Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, Americans love sports. They love honest sports. They love winning the Stanley Cup by the great team here in Washington. We loved winning the World Series with the Houston Astros. We love our Olympics. Today, I rise because I recently introduced, H.R. 6067, the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, or RADA. In the realm of international sports, it has become almost commonplace for too many athletes to yield to the temptation of bridging the gap between their own skills and the pinnacle of athletic achievement by resorting to performance-enhancing drugs. To conceal this fall from grace, cheaters are employing increasingly sophisticated modes of masking the use of any prescribed drugs. This practice, some of it state-sanctioned, undermines international athletic competition. That is why I introduced the RADA Act, H.R. 6067. I ask my colleagues to join me. This is a bipartisan bill supported by Ms. Gwen Moore, Dr. Burgess, and myself. Our numbers are growing. The legislation I have introduced is bipartisan. As well, we salute the valiant man who revealed the true extent of the complex, state-run doping scheme in Russia. Mr. Speaker, I would simply like to close by saying a young lady by the name of Alysia Montano lost a race to Russians who had been a part of doping fraud. She lost the medal and she lost millions, but she also may have lost her spirit. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record an article from The New York Times entitled: ``U.S. Lawmakers Seek to Criminalize Doping in Global Competitions'' which cites RADA as a step in the right direction toward criminalizing doping in international sports. [From the New York Times, June 12, 2018] U.S. Lawmakers Seek to Criminalize Doping in Global Competitions (By Rebecca R. Ruiz) United States lawmakers on Tuesday took a step toward criminalizing doping in international sports, introducing a bill in the House that would attach prison time to the use, manufacturing or distribution of performance-enhancing drugs in global competitions. The legislation, inspired by the Russian doping scandal, would echo the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it illegal to bribe foreign officials to gain a business advantage. The statute would be the first of its kind with global reach, empowering American prosecutors to act on doping violations abroad, and to file fraud charges of a different variety than those the Justice Department brought against top international soccer officials in 2015. Although American leagues like Major League Baseball would not be affected by the legislation, which would apply only to competitions among countries, it could apply to a league's athletes when participating in global events like the Ryder Cup, the Davis Cup or the World Baseball Classic. The law would establish America's jurisdiction over international sports events, even those outside of the United States, if they include at least three other nations, with at least four American athletes participating or two American companies acting as sponsors. It would also enhance the ability of cheated athletes and corporate sponsors to seek damages, expanding the window of time during which civil lawsuits could be filed. To justify the United States' broader jurisdiction over global competitions, the House bill invokes the United States' contribution to the World Anti-Doping Agency, the global regulator of drugs in sports. At $2.3 million, the United States' annual contribution is the single largest of any nation. ``Doping fraud in major international competitions also effectively defrauds the United States,'' the bill states. The lawmakers behind the bill were instrumental in the creation of the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which gave the government the right to freeze financial assets and impose visa restrictions on Russian nationals accused of serious human rights violations and corruption. On Tuesday, the lawmakers framed their interest in sports fraud around international relations and broader networks of crime that can accompany cheating. ``Doping fraud is a crime in which big money, state assets and transnational criminals gain advantage and honest athletes and companies are defrauded,'' said Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, who introduced the legislation on Tuesday. ``This practice, some of it state-sanctioned, has the ability to undermine international relations, and is often connected to more nefarious actions by state actors.'' Along with Ms. Jackson Lee, the bill was sponsored by two other Congressional representatives, Michael Burgess, Republican of Texas, and Gwen Moore, Democrat of Wisconsin. It was put forward just as Russia prepares to host soccer's World Cup, which starts Thursday. That sporting event will be the nation's biggest since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where one of the most elaborate doping ploys in history took place. The bill, the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, takes its name from Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the chemist who ran Russia's antidoping laboratory for 10 years before he spoke out about the state-sponsored cheating he had helped carry out--most notoriously in Sochi. At those Games, Dr. Rodchenkov said, he concealed widespread drug use among Russia's top Olympians by tampering with more than 100 urine samples with the help of Russia's Federal Security Service. Investigations commissioned by international sports regulators confirmed his account and concluded that Russia had cheated across competitions and years, tainting the performance of more than 1,000 athletes. In early 2017, American intelligence officials concluded that Russia's meddling in the 2016 American election had been, in part, a form of retribution for the Olympic doping scandal, whose disclosures Russian officials blamed on the United States. Nations including Germany, France, Italy, Kenya and Spain have established criminal penalties for sports doping perpetrated within their borders. Russia, too, passed a law in 2017 that made it a crime to assist or coerce doping, though no known charges have been brought under that law to date. Under the proposed American law, criminal penalties for offenders would include a prison term of up to five years as well as fines that could stretch to $250,000 for individuals and $1 million for organizations. ``We could have real change if people think they could actually go to jail for this,'' said Jim Walden, a lawyer for Dr. Rodchenkov, who met with the lawmakers as they considered the issue in recent months. ``I think it will have a meaningful impact on coaches and athletes if they realize they might not be able to travel outside of their country for fear of being arrested.'' The legislation also authorizes civil actions for doping fraud, giving athletes who may have been cheated in competitions--as well as corporations acting as sponsors--the right to sue in federal court to recover damages from people who may have defrauded competitions. Ms. Jackson Lee cited the American runner Alysia Montano, who placed fifth in the 800 meters at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Two Russian women who placed first and third in that race were later disqualified for doping, elevating Ms. Montano years later. ``She had rightfully finished third, which would have earned her a bronze medal,'' Ms. Jackson Lee said, noting the financial benefits and sponsorships Ms. Montano could have captured. The bill would establish a window of seven years for criminal actions and 10 years for civil lawsuits. It also seeks to protect whistle-blowers from retaliation, making it illegal to take ``adverse action'' against a person because he or she has disclosed information about doping fraud. Dr. Rodchenkov, who has lived in the United States since fall 2015, has been criminally charged in Russia after he publicly deconstructed the cheating he said he carried out on orders from a state minister. ``While he was complicit in Russia's past bad acts, Dr. Rodchenkov regrets his past role in Russia's state-run doping program and seeks to atone for it by aiding the effort to clean up international sports and to curb the corruption rampant in Russia,'' Ms. Jackson Lee said, calling Tuesday's bill ``an important step to stemming the tide of Russian corruption in sport and restoring confidence in international competition.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, join me in supporting the RADA bill. I thank Isabella Belcher and the OSCE staff. Mr. Speaker, I recently introduced H.R. 6067, the Rodchenkov Anti- Doping Act (``RADA'') because in the realm of international sports, it has become almost commonplace for too many athletes to yield to the temptation of bridging the gap between their own skill and the pinnacle of athletic achievement by resorting to performance enhancing drugs. And to conceal this fall from grace, cheaters are employing increasingly sophisticated modes of masking the use of any proscribed drugs. The United States has a large role to play in ferreting out corruption in international sports. Not only do U.S. athletes lose out on millions in sponsorships, but when a U.S. company spends millions to create a marketing campaign around an athlete, only to have that athlete later implicated in a doping fraud scandal, the damage to that company's brand can cost tens of millions. This has been the story of Alysia Montafio, a U.S. runner who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics games in London and placed fifth place in the 800 meters behind two Russian women finishing first and third. These women were later found to have engaged in doping fraud by the World Anti-Doping Agency, meaning that Ms. Montano had rightfully finished third, which would have earned her a bronze medal. Ms. Montano estimates that doping fraud cost her `maybe half a million dollars, if you look at rollovers and bonuses, and that's without outside sponsorship maybe coming in.' She adds, `That's not why you're doing it, but you still deserve it.' She certainly does. Until now, defrauded U.S. athletes and companies have had little recourse against doping fraud. A recent article published by The New York Times titled ``U.S. Lawmakers Seek to Criminalize Doping in Global Competitions'' references the RADA as a step in the right direction toward criminalizing doping in international sports. The RADA is an important step to stemming the tide of Russian corruption in sport and restoring confidence in international competition. This practice, some of it state-sanctioned, undermines international athletic competition and is often connected to more nefarious actions by state actors. This is why it is necessary for Congress to enact H.R. 6067, the bipartisan Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act (``RADA'' Act) The legislation I have introduced is bipartisan, and bears the name of courageous whistleblower Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, a valiant man who revealed the true extent of the complex state-run doping scheme which permitted Russia to excel in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and which resulted in its ban from the 2018 Olympic Games. While he was complicit in Russia's state-run doping program, Dr. Rodchenkov regrets his role and seeks to atone for it by aiding the effort to clean up international sports and to curb the rampant corruption within Russia. The RADA Act is a serious step towards cracking down on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in major international competitions because it establishes criminal penalties and civil remedies for doping fraud. A number of other nations, including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and Spain, have embraced criminal sanctions for doping fraud violations and it is time for the United States to be added to this list. Doping fraud in major international competitions--like the Olympics, the World Cup and the Tour de France--is often linked with corruption, bribery and money laundering. It is not just victory that criminals engaged in doping fraud snatch away from clean athletes--athletes depend on prize money and sponsorships to sustain their livelihoods.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Raskin for his leadership, consistent leadership, on these issues. And certainly, I think, the recognition of the fact that the poor of this Nation, both in the biblical sense of our faith or the document of your faith, the poor have always been acknowledged, and, in a certain sense, in the Christian Bible honored. And it is a sad state of affairs for us to come to this point in the Nation to realize that our poor are suffering at large numbers and that there is no relief. I know that Dr. King, some 50 years ago, as he was planning the Poor People's march--and many of us realized that he was not able to fulfill it for he was shot by an assassin's bullet on April 4, 1968. But the valiant people went forward with his dream of eliminating poverty. And I am reminded of his words: Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. And so I speak today of the sprinkling, the harsh sprinkling of poverty and injustices in this Nation today, and I make it a very special message to the leader of the free world, who has every power to collaborate with this important body, to make commitments to end the very conditions that Dr. King, some 50 years ago, sought to come to Washington that was ultimately proceeded with by leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and poor people from around the Nation. They might not have succeeded specifically, but they did bring to the Nation's eyes and hearts the violence of poverty among Native Americans, Latinos, African Americans, poor, and Caucasians in places beyond the South. And, interestingly enough, that poverty continues. I speak, in particular, of certain elements that show our lack of concern and where we must get steady and back on track. First, what all of us have been speaking about over the last couple of days and weeks is the untoward and the impossible thought of taking children away from parents who are fleeing poverty, violence, and desperation to come. We know that, in my home State of Texas, a migrant was separated from his family and committed suicide while in Federal detention. Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere. And a mother, while breastfeeding her young child, while both were in Federal detention, had her child ripped away from her arms. That must stop. That is a poverty of mind, a poverty of heart and spirit. I want to thank Reverend Barber, who will be headed to Washington on June 23 with the massive, largest expression of those who still, unfortunately, live in the shadows, not of their own making. When I say that, they are not in the shadows, they are there, but seeming there in the shadows with respect to the policies of this administration, the terrible Robin Hood tax bill that has created nothing but a balloon of wealth to the top 1 percent, so much so that the wages of Americans have not gone up. When you travel throughout the country and in my district, most people don't know, working Americans have no idea that any tax bill was passed that was supposed to impact them because it has not impacted them, and the only thing that is happening is a flush of corporate profits. Now, it would seem that one is criticizing that success. We are criticizing the unequalness of what happens to working families who work every day and have not had a wage increase. Then out of that comes the implosion of the Affordable Care Act, brick by brick being taken away. I know of people who have told me that their loved one was put in a wheelchair and pointed toward the door: Get out. And the Affordable Care Act provided that there were no caps on one's insurance until you got better in the hospital. But because of the atmosphere, and the climate, and the constant attack on the Affordable Care Act, hospitals are feeling the burden and are sending people out the door who are not well. Even more frightening for people are those who have preexisting conditions, one of the glaring parts of the Affordable Care Act, one where people were waving the flag. They were excited, if they had a preexisting condition, which, before the Affordable Care Act, it could have been acne or it could have been pregnancy. But now, that coverage and protection for our loved ones who may have preexisting conditions, loved ones who could function with healthcare and not be relegated to be homebound because they were so sick they could not work. This is a terrible approach to how you run a country. In these last two points, I want to make it clear how important it is to recognize that poverty still is. And not only Dr. King, but we recognize that Robert Francis Kennedy, also struck down by an assassin's bullet, worked in his campaign for President in 1968 to bring to the attention of Americans the fact that it is so important to realize poverty exists in the worst way in the mountains and valleys, and urban centers, and that Americans should stand up against poverty. Poverty impacts the criminal justice system. In 1968, African Americans were about five to four times as likely as Whites to be imprisoned, or jailed. Compared to today, they are six to four times as likely as Whites to be incarcerated, which is troubling, given the population difference. As Judge Learned Hand observed, ``If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: Thou shalt not ration justice.'' It is important that, as we match meaningful prison reform, we must match it with meaningful sentencing reduction. We must stop the tide of poverty by ending mass incarceration. And we must, in fact, recognize that we must fight against recidivism, open the doors of opportunity for ex-felons as they come out, and make sure that we are reducing those mandatory minimums that have kept people in jail 15, 20, 25, or 30 years away from their family so that their children grow up without them. We must recognize that poverty attacks at a very young age. It moves people toward the juvenile justice system, and it only causes them to believe this is the only thing that they can engage in. I have introduced legislation to give hope to the juvenile justice system: no more solitary confinement; alternative placement; and if they are able, as they rehabilitate, we ban the box on saying that they have been in the juvenile system. I want to stop homelessness. That is what Dr. King knew had to end to end that aspect of poverty, and to, of course, end it among our veterans. I want to end the idea of $23 billion out of SNAP's program. And, of course, I want to recognize that when we have these devastating storms, the amount of homelessness goes up. It is so very important to recognize the devastation of Hurricane Harvey, that there are those who are still unhoused, and to make a commitment after every disaster that we make those communities whole: volcanos, tornadoes, fires, and floods. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for allowing us to be here tonight. And I want to conclude by showing this Robin Hood tax bill, stealing from the poor. This year, the administration, President Trump, proposed to slash housing benefits by $11 billion because we had to pay for the tax cut. Weeks after that tax cut was passed, President Trump proposed to pay for the bill by slashing housing benefits and other supports for low-income people who struggle to make ends meet. And here we stand with the $1.5 trillion deficit. So, what is our message? That we must never give up in this fight. We must stand in the tradition of Dr. King. We must be reminded of those who are coming to Washington in the coming days. We must say to have mercy on them. And, of course, as Reverend Barber would always seek, that they be blessed, blessed with mercy and success, as they stand against poverty and stand for the ending and elimination of poverty Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressional Progressive Caucus for anchoring this important Special Order. In the spirit of the 50th Anniversary of the Poor People's Campaign, we are here today to bring the nation's attention to the issues that affect them: immigration, health care, paid sick leave, criminal justice, homelessness, and environmental justice. We must act without delay regarding the ``zero-tolerance'' policy that separates families apprehended on the southern border by U.S. Border Patrol. As the member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and former Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Maritime and Border Security, I cannot think of a situation more devastating than having the government forcibly separate a parent from her child to a place unknown, for a fate uncertain, absent any form of communication. Every day, hundreds of persons, ranging from infants and toddlers to adolescents and adults, flee violence, oppression, and economic desperation from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, seeking safe harbor in the United States. They are not criminals or terrorists, they are refugees seeking asylum. The level of callousness displayed by this administration towards those seeking refuge within our borders is shocking. Every day that passes seemingly reveals another horrific tale of a migrant interacting with Trump's border patrol forces and then being worse for the wear because of it. We know of the immigrant who was deported to Mexico, a country he left when he was three years old, only to be murdered by gang violence just three weeks after his forced return. We know of the young mother, separated from her children at the border, left to wonder about their fate, safety, future, and whether she would ever see them again. In my home state of Texas, a migrant who was separated from his family, committed suicide while in federal detention. A mother who, while breastfeeding her young child when both were in federal detention, had her child ripped away from her arms. This cannot be how we make America great again, this is how we make America hateful again. This week brought news that the Trump administration is seeking to build a tent city at Fort Bliss for the purpose of housing children separated from their parents. This is unconscionable, outrageous and it must stop. I have written to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security calling for an immediate end to this policy. America is the envy of the world, in large part because of our welcoming and generous nature. For over 100 years, those seeking a better life have been drawn to this land by the words on the Statue of Liberty: ``Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.'' The current president fails this obligation, but he is who he is. We must be who we are: a loving, embracing people, eager to share the bounty of this country to all who seek it. The President and GOP have promised for years now to create a plan to improve health insurance for everybody. But that promise has not been kept. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has significantly improved the availability, affordability, and quality of health care for tens of millions of Americans, including millions who previously had no health insurance at all. Americans are rightly frightened by Republican attempts to repeal the ACA without having in place a superior new plan that maintains comparable coverages and comparable consumer choices and protections. It is beyond dispute that the ``Pay More For Less'' plan proposed by House Republicans a few months ago fails this test miserably. The Republican ``Pay More For Less Act'' is a massive tax cut for the wealthy, paid for on the backs of America's most vulnerable, the poor and working class households. This ``Robin Hood in reverse'' bill is unprecedented and breathtaking in its audacity--no bill has ever tried to give so much to the rich while taking so much from the poor and working class. This Republican scheme gives gigantic tax cuts to the rich, and pays for it by taking insurance away from 24 million people and raising costs for the poor and middle class. It is despicable and shameful that those elected to serve their people would rather see their pockets full than their constituents healthy and well. Fifty years or so ago the American Labor Movement was little more than a group of dreamers, and look at it now. From coast to coast, in factories, stores, warehouse and business establishments of all kinds, industrial democracy is at work. From ending sweatshop conditions, unlivable wages, and 70-hour workweeks, we have come a long way from our practices over 100 years ago. However, we still have work to be done. Currently in America, there are no federal legal requirements for paid sick leave. For companies subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Act does require unpaid sick leave and are only eligible to take FMLA after they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, worked for at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months, and work at a location where at least 50 employees are employed by the employer within 75 miles. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, state and local government workers were more likely than workers in private industry to have access to paid sick leave but less likely to have access to paid vacations and holidays. As with workers in private industry, state and local government workers in the lower wage categories were less likely to have access to paid sick leave than workers in higher wage categories. Workers in lower wage categories were less likely to have access to paid sick leave than more highly paid workers. For private-industry workers with an average wage in the lowest 10 percent, 27 percent had access to paid sick leave; among workers with an average wage in the highest 10 percent, 87 percent had access to paid sick leave. This is an atrocity. We must allow for all of our constituents to be able to work within a healthy environment. In 1968, African Americans were about 5.4 times as likely as whites to be in prison or jail; compared to today, African Americans are 6.4 times as likely as whites to be incarcerated, which is especially troubling given that whites are also much more likely to be incarcerated now than they were in 1968. It is clear the inequalities and disparities that ignited hundreds of American cities in the 1960s still exist and have not been eliminated over the last half-century. As Judge Learned Hand observed, ``If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: thou shalt not ration justice.'' Reforming the criminal justice system so that it is fairer and delivers equal justice to all persons is one of the great moral imperatives of our time. For reform to be truly meaningful, we must look at every stage at which our citizens interact with the system--from policing in our communities and the first encounter with law enforcement, to the charging and manner of attaining a conviction, from the sentence imposed to reentry and collateral consequences. The need for meaningful prison reform cannot be overstated because being the world's leader in incarceration is neither morally nor fiscally sustainable for the United States, or the federal government, the nation's largest jailer. For individuals who have paid their debt, the reentry process is paved with tremendous, and often insurmountable, obstacles resulting in recidivism rates as high as 75 percent in some areas. More must be done to ensure that the emphasis on incarceration is matched with an equal emphasis on successful reentry so that the approximately 630,000 individuals who reenter society each year are prepared to be successful in civilian life. This is why I have also strongly supported and cosponsored legislation that will allow those with a criminal conviction to have a fair chance to compete for jobs with federal agencies and contractors. I have also been working for many years to stop the over- criminalization of our young people. Today, more and more young children are being arrested, incarcerated, and detained in lengthy out-of-home placements. Harsh and lengthy penalties handed down to young offenders increase their risk of becoming physically abused, emotionally traumatized, and reduce their chance of being successfully reintegrated back into their communities. I have introduced and supported legislation to help reform how youth and juveniles are treated to reduce contact and recidivism within the juvenile and criminal justice system; to help protect them from a system that turns them into life-long offenders. Just as we need to minimize the conviction of innocent people, we must address the unnecessary loss of life that can result from police and civilian interactions. Effective law enforcement requires the confidence of the community that the law will be enforced impartially and equally. That confidence has been eroded substantially in recent years by numerous instances of excessive use of lethal forces. There is no higher priority than improving the peacefulness of these interactions and rebuilding the trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve and protect. Currently, over half a million people in the United States on any given night are experiencing homelessness. Now that Congress has lifted the low spending caps required by law for defense and domestic programs, lawmakers should ensure the highest level of funding possible for affordable housing. When U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)'s resources are cut, families may lose access to stable housing, putting them at increased risk of homelessness. This year, President Trump proposed to slash housing benefits by $11 billion compared to current levels. Weeks after passing a massive tax bill that grows our deficit by $1.5 trillion, the President proposed to pay for the tax bill by slashing support for low income people who struggle to make ends meet. HUD and The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) affordable housing programs have lifted millions of families out of poverty. Without this investment, many of these families would be homeless, living in substandard or overcrowded conditions, or struggling to meet other basic needs. As well, homelessness among the American veteran population is on the rise in the United States and we must be proactive in giving back to those who have given so much to us. Today, in our country, there are approximately 107,000 veterans (male and female) who are homeless on any given night. And perhaps twice as many (200,000) experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. We have an obligation to provide our veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness, which includes adequately funding for programs such as Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) that provide case-management services, adequate housing facilities, mental health support, and address other areas that contribute to veteran homelessness. We must commit ourselves to the hard but necessary work of ending veteran homelessness in America because providing a home for veterans to come home to every night is the very least we can do. As one of the original members of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I am well aware of the range of threats that our nation has faced. However, I believe that the threats posed by climate change have been ignored to our nation's detriment. Climate change is the challenge of our lifetime and for far too many years we have heard the warnings from prominent scientists regarding the danger to people if nothing is done to reverse the amounts of Green House gases released into the atmosphere. All of you will recall the devastation that Hurricane Harvey wreaked on the Houston community last fall. Neither Houston nor any other city in the nation had ever experienced flooding of the magnitude caused by Harvey. In addition to the immense costs of recovery and reconstruction, the cost of human lives is always immeasurable. If we do not collectively and concretely address the looming threat of climate change, we must prepare for many more devastating natural disasters that destroy lives and livelihoods. In 2015, the Pentagon published a report that found climate change to be a security risk, because it degrades living conditions, human security and the ability of governments to meet the basic needs of their populations. Communities within the United States and countries around the world that already are fragile and have limited resources are significantly more vulnerable to disruption and far less likely to respond effectively and be resilient to new challenges caused by climate change. The poor and marginalized who live in areas that already prone to the consequences of severe weather because the land was cheaper or unwanted by developers will suffer the early consequence of climate change, but the damage will not stop there it will be felt by all. As many of you well know, Greenhouse Gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2) absorb heat (infrared radiation) emitted from Earth's surface. Increases in these concentrations of these gases in Earth's atmosphere are causing our planet to warm by trapping more of this heat. Warmer temperatures have caused the Arctic Ice sheets to melt at an unprecedented rate. This winter we have seen extreme temperature swings in some parts of the country, while in others they have seen no winter at all. We are at a point where we can no longer wait for action only from Washington D.C., we must begin to take action in our own cities, counties and states to prepare for the challenges we will face if the rise in temperatures is not abated. It will continue my efforts in Washington to make sure that we have flood study of the greater Houston area to determine the implications of flooding and development in our area. I urge my colleagues in Congress, and all Americans, to look at what unites us rather than what divides us. We are linked by our compassion, and bound by the fundamental edict of the American Dream that says we will strive to provide our children with a better life than we had. We can, and we must, find the common ground necessary to make this dream a reality for Americans of every race and creed, nationality and religion, gender and sexual orientation; indeed for every American wherever he or she may live in this great land regardless of what he or she looks like or who they may love. We can do it; after all, we are Americans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, we are on the eve of Father's Day. Fathers and mothers, their greatest gift, in their minds, are their children. Their greatest loves are their children. The greatest willingness to sacrifice their lives are for their children. Mr. Rodas asked the question: ``Why are you taking him?'' Mr. Rodas, an immigrant from Honduras, wanted nothing more than a better life for his wife and three children, and Edison was with him. In a policy that could be more wicked than evil, this administration, with no legal grounding, has begun to snatch children away from their fathers and their mothers. I know the policy. It was designed some years back for unaccompanied children. It was not designed for punishment, for taking children from parents who then do not know where they are and possibly the government not being able to find them. Why are we taking him from his father? Why are babies crying in the night? Because mothers are separated, because they have been snatched away at the border in my State, the State of Texas. We should cease and desist, Mr. Speaker. This is Father's Day. Why are we taking children? The American people need to know, and the American people need to stand up.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, sex toys with children is disgusting, and I believe it is something that one would want simply to say pass a bill to cease and desist. But I would like to discuss H.R. 4655, the Curbing Realistic Exploitative Electronic Pedophilic Robots Act of 2017, also known as the CREEPER Act of 2017. There is no doubt that we oppose what this bill is intending to do. The bill seeks to prohibit the importation and transportation of child sex dolls. There is no doubt that child sexual exploitation is a serious, grave problem in our country. It is a growing and ever-evolving problem that requires a multifaceted response, and one might argue that the creation of these dolls, besides being exploitation of our most precious resource, is just to make money. That is absolutely both disgraceful and absurd. Combating child sexual exploitation requires aggressive action by the Congress of the United States, and we must remain always vigilant to stamp out any new methods in technology developed and used by child predators to harm our children. Just yesterday, the Department of Justice announced that, in a coordinated effort spanning all 50 States during March, April, and May, 2,300 suspected child sex offenders were arrested. In my own hometown of Houston in 2016, 126 people were arrested as online predators as part of a coordinated effort to tackle the problem of child exploitation; and last year, 13 were arrested. We must protect our children everywhere from any and all bad actors who want to do them harm. I am concerned, however, that the majority has not given us sufficient time to properly consider this bill, its basis for making a correlation between the possession of obscene dolls and possession of child pornography, and its relation to child abuse. Those are important points, and I know that this bill has great intentions. We might have made it even greater. We also did not have the opportunity to assess whether this bill would implicate a reporting statute for sex offenders or to identify any other problems and perhaps an opportunity to offer ways to improve this bill to ensure we are, in fact, protecting all of our children. Mr. Speaker, I look forward, however, to hearing further in the discussion of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his explanation of the CREEPER bill. As I stated, it is disgusting, but, more importantly, it harms our children. What we want to do in this Congress is to ensure that not only do we register our concern for the fairness of the criminal justice system, the criminal code, but that we provide the greatest protection we can ever provide for our children. So the idea of sex toys and the utilization of child sex toys is what I want to be clear, and the importation and transportation is a dastardly act. I hope as this bill makes its way through the Congress that we will be assured that it frames itself to go after those who are the most vile and vicious as it relates to the child sex toys and in keeping with the confines and the parameters of a just criminal code. Might I also just say that I just feel compelled, as the gentleman I know has worked on many issues, to remind this House that we have a crisis at the border. It is very important as we relate to children and children being taken away from families--mothers--that we also turn our attention to protecting those children. So with that point, I want to indicate my support for effective measures to protect our children. I thank the gentleman for his leadership. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is, again, a topic that is impacting so many Americans. I recall the CARA Act that the Judiciary Committee passed out some 2 years ago, a miraculous piece of legislation because we did not criminalize, we sought to help those who have been badly addicted to drugs. I rise in support of H.R. 6029, the REGROUP Act. This bill increases the funding authorized for the Department of Justice's Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program from $103 million per year to $330 million per year through the fiscal year 2023. The opioid crisis is a national emergency, and we should certainly expend the resources to prevent opioid abuse and treat those who have become addicted. We have found that the overcriminalization of these persons who are addicted has not served us well. They have generated a whole population of persons who have been labeled under the topic, but realistically it is impacting their lives: mass incarceration. In the United States, drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death, with opioids being involved in nearly two-thirds of overdose deaths. Overall, the number of drug overdose deaths has nearly quadrupled over the past 20 years. Although effective for the treatment of pain, prescription opioids are highly addictive, and nearly half of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. Many Members understand that this became part of the wave of new treatment that medical school students and doctors were told and instructed, that a patient should not have to suffer pain. It had good intentions. But through that process of medical treatment became a population of extended addicted persons who began to use a prescription drug as a drug of use and recreation, and then those who were given it in the medical sense who were able to get it over and over again on the basis of pain became addicted. Overall, the number of drug overdose deaths has nearly quadrupled, as I said, and this has been thought of as an effective treatment for pain. Prescription opioids are highly addictive, and nearly half of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid, as I have said. Deaths related to heroin have similarly increased as individuals often transition from more expensive prescription opioids to cheaper heroin which has had a rise in its use. In 2016, Congress adopted this program, as I indicated, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or CARA, as we refer to it. The Judiciary Committee had a portion of that legislation. CARA was a well-intentioned initiative to enhance the efforts against opioids across the range of relevant executive branch agencies, involving the jurisdiction of several of our committees in the House. I was pleased that the Judiciary Committee's contribution to this effort resulted in the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program which reflects an approach not strictly based on arresting and prosecuting. At the time, I noted with approval that we were not raising sentences or expanding mandatory minimums, but instead funding a range of approaches, including anti-addiction mechanisms such as treatment alternatives to incarceration, which fell under the Department of Justice. Such alternatives incentivized by this program include training for criminal justice agency personnel on substance abuse disorders, the implementation of mental health courts, drug courts, and veterans' treatment courts, assisting parents whose incarceration could result in children entering the child welfare system, and community-based substance abuse diversion programs. It is well-known by Members that if you have one of these courts in your jurisdiction, they have been powerful. Mental health courts, drug courts, and veterans' courts have steered a lot of people away from incarceration. They work well. The judges believe they are constructive, and we are doing more for people. In 2015, we learned through a Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations Subcommittee hearing about the success of a newly developed Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, approach that was spearheaded in cities such as Seattle and Santa Fe. Through the program we are extending today, hopefully we will make it easier for other cities to afford to implement diversion programs such as LEAD. Other purposes for which these grants may be used include providing training and resources for first responders in administering opioid overdose reversal drugs, expanding medication-assisted treatment programs operated by criminal justice agencies, implementing prescription drug monitoring programs, preventing opioid abuse by juveniles, and implementing prescription drug take-back programs, in addition to investigating the illicit distribution of opioids. This funding will be an added contribution to these very vital programs, and I hope that we will be in the business every day of saving lives and turning around those addicted persons who not only are hurting themselves, but they are hurting their families. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6029, the REGROUP Act. This bill increases the funding authorized for the Department of Justice's Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program from $103 million per year to $330 million per year through fiscal year 2023. The opioid crisis is a national emergency, and we should certainly expend the resources necessary to prevent opioid abuse and treat those who have become addicted. In the United States, drug overdoses are the leading cause of accidental death, with opioids being involved in nearly two thirds of overdose deaths. Overall, the number of drug overdose deaths has nearly quadrupled over the past twenty years. Although effective for the treatment of pain, prescription opioids are highly addictive and nearly half of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. Deaths related to heroin have similarly increased, as individuals often transition from more expensive prescription opioids to cheaper heroin. In 2016, Congress adopted this program as part of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, or ``CARA'' as we often refer to it. CARA was a well-intentioned initiative to enhance the efforts against opioids across the range of relevant executive branch agencies, involving the jurisdiction of several of our Committees in the House. I was pleased that the Judiciary Committee's contribution to this effort, resulted in the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program, which reflects an approach not strictly based on arresting and prosecuting. At the time, I noted with approval that we were not raising sentences or expanding mandatory minimums, but instead funding a range of approaches including anti-addiction mechanisms such as treatment alternatives to incarceration. Such alternatives incentivized by this Program include training for criminal justice agency personnel on substance abuse disorders, the implementation of mental health courts, drug courts, and veterans' treatment courts, assisting parents whose incarceration could result in children entering the child welfare system, and community-based substance abuse diversion programs. In 2015, we learned through a Crime Subcommittee hearing about the success of the newly-developed Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, approach that was spearheaded in cities such as Seattle and Santa Fe. Through the program we are extending today, hopefully we will make it easier for other cities to afford to implement diversion program such as LEAD. Other purposes for which these grants may be used include providing training and resources for first responders to administer opioid overdose reversal drugs, expanding medication-assisted treatment programs operated by criminal justice agencies, implementing prescription drug monitoring programs, preventing opioid abuse by juveniles, and implementing prescription drug take-back programs, in addition to investigating the illicit distribution of opioids. More than 80 percent of the defendants sentenced for crack cocaine offenses were African Americans, despite the fact that more than 66 percent of crack users were either White or Hispanic. In 2010, we reduced the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine from 100 to 1 to 18 to 1, but we did not even make those changes apply retroactively, and the remaining disparity--and the remaining mandatory nature of the penalty--remains. There is more to do, and there is no excuse to allow such injustices to persist even as Congress attempts to take credit for efforts to address the opioid crisis. As former Attorney General Eric Holder said when he instituted his initiative to address some of the inequities with respect to prosecuting drug crimes, we need to be ``Smart on Crime.'' We do not need do not need more ``get tough'' rhetoric from President Trump or Attorney General Sessions about imposing the death penalty for drug crimes. And we should not be telling prosecutors to ratchet up criminal charges and penalties for drug offenders. None of that solves the problem. Instead of doubling down on failed policies that do nothing more than proliferate misery, we need real leadership, involving a commitment to increase resources for alternatives that we know are actually effective. And so, while we should support this bill, we should do more to promote a broader and more just approach for all drugs, and re- instituting policies that reflect the need to be ``Smart on Crime.'' Mr. Speaker, I hope the funding we appropriate in the years to come will match the increased authorization for funding the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program administered by the Department of Justice. But we must do more than write checks, we must challenge ourselves to change our mindset and methodology in the way we address drug abuse across the range of substances that we have criminalized. After years of failed policies, we should have learned that we cannot arrest or incarcerate our way out of any drug crisis, and mass incarceration--fueled primary by drug-related arrests--has harmed our communities in many ways. Therefore, as I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill today, I also ask that we commit ourselves to extending this conversation past today so that we can work together to reform our drug laws, our sentencing laws, and broaden our approaches to preventing and addressing drug abuse. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Let me thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his leadership and for his concern for what has been a deadly journey for many Americans. As I close, I would like to share just a moment of the devastating impact that this epidemic of drugs has had in many communities. More than 80 percent of the defendants sentenced for crack cocaine offenses were African Americans, despite the fact that more than 66 percent of crack cocaine users were either White or Hispanic. In 2010, we reduced the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1. We did not even make those changes apply retroactively. The remaining disparity and the remaining mandatory nature of the penalty remains. Therefore, there is much to do. This bill will help us a lot, but there is no excuse to continue to allow people, as is evidenced by the recent pardon by the administration of an individual who had been incarcerated on a drug offense, no excuse for us to allow these injustices to persist, even as we proceed to work on this opioid epidemic. So I think it is extremely important that, as former Attorney General Eric Holder said when he instituted his initiative to address some of the inequities with respect to prosecuting drug crimes, we need to be smart on crime. Treatment is very important. This legislation raising the amount of grant money to help with the courts and treatment elements will be a major aspect to saving lives. But we do not need to continue to get tough in another arena where we are speaking about raising penalties, imposing the death penalty for drug crimes, as the Attorney General has offered. We should not be telling prosecutors to ratchet up criminal charges and penalties for drug offenders. None of that solves the problem. What we are doing today will solve the problem. Instead of doubling down on failing policies that do not do anything more than proliferate misery for the incarcerated person who really needs treatment, as well as the family, we need real leadership involving a commitment to increase resources for the alternatives we know are actually effective. I really do believe the veterans courts, for example, are a Godsend to many of our veterans who come back and truly need help. They are so grateful for help. They may have gotten addicted while in the service or because of circumstances after leaving the service, including issues dealing with their own psychological needs. In any event, we know that they have served their Nation. Continuing to support those kinds of alternatives are extremely important, and we should support this bill so that we can continue those alternatives, but we need to make sure that we speak against those approaches that ignore the Smart on Crime. I would ask that we reinstitute the Smart on Crime, which diminishes the number of people who get caught up in the system who are just truly addicted from the terrible plight that they have with drug addiction. As we work to do more, we must ensure that we look at the crisis as it relates to mass incarceration. We must also treat all of the addictions--crack cocaine--as the same, because it spreads throughout our Nation. So as we continue this conversation, again, I add my appreciation to the Congressman from Pennsylvania, the chairman, and Ranking Member Nadler. As we rise to support this legislation, let us continue to seek to reform our drug laws, let us reform our sentencing laws, and let us broaden our approaches to preventing and addressing drug abuse. I think the experts will tell us that that has been one of the most effective pathways to get people away from drugs and to get their lives and the lives of their families restored. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Correa from the great State of California for taking the time to really allow those of us who are in pain to express that pain. I know that my colleagues, each one of them--as we say sometimes in our religious institutions--have come in their own way. I come in a series of ways. One, as a years-long member of the Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. Being present when we designed a policy for unaccompanied children to be protected and to get to their rightful guardian and not go into the hands of sex traffickers. That was, in fact, a stated policy of the United States for unaccompanied children. And in many ways it happens. In the last 4 or 5 years I was at the border when the surge of unaccompanied children came because of the violence, particularly in Central America. These children came. We knew they were coming, and we had standup facilities run by nuns and other religious organizations to take unaccompanied children until a legitimate legal guardian in the United States could be documented, or some other legitimate family documented. When I say, documented, documented that they were able to take the child and that they were legal to the extent that they were not human traffickers. That is what policies we had. There is no policy. There is no regulation. There is no statute. There is no law. There is no law that is allowing the personnel at the border, customs--particularly Border Patrol--to snatch, rip, and tear children away from their family. And if the distinguished gentleman from California would allow me, I want this to be a call to action because there is a legal process or legislative process. As my previous colleagues have said, many of us are introducing legislation. This past weekend I stood with Guatemalan citizens, people of Guatemalan descent, and we know for fact that 1 million people have been displaced in Guatemala because of the volcano. And I just have to say, they will be fleeing, many of them. We also know that people have come because they have suffered unbelievable, unspeakable gang violence: the decapitating of heads, the murder of children. One mother saw two sons murdered and she took the last child, boy child, to try to find refuge. There are stories like this all over. And so what is happening at the border is a nonpolicy that is done only for the vileness of punishment. We will punish these people and they will not come anymore. As we are on the brink of Father's Day. For those who read the Scriptures, they know the story of Moses. Sometimes a parent is so desperate that they will either escape with that child or they will send that child on. And America has always been a place that has found a regular order to deal with this crisis. That is not what is happening, and the American people need to understand. The courts are overloaded. There are not enough immigration judges. There are not enough lawyers. They are taking into court 50 and 70 people at a time. There are some people who are not speaking Spanish. They are speaking an indigenous language, and they do not understand at all, except they have come with the right that they have--and the legal term is ``credible fear''--they have come to seek asylum. And we have for long precedent allowed those who have experienced domestic violence--the stories are horrific--or those who have been the victim of gangs to come, and that is not happening now. So I just want to hold up these pictures that show the anguish of parents who could be like any one of us. The anguish of the father, Mr. Rodas, whose 5-year-old was snatched from him; the anguish of parents who desire to do nothing but to help their child or themselves and these children are being snatched away. It is not any immigration policy, but a policy to scare, to punish, to frighten, to undermine, and to do a vileness. Not because America is not good. We are. But it is important that we act upon that goodness and that we don't have these series of pictures where when this mother turns her back, the child is snatched away. So the call to action is to the vastness of our religious community, the vast television ministry, TBN, The Impact Network, The Word Network, Hillsong Church, whatever ones you want to call. In this day of worship, all of these leaders should stand and speak out in the loudest voice against the unspeakable, nonkindness, ungodly act of snatching children away from parents. I will be going down to visit and to see a number of centers, and all I ask is my Government to be what it is: a loving and nurturing place of values and democracy, and a recognition that we are a Nation of immigrants and a Nation of laws. These people have come to seek asylum. That is a legal process. Some may win it and some may not. But I would only say to you that who are we, if we cannot, as a mass of Americans, cry out against this administration. No matter how much of a cult we think this administration has been called, there have to be some good people that will recognize that our values, our flag rises above any person. And it is important for us to save the lives of these children. Mr. Correa, let me thank the gentleman so very much for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Correa is a valued member of this body and one of the outstanding member of the Homeland Security Committee, where he Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficienty. We are here today to call upon the President and the Congress of the United States to act without delay regarding the ``zero-tolerance'' policy that separates families apprehended on the southern border by U.S. Border Patrol. As the member of the House Committees on Homeland Security and former Ranking Member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Maritime and Border Security, I cannot think of a situation more devastating than having the government forcibly separate a parent from her child to a place unknown, for a fate uncertain, absent any form of communication. Every day, hundreds of persons, ranging from infants and toddlers to adolescents and adults, flee violence, oppression, and economic desperation from Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, seeking safe harbor in the United States. They are not criminals or terrorists, they are refugees seeking asylum. The American government must harness all available resources to aid those enduring unimaginable suffering, which is why I have called upon the President to extend Temporary Protected Status for those affected by this volcano, including introducing broader legislation that makes Guatemala eligible for TPS. While they hope to receive asylum, none of us expected that they would be treated as criminals or that their children would be forcibly separated from them. I cannot think of a situation more devastating than having the government forcibly separate a parent from their child to a place unknown, for a fate uncertain, absent any form of communication. But shamefully that is exactly what is happening under this administration. Reports indicate that as many as 700 children have been taken from adults claiming to be their parents since October 2017, including more than 100 children under the age of 4. This startling fact comes after Acting Assistant Secretary Steven Wagner of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) testified before the Senate in April 2018 that during a review of more than 7,600 unaccompanied immigrant children who had recently arrived and been placed with a sponsor, officials at the agency were unable to determine the precise whereabouts of 1,475 children. This is unconscionable and unacceptable. This administration's practice of separating children from their parents inexplicably turns accompanied children into unaccompanied children, with all of the attendant risks and dangers, including human trafficking. In 2014, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations reported that ``over a period of 4 months, HHS allegedly placed a number of UACs in the hands of a ring of human traffickers who forced them to work on egg farms in and around Marion, Ohio. The minor victims were forced to work six or seven days a week, twelve hours per day. The traffickers repeatedly threatened the victims and their families with physical harm, and even death, if they did not work or surrender their entire paychecks.'' What is even more reprehensible is to this day, the Trump administration maintains that the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) is not legally responsible for children after they are released from ORR care. This line of thinking allows such gross negligence to take place in the first place. As the Founder and Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus and as a parent and grandparent, this is unacceptable. Studies have documented that when young children are traumatically removed from their parents, their physical and mental health and well- being suffers. The effects of these traumatic experiences--especially in children who have already faced serious adversity--are unlikely to be short- lived, and can likely last a lifetime. This is exacerbated when the child in custody speaks a language that is not English or Spanish. Although the government has a legal obligation to provide reasonable language services to unaccompanied minors, many children arriving to the U.S. speak indigenous languages and have little or no translation assistance provided by the U.S. government. The Trump administration's ``zero-tolerance'' policy does not make our nation safer or more secure, nor is it a solution to the problem of illegal immigration and refugees seeking asylum. It is, however, monstrously cruel, inhumane, and shameful and makes a mockery of America's reputation as the most welcoming and generous nation on earth. United Nations Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani recently condemned the Trump administration's treatment of unaccompanied minors coming to the United States saying that ``the use of immigration detention and family separation as a deterrent runs counter to human rights standards and principles''. The last time this nation had policies that promoted the forcible separation of children from newly arrived persons was slavery: a dark chapter in this nation's history that we should not revisit. Today, the parents of these thousands of children will not be deterred from finding ways to reunite with their children, even reentering the United States under the threat of imprisonment. It would be unconscionable to prosecute parents under these circumstances. There must be strong and aggressive congressional oversight of this administration's immigration enforcement. The Trump administration's policy should cease and desist immediately. National Policy regarding immigration legislation should not create greater fear for families already traumatized by intolerable conditions in their home countries. U.S. immigration policy should not deter refugees from seeking asylum within our borders. We should welcome mothers carrying their babies to a safe haven and assure the safety of their children. I will soon be introducing legislation prohibiting the separation of children from their families absent a health or safety risk. The legislation will also provide that these children the right to be represented by counsel and that translation services be available at all legal proceedings at all stages. As we have seen with the recent volcanic activity and earthquakes in Guatemala, the United States should be seeking ways to help its neighbors in the Southern Hemisphere. The American government must harness all available resources to aid those enduring unimaginable suffering, which is why I have called upon the President to extend Temporary Protected Status for those affected by this volcano. In the coming days, I will also be introducing broader legislation that makes Guatemala eligible for TPS, so that those who fled this horror, and other mainstays of the world--like a murder rate which is among the highest in the country, and rampant gang violence--may have hope to realize their American dream.'' The Trump administration is utterly failing in its basic duty to treat all persons with dignity and compassion. Rather, it is making a mockery of our national values and reputation as a champion of human rights. This crisis is not just an immigration matter, nor is it just a foreign policy matter. It is a humanitarian crisis, executed by an administration that purports to be the champion of `family values' but whose actions do not actually value families. We are a great country with a long and noble tradition of providing sanctuary to the persecuted and oppressed. And it is in that spirit that we should act. We can do it; after all, we are Americans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, earlier today I introduced H.R. 6067, the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act (``RADA'') because in the realm of international sports, it has become almost commonplace for too many athletes to yield to the temptation of bridging the gap between their own skill and the pinnacle of athletic achievement by resorting to performance enhancing drugs. And to conceal this fall from grace, cheaters are employing increasingly sophisticated modes of masking the use of any proscribed drugs. This practice, some of it state-sanctioned, undermines international athletic competition and is often connected to more nefarious actions by state actors. This is why it is necessary for Congress to enact H.R. 6067, the bipartisan Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act (``RADA'' Act) The legislation I have introduced is bipartisan, and bears the name of courageous whistleblower Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, a valiant man who revealed the true extent of the complex state-run doping scheme which permitted Russia to excel in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, and which resulted in its ban from the 2018 Olympic Games. While he was complicit in Russia's state-run doping program, Dr. Rodchenkov regrets his role and seeks to atone for it by aiding the effort to clean up international sports and to curb the rampant corruption within Russia. The RADA Act is a serious step towards cracking down on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in major international competition because it establishes criminal penalties and civil remedies for doping fraud. A number of other nations, including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and Spain, have embraced criminal sanctions for doping fraud violations and it is time for the United States to be added to this list. Doping fraud in major international competitions--like the Olympics, the World Cup and the Tour de France--is often linked with corruption, bribery and money laundering. It is not just victory that criminals engaged in doping fraud snatch away from clean athletes--athletes depend on prize money and sponsorships to sustain their livelihoods. The United States has a large role to play in ferreting out corruption in international sports. Not only do U.S. athletes lose out on millions in sponsorships, but when a U.S. company spends millions to create a marketing campaign around an athlete, only to have that athlete later implicated in a doping fraud scandal, the damage to that company's brand can cost tens of millions. This has been the story of Alysia Montano, a U.S. runner who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics games in London and placed fifth place in the 800 meters behind two Russian women finishing first and third. These women were later found to have engaged in doping fraud by the World Anti-Doping Agency, meaning that Ms. Montano had rightfully finished third, which would have earned her a bronze medal. Ms. Montano estimates that doping fraud cost her `maybe half a million dollars, if you look at rollovers and bonuses, and that's without outside sponsorship maybe coming in.' She adds, `That's not why you're doing it, but you still deserve it.' She certainly does. Until now, defrauded U.S. athletes and companies have had little recourse against doping fraud. A recent article published by The New York Times titled ``U.S. Lawmakers Seek to Criminalize Doping in Global Competitions'' references the RADA as a step in the right direction toward criminalizing doping in international sports. The RADA is an important step to stemming the tide of Russian corruption in sport and restoring confidence in international competition. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the New York Times article published June 12, 2018 entitled ``U.S. Lawmakers Seek To Criminalize Doping in Global Competitions'', which cites RADA as a step in the right direction toward criminalizing doping in international sports. [From the New York Times, June 12, 2018] U.S. Lawmakers Seek To Criminalize Doping in Global Competitions (By Rebecca R. Ruiz) United States lawmakers on Tuesday took a step toward criminalizing doping in international sports, introducing a bill in the House that would attach prison time to the use, manufacturing or distribution of performance-enhancing drugs in global competitions. The legislation, inspired by the Russian doping scandal, would echo the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which makes it illegal to bribe foreign officials to gain a business advantage. The statute would be the first of its kind with global reach, empowering American prosecutors to act on doping violations abroad, and to file fraud charges of a different variety than those the Justice Department brought against top international soccer officials in 2015. Although American leagues like Major League Baseball would not be affected by the legislation, which would apply only to competitions among countries, it could apply to a league's athletes when participating in global events like the Ryder Cup, the Davis Cup or the World Baseball Classic. The law would establish America's jurisdiction over international sports events, even those outside of the United States, if they include at least three other nations, with at least four American athletes participating or two American companies acting as sponsors. It would also enhance the ability of cheated athletes and corporate sponsors to seek damages, expanding the window of time during which civil lawsuits could be filed. To justify the United States' broader jurisdiction over global competitions, the House bill invokes the United States' contribution to the World Anti-Doping Agency, the global regulator of drugs in sports. At $2.3 million, the United States' annual contribution is the single largest of any nation. ``Doping fraud in major international competitions also effectively defrauds the United States,'' the bill states. The lawmakers behind the bill were instrumental in the creation of the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which gave the government the right to freeze financial assets and impose visa restrictions on Russian nationals accused of serious human rights violations and corruption. On Tuesday, the lawmakers framed their interest in sports fraud around international relations and broader networks of crime that can accompany cheating. ``Doping fraud is a crime in which big money, state assets and transnational criminals gain advantage and honest athletes and companies are defrauded,'' said Sheila Jackson Lee, Democrat of Texas, who introduced the legislation on Tuesday. ``This practice, some of it state-sanctioned, has the ability to undermine international relations, and is often connected to more nefarious actions by state actors.'' Along with Ms. Jackson Lee, the bill was sponsored by two other Congressional representatives, Michael Burgess, Republican of Texas, and Gwen Moore, Democrat of Wisconsin. It was put forward just as Russia prepares to host soccer's World Cup, which starts Thursday. That sporting event will be the nation's biggest since the 2014 Sochi Olympics, where one of the most elaborate doping ploys in history took place. The bill, the Rodchenkov Anti-Doping Act, takes its name from Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, the chemist who ran Russia's antidoping laboratory for 10 years before he spoke out about the state-sponsored cheating he had helped carry out--most notoriously in Sochi. At those Games, Dr. Rodchenkov said, he concealed widespread drug use among Russia's top Olympians by tampering with more than 100 urine samples with the help of Russia's Federal Security Service. Investigations commissioned by international sports regulators confirmed his account and concluded that Russia had cheated across competitions and years, tainting the performance of more than 1,000 athletes. In early 2017, American intelligence officials concluded that Russia's meddling in the 2016 American election had been, in part, a form of retribution for the Olympic doping scandal, whose disclosures Russian officials blamed on the United States. Nations including Germany, France, Italy, Kenya and Spain have established criminal penalties for sports doping perpetrated within their borders. Russia, too, passed a law in 2017 that made it a crime to assist or coerce doping, though no known charges have been brought under that law to date. Under the proposed American law, criminal penalties for offenders would include a prison term of up to five years as well as fines that could stretch to $250,000 for individuals and $1 million for organizations. ``We could have real change if people think they could actually go to jail for this,'' said Jim Walden, a lawyer for Dr. Rodchenkov, who met with the lawmakers as they considered the issue in recent months. ``I think it will have a meaningful impact on coaches and athletes if they realize they might not be able to travel outside of their country for fear of being arrested.'' The legislation also authorizes civil actions for doping fraud, giving athletes who may have been cheated in competitions--as well as corporations acting as sponsors--the right to sue in federal court to recover damages from people who may have defrauded competitions. Ms. Jackson Lee cited the American runner Alysia Montano, who placed fifth in the 800 meters at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Two Russian women who placed first and third in that race were later disqualified for doping, elevating Ms. Montano years later. ``She had rightfully finished third, which would have earned her a bronze medal,'' Ms. Jackson Lee said, noting the financial benefits and sponsorships Ms. Montano could have captured. The bill would establish a window of seven years for criminal actions and 10 years for civil lawsuits. It also seeks to protect whistle-blowers from retaliation, making it illegal to take ``adverse action'' against a person because he or she has disclosed information about doping fraud. Dr. Rodchenkov, who has lived in the United States since fall 2015, has been criminally charged in Russia after he publicly deconstructed the cheating he said he carried out on orders from a state minister. ``While he was complicit in Russia's past bad acts, Dr. Rodchenkov regrets his past role in Russia's state-run doping program and seeks to atone for it by aiding the effort to clean up international sports and to curb the corruption rampant in Russia,'' Ms. Jackson Lee said, calling Tuesday's bill ``an important step to stemming the tide of Russian corruption in sport and restoring confidence in international competition.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 449, the Synthetic Drug Awareness Act of 2017, which requires the Surgeon General to report to Congress on the public health effects of the in reased use since January 2010 by individuals who are 12 to 18 years old of drugs developed and manufactured to avoid control under the Controlled Substances Act. The term ``synthetic drug'' means a drug which is developed and manufactured to avoid control under the Controlled Substances Act. There are more than 200 identified synthetic drug compounds and more than 90 different synthetic drug marijuana compounds. Many of these synthetic drugs are made in foreign countries and then smuggled into the United States. These clandestinely-made drugs have no manufacturing safety standards that are normally required by the Food and Drug Administration. Synthetic opioids have surpassed prescription opioids as the most common drug class involved in overdose deaths in the United States. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl-related deaths nationwide are up from previous years by 73 percent. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid created using man-made chemical components rather than naturally occurring ingredients, is 50-100 times more potent than morphine. Overall, drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl-type drugs in th United States rose from about 3,000 in 2010 to more than 19,400 in 2016. The rate of teen drug overdose deaths in the United States climbed 19 percent from 2014 to 2015, from 3.1 deaths per 100,000 teens to 3.7 per 100,000. The number of American teens to die of a drug overdose leapt by almost a fifth in 2015 after seven years of decline. The opioid epidemic claimed more than 52,000 lives in 2015. In Texas, Synthetic opioids account for almost one-fifth of drug related overdoses. In 2016, there were 1,375 opioid-related overdose deaths in Texas specifically, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Last year, 364 drug-related overdose deaths happened in Houston. Synthetic marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin top the list of drug-related problems in the Houston area. Geographically, death rates from overdoses involving synthetic opioids increased in 21 states, with 10 states doubling their rates from 2016-2017. No area of the United States is exempt from this epidemic--we all know a friend, family member or loved one devastated by opioids. H.R. 449 is a positive step in the right direction, I urge my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 449, the Synthetic Drug Awareness Act of 2017.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4684, the Ensuring Access to Quality Sober Living Act of 2018. Opioid abuse has become a public health crisis with devastating consequences, including; overdoses, rising incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome, homelessness, and unemployment. H.R. 4684 ensures that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration has the resources to provide the best practices for operating recovery houses and to distribute the information to states, and to provide technical assistance to states seeking to adopt such practices. It is undeniable that, to ensure their path to recovery, victims of substance abuse are in need of proper recovery housing that is free from alcohol and drug use. People suffering from addiction are in dire need of healthy living environments to ensure a successful transition. Recovering addicts coming from an environment that does not provide the proper assistance, face many challenges and problems when they later reenter society. Every day, over 115 Americans die after overdosing on opioids, with more than 64,000 deaths reported in the year 2016. In 2015, 2,588 opioid overdose related deaths were reported in my home state of Texas with Harris County accounting for 318 of those deaths. It has been reported that 91 percent of victims in recovery will experience a relapse, 59 percent of those will experience a relapse within the first two weeks of sobriety, and 80 percent within a month after discharging from a detox facility. H.R. 4684 will not only provide addicts with qualified recovery homes but healthy family oriented settings. Medical research suggests that recovery residencies should be structured like a family home, a community living environment which is centered on peer support and connection to services. These provisions of the bill will provide victims of opioid addiction with much needed guidance. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 4684 to show their support in this extremely critical moment in time and ensure that those who have fallen victim to the opioid epidemic are provided with qualified recovery housing.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5002, the ACE Research Act. It is undeniable that more money, resources, and research needs to go into solving the many addictions, diseases, and disorders that face our society today. H.R. 5002 amends the Public Health Service Act by augmenting the National Institutes of Health's research initiatives, by introducing more critical research that will strengthen the understanding and yield cures to the myriad of health problems that are facing Americans today. The ACE Research Act will provide the National Institutes of Health with the necessary authority, resources and support it needs to further research and increase the fundamental biological understanding of the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders. Additionally, the research initiatives undertaken by the National Institutes of Health may be supported through transactions other than contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements under the ACE Research Act. The ACE Research Act will provide the National Institutes of Health with the measures to implement high impact, cutting-edge research necessary to combat public health threats. Further, the National Institutes of Health will be able to partner with companies that have the technology and resources to administer this cutting-edge research. National Institutes of Health conducts tremendous, groundbreaking research that investigates the causes and remedies of diseases, addictions, ailments, and other public health areas for all people. Moreover, the National Institutes of Health is the leading government agency that is responsible for essential public health and biomedical research, which helps Americans combat the health concerns that arise daily. The ACE Research Act will support the National Institutes of Health's research initiatives in finding cures to the growing opioid addiction in America today. Opioid addiction, which includes the overuse of illicit and prescription drugs, is taking the lives of Americans across our nation each day. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report cited 63,632 drug overdose deaths in 2016 in America, 42,249 of which were related to opioid overdoses. In 2016, there were 1,375 opioid-related overdose deaths in Texas, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In the city of Houston, there were 364 drug-related overdose deaths alone that happened in 2016 according to the Treatment Canter, a highly respected drug and alcohol addiction treatment service center. Therefore, it is vital that research is done concerning drug abuse and addictions, as it has been a long-term problem in our society. According to the American Society of Addiction Medicine, addiction is ``a primary, chronic disease of brain reward, motivation, memory and related circuitry.'' Addiction is not a choice, a moral feeling, or a lack of will-power; it is a disease of the brain that requires proper treatment. Addiction is a longstanding mental and physical illness that many Americans are facing today, leading to their lives being compromised, and in some cases even leading to their death. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is overseeing important research to respond to this epidemic, and this bill responds favorably to its request for more flexibility in conducting research on treatments for opioid addiction and other disease areas. This research may lead to scientific advances that may find solutions to the opioid crisis, as well as solutions to other addictions and public health threats. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5002, which will expand the National Institutes of Health's research initiatives to include valuable research that will address the multitude of health concerns facing Americans today.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5102, the ``Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2018.'' H.R. 5102 would establish a loan repayment program for mental health professionals practicing in areas with few mental health providers or with high death rates from overdose. Mr. Speaker, this bill will amend the Public Health Service Act to create a loan repayment program for individuals who complete a period of service in a substance use disorder treatment job in a mental health professional shortage area and counties where the drug overdose death rate is higher than the national average. This bill authorizes $25 million per year over fiscal years 2019- 2028. H.R. 5102 will strengthen America's substance abuse treatment workforce and provide for greater access to care for patients who need it the most. Mr. Speaker, the current trends of substance abuse in the U.S. are startling. A Columbia University study found that over 40 million Americans age 12 and over meet the clinical criteria for drug addiction and abuse. As substance abuse rates and death from overdose rates increase, studies project a shortage of 85,000 physicians in 2020--the impact of which will be the most devastating in rural communities. In my home state of Texas, 10.1 people die per 100,000 in the population from drug overdoses. In 2016, in Houston there were 364 drug overdose related deaths reported. H.R. 5102 addresses these critical issues by providing an additional path for health care providers to practice in rural and underserved communities, ultimately giving greater access to care for those suffering from substance use disorder. This piece of legislation will strengthen rural health care systems and will improve access to care for patients in these rural communities. Mr. Speaker, the ``Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2018'' will help build a well-equipped workforce to combat the current rise in substance use disorders.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5228, the Stop Counterfeit Drugs by Regulating and Enhancing Enforcement Now Act, or the SCREEN Act. Mr. Speaker, one way the nation can express its concern for our citizens' health is by addressing the issue regarding counterfeit drugs and synthetic opioids. Among other things, H.R. 5228 will strengthen the ability of the Food and Drug Administration to combat counterfeit drugs, illegal and synthetic opioids, and opioid-like substances. Because the capabilities of counterfeit drugs and opioids are rapidly and continuously evolving, there is no ``single'' technology that provides long-term assurance of drug security. H.R. 5228 will implement new, holistic technology to better protect our drug supply. Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin. All opioids are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. According to a recent study, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report there were 63,632 drug overdose deaths in 2016 in America, 42,249 of which were related to opioid overdoses. This issue directly affects my state of Texas, because in 2016, there were 1,375 opioid-related overdose deaths, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In the city of Houston alone, there were 364 drug-related overdose deaths. Another issue that H.R. 5228 will address is the prevalence of counterfeits, or fake medicines which are produced and sold with the intent to deceptively represent its authenticity or effectiveness. Fake medicine may contain harmful or inactive ingredients that harm users, or might have the right active ingredient but at the wrong dosage. Counterfeit drugs are illegal and can be harmful to your health. Mr. Speaker, critics of the FDA say the entire screening system is underutilized and filled with incomplete and late information. By enacting H.R. 5228, the FDA will have the authority to combat the scourge of opioids and counterfeit drugs. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5228.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5197, the Alternatives to Opioids in the Emergency Department Act, or the ALTO Act. Mr. Speaker, our nation faces an opioid crisis. H.R. 5197, the ALTO Act, directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a demonstration program to test alternative pain management protocols to limit the use of opioids in hospitals and emergency departments. Opioids contributed to the deaths of more than 42,000 people in 2016, more than any year on official record. Forty percent of all opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. The economic burden of prescription opioid misuse in the United States is estimated to be $78.5 billion dollars per year. This figure includes costs stemming from health care, including addiction treatment, lost productivity, and criminal justice involvement. Over 200 million opioid prescriptions are written in the United States each year, and 2 million Americans have the symptoms of substance use disorder. Approximately 21 to 29 percent of patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain misuse them. In Texas, 4 percent of the population reports using pain relievers for non-medical purposes. Harris County, which contains my home district, has a pain medication misuse rate of 3.91 percent. The time for action is now. H.R. 5197, the ALTO Act, directs Health and Human Services to carry out a 3-year demonstration program which awards grants to hospitals and emergency departments to develop, implement, enhance, or study alternative pain management protocols and treatments that promote the appropriate limited use of opioids. Emergency departments in several States, including in New Jersey and Colorado, have developed innovative programs to more widely utilize non-opioid pain treatments to reduce the use of opioids. We must learn from these attempts and initiate a national program to limit the overuse of opioids in emergency settings. However, it is important to realize that some groups, such as African Americans, are under-prescribed pain management medications. We must balance these new programs that work to reduce over- prescription with our continued efforts to ensure that medically necessary treatment be provided to people in need. H.R. 5197, the ALTO Act, is especially important for my district and the greater Houston area. Houston is home to many world-renowned trauma centers including Ben Taub and Memorial Hermann. These centers have extensive emergency medical services and they, along with hospitals around the state and the nation, will benefit greatly from the support this bill provides. Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to intervene before opioids claim the lives of more Americans. The Alternatives to Opioids in the Emergency Department Act, or the ALTO Act is a necessary step towards stopping this opioid crisis. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5197, the ALTO Act, to prevent opioid addiction at the source and ensure that this crisis is stopped.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5583, a bill to Amend Title XI of the Social Security Act to Require States to Annually Report on Certain Adult Health Quality Measures. The United States must affirm its role as a leader in domestic care by guaranteeing access to plentiful and accurate information regarding the health of its most vulnerable citizens. Mr. Speaker, over 67.4 million individuals are enrolled in Medicaid as of March of 2018. In Texas, Medicaid covers 1 in 14 adults under the age of 65, 1 in 3 low-income individuals, 2 in 5 children, 3 in 5 nursing home residents, and 1 in 3 people with disabilities. There are currently over 717 thousand open Medicaid cases in Harris County alone. In addition, to doctor and hospital visits, Medicaid covers long-term services like nursing homes and community-based services that allow people with chronic conditions and disabilities to live independently. Medicaid covers more than half of all nursing home residents. H.R. 5583 requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to expand its core set of adult health quality measures for Medicaid- eligible adults to include measures specific to behavioral health. A state Medicaid program must report annually on such measures. This bill requires States to use all behavioral health measures included in the core set of adult health quality metrics, and any changes to such measures, to be reported regarding the quality of healthcare for Medicaid-eligible adults. By passing this bill and instituting these reporting requirements, we can ensure equitable attention to healthcare for Medicaid-eligible men and women. All Americans, no matter their financial circumstances, deserve access to healthcare, and this bill will ensure that discrepancies in care among low-income Americans can be identified and addressed. Safeguarding the health and healthcare of our citizens is the best way to concretely demonstrate our dedication to their safety and well- being. It is not only the right thing to do for our citizens; it is the smart thing to do for our nation. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting for H.R. 5583, a bill that will ensure the healthcare of all Americans can be addressed and improved by requiring annual reports on the health quality of Medicaid- eligible Americans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5587, the Peer Support Communities of Recovery. H.R. 5587 provides for the establishment of regional assistance centers to implement addiction recovery support services throughout an individual's treatment. Everyday, over 100 people in the United States die from opioid related drug overdoses, while over 11.5 million people misuse prescription opioids. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report cited 63,632 drug overdose deaths in the U.S., with a linearly increasing trend. In Texas, there were 1,375 opioid-related overdose deaths and within Houston alone, there were 364 drug-related overdose deaths that happened in 2016 according to the Treatment Center. The U.S. is going through a serious drug abuse epidemic and the resources available for recovering addicts are currently limited in variability. Peer support services are unique in that they allow for individuals with common experiences to share their stories of recovery with the people who might be seeking help. Through self-help and shared support, people are able to offer strength and hope to their peers, which allows for personal growth, promotes wellness, and encourages recovery. Examples of peer support include: peer mentoring or coaching; peer recovery resource connecting; recovery group facilitation; and community building. In Houston, we have peer support programs that exist for both adults and youth through the Houston Health Department and Houston Recovery Center. H.R. 5587 authorizes programs, similar to the ones that are having a positive impact in Houston, to be established across the country to serve other communities. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 5587 to ensure that we are addressing substance abuse in the United States as efficiently as possible.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, my first order of business is to thank both Judge Carter and Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz for their leadership and, as well, for their shepherding this bill that is based and focused on help for our veterans. This past month and coming into the Fourth of July and Veterans Day in November may be just one or two or three of the times that we acknowledge those who have fallen as well as our veterans, but it really is a responsibility of this country and this Congress to acknowledge and work on behalf of our veterans every single day. I hold up a picture of and will include in the Record an article about Army Veteran Vivian Unce, Navy veteran Victoria Lewis, and Navy veteran Veronica Vernon. They met each other in a homeless shelter. They have come to know each other, and I would say to Mr. Chairman there are homeless veterans every night across this country. [Wed., July 20, 2011] Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center--Houston, Texas Grant Provides More Than $666K for Permanent Housing for Homeless Veterans Houston.--The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced the award of $666,765 to the Harris County Housing Authority to increase permanent housing and case management for area Veterans. ``This initiative will strengthen our ongoing efforts to eliminate Veteran homelessness and improve quality of life for Veterans,'' said Adam C. Walmus, M.H.A., M.A., F.A.C.H.E., director of the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. ``Working with our partners at HUD, we continue to make good progress to reduce Veteran homelessness, though much work remains. VA is committed to providing Veterans and their families with access to affordable housing and medical services that will help them get back on their feet.'' The funding, from Housing and Urban Development's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program (HUD-VASH), is a coordinated effort by HUD, VA, and local housing agencies to provide permanent housing for homeless Veterans. Homeless Veterans are referred to the Harris County Housing Authority for ``Housing Choice'' Section 8 vouchers to assist with rent payment. With this latest grant, the Harris County Housing Authority will receive 125 additional housing vouchers. Eligible homeless Veterans receive VA-provided case management, and services to support stability and recovery from physical and mental health, substance use, and functional concerns contributing to or resulting from homelessness. Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program rent privately owned housing and generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rent. VA offers eligible homeless Veterans clinical and supportive services through the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center. About one-third of the adult homeless population has served their country in the Armed Services. Current population estimates suggest that about 107,000 Veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. Many other Veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because of their poverty, lack of support from family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap hotels or in overcrowded or substandard housing. If you know a Veteran who needs assistance, please call 1- 877-4AID VET (877-424-3838) or the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program at 713-794-7848. More information about VA's homeless programs is available online at http://www.va.gov/ homeless.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, my amendment is an amendment to ensure that we will focus the VA on its obligation to provide our veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness. It will help to ensure the rate of homelessness among veterans in the United States does not increase, because I believe in reducing and eliminating homelessness among veterans. Those who risked their lives to protect our freedom should also be one of the Nation's highest priorities. I am grateful that this particular legislation, likewise, recognizes the importance of dealing with homelessness and working with the VA and its public housing assistance. That is where these individuals were able to find housing, through the grant for the permanent housing for homeless veterans. It is important to recognize that perhaps twice as many, 200,000, experience homelessness at some point during the course of the year. Today, in our country, there are approximately 107,000 veterans, male and female, who are homeless on any given night, even though communities are working very hard. I know in my hometown of Houston, we work hard to reduce the numbers of homeless veterans. Many of us work with homeless veterans, attend what we call stand down, where we provide them with the maximum support on the street. We want them to get off the street, but we want to bring the services to them. In 2012 alone, 35,905 veterans lived in public housing provided by the VASH program. So I want to continue this focus, and this amendment is to suggest that no matters in this bill, no language in this bill will be in contravention of our programs that deal with our homeless veterans. Let me also make the point that Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has been involved in changing lives in a mighty way by providing veterans and their families with access to affordable housing and medical services that would help to get them back on their feet. I had the privilege of knowing Dr. Michael E. DeBakey and naming the hospital after him. His whole value and his whole purpose as he continued to do magical surgery was to remind us, as he created the MASH unit in World War II, that our veterans yesterday, today, and tomorrow should be our priority. Mr. Chair, I ask my colleagues to support this amendment. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk, it is Jackson Lee Amendment No. 33, which simply provides that: ``None of the funds made available by this Act for the Department of Veteran Affairs--Benefits for Homeless Veterans and Training and Outreach Programs may be used in contravention of the title 38, Part II, Chapter 20, Subchapter II and III of the U.S. Code. This amendment will help ensure that the rate of homelessness among veterans in the United States does not increase. I thank Subcommittee Chairman Calvert and Ranking Member Wasserman Schultz for their hard work in shepherding this important legislation to the floor. I offer Jackson Lee Amendment No. 33 because I believe reducing and eliminating homelessness among veterans, those who risked their lives to protect our freedom, should also be one of the nation's highest priorities. Homelessness among the American veteran population is on the rise in the United States and we must be proactive in giving back to those who have given so much to us. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 33 will help focus the VA on its obligation to provide our veterans the assistance needed to avoid homelessness, which includes adequately funding for programs Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (VASH) that provide case-management services, adequate housing facilities, mental health support, and address other areas that contribute to veteran homelessness. VASH is a jointly-administered permanent supportive housing program for disabled Veterans experiencing homelessness in which VA medical Centers provide referrals and case management while Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) administer the Section 8 housing vouchers. Mr. Chair, our veterans deserve the best services available, and I believe that we could be doing much more for them. Today, in our country, there are approximately 107,000 veterans (male and female) who are homeless on any given night. And perhaps twice as many (200,000) experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year. Many other veterans are considered near homeless or at risk because of their poverty, lack of support from family and friends, and dismal living conditions in cheap hotels or in overcrowded or substandard housing. While significant progress has been made, ending homelessness among veterans remains a big challenge. In my hometown of Houston for example, between the years 2010 and 2017, the number of homeless veterans increased from 771 to 1,162. We must remain vigilant and continue to fight for those who put on the uniform and fought for us. Providing a home for veterans to come home to every night is the very least we can do. Mr. Chair, programs like VASH have succeeded in changing lives. In 2012 alone, 35,905 veterans lived in the public housing provided by VASH. I have seen the impact of such grants in my home state of Texas, and within my congressional district in Houston, and I am sure that this funding has positively impacted many communities across this country. In Texas, there are committed groups in Houston, working to eradicate the issue of homelessness. For example, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has been involved in changing veterans' lives in a mighty way by providing Veterans and their families with access to affordable housing and medical services that will help them get back on their feet. Mr. Chair, we cannot let this issue of homelessness continue. I urge my colleagues to support Jackson Lee Amendment No. 33 and commit ourselves to the hard but necessary work of ending veteran homelessness in America. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me again express my appreciation. As I indicated, there is a very solid and strong stand on this bill regarding providing for our homeless veterans. It is something that we contend with in our city of Houston, but we are grateful that the local officials are very concerned about it. I want to make sure as we go to conference that our focus will continue to be on making sure that maybe in our lifetime we extinguish this concept of homeless veterans and homelessness among veterans by providing them with a pathway to opportunity and success. So I ask my colleagues to support my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, let me explain the Jackson Lee amendment, which makes a modest but important improvement to the bill by increasing the amount of funding for the supportive services for veterans' families account by $2 million, offset by a certain amount to the $4 billion allocated to the VA's information technology systems. Let me read a story that talks about Liz, who is an Army veteran and a single mom: After losing her job, she struggled to pay the rent and provide for her daughter. Liz's landlord said she had always been an excellent tenant, but his patience was wearing thin as her recent rent arrears continued to increase. Disheartened with a fruitless job search and unsure where else to turn, Liz came to the Veterans Outreach Center. She was immediately connected with a case manager, an employment specialist, and an accredited State benefits counselor, and the Supportive Services for Veteran Families team. I include in the Record an article about Liz. ``Heroism Knows no Gender'' Liz is an Army Veteran and a single mom. After losing her job, she struggled to pay the rent and provide for her daughter. Liz's landlord said she had always been an excellent tenant but his patience was wearing thin as her rent arrears continued to increase. Disheartened with a fruitless job search and unsure of where else to turn, Liz came to the Veterans Outreach Center (VOC). She was immediately connected with a Case Manager, an Employment Specialist, an Accredited State Veterans Benefits Counselor, and the SSVF team. In order to avoid the immediate crisis of homelessness, the Services To Enable Positive Solutions (S.T.E.P.S) program at the VOC paid Liz's rent arrears, which had escalated to an amount that was insurmountable. Within a few short days of connecting with the team at VOC, Liz had a job interview that resulted in full-time, meaningful employment. In less than a week, she had a benefits review with an on-site counselor from the New York State Division of Veterans Affairs during which she applied for an increase in disability compensation. The payment of Liz's back rent allowed her and her daughter to keep a roof over their head. With a roof over their heads and their living situation stabilized, Liz was able to focus on her employment and securing her benefits, which are both components of an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that will help Liz sustain permanent housing in the future. The VOC was able to stabilize Liz and her daughter while concurrently providing the supportive services necessary for her to maintain permanent housing. The temporary financial assistance was delivered to the landlord in a timely, efficient manner with the help of a S.T.E.P.S collaborative partner. Through coordinated case management, the aforementioned supportive services were provided quickly and effectively. The longterm result of this effort is yet to be determined, but at the 90-day benchmark, Liz has retained both her job and her home. She has realized this goal independently, without requesting any additional financial assistance. Consequently, the VOC was able to better the lives of a mom (a Veteran) and her child immeasurably through SSVF funding.