, meaning leave one of the countries. It was my plea that got her to be able to go to a hospital. I held little Roger in my hands, who is 9 months old. He had been separated at the border from his family. These are the issues that are being addressed at the border. There is no catastrophe. Let me be very clear, as my friends always cite illegal immigration, I want to make sure that any criminal, no matter who they are, who does any injury to anyone in the United States, count me as standing on the side of bringing that person to justice. But that is not what is happening at the border. Therefore, I would ask the administration to attend themselves to the Constitution, to recognize the difficulty or the wrongness of distorting the purposes of the United States Congress, the House, that has the purse strings by calling it a national emergency. My God, if we were to have one, would this Nation even understand how to implement it because they are hearing it being declared in a very foolish way? I conclude by simply saying that 58 people in national security, Mr. Speaker--58 of them--have indicated this is wrongheaded and jeopardizes our national security. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote for the resolution that I have cosponsored, H.J. Res. 46.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member on the Judiciary Committee and senior member on the Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security Subcommittee, I, too, am glad of the underlying discussion regarding the protecting of women. I rise today to support H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, to close the gun show loophole, supported by 80 percent of the American people, so unlicensed dealers cannot, undercover, out of the back of their trunk, sell to people who would create and perpetrate either mass murders or individual abuse and gun violence. I also support H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019, that would, in fact, have stopped the deaths at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, South Carolina, where worshippers were shot down, nine of them. To listen to the debate in the Judiciary Committee, 10 hours of rebuffing these simple legislative initiatives, I beg of my colleagues to stand with us. It is clear that we have an amendment, Horn and Murphy, that clarifies great bodily harm, includes domestic violence, dating partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, and domestic abuse. We want women to be protected and others involved in domestic abuse circumstances. My amendment that will be brought up as well will provide the information as to how many times the FBI has had to deal with petitions that have been denied. Let us not have another 20 years before we have bills that deal with gun safety legislation. Let's do it now. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule governing debate on H.R. 8, the ``Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019'' and H.R. 1112, the ``Enhanced Background Check Act of 2019,'' as well as the underlying legislation. These legislative proposals address and strengthen the background check system that is already in place to purchase a firearm. A 2013 study found that approximately 80 percent of all firearms acquired for criminal purposes were obtained from sources who were not required to run a background check, and that 96 percent of inmates who were not prohibited from possessing a firearm at the time they committed their crime obtained their gun this way. This loophole exists largely because unlicensed sellers need not conduct any background check under current law, even if the sellers sell a large number of guns. H.R. 8, the ``Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019,'' would make it illegal for any person who is not a licensed firearm importer, manufacturer, or dealer to transfer a firearm to any other person who is not so licensed without a background check. Individuals seeking to transfer a firearm under this measure would be required to visit a licensed firearms dealer to run the necessary background check before the transfer could be finalized. H.R. 8 is intended to provide an accurate and speedy manner to ensure firearms do not end up in the wrong hands. An internal assessment by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) demonstrated that NICS background checks are approximately 99.3 percent to 99.8 percent accurate, and in 90 percent of cases, are processed within 90 seconds. H.R. 1112, the ``Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2019,'' would strengthen the background check procedures federal firearms licensees or dealers follow before selling or transferring a firearm. As under current law, firearms dealers would be required to run a background check on prospective buyers using the NICS. Over 90% of checks are completed within 90 seconds so if the NICS system has not returned an answer to the licensed firearms dealer within ten days, the prospective firearms purchaser may file a petition with the Attorney General for review. After another ten-day period has expired, the licensed firearms dealer may sell or transfer the firearm to the prospective purchaser if it has not received a response through the NICS system and the dealer has no reason to believe that the purchaser is prohibited from obtaining a firearm under federal, state, or local law. Thus, under this measure, licensed firearms dealers could not sell or transfer under the ``default proceed'' provision until at least 20 days have passed, since the initial background check. Mr. Speaker, the American people are demanding effective action to reduce, if not prevent altogether, the countless mass shootings and gun violence in our country that continue to claim so many innocent lives. Newly released data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention found firearm-related deaths rose for the second-straight year in 2016, largely due to spikes in gun violence. In 2016, the new CDC report on preliminary mortality data shows that there were more than 38,000 gun-related deaths in the U.S.--4,000 more than 2015. An Associated Press analysis of FBI data shows there were about 11,000 gun-related homicides in 2016, up from 9,600 in 2015. Congress must act to keep our country safe through gun safety and violence deterrence. There is nearly one mass shooting per day in the United States--355 mass shootings in 2018. In December 2012, a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 20 children, 6 adults, and himself. Since December 2012, there have been at least 1,518 mass shootings, with at least 1,715 people killed and 6,089 wounded. On the night of October 1, 2017, a gunman opened fire on a large crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip, leaving 58 people dead and 527 injured. And on November 5, 2017, a mass shooting occurred at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, where the gunman, 26-year- old Devin Patrick Kelley killed 26 and injured 20 others. Every day, on average, 92 Americans are victims of gun violence, resulting in more than 33,000 deaths annually. States with higher gun ownership rates have higher gun murder rates-- as much as 114 percent higher than other States. A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looking at 30 years of homicide data found that for every 1 percent increase in a State's gun ownership rate, there is a nearly 1 percent increase in its firearm homicide rate. Gun death rates are generally lower in States with restrictions such as safe storage requirements or assault weapons bans. Mass shootings stopped by armed civilians in the past 33 years: 0. Because more than 75 percent of the weapons used in mass shootings between 1982 and 2012 were obtained legally, stronger legislation is needed to prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands. And that begins with passing H.R. 8, the ``Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019,'' and H.R. 1112, the ``Enhanced Background Check Act of 2019.'' I urge all Members to support the rule and the underlying legislation when it comes to the floor.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. The only crisis is the constitutional crisis that has been created by the President of the United States by his direct and ill-conceived abuse of power which is noted in the Constitution as a violation of the Constitution. It is sad that the President has declared a national emergency for the purpose of misappropriating funds from previously designated and important uses to build a wall, uses that would be dealt with in a national emergency in case of war that would then call for the building of direct materials and buildings necessary for troops engaging in war. The only response to my good friend who has come back from the border and saw people going over the border is to engage more Border Patrol agents and train them to do the job that they are designated to do. We, as Democrats, support that. Illegal border crossings are at a near 40-year low. Sixty national security personnel, ambassadors, CIA, DNI, and others have indicated that this is wrongheaded. It is wrong. The President's declaration clearly violates Congress' exclusive power of the purse, and if unchecked, would fundamentally alter the balance of powers, violating our Founder's vision for America. That is unconstitutional. To quote Thomas Paine in ``Common Sense,'' it says, `` . . . in absolute governments the king is law, so in free countries the law ought to be king.'' This is the abuse, the declaration, and we should vote for the underlying resolution to restore constitutional order.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Let me also indicate that as a member of the Homeland Security Committee, the numbers of Mexicans from Mexico has decreased. The numbers coming now are what we call OTMs, other than Mexican. They are coming and fleeing bloodshed in countries where they are being threatened with a decapitation of their head. Mothers are being told that if you stay, we know you are pregnant, you can have the baby, and we will kill you after the birth. These are the stories that those of us who visited the border are hearing over and over again. If there is a crisis, it is a humanitarian crisis. We, as Democrats, have no problem with funding the resources necessary for the border, including, as indicated, the increase in personnel, technology, and transportation equipment. I have been to the border when the need for night goggles and other types of equipment were rendered important. Let us do the right thing. Vote on this resolution, and do the constitutional point of restoring order to this government. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of our Constitution and in defense of our republic and urge all members to join me in voting for H.J. Res. 46, which terminates the phony declaration of emergency issued by the President on February 15, 2019. The reason this resolution is before us today is because of the petulant intransigence of a single person, the current President of the United States. As a senior member of the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Homeland Security, I have visited the southern border on numerous occasions in recent weeks and months and can state confidently that there is no national emergency or national security crisis that justifies the President's reckless and unconstitutional decision or compels the Congress to abdicate its responsibilities under Article I to check and balance the Executive Branch. The President is only pursuing this tactic of declaring a national emergency after realizing that Speaker Nancy Pelosi was absolutely correct when she informed him that he did not have the support in Congress to require the taxpayers to pay for his broken promise that ``Mexico would pay for the wall, 100 percent!'' In fact, according to the latest Marist Poll, the most recent polling data available, Americans overwhelmingly disapprove of the President's national emergency declaration by a 61 percent-36 percent margin. The President's decision is opposed by both men and women in every region of the country, by every income group and education category. National security experts across the political spectrum are unanimous in their assessment that the situation on the southern border does not constitute a national emergency, an assessment echoed by leading former Republican senators and Members of Congress. They understand that after failing to convince the American people or Congress to pay for his ineffective, wasteful, and immoral multibillion dollar concrete wall, the President has now embarked on a course of conduct that is deeply corrosive of the constitutional system of checks and balances wisely established by the Framers and which has served this nation and the world so well for nearly 250 years. Having failed miserably to achieve his objective in the constitutional legislative process, the President is trying a desperate 11th hour end-run around Congress with an unlawful emergency declaration that contravenes the will of the American people and negates the awesome power of the purse vested exclusively in the Congress of the United States. The Congress will not tolerate this. Despite being repeatedly admonished and in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, the President continues to propagate false information regarding the state of our southern border. Mr. Speaker, these are the facts. Net migration from Mexico is now zero or slightly below (more people leaving than coming) because of a growing Mexican economy, an aging population and dropping fertility rates that have led to a dramatic decrease in unauthorized migration from Mexico. Migrant apprehensions continue to be near an all-time low with only a slight increase from 2017. The combined 521,090 apprehensions for Border Patrol and Customs agents in fiscal year 2018 were 32,288 apprehensions fewer than the 553,378 apprehensions in 2016. To put this in perspective, on average, each of the 19,437 Border Patrol agents nationwide apprehended a total of only 19 migrants in 2018, which amounts to fewer than 2 apprehensions per month. In the last few years, an increased proportion of apprehensions are parents seeking to protect their children from the violence and extreme poverty in Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. But even with more Central Americans arriving to our southern border seeking protection, total apprehension rates are still at their lowest since the 1970s. The absence of a massive wall on the southern border will not solve the drug smuggling problem because, as all law enforcement experts agree, the major source of drugs coming into the United States are smuggled through legal ports of entry. The southern border region is home to about 15 million people living in border counties in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. These communities, which include cities such as San Diego, Douglas, Las Cruces, and El Paso, are among the safest in the country. Congress has devoted more U.S. taxpayer dollars to immigration enforcement agencies (more than $21 billion now) than all other enforcement agencies combined, including the FBI, DEA, ATF, US Marshals, and Secret Service. The bulk of this money goes to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), with a budget of $14.4 billion in fiscal year 2018 and more than 59,000 personnel. CBP is the largest law enforcement agency in the country, and more than 85 percent of the agency's Border Patrol agents (i.e., 16,605 of 19,437) are concentrated on the southern border. Expanded deployment of the military to the border to include active- duty troops could cost between $200 and $300 million in addition to the estimated $182 million for the earlier deployment by the President of National Guard to the border. Mr. Speaker, having been soundly defeated legislatively by Congress, a co-equal branch of government, the President wants to finance border wall vanity project by diverting funds that the Congress has appropriated for disaster recovery and military construction. The funds the President wants to steal were appropriated by Congress to help Americans devastated by natural disasters, like Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, or for other purposes like military construction. Congress did not, has not, and will not, approve of any diversion of these funds to construct a border wall that the President repeatedly and derisively boasted that Mexico would pay for. In fact, the President has admitted he ``didn't have to do this,'' but has opted to do so because ``I want to see it built faster.'' Mr. Speaker, just yesterday a bipartisan group of nearly 60 national security officials including former secretaries of state, defense secretaries, CIA directors, and ambassadors to the UN issued a statement declaring that ``there is no factual basis'' justifying the President's emergency declaration. Instead of protecting our national security, the President's declaration makes America less safe. The President is stealing billions from high-priority military construction projects that ensure our troops have the essential training, readiness and quality of life necessary to keep the American people safe, directly undermining America's national security. The President's declaration clearly violates the Congress's exclusive power of the purse, and, if unchecked, would fundamentally alter the balance of powers, violating our Founders' vision for America. Opposing the President's reckless and anti-American decision transcends partisan politics and partisanship; it is about patriotism, constitutional fidelity, and putting country first. That is why nearly two dozen distinguished former Republican Members of Congress are urging Republicans in Congress to vote for H.J.R. 46 and uphold ``the authority of the first branch of government to resist efforts to surrender'' our constitutional powers to an overreaching president. To quote Thomas Paine's Common Sense: ``In absolute governments, the King is law; so in free countries, the law ought to be King.'' Mr. Speaker, I urge all members to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution, and reject the President's power grab; I urge a resounding Yes vote on H.J. Res. 46.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, just recently, I was very proud and pleased that this body passed my legislation, the Juvenile Block Grant Anti-Bullying and Intervention Act, dealing with the prevention of bullying but, more importantly, dealing with the opportunities for communities across America to begin to think more creatively about how you deal with juvenile justice, how you deal with young people of juvenile age who have gone awry of school laws, regular actions of criminal activities. How do you deal with these young people? It is clear that the juvenile justice system needs to be reformed. As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, it is my commitment to listen to people from across the Nation. Many people don't realize that once you are committed to a juvenile detention center or facility or jail, under juvenile laws in most States, and many of them receiving Federal dollars, you will find that there is no definitive sentence. They are sentenced and could be there from age 14 to 21. It may be that their parents do not have resources to get them out; it may be that they do not have an alternative place to go; and it may be that they have no representation. That is not the way to treat young people. So we will be looking for legislation to incentivize our States to change the juvenile justice and the criminal justice system, and we look forward to working with all of our colleagues.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Roy Douglas and Shirley Ann Malonson, two great Americans in the City of Houston and Harris County, Texas, whose entrepreneurial talents and zeal over the past three decades has raised the consciousness of Houston's African American community to the life-changing potential of the free enterprise system and created thousands of jobs in the Acres Home Community located in my congressional district and Houston Metroplex. Acres Homes, once considered the South's largest unincorporated black community, is south of Aldine and ten miles northwest of downtown Houston in Harris County. It developed around the time of World War I, when landholders began selling off home sites in plots big enough to allow small gardens and maintain chickens or farm animals. The town derived its name from the fact that land was sold by the acre and not by the lot. The first settlers came from rural areas, attracted by the community's inexpensive land, low taxes, and the absence of city building standards. Residents dug wells and built sanitary facilities, but conditions in the settlement subsequently declined. When the city of Houston approved a plan to annex the area and install water and sewer lines, Acres Homes was a 12\1/2\-square-mile, heavily wooded, and dispersed slum settlement lacking transportation and educational facilities. Although 90 percent of the residents were homeowners, the majority of the housing stock was substandard. In 1950, Roy Malonson was afflicted with polio that left him with physical limitations, but it had no effect on his vision and drive. His late father, John Curley Malonson, Sr., challenged him by saying, ``something is wrong with your leg, but there is nothing wrong with your mind, so work with what you have.'' At age 7, Roy Malonson was shining shoes in his father's barber shop and by age 13 had opened a woodworking shop. The woodworking company grew to become Roy's Custom Cabinets which later became the Malonson Construction Company which became Malonson Custom Homes and is now the Malonson Company, Inc., one of the largest and best African American custom homebuilders in Houston. In the early 1990s, Roy Malonson developed new health problems, struck by what has come to be called the ``Post-Polio Syndrome.'' Once again using mind over physical limitation, Roy Malonson overcame and adapted. He retired from his 27-year old building business, reduced his workday, and devoted more time to community service and businesses he could manage. This enabled him to devote and donate more time and financial support to the many educational and community organizations he helped establish, including the Acres Home War on Drugs, the first community war on drugs in the nation. Roy and Shirley Malonson also founded the Acres Home Citizen Chamber of Commerce, focusing on business, community, and education; the Acres Home Community Development Corp, focusing on housing; the Acres Home Coalition Administrative School, the first charter school in Texas; and in 1994 the Acres Home Center for Business & Economic Development, a non-profit 501(c)(3) which has become recognized as a cornerstone providing leadership, as well as personal and professional development opportunities to small businesses and entrepreneurs in the community. The Malonsons were the driving force behind Aldine Independent School District Montessori-Magnet Programs, the Lone Star Community College System Victory Center, the Acres Home Multiservice Center, and the Acres Home Police Station. Roy and Shirley Malonson invested in and uplifted the Acres Home Community by establishing in 1992 Shirley Ann's Black Art & Kollectibles Showroom, the largest Black Art & Kollectibles Showroom in Texas and one of the largest in the nation. In 1996 they established African American News & Issues, the largest African American newspaper in Texas and one of the largest in the nation. And in 1998, with one mission in mind, to offer and deliver pizza in the African American community, they purchased two Domino's Pizza stores, the South Victory and Ella locations, and had controlling interest in a total of ten locations throughout Houston. Roy and Shirley Ann Malonson continued their entrepreneurial zeal and commitment to the Acres Home community by establishing in 1998 the Malonson RS Ranch in Harris County; the RS Deer Ranch in Waller County in 2004, one of two African American Whitetail Deer Breeders in the nation; Shirley Ann's Flower Shop in 2013; the RS Deer & Cattle Ranch in Waller County; and Shirley Ann's Black Kollectibles & Flowers in 2014. Shirley Ann Malonson is now President and CEO of the Malonson Company. Roy Douglas Malonson and Shirley Ann Malonson are the proud parents of a daughter, Melanie Nicole Malonson, and the grandparents of Tayler and Caleb. Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor two legendary Texas heroes, my constituents, Roy Douglas and Shirley Ann Malonson, who have devoted their lifetimes to creating economic opportunity and development for their beloved Acres Homes community. These two great American trailblazers have made a difference in the lives of thousands of men, women, children and businesses. Their work has brought our nation closer to fulfilling its founding ideals. And it is that work that truly makes America great.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, today I rise to join my colleagues in discussing the disparaging effects of homelessness and housing insecurity in our communities. In 2018, communities across the country faced a continuing housing affordability crisis that left thousands of Americans homeless and without any stable place to live. For the second year in a row, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the United States increased. In 2018, 552,830 people lived in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or were not sheltered at all. This is nearly 2,000 more people than in 2017. This is an ongoing problem that demands our immediate attention. The state of Texas claims just under 9 percent of the population of the United States. Sadly, 23,548 people are homeless in Texas. This is 4 percent of the country's entire homeless population. More than 10,000 men and women can be found on the streets of Houston, homeless, on any given night. Of these, 3,000 are considered chronically homeless. Those who are categorized as chronically homeless are people who have been continuously homeless for a year or more or those who have been homeless four or more times in the past three years. Many of the chronically homeless suffer from a mental illness and/or a substance abuse problem. Percy Lyons is one of these people whose home does not come with an address. Mr. Lyons has made his home under a bridge. He has all the comforts of home: a military cot, tucked behind a cement barrier, for a bed; a propane stove, hidden in a drainpipe, for cooking and heat; and hollow cement blocks function as shelves to hold his few articles of clothing and an extra pair of shoes. Mr. Lyons is just one of those 3,000 people who are surviving on the streets of Houston. Thankfully, Houston Police Department (HPD) is trying to help meet the needs of the city's homeless population. HPD has created the Homeless Outreach Team. This team is staffed with four officers, who instead of responding to complaints or ordinance violations, work on building relationships with those who live on the streets. These heroes work with Houston's homeless residents to navigate the social services available and have helped hundreds of people move off the streets and into permanent housing. These officers can discuss success stories, like that of Randall. Randall spent over 30 years living on the streets. The Homeless Outreach Team was able to help Randall get into a treatment program. Unfortunately, there are not more stories like Randall. Instead, the majority of those who are chronically homeless slip through the cracks, unable to find their way through the complex system of social services. Each night in the United States of America an estimated 553,000 men, women, and children spend the night on the streets. This is a national emergency.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, this is a Republican bill that we are trying to fix to keep the government open and not holding our Federal employees hostage. I support this bill with qualifications that I know that in the 2020 fiscal year, Democrats will put forward a humane bill that addresses many of these issues. We gave $1.37 billion for barriers, not the wall. We are protecting the environment in my own State: the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, the National Butterfly Center, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, places where I have gone and people are pleading: Don't put fences there. We brought down the number of ICE detention beds from 49,000-50,000 to 40,000, and, of course, we have provided, as I have indicated, and fought for facilities that deal with those children and women that are coming across: $415 million for enhanced medical support; transportation; food; clothing for migrants in detention, particularly children; and $30.5 million for family case management. As my good friend said, we brought up the alternative detention from 82,000 to 100,000. As my good friend said, there is $400 million for VAWA. We are funding these programs because we understand how important they are. Finally, of course, in the justice area, we have given money for Byrne grants; Community Oriented Policing Services, sexual assault kits and DNA, Second Chance Act programs, and we funded NASA. But more importantly, Madam Speaker, I think we have made a very important point that should be made, and that is, as we work toward fiscal year 2020 appropriations, it is critical that we ensure that robust accountability of DHS, including limiting the agency's transfer authority and dramatically reducing the number of people who are held in detention, utilizing proven alternatives to detention, including community-based alternatives and parole for the vast majority of people who are held in detention who pose no public safety threat or risk. ICE--we have to realize, there must be due process and justice. It is unfortunate that this administration's treatment of immigrants is unconscionable and inhumane. We can do better and we will do better. But the final point of all of this today is, we stand on the floor to not hold our Federal employees hostage and to open the government. I will be going forward with the qualifications of working on a better bill. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.J. Res. 31, which makes the consolidated appropriations needed to fund the departments, agencies, and programs of the federal government through September 30, 2019, and hopefully brings to a merciful end the uncertainty and hardship cruelly inflicted upon federal employees, contractors, and the American people by the President's decision to shut down the government. I thank Chairman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, and their fellow House conferees for their work in reaching this bipartisan agreement. Left to our own devices, House Democrats clearly could and would have made many different and better funding decisions but this agreement is the best deal attainable in the circumstances, and importantly, it responsibly funds the government for the remainder, while securing our border. Madam Speaker, coming from a border state, I am very pleased that this legislation does not provide the President the billions of dollars he demanded for a wasteful, ineffective, and immoral concrete wall. In fact, it rejects the President's demand for $5.7 billion for his wall and provides instead $1.375 billion for physical barriers with language specifying that new fencing is limited to currently deployed designs--ruling out the President's border wall proposal. My constituents and other Texans will be gratified to learn that this legislation specifically prohibits construction on sensitive environmental areas such as the Bentsen-Rio State Park, the National Butterfly Center, the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, La Lomita Historical Park, and the Lower Rio Grande Wildlife Refuge between Brownsville, TX, and the Gulf of Mexico. I also strongly approve that the legislation provides a path to a reduction in ICE detention beds from 49,057 today to 40,520 at the end of the fiscal year, bringing the number of detention beds back to the level of average daily population funded in the FY18 omnibus bill. This reduction in ICE detention beds, combined with Democratic control of the Appropriations Committee and new biannual inspections of detention facilities, will provide a check on the Trump Administration's out-of-control deportation policy that targets law- abiding families instead of focusing on deporting violent criminals; The agreement before also provides funding a more humane immigration system with $415 million for enhanced medical support, transportation, food and clothing for migrants in detention, particularly children and families; $30.5 million for family case management; an expansion in Alternatives to Detention participants from 82,000 to 100,000; and a prohibition on ICE using information collected by HHS from sponsors of migrant children for removal and deportation purposes. I also strongly support the new investments in national security provided in the legislation, including a new Coast Guard Polar Security Cutter, the first icebreaker in over 40 years; and an $884 million increase for the Transportation Security Administration. In addition to the bipartisan compromise on Homeland Security, the legislation before us includes six other appropriations bills that reject the President's deep budget cuts and instead make bold investments in to fund the programs Americans depend on and need to move our nation forward. For example, the agreement funds a 1.9 percent pay raise to federal workers that overrides the President's decision to deny these hardworking and dedicated public servants a pay raise. The agreement provides $3.8 billion for the 2020 Census, an increase of $1 billion, to ensure a fair and accurate count. The agreement provides more than $3 billion for state and local law enforcement to keep communities safe, including by addressing the opioid crisis, closing sexual assault kit backlogs and hiring more police officers. Madam Speaker, all Members should celebrate the fact that the agreement provides more than $17 billion in funding for new infrastructure investments to improve our roads, bridges, highways, railways and mass transit. Another reason why I strongly support the legislation before us is because it restores and increases investments in job-creating initiatives for economic and business development, including for minority and women-owned businesses, that the Trump Administration tried to eliminate or reduce drastically. Madam Speaker, the bipartisan agreement before us rejects the Trump Administration's attacks on the environment by blocking the Administration's deep cuts to initiatives to protect clean water, clean air and public lands and it invests more than $9 billion in the EPA and Land and Water Conservation Fund. The agreement reinforces and strengthens America's global leadership by rejecting the Trump Administration's radical cuts and securing $9.1 billion in security assistance for allies, including $3.03 billion for Israel, $5.7 billion for PEPFAR and $1.7 billion for the Food for Peace program. Madam Speaker, I would like to draw particular attention to provisions in the consolidated appropriations conference report that are of special interest to my congressional district. Customs and Border Protection: $1.375 billion, $4.325 billion less than the $5.7 billion the Trump administration requested, for approximately 55 miles of physical barrier along the southern border in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. $564 million for the installation of non-intrusive imaging equipment in the in-bound lanes of southwest border land ports of entry-- significantly increasing the percentage of cars and commercial cargo scanned for narcotics and other contraband. $415 million for humanitarian relief specifically for medical care, transportation, food and cloth; for humanitarian improvements to the McAllen Central Processing Center; and for a new El Paso CBP processing facility. $100 million for new border security technology. $77 million for opioid equipment and staffing for use at international mail and express consignment facilities. $59 million for 600 new CBP Officers and encourages CBP to use fee funding to hire up to 600 additional CBP officers for a total of 1,200 new officers. Does not fund the Administration's request for joint detention facilities. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)--Provides an appropriated level for detention beds that establishes Congress's intent to reduce the daily population in ICE detention to approximately 40,520 by the end of the fiscal year, down from a current count of approximately 49,060. Expands the Alternatives to Detention program from 82,000 to 100,000. Provides $30.5 million for ATD family case management, which improves compliance with immigration court obligations by helping families' access community-based support for basic housing, healthcare, legal, and educational needs. Provides $40 million for additional ICE staffing dedicated to overall ATD case management, particularly for asylum seekers. Funds additional detention facility inspectors in the Office of Professional Oversight to bring the number of inspections up from once every three years to twice per year. Provides funding to bring the number of detention facilities in compliance with PREA requirements from 86 percent to 97 percent. Provides $7.4 million for additional attorneys and for courtroom expansion to assist in the backlog of immigration cases currently in the system. $1.9 billion for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which focuses on a wide variety of investigations with a cross-border nexus, including those related to human trafficking, financial crimes and cyber investigations. $7.5 million for new HSI Victim Assistant Specialists and $44 million for new staffing to enhance opioid/fentanyl-related investigations and analyses. No funding for additional enforcement and removal field personnel. Coast Guard--12 billion total funding ($10.3 billion in discretionary funding) and provides for an additional 250 military personnel. Transportation Security Agency (TSA)--$4.9 billion in net discretionary funding, an increase of $884 million above the request and $5 million above the FY 2018 enacted level. Includes additional funding for computed tomography imaging systems and $40 million for airport explosive detection system reimbursement. Fully funds the TSA Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response teams, staffing at exit lanes, as required by law, and the Law Enforcement Officer reimbursement program. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)--$16.6 billion in net discretionary funding, an increase of $5.5 billion above the request and $4.2 billion above the FY 2018 enacted level. $12 billion for disaster relief to help States, communities and citizens respond to and recover from disasters, as well as cost effective mitigation to reduce the risk from future disasters. $3.1 billion for grants to help States, communities, citizens, and nonprofit organizations, with every grant being at or above the FY 2018 level, including $277 million for training, exercises, and education for our Nation's first responders and emergency managers. An additional $111 million above the request for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to address high priority cybersecurity and infrastructure protection vulnerabilities. $10 million in direct funding for Citizenship and Integration grants, instead of relying on fee revenue to support the program. $820 million to support cutting edge science and technology programs. The bill includes the following provisions related to phisical barriers: continues language allowing only fencing designs in use as of 2017 and prohibits construction on sensitive environmental areas such as the Bentsen-Rio State Park, the National Butterfly Center, the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, La Lomita Historical Park, and the Lower Rio Grande Wildlife Refuge between Brownsville, TX and the Gulf of Mexico. The bill improves transparency by requiring ICE to make public information about the numbers and types of people in its custody, such as families; border apprehension detainees; interior enforcement detainees; and those who are in custody who have a positive credible fear claim. Prohibits DHS from preventing a Member of Congress from entering any facility that is used to detain or otherwise house children and directs DHS to make no changes to the current operations and facility conditions in anticipation of a congressional oversight visit. Prevents DHS from destroying any record related to potential sexual assault or abuse of any individual in DHS's custody. Prohibits ICE from using information provided by the Office of Refugee Resettlement about sponsors or potential sponsors of unaccompanied children to arrest, detain, or remove those individuals, unless that information reveals the individual has a dangerous criminal background. Prevents DHS from placing pregnant women in restraints who are in the custody of DHS, except in extraordinary circumstances. Provides oversight of ICE treatment of detainees, including protections for pregnant refugees, prohibiting destruction of detainee sexual assault records, and public reporting related to detainees in ICE custody. $6.075 billion in discretionary funding for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), which is $100 million below the FY 2018 enacted level and $325 million above the President's budget request. $73.477 billion for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which will fully fund the program in 2019. $23.141 billion for Child Nutrition Programs, which will fully fund the program in 2019. International Programs: $1.716 billion for Food for Peace and $210.255 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is funded at $3.08 billion in discretionary funding for the FDA, an increase of $269 million. Census Bureau--$3.82 billion, an increase of more than $1 billion above FY 2018 and $20.9 million above the President's budget request, to enable the Bureau to effectively prepare for a thorough, accurate, and cost-effective 2020 Decennial Census. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) is funded at $3.37 billion, equal to the President's budget request. Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program: $140 million, equal to the FY2018 enacted level. The President had proposed completely eliminating this program. NOAA Climate Research: $159 million, an increase of $1 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $60.4 million above the President's budget request. National Weather Service: $1 billion for operating expenses, an increase of $6.6 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $85.5 million above the President's budget request. U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)--$30.9 billion overall for Department of Justice, which is more than $638 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $2.1 billion above the President's budget request. Federal Bureau of Investigation--$9.6 billion, an increase of $177 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $653 million above the President's budget request. United States Attorneys--$2.2 billion, an increase of $75 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $107 million above the President's budget request. United States Marshals Service--$2.93 billion, an increase of $25 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $104 million above the President's budget request. Drug Enforcement Administration--$2.3 billion, an increase of $77 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $80 million above the President's budget request. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)--$1.3 billion, an increase of $23 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and the same as the President's budget request. Grants to State and Local Law Enforcement--$3.02 billion: 1. $423.5 million for Byrne JAG; 2. $303.5 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Program; 3. $178 million to address sexual assault kit and other DNA evidence backlogs; 4. $87.5 million for Second Chance Act programs; 5. $347 million for grant programs to address the opioid crisis; 6. $100 million for the STOP School Violence Act; 7. $497.5 million for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs; and 8. $75 million for grants to improve the NICS firearms background check system. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)--$21.5 billion, an increase of $763.9 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $1.6 billion above the President's budget request. $1.93 billion for Earth science, an increase of $10 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $146.8 million above the President's budget request, to enable better scientific information about the Earth and its changing climate. $725 million for aeronautics research, an increase of $40 million above FY 2018 and $91.1 million above the President's budget request, to continue efforts to make passenger air travel safer, more fuel efficient, less noisy, and more environmentally sustainable. $110 million for NASA's STEM education efforts, an increase of $10 million above FY 2018, to enable NASA to inspire young people to pursue future careers in science. This amount includes funding increases for the Space Grant program, Minority University Research and Education Project, and Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCOR). The President had proposed eliminating funding for all of these. $8.1 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF), an increase of $307.6 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $603 million above the President's budget request. Legal Services Corporation is funded at $415 million, $5 million above the FY 2018 enacted level; the President had proposed completely eliminating this program, which helps provide legal assistance to underserved communities. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission--$379.5 million. International Trade Commission (ITC)--$95 million to enable ITC to investigate unfair trade practices that harm American companies. Crime Victims Fund is funded at $3.35 billion for victims and for victim services, including a Tribal set-aside of nearly $168 million for programs to assist Native American victims of crime. Federal Defender Services--$1.15 billion, an increase of $71.7 million. District of Columbia (DC)--$726 million for special payments to DC, an increase of $4.2 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $67.2 million above the President's budget request; the bill rejects the President's proposal to eliminate the Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) Program. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) is funded at $17 million, a modest increase over both the President's budget request and the FY 2018 enacted level. Small Business Administration (SBA) is funded at $715 million, which is $14.5 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $36.4 million above the President's budget request. The cap on SBA's 7a loan program increases to $30 billion, which is $1 billion more than the current level and this amount includes $247.7 million for Entrepreneurial Development Programs (EDP), which is $55 million more than the President's budget request. National Park Service is funded at $3.22 billion, an increase of $20 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $521 million above the President's budget request. Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education is funded at $3.08 billion, an increase of $17 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $667 million above the President's budget request. Land and Water Conservation Fund is appropriated $435 million, which is $10 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $435 million above the President's budget request. Clean Water State Revolving Fund receives $1.7 billion, which is equal to the 2018 enacted level and $300 million above the President's budget request. Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund is funded at $1.2 billion, which is equal to the 2018 enacted level and $300 million above the President's budget request. Indian Health Service is funded at $5.8 billion, an increase of $266 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $380 million above the President's budget request. Smithsonian Institution is funded at $1.04 billion, equal to the FY 2018 enacted level and $86 million above the President's budget request. $155 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities (NEA/NEH), the President's budget proposal to eliminate the Agencies. $5.1 billion for State Department Operations, which is $114 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $662 million above the President's budget request, and $6.1 billion for Embassy and Diplomatic Security, which is the same as the FY 2018 enacted level and $716 million above the President's budget request. Security Assistance--$9.15 billion, including $3.3 billion for Israel, fully meeting U.S. commitments under the new Memorandum of Understanding. Education and Cultural Exchanges--$701 million, which is $55 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $542 million above the President's budget request. Contributions to International Organizations--$1.36 billion for assessed contributions to international organizations, which is $107 million less than the FY 2018 enacted level and $265 million above the President's budget request. Contributions to International Peacekeeping--$1.55 billion, which is $169 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $355 million above the President's budget request. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)--$5.7 billion, which is $50 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $945 million above the President's budget request, including $1.35 billion for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)--$1.37 billion in total funding for the operating expenses of USAID, which is $25 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $258 million above the President's budget request. Global Health Programs--$3.1 billion, including $575 million for family planning programs, $302 million to fight tuberculosis, $145 million for nutrition programs, $755 million to combat malaria, and $290 million for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. Development Assistance--$3 billion for Development Assistance. Economic Support Fund (ESF)--$3.7 billion in total funding for Economic Support Funds, which is $251 million less than the FY 2018 enacted level. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Assistance--$7.8 billion, which is $173 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $1.46 billion above the President's budget request. International Disaster Assistance (IDA)--$4.4 billion, which is $100 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $828 million above the President's budget request. Refugee Assistance--$3.4 billion, which is $73 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $632 million above the President's budget request. Multilateral Assistance--$1.86 billion to meet U.S. commitments to multilateral organizations and international financial institutions, which is equal to the FY 2018 enacted level and $440 million above the President's budget request. Peace Corps--$410 million, $500,000 above the FY 2018 enacted level and $14 million above the President's budget request. Millennium Challenge Corporation--$905 million, which is equal to the FY 2018 enacted level and $105 million above the President's budget request. Department of Transportation (DOT) $86.5 billion overall for DOT, including $9 billion for new transportation infrastructure. National Infrastructure Investments (TIGER or BUILD) is funded at $900 million, a decrease of $600 million below the FY 2018 enacted level and $900 million above the President's budget request. The funding will be allocated 5o percent to urban areas and 5o percent to rural areas. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)--$17.5 billion, which is $549 million below the FY 2018 enacted level and $1.3 billion above the President's budget request. Airport Improvement Program grants receive an additional $500 million to accelerate infrastructure investments at airports. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)--$49.3 billion, an increase of $1.8 billion above the FY 2018 enacted level and $3.5 billion above the President's budget request. Highway Infrastructure Programs are funded at $3.3 billion for highway and bridge rehabilitation and construction as well as safety improvements at railroad grade crossings. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)--$966 million, an increase of $19 million above the FY2018 enacted level and $52 million above the President's budget request. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)--$2.9 billion, which is $218 million below the FY 2018 enacted level and $1.9 billion above the President's budget request. Amtrak is funded at $1.9 billion, equal to FY 2018 enacted level, and $670 million is provided for rail infrastructure improvements. The Magnetic Levitation Program is funded at $10 million. Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is funded at $13.4 billion, 2.3 billion above the President's budget request. Within this amount, Capital Investment Grants are funded at $2.6 billion, sufficient to fund all signed Full Funding Grant Agreements and continue work on projects in the development pipeline. Transit Infrastructure Grants are funded at $700 million to improve and modernize transit infrastructure. Maritime Administration (MARAD)--$1.1 billion, which is $419 million above the President's budget request; within this amount, the Maritime Security Program is funded at $300 million, funding is provided for the construction of a new schoolship, and $293 million is provided for port infrastructure development. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)--$275 million, which is $21 million above the President's budget request. $8 billion for new housing and public infrastructure. Public and Indian Housing (PIH)--$31 billion, an increase of $6.4 billion above the President's budget request. Tenant-Based Rental Assistance is funded at $20.3 billion, adequate to renew all existing vouchers. Public Housing Capital Fund is funded at $2.8 billion and the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative is funded at $150 million-both programs will revitalize our nation's public housing stock. A mobility voucher demonstration program is funded at $25 million. Community Planning and Development (CPD)--$7.7 billion, an increase of $29 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $5 billion above the President's budget request. Homeless Assistance Grants are funded at $2.6 billion. Community Development Block Grants are funded at $3.4 billion. The HOME program is funded at $1.3 billion. Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS is funded at $393 million. Housing Programs are funded $12.7 billion, an increase of $726 million above the President's budget request. $61 million is for the renovation and construction of housing units for the elderly and $30 million is for new housing units for persons with disabilities. Project-Based Rental Assistance is fully-funded at $11.7 billion. Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity is funded at $65.3 million, equal to the FY 2018 enacted level and $3 million above the President's budget request. Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes is slated to receive $279 million, an increase of $49 million above the FY 2018 enacted level and $134 million above the President's budget request. Madam Speaker, the collateral damage caused by the Trump Shutdown was substantial, long lasting, and unnecessary because it could have been avoided had the President not reneged on his promise to sign the continuing resolution passed by the Senate unanimously on December 19, 2018. Instead, the President callously shut down the government for 35 days, furloughing 800,000 civil servants and forcing nearly half that many to work without pay, which cost the national economy more than $11 billion in lost productivity and economic output. Because the President broke his promise, frontline federal employees, including law enforcement and public safety personnel, worked without pay from December 22 through January 25, 2019. The way these federal workers, many of whom risk their lives in the service of this country, were treated was shameful. The shutdown forced some employees to look for new jobs or take on extra work, and the pressure was immense for employees and families with no other source of income. Among those not receiving a pay check for their work were 3,200 Secret Service agents who risk their lives every single day to protect the President and his family. In addition to the federal employees working without pay, hardworking federal employees at agencies like the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Agriculture, and NASA had been furloughed without pay, plunging them and their families into uncertainty. Madam Speaker, shutting down the Government of the United States, or any portion thereof, is not an acceptable tactic or strategy for resolving differences regarding policy, funding levels, or governing philosophy. It should never happen again. Given the damage mercilessly inflicted on the American people and the economy by the Trump Shutdown, Congress has a fiduciary duty to the American people to ensure the continued, uninterrupted operations of the Government of the United States and its services. And that begins with an overwhelming majority vote in support of H.J. Res. 31.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, this bill that we came to have to fix as a Republican bill was a compromise, but it was a compromise with humanitarianism and passion and compassion. This border security and funding bill that Democrats fixed did some good things. In particular, it raised the number to 100,000 alternative detention sites for women and children; it provided healthcare where there was no healthcare so that little children would not die at the border; and it prevented ICE from using data to deport people who are trying to pick up their children. The good news is our Federal employees will not be held as hostages, and we have given them a 1.9 percent raise. As well, we provided for Food for Peace, for people who are struggling around the world, $1.7 billion. As a member of the Judiciary Committee, we provided $423 million for the Byrne Grant; $178 million to address sexual assault kits and other DNA; $100 million for STOP School Violence; $497 million, Madam Speaker, for the Violence Against Women Act; and $75 million for gun control, or at least the checks for background. Madam Speaker, this is a humanitarian bill, and I ask my colleagues to recognize it.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts and the gentleman from California for their leadership on this matter. They have discussed this over the months, and I have been pleased to join them in this effort. Madam Speaker, U.S. bombs are bombing school buses of 40 children. U.S. bombs are bombing those in Yemen who are innocent citizens. The violence through bombing has been facilitated with U.S. resources. This is a demand that is without parallel of its necessity. The question is whether we are engaged without the authorization of the United States Congress, whether we have declared war against Yemen. If the answer is no, then this resolution is appropriate. Yemen is the poorest or one of the poorest countries in the world. This resolution clearly says that we should stop the hostilities against the Houthi forces. More importantly, we should stop being used by the Saudi forces. By the way, having gone to Yemen, I know that at least a decade ago, Saudi closed its doors to the Yemen young men, who could find no work in Yemen because of its poverty, to go into Saudi to work there. Without that opportunity, all we ceded was poverty and violence. Now, because of the conflict, we have been bombing Yemen citizens for many years. This is a constructive resolution. It does not violate the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force. It is one that says that we must take our forces and impact out of Yemen. Let me also say that I know that we will discuss this further, but I do want to add that it is crucial to take note that we have an agreement on border security and funding the different agencies, so that we do not hold our Federal employees hostage and we don't shut the government. This resolution, coming back to this resolution dealing with directing the removal of Armed Forces from Yemen, is constructive work of the Democratic Caucus and Democratic Members. We hope our Republican Members will join us in doing the right thing in removing the impact of the United States forces in Yemen. Stop bombing children.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.J. Res. 37, 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 H.J. Res. 37 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. Mr. Chair, 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. Mr. Chair, 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. Mr. Chair, 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, Saudis 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. Mr. Chair, 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 H.J. Res. 37.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, we have spent a very long day in the Judiciary Committee working on legislation to respond to the American people's cry for universal background checks, but I rise as well, in the backdrop of that legislation, to stand for the victims of gun violence. I think it is important to note that America has 329 million people- plus here in the United States, and it is growing every day. But we have 393 million guns here in this country. We have lost, in this past year, almost 40,000 people to gun violence. I believe it is important, in a bipartisan way, that, when we are here in the people's House, we act on behalf of the American people. They want fair, simple universal background checks, which I hope will be on this floor very soon. Let me close by giving my deepest sympathy to the family, friends, and staff of Walter Jones. I viewed him as a great American, a great public servant, and one of great principle. I know that Walter, in his life and now in his passing, will wish for this Nation peace and dignity for all of those men and women who serve in the United States military. May he rest in peace.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to mourn the passing and commemorate the remarkable life of Congressman John David Dingell, Jr. of Michigan, who passed away on February 7, 2019 at the age of 92. John Dingell was one of the towering figures in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives and of our nation. John Dingell served this House and this nation with integrity, grace, intellect, and legislative mastery for nearly six decades; in fact his retirement at the end of the 114th Congress brought an end to the longest tenure of service in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives at 59 years and 21 days of service, a record that is unlikely to be duplicated or surpassed. John Dingell was present at the creation and played a major role in shaping virtually every landmark piece of legislation of the last half century, including the legislation creating the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Americans With Disabilities Act, Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Social Security Amendments of 1965 which created Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act to name just a few. As Chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee for sixteen years, John Dingell shepherded through to passage the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act, among other pieces of legislation. And for more than a half century, John Dingell honored the memory and passion of his father and congressional predecessor--John D. Dingell, Sr.--in introducing at the beginning of each new Congress legislation providing for universal healthcare. His persistence was rewarded in 1965 when he was chosen to preside as Speaker Pro Tempore on the day the House passed the legislation creating Medicare and Medicaid. Madam Speaker, John Dingell's service to this institution began in 1938 when he became a House page at 11 and he was in the chamber on December 8, 1941, when President Franklin Roosevelt announced that a state of war existed between the United States and Japan following the attack on Pearl Harbor. A member of the Greatest Generation, John Dingell enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II where he rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant. After the war, John Dingell went on to earn his undergraduate degree in chemistry and law degree from Georgetown University in 1949 and 1952, respectively. After law school John Dingell returned to his hometown of Detroit where he worked as a Wayne County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney before winning the special election in 1955 on to fill the unexpired term of the congressional seat that had been held by his late father since 1933. John Dingell was elected to a full term in 1956 and reelected to each of the succeeding 28 Congresses. Madam Speaker, as we mourn the passing of our friend and colleague, we also celebrate a remarkable life of honorable and extraordinary service to our nation. As he reminded us in his farewell message published after his passing, his work was not done alone, and the fight to make ours a more perfect union requires the work of Democrats as well as Republicans, who put country over party. And, of course, John Dingell was forever grateful for the love of his life, his wife Deborah--who would be his partner the last forty years of his life and carries on the proud Dingell family tradition of representing southeast Michigan in the United States Congress. I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory of the Honorable John David Dingell, Jr., of Michigan.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great American and a distinguished member of this House, the Honorable Walter B. Jones, Jr. The Honorable Walter B. Jones, died on Sunday, February 10, 2019 after a long illness. In addition to being a beloved and highly respected member of the House, Walter Jones was also a small business owner and a veteran of the National Guard. His presence will be greatly missed and we all mourn his loss and extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends. Walter Beaman Jones, Jr. was born February 10, 1943 in Farmville, North Carolina to Walter B. and Doris Long Jones, where he was raised. Madam Speaker, Walter Jones attended Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia and graduated in 1966 with a Bachelor of Arts from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College) in Wilson, North Carolina. Shortly after graduation Walter Jones joined the North Carolina National Guard while also working as an executive with his family's business supply company. In 1982, Walter Jones, the son of Congressman Walter B. Jones, Sr., was first elected as a Democrat to the North Carolina House of Representatives. After serving five successful terms and being known for his advocacy of campaign finance reform and lobbying reform, in 1994, Walter Jones sought and won a seat in the United States House of Representatives representing the Third Congressional District of North Carolina. Walter Jones was a dedicated and tireless advocate for his community and always put the interests of his district before the interests of his party. In Congress, Walter Jones was an effective and powerful voice for those serving on active duty as well as veterans. In 2000, Walter Jones fought to help clear the names of two Marine pilots wrongly blamed for the deadly crash of a V-22 Osprey. In 2016, the Navy issued a clarification about the cause of the fatal crash. Anyone who met Walter Jones knew of his tenacity and abiding love for the military. Walter Jones fought against the corrosive influence of money in politics for much of his career. As co-chair of the Campaign Finance Reform Caucus, Walter Jones pushed for reforms to lessen the impact and role of large campaign contributions and called for the repeal of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United, v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), which opened the floodgates for dark money and super PACs, and he advocated for public financing of election campaigns. During his quarter century of service in Congress he served on the Committee on Armed Services as well as its Subcommittees on Tactical Air and Land Forces and on Military Personnel. Madam Speaker, a dear colleague has fallen but he will not be forgotten. We are all saddened by the passing of the Honorable Walter B. Jones, Jr. but we are happy to have served with him and our prayers and condolences are with his family and loved ones. Madam Speaker, Walter B. Jones, Jr. was a faithful public servant, a great legislator, and a good man, who will be missed by all who knew and loved him. I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory of the Honorable Walter Beaman Jones, Jr., of North Carolina.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, the clarity that I would like to offer is that none of us should tolerate any shutdown of the government or ever holding our Federal workers hostage to policy debates, and that is for my colleagues and friends on the other side of the aisle and for this administration. But I think in all fairness, the clarity on the question of detention beds is to make sure that the criminals are detained and to make sure that women and children, like little 9-month-old Roger, have alternative housing. That is the debate. But that debate can go on and go on beyond holding the government hostage and our workers hostage. Mr. Speaker, I would also like to introduce the fact that I am establishing the Congressional Children's Caucus, as we have done every year since I have been here. Our focus is for better quality of life for children, not only in this Nation but around the world. One of the priorities will be hunger amongst children here in the United States and around the world. It is noteworthy that children do go to bed hungry here in the United States, and it is important that we support the food nutrition programs and the lunch, breakfast, and dinner programs in our public schools. We must ensure that this Nation protects its children.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me say that the gentleman from New York is doing an excellent job. He has translated the great leadership of the New York legislature and brought it here to the House. We thank the gentleman for his service. I have been affected by the gentleman from Georgia's comments. We have been on this floor together, and I know that we have a heart of service. As well--coming from Georgia, coming from Texas--we know veterans and we certainly know Active-Duty persons as well. So I rise to support the policy underpinnings of this legislation that has been so well articulated by the gentleman from New York. And it is important to note, just as background: When this government was wrongly shut down, we lost $11 billion, $3 billion that we will never see again and $8 billion that we may see again. But, in the course of that, all of us interacted with our veterans, many of them devastated because some of them were in positions that caused them to be furloughed. That means they were not getting a paycheck. Some of them, of course, are disabled veterans or veterans who are engaged in the veterans' health system. And we know that these veterans have pride. So this bill is an authorizing bill that affirms that pride, that allows veterans--many of them young veterans, having been in the Afghanistan war, having been in the Iraq war, having been in Syria--many of them young with young children, that they can go to get their medical care--that is well needed--by now having childcare during their medical care visits. And I am glad the gentleman from New York made it clear over and over again that this is an authorizing bill. There is no need for paygo. There is no need for the offset. That will be handled. This is a policy point. This is Democrats, hopefully joined by Republicans, to affirm our commitment to the service of veterans. But, as I do that, maybe the gentleman from Georgia would join me in reconsidering the new tax cuts by the GOP, which would cost $3.8 trillion to the deficit this second round and create $3.2 trillion in the Federal deficit over a decade. Maybe my good friend will join me and indicate that our veterans are more important, that services to our families are more important, and, therefore, let's reconsider this deficit-busting GOP tax bill. But as relates to this policy, I am grateful to the leadership of the Veterans' Affairs Committee. I thank the gentleman from New York in the Rules Committee for bringing forward this thoughtful, smart veterans bill. Remember, you have been hearing us talk about smart border security, and we are working on that right now to keep the government open, but this is a smart bill. I have a veterans hospital in my area, formerly in my district, and I know how important Medicare is. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the rule, and I rise to support the underlying legislation, which is authorizing legislation to help veterans have childcare when they go to get their medical care.