Sheila Jackson Lee

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Houston City Councilmember Larry Green who passed away suddenly on March 6, 2018, at the age of 52. I was shocked and saddened to learn of the death of my dear friend, Councilman Larry Green, and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Although the years of his life were short, the life lived in those years by Councilman Larry Green was vibrant, dynamic, purposeful, and directed toward service to others. Larry Green was an extraordinary human being with an unsurpassed exuberance and passion for our city, its neighborhoods, its future, and most of all, its people. Councilman Larry Green was devoted to providing opportunities for his constituents, indeed all Houstonians, to realize their potential and their dreams. Larry Green worked as my District Director, and in this role he helped me to serve the constituents of the 18th Congressional District. I am proud to have served as one of his mentors. In fact it was during this service to my office that I observed first hand his dedication to the community that claimed him, because he was one of Houston's own. But as anyone who knew Larry Green can attest, you also learned a lot from him because he was so generous with his knowledge and expertise. Larry Green was a lifelong Houstonian. You often hear it said that greatness is measured by the magnitude of one's service. By that measure there is no greater public servant than Larry Green, whom we lost entirely too soon. Larry Green proudly served the citizens of District K on Houston's City Council for almost six years. Larry Green was a native Houstonian; a graduate of Madison High School, the University of Houston, and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law. It was in my office that Larry Green honed the skills for which he is well known for: hard work, long hours, attention to details regarding the lives of those he serves, getting the job done, and making sure that the needs and interests of the poor and vulnerable would never be forgotten. As the shock and grief over his untimely death recedes, left in its place is our memory of his dedication as a public servant; his sense of humor when faced with a challenge; his tireless work for the people of District K, and omnipresence at community meetings was legendary. In fact, it was at those community meetings where his love for his constituents shined brightest. As members of the community attested after he passed: ``Larry was everywhere--he's at the civic club meetings; the coalition meeting; he was like your friend. I'd call him all the time.'' The loss of Larry Green's leaves is heart breaking. I am reminded of the common refrain that ``all death teaches us is that nothing is promised, but only that life was worth it.'' Larry Green lived that wisdom and always sought to give back and live a life worth it. Among his numerous contributions and accomplishments, it is Larry Green's dedication to his constituents that stand tallest, and will stand the test of time. Larry Green knew the value of viewing neighborhoods and towns as communities--rather than districts--and sought to make the everyday lives of people better. Larry Green educated people about how to become citizen activists so that they could improve the quality of their communities or their own lives. Larry Green sought to remedy blighted neighborhoods by attracting development; he helped neighbors set up civic clubs and taught them how to beautify their neighborhoods. And as the rough waters of life have stilled his body, his soul lives on and his legacy will not be diminished. Larry Green will be remembered always as a fearless advocate; a tireless champion; a true friend; a man whose passion for Houston was contagious. Scripture teaches us that blessed are those that mourn, for they will be comforted. To his entire family, who shared him with us for 52 years, on behalf of all Houstonians, we thank you. To his brother, two nieces and a nephew, all of whom survive him, we pray that God will deliver you from the pain that his passing has visited on you. To those he was honored to serve as a proud representative of District K: all of us in public life are inspired by his example and his fortitude and while we know he is looking down on us, we can only seek to honor his time on Earth by emulating his service. In a time of wanting leadership, let those of us still on this Earth be inspired by Larry Green's example and his service and strive to be worthy of his legacy. I ask the House to observe a moment of silence in memory of the beloved Larry Green, who as much as anyone reflected the heartbeat of Houston.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as the senior member on the Judiciary Committee, I remember dealing with church bombings some few years ago. So I rise today to acknowledge my colleagues in Austin and to express my sympathy for the bombing deaths that occurred with a nondescript package being left at the homes of African Americans and a Hispanic. I believe action is needed now, and I certainly thank law enforcement for engaging ATF and the FBI. But I think it was important that when the first bombing occurred, notice generally should have been made about nondescript packages at the homes of individuals. We know the facts are not all in. The investigation is ongoing. However, the Federal Government can be of help to local law enforcement that I know is working hard. We want to be there for them. But it is important to take note, and I want my constituents to be aware, that nondescript packages, until this dastardly individual is found, please call the police in whatever jurisdiction you are in in the State of Texas, and let's hope that we can find this person as quickly as possible. Mr. Speaker, my deepest sympathy and prayers are with those who already lost their life.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Evans for anchoring this very important Special Order on the subject of the famous Kerner Commission Report and the persistence of economic inequality and poverty in America. Together, we stand, firmly committed to combating poverty. Poverty in America reaches into all regions of the country, urban and rural, and affects millions of persons of all races, ethnicities, creed, ages, and gender. However, it seems that far too often, and for far too long, the African American community has been disproportionately disadvantaged. Three years ago we marked the 50th anniversary of the Watts Rebellion in Los Angeles, which was followed in the succeeding two years by the long hot summers and outbreaks of civil unrest in Detroit, Newark, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Gary, Indiana. The 1967 civil unrest and disturbances in Detroit and Newark prompted President Lyndon Johnson to establish the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, an 11-member commission, chaired by Illinois Governor Otto Kerner. The mandate of the Kerner Commission was to identify the underlying cause of the civil unrest in communities across the country. On February 29, 1968, following several field trips to troubled communities, the Commission released its 176-page report that examined cultural and institutional racism, from segregated schools and housing discrimination to generational poverty and limited economic opportunity. The Kerner Report brought attention to the racial tension and divide that communities of color were facing nationwide. It is important to recall two of the more important conclusions of the Kerner Report. First, the Commission concluded that: ``Discrimination and segregation have long permeated much of American life; they now threaten the future of every American. This deepening racial division is not inevitable. The movement apart can be reversed. Choice is still possible. Our principal task is to define that choice and to press for a national resolution. To pursue our present course will involve the continuing polarization of the American community and, ultimately, the destruction of basic democratic values.'' Second, the Commission concluded that: ``No American--white or black--can escape the consequences of the continuing social and economic decay of our major cities. Only a commitment to national action on an unprecedented scale can shape a future compatible with the historic ideals of American society.'' The Kerner Commission called for bold policies to counter decades of political failure, such as investment in much-needed social services, housing, and education programs and incentivizing diversity among law enforcement. In the wake of the upheaval, the Civil Rights Act of 1968 outlawing housing discrimination was signed into law. Consequently, the past 50 years have seen the most progress towards equality than any point in our nation's history. Over the last five decades, African Americans have seen substantial gains in high school completion rates. High school graduation rates are up to 92.3 percent. College graduation rates have also improved for African Americans. Among 25-29-year-olds, less than one in 10 (9.1 percent) had a college degree in 1968, a figure that has climbed to almost one in four (22.8 percent) today. Over the same period, however, college completion expanded for whites at a similar pace, rising from 16.2 percent in 1968 to 42.1 percent today, leaving the relative situation of African Americans basically unchanged: in 1968 African Americans were just over half (56.0 percent) as likely as whites to have a college degree, a situation that is essentially the same today (54.2 percent). America has made some improvements, but African Americans continue to face some of the same obstacles identified in the Kerner Report. The unemployment rate for African Americans in 2017 (the last full year of data) was 7.5 percent, 0.8 percentage points higher than it was in 1968 (6.7 percent). The unemployment rate for whites was 3.8 percent in 2017 and 3.2 percent in 1968. The unemployment data for these two years, almost 50 years apart, demonstrate a longstanding and unfortunate economic regularity: the unemployment rate for black workers is consistently about twice as high as it is for white workers. Today, hourly wage black workers who could get jobs still only made 82.5 cents on every dollar earned by the typical white worker. In, 1968, black infants were about 1.9 times as likely to die as white infants; today, the infant mortality rate is 2.3 times higher for African Americans. On average, an African American born today can still expect to live about 3.5 fewer years than a white person born on the same day. 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. Mr. Speaker, 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. Fifty years ago, the Kerner Commission proposed bold recommendations to address the issues of poverty and racism that plague the African- American community, including: Investmnts in housing programs to combat de facto segregation in communities; Investments in K-12 and higher education to provide equal access to quality education; Investments in job training programs to ensure equal employment opportunities. Unfortunately, those recommendations have not been fully heeded over the past half-century. The time has come for Congress to rededicate itself to making bold investments necessary to eliminate economic inequality of opportunity in every corner of our great nation. If these investments are not made, our nation will remain separate and unequal for another 50 years. 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.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, fifty-three years ago, in Selma, Alabama, hundreds of heroic souls risked their lives for freedom and to secure the right to vote for all Americans by their participation in marches for voting rights on ``Bloody Sunday,'' ``Turnaround Tuesday,'' or the final, completed march from Selma to Montgomery. Those ``foot soldiers'' of Selma, brave and determined men and women, boys and girls, persons of all races and creeds, loved their country so much that they were willing to risk their lives to make it better, to bring it even closer to its founding ideals. The foot soldiers marched because they believed that all persons have dignity and the right to equal treatment under the law, and in the making of the laws, which is the fundamental essence of the right to vote. On March 15, 1965, before a joint session of the Congress and the eyes of the nation, President Lyndon Johnson explained to the nation the significance of ``Bloody Sunday'': ``I speak tonight for the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy. . . . ``At times history and fate meet at a single time in a single place to shape a turning point in man's unending search for freedom. ``So it was at Lexington and Concord. ``So it was a century ago at Appomattox. ``So it was last week in Selma, Alabama.'' The previous Sunday, March 7, 1965, more than 600 civil rights demonstrators, including our beloved colleague, Congressman John Lewis of Georgia, were brutally attacked by state and local police at the Edmund Pettus Bridge as they marched from Selma to Montgomery in support of the right to vote. ``Bloody Sunday'' was a defining moment in American history because it crystallized for the nation the necessity of enacting a strong and effective federal law to protect the right to vote of every American. No one who witnessed the violence and brutally suffered by the foot soldiers for justice who gathered at the Edmund Pettus Bridge will ever forget it; the images are deeply seared in the American memory and experience. Mr. Speaker, what is so moving, heroic, and awe-inspiring is that the foot soldiers of Selma faced their heavily armed adversaries fortified only by their love for their country and for each other and their audacious faith in a righteous cause. The example set by the foot soldiers of Selma showed everyone, here in America and around the world, that there is no force on earth as powerful as an idea whose time has come. These great but nameless persons won the Battle of Selma and helped redeem the greatest nation on earth. But we should not forget that the victory came at great cost and that many good and dear persons lost their lives to win for others the right to vote. Men like Jimmy Lee Jackson, who was shot by Alabama state trooper as he tried to protect his mother and grandmother from being beaten for participating in a peaceful voting rights march in Marion, Alabama. Women like Viola Liuzzo, a housewife and mother of five, who had journeyed to Selma from Detroit to join the protests after witnessing on television the events at Edmund Pettus Bridge on ``Bloody Sunday'' and who was shot and killed by Klansmen while driving back from a trip shuttling fellow voting rights marchers to the Montgomery airport. Persons of faith, goodwill, and non-violence like the Reverend James Reeb of Boston, a minister from Boston who heeded the call of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to come to Selma and who succumbed to the head injuries he suffered at the hands of his white supremacists attackers on March 9, two days after Bloody Sunday. Mr. Speaker, in the face of unspeakable hostility, violence, brutality, and hatred, the foot soldiers of Selma would not be deterred--would not be moved--would not be turned around. They kept their eyes on the prize and held on. And help came the very next week when President Johnson announced to the nation that he would send to Congress for immediate action a law designed to eliminate illegal barriers to the right to vote by striking down ``restrictions to voting in all elections--Federal, State, and local--which have been used to deny Negroes the right to vote.'' On August 6, 1965, that legislation--the Voting Rights Act of 1965-- was signed into law by President Johnson and for the next 48 years did more to expand our democracy and empower racial and language minorities than any act of government since the Emancipation Proclamation and adoption of the Civil War Amendments. But our work is not done; the dreams of Dr. King and of all those who gave their lives in the struggle for justice are not behind us but still before us. Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling in Shelby County v. Holder, which severely crippled the Voting Rights Act, we have seen many states across our nation move to enact legislation designed to limit the ability of women, the elderly, and racial and language minorities to exercise their right to vote. To honor the memory of the foot soldiers of Selma, we must rededicate ourselves to a great task remaining before us--to repair the damage done to the Voting Rights Act by working to pass H.R. 2978, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2017, which I am proud to be one of the original co-sponsors. As I have stated many times, the 1965 Voting Rights Act is no ordinary piece of legislation. For millions of Americans, and for many in Congress, it is sacred treasure, earned by the sweat and toil and tears and blood of ordinary Americans who showed the world it was possible to accomplish extraordinary things. As we remember and honor the foot soldiers of Selma, let us resolve also to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965, so that it remains a lasting monument to their heroism and devotion to the country they loved.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call upon the President and the Congress of the United States to act without delay and pass legislation to prevent gun violence and mass casualties from shootings. The community of Parkland, Florida--along with the rest of the country--is still reeling from the horrific tragedy that took place at the Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2018. Our hearts still ache with sadness and disbelief for the families and loved ones of the 17 students--sons and daughters, brothers and sisters--who lost their lives in this senseless, horrific act of domestic terrorism. It is safe to say that America is sick and tired of being sick and tired of gun violence. That is why we must act now to stop gun violence, protect citizens, and save lives. Here are the top 6 actions the President and the Congress can and must take now to protect our communities: Require universal background checks to keep guns out of dangerous hands; Extend the waiting period to purchase or transfer dangerous--weapons like the AR-15 pending completion of a background checks to 7 days; Raise the minimum age to purchase or transfer dangerous weapons like the AR-15, high-capacity magazines, ammunitions, and silencers from 18 to 21 years of age; Ban military-style assault weapons; Limit high-capacity magazines; and Increase access to mental health services. We can take action without infringing on the 2nd Amendment rights of Americans. We need to make it harder for criminals to obtain guns by strengthening the background check system. We need to ensure that mental health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence--even as we acknowledge that someone with a mental illness is far more likely to be the victim of a violent crime than the perpetrator. We must also make safe gun storage a priority. As the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, a senior Member of the Judiciary Committee, and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, I have listened far too often to the testimony of individuals who have survived tragedies or lost loved ones as a result of gun violence. In the words of President Obama after the 2013 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, ``We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.'' While it is certainly true that violent crime and homicide rates in this country have been declining in recent years, they are still far above those in other industrialized nations. There exists a culture of violence in America; a subculture that with today's technologically advanced weaponry is far more dangerous to public safety than ever before. At no point in our nation's history has a single human been more capable of inflicting massive death and our society is producing more individuals who seek to employ such means to carry out their ill intentions. Far too often, the tool of choice for would-be killers are military- style assault weapons with high-capacity magazines. Every day, on average, 92 Americans are victims of gun violence, resulting in more than 33,000 deaths annually. In raising this issue, we recognize and respect other cultures that exist in America; law-abiding citizens who are responsible in their ownership of firearms. Many of these citizens are responsible with respect to the lethal capacity of their firearms, opting not to obtain assault weapons or to equip assault weapons with 30, 50, 75, or 100-round magazines. Here is what I think the Congress can and must do to reduce gun violence without abridging the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. Extend the waiting period to purchase or transfer dangerous weapons like the AR-15 pending completion of a background checks to 7 days. That is why I have introduced H.R. 4268, the ``Gun Safety, Not Sorry Act.'' Raise the minimum age to purchase or transfer dangerous weapons like the AR-15, high-capacity magazines, ammunitions, and silencers from 18 to 21 years of age. That is why I have introduced H.R. 5088, the ``No Mass Atrocities With Guns Act'' (`No MAGA Act'). Reinstate and strengthen the federal ban on assault weapons. I am an original co-sponsor of H.R. 3947, legislation that will reinstates the assault weapons ban that has been introduced by my colleague, Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island. Reinstate a federal ban on bump stocks and high-capacity magazines holding more than ten rounds and allowing a shooter to inflict mass damage in a short period of time without reloading will save lives. I will soon be introducing the ``Stop Abuse, Violence, and Ending Lives Act of 2018,'' legislation to ban the sale and possession of bump stocks. Require a background check for every gun sale, while respecting reasonable exceptions for cases such as gifts between family members and temporary loans for sporting purposes. I am an original co-sponsor of H.R. 4240, the ``Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017,'' legislation that requires universal background checks and closes the gun show loophole that has been introduced by my colleague, Congressman Mike Thompson of California. It is estimated that four out of ten gun buyers do not go through a background check when purchasing a firearm because federal law only requires these checks when someone buys a gun from a federally licensed dealer. That would be like allowing four out of ten people to choose if they would like to go through airport security. This loophole allows felons, domestic abusers, and those prohibited because of mental illness to easily bypass the criminal background check system and buy firearms at gun shows, through private sellers, over the internet or out of the trunks of cars. Strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database to ensure it is up to date by requiring federal and state agencies to transfer important records to the database expeditiously since without the information, the reliability of a background check is questionable. Pass legislation aimed specifically at cracking down on illegal gun trafficking and straw-purchasing which often puts guns in the hands of people who are prohibited from having them. Straw-purchasing is when a prohibited buyer has someone with no criminal history walk into a gun store, pass a background check and purchase a gun with the purpose of giving it to the prohibited buyer. Restore funding for public safety and law enforcement initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence. Congress should fund law enforcement's efforts to reduce gun violence, while supporting federal research into causes of gun violence. There is no reason the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or the National Institute of Health (NIH) should be prohibited from researching the causes of gun violence. That is why I have co-sponsored H.R. 1832, legislation that authorizes the appropriation of funds to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention. I have also co-sponsored H.R. 1478, the Gun Violence Research Act, which repeals the provision that in practice prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from sponsoring research on gun violence. And there is no reason for the restrictions federal law places on our law enforcement officers' ability to track and combat the spread of illegal guns. Close the holes in our mental-health system and make sure that care is available for those who need it. Congress must improve prevention, early intervention, and treatment of mental illness while working to eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. Access to mental health services should be improved, the shortage of mental health professionals should be addressed, and funding should be made available for those programs that have proven to be effective. That is why I have co-sponsored H.R. 1982, the ``Mental Health Access and Gun Violence Prevention Act,'' legislation that authorizes the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration to: (1) increase access to mental health care treatment and services, and (2) promote reporting of mental health information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Help local communities get unwanted and illegal guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. Congress should help support and develop local programs that get unwanted guns off our streets, such as gun buy-back programs that proved so effective in Australia. Finally, we must address our culture's glorification of violence seen and heard though our movie screens, television shows, music and video games. Congress should fund scientific research on the relationship between popular culture and gun violence, while ensuring that parents have access to the information they need to make informed decisions about what their families watch, listen to, and play. Here is what I think neither the President, the Congress, nor state and local governments should not do to reduce gun violence. We Should Not Arm Teachers because they are not trained to handle weapons; this is not what they signed up for. We Must Not Surrender to NRA even though the gun lobby has long enjoyed tremendous influence over congressional Republicans and some Democrats. Persons who live in fear of gun violence and mass shootings at schools, theaters, places of worship and work, and public spaces are not afraid of the NRA. What they are afraid of is an AR-15 in the hands of a mentally unstable person. Americans are a can-do people; we do not bemoan our problems and accept terrible outcomes. We act to solve them. We have made our cars and trucks and roads safer and reduced traffic fatalities. We have virtually eradicated polio, small pox, and other debilitating and life-threatening diseases. We respond immediately to natural disasters caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, floods, and man-made disasters caused by acts of terrorism. When it comes to reducing or preventing gun violence, we must summon that same spirit of American resolve and know-how and get the job done. We can do it; after all, we are Americans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the primary sponsor of H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African- Americans Act, and H.R. 1498, the End Racial Profiling Act, bills originally introduced by Representative Conyers of Michigan, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I could not help, as I listened to the colloquy of my two friends, to recognize that the key element is saving lives, saving lives from the pillage and the murderous acts that are done with guns. The NICS fix is crucial. The banning bump stocks is crucial. The expanded waiting period is crucial, and banning of AR-15s. But if we can move the issue of the NICS fix, if we can move the issue of expanded background checks, we can lose the taint of not doing anything since Las Vegas, not doing anything since Sandy Hook, Mother Emanuel, or, tragically, Florida. It is imperative that we save lives. Now, let me speak very clearly to DACA. I invite my ICE officers to stand with me on Sunday in Houston and tell my thousands of DACA young people that they will not raid their homes, they will not jeopardize their lives, and that they are, in fact, statused individuals who can go about their daily business. Join me Sunday and announce it to them. And I ask ICE officers to join the Members of Congress across the Nation, because these young people are scared to death, and I would ask that we recognize that. Mr. Speaker, I intend to honor the late Council Member Larry Green with a statement in the Record acknowledging the very fact of his great leadership and the fact that he has passed.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, on March 5 and March 6, 2018, I was unavoidably detained attending to representation duties, and I would like to indicate how I would have voted had I been present. On rollcall vote No. 92, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall vote No. 93, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall vote No. 94, I would have voted ``aye.'' On rollcall vote No. 95, H.R. 4607, the Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act, I would have voted ``no.''

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, in my district, over the past couple of days, a baby, 8 years old, has been shot. A baby, 5 years old, has been shot. Other individuals have been shot and killed. And, of course, the death and the pillage of mass murders continue, and those in Florida are still suffering, and no gun action at all, no debate. Additionally, young people are in the streets, their families are fearful because the DACA fix promised by this President has not been done. We need to do our work, if we are Americans; we need to do it for good for all of those who live within the confines of this Nation. Then, finally, we had an election yesterday in Texas full of mistakes and closed polls and nonworking machines. Yet, the President of the United States has $120 million to safeguard our elections in 2018 and he has done absolutely nothing. It is a demand that we begin to look at the Russian intrusion, faulty voting polls and machines, and begin to address the American people's right and civil liberty of voting--one vote, one person--without the fear and the apprehension of Russians intruding into an election in 2018 in order to skew the Federal elections. Enough is enough. It is time for us to act.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the issue of gun violence in America. This Valentine's Day, February 14, 2018, marked the thirtieth mass shooting in our country this year, when a mentally unstable 19-year-old opened fire on Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida with an AR-15 military style weapon, killing 17 individuals and injuring 15 others. We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by this tragedy and recognize the skill and heroism of the law enforcement officers and first responders who came to the aid of others. We commend the efforts of those who are working to care for the injured and investigate this horrific incident. We extend our heartfelt condolences and prayers to the families of the fallen, and to all those affected in the community of Parkland, Florida and in the United States. The horrifying events in Parkland mark the 378th mass shooting in the U.S. since 2017, and the 30th this year, according to Gun Violence Archive. Mass shootings are a near daily occurrence in America, but what happened in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017 stands out: It was the deadliest such incident in U.S. history, with more than 58 killed and 515 injured. A mass shooting is defined by Gun Violence Archive as any incident in which four or more are shot and/or killed in a single event, at the same general time and location not including the shooter. Recent U.S. mass shootings include: Las Vegas, 2017: 58 killed; 515 wounded Orlando, 2016: 50 killed Virginia Tech, 2007: 32 killed Sandy Hook, 2012: 27 killed San Ysirdo, 1984: 21 killed San Bernadino, 2015: 14 killed Edmond, 1986: 14 killed Fort Hood, 2009: 13 killed Columbine, 1999: 13 killed Charleston, 2015: 9 killed There were more than 11,600 deaths linked to gun violence in 2017, which is roughly equivalent to nearly four 9/11 attacks in terms of the total number killed on September 11, 2001. Comparatively, more than 15 thousand were killed by gun violence in 2016, and there were 383 mass shootings. It is horrifying to admit that gun violence now seems to be a staple of American life. The United States ranks No. 1 in the world in terms of firearms per capita--with 88.8 guns per 100 people--and it has the highest homicide- by-firearm rate in the developed world. The problem is so endemic that gun violence is now the third leading cause of death for children in the U.S. An average of 1,297 children die annually from gun-related injuries. Guns are linked to roughly 33 thousand deaths in the U.S. per year; about two-thirds of them are suicides. According to Pew Research Center, a majority of Americans (across partisan lines) support gun policy proposals such as barring people with mental illnesses from buying guns; prohibiting gun purchases by people on federal no-fly or watch lists; and background checks for private gun sales and sales at gun shows. America has six times as many firearm homicides as Canada, and nearly 16 times as many as Germany. United Nations data shows that America far and away leads other developed countries when it comes to gun-related homicides. America has 4.4 percent of the world's population, but almost half of the civilian-owned guns around the world. In December 2012, a gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and killed 20 children, six adults, and himself. Since then, there have been at least 1,518 mass shootings, with at least 1,715 people killed and 6,089 wounded. The fairly broad definition of ``mass shooting'' includes not only shootings in which four or more people were murdered, but shootings in which four or more people were shot at all (excluding the shooter). Even under this broad definition, mass shootings make up a tiny portion of America's firearm deaths, which totaled more than 33,000 in 2014. On average, there is more than one mass shooting for each day in America. Whenever a mass shooting occurs, supporters of gun rights often argue that it is inappropriate to bring up political debates about gun control in the aftermath of a tragedy. For example, former Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, a strong supporter of gun rights, criticized former President Barack Obama for ``trying to score cheap political points'' when Obama mentioned gun control after a mass shooting in Charleston, South Carolina. But if this argument is followed to its logical end, then it will never be the right time to discuss mass shootings. Under the-broader definition of mass shootings, America has nearly one mass shooting a day. So if Congress is forced to wait for a time when there is not a mass shooting to talk gun control, Congress could find itself waiting for a very long time. The time for responding to mass shootings with thoughts and prayers has long since passed. The time for responding with effective legislation is now. I have called upon this Administration to secure the passage of H.R. 4268, the ``Gun Safety Not Sorry Act,'' legislation I have introduced that would impose a 7-day waiting, or ``cooling off,'' period prior to the purchase or transfer of ownership of a semiautomatic firearm, silencers, armor piercing ammunition, or large capacity ammunition magazines. According to Newsweek, the ``Gun Safety Not Sorry Act'' is the No. 1 legislative proposal that Congress can and should pass right now. The majority must cut its close ties to the powerful gun lobby to facilitate useful gun control legislation necessary immediately. The ``Gun Safety Not Sorry Act will not abridge the Second Amendment, it will not take away gun rights, and it does not impose greater restrictions on gun ownership--it will not stop all mass shootings but it will certainly help. In the wake of the horrific Valentine's Day mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, the emboldened survivors of the high school shooting are calling for immediate gun reform. States with tighter gun control laws have fewer gun-related deaths. I will soon introduce legislation to keep our children safe from mass shootings: the ``No More Atrocities with Guns Act'' (No MAGA Act) raises the minimum age from 18 to 21 for a person to purchase or possess semi-automatic assault weapons. Teenagers, whose brains are not yet fully developed should not yet be entrusted with a weapon that is designed to inflict maximum damage in minimum time. Americans cannot understand how it is legally possible for a 19-year- old mentally unstable person to purchase such a highly lethal weapon such as the AR-15 assault rifle and then use that weapon to slaughter 17 high school students. Although Americans say they want to protect the right to bear arms, they are very much supportive of many gun policy proposals--including some fairly contentious ideas, such as more background checks on private and gun show sales and banning semi-automatic and assault-style weapons. Mass shootings occur more frequently in states that do not require background checks for all gun sales. Analyses of mass shootings in the United States between 2009 and 2015 document that the majority of mass shootings occur in venues where the carrying of firearm is not restricted. In states that require background checks for all handgun sales, including guns offered in unlicensed sales online and at gun shows, there are 52 percent fewer mass shootings. Congress must take action to prevent other incidents such as the recent act of terror and hatred in Parkland, Florida that resulted in the tragic loss of 17 innocent lives. There have been 32 moments of silence observed on the House Floor related to Gun Violence since 2012. The time for moments of silence has long since passed. The American people are demanding moments of action. I pledge to continue to work to reduce gun violence and prevent mass shootings.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call upon the President and the Congress of the United States to act without delay and pass legislation to prevent gun violence and mass casualties from shootings. The community of Parkland, Florida--along with the rest of the country--is still reeling from the horrific tragedy that took place at the Marjorie Stoneman Douglass High School on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2018. Our hearts still ache with sadness and disbelief for the families and loved ones of the 17 students--sons and daughters, brothers and sisters--who lost their lives in this senseless, horrific act of domestic terrorism. It is safe to say that America is sick and tired of being sick and tired of gun violence. That is why we must act now to stop gun violence, protect citizens, and save lives. Here are the top 6 actions the President and the Congress can and must take now to protect our communities: Require universal background checks to keep guns out of dangerous hands; Extend the waiting period to purchase or transfer dangerous weapons like the AR-15 pending completion of background checks to 7 days; Raise the minimum age to purchase or transfer dangerous weapons like the AR-15, high-capacity magazines, ammunitions, and silencers from 18 to 21 years of age; Ban military-style assault weapons; Limit high-capacity magazines; and Increase access to mental health services. We can take action without infringing on the 2nd Amendment rights of Americans. We need to make it harder for criminals to obtain guns by strengthening the background check system. We need to ensure that mental health professionals know their options for reporting threats of violence--even as we acknowledge that someone with a mental illness is far more likely to be the victim of a violent crime than the perpetrator. We must also make safe gun storage a priority. As the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, a senior Member of the Judiciary Committee, and the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, I have listened far too often to the testimony of individuals who have survived tragedies or lost loved ones as a result of gun violence. In the words of President Obama after the 2013 Sandy Hook Elementary shooting, ``We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.'' While it is certainly true that violent crime and homicide rates in this country have been declining in recent years, they are still far above those in other industrialized nations. There exists a culture of violence in America; a subculture that with today's technologically advanced weaponry is far more dangerous to public safety than ever before. At no point in our nation's history has a single human been more capable of inflicting massive death and misery, and our society is producing more individuals who seek to employ such means to carry out their ill intentions. Far too often, the tool of choice for would-be killers are military- style assault weapons with high-capacity magazines. Every day, on average, 92 Americans are victims of gun violence, resulting in more than 33,000 deaths annually. In raising this issue, we recognize and respect other cultures that exist in America; law-abiding citizens who are responsible in their ownership of firearms. Many of these citizens are responsible with respect to the lethal capacity of their firearms, opting not to obtain assault weapons or to equip assault weapons with 30, 50, 75, or 100-round magazines. Here is what I think the Congress can and must do to reduce gun violence without abridging the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. Extend the waiting period to purchase or transfer dangerous weapons like the AR-15 pending completion of background checks to 7 days. That is why I have introduced H.R. 4268, the ``Gun Safety, Not Sorry Act.'' Raise the minimum age to purchase or transfer dangerous weapons like the AR-15, high-capacity magazines, ammunitions, and silencers from 18 to 21 years of age. That is why I have introduced H.R. 5088, the ``No Mass Atrocities with Guns Act'' (`No MAGA Act'). Reinstate and strengthen the federal ban on assault weapons. I am an original co-sponsor of H.R. 3947, legislation that will reinstates the assault weapons ban that has been introduced by my colleague, Congressman David Cicilline of Rhode Island. Reinstate a federal ban on bump stocks and high-capacity magazines holding more than ten rounds and allowing a shooter to inflict mass damage in a short period of time without reloading will save lives. I will soon be introducing the ``Stop Abuse, Violence, and Ending Lives Act of 2018,'' legislation to ban the sale and possession of bump stocks. Require a background check for every gun sale, while respecting reasonable exceptions for cases such as gifts between family members and temporary loans for sporting purposes. I am an original co-sponsor of H.R. 4240, the ``Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act of 2017,'' legislation that requires universal background checks and closes the gun show loophole that has been introduced by my colleague, Congressman Mike Thompson of California. It is estimated that four out of ten gun buyers do not go through a background check when purchasing a firearm because federal law only requires these checks when someone buys a gun from a federally licensed dealer. That would be like allowing four out of ten people to choose if they would like to go through airport security. This loophole allows felons, domestic abusers, and those prohibited because of mental illness to easily bypass the criminal background check system and buy firearms at gun shows, through private sellers, over the internet or out of the trunks of cars. Strengthen the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) database to ensure it is up to date by requiring federal and state agencies to transfer important records to the database expeditiously since without the information, the reliability of a background check is questionable. Pass legislation aimed specifically at cracking down on illegal gun trafficking and straw-purchasing which often puts guns in the hands of people who are prohibited from having them. Straw-purchasing is when a prohibited buyer has someone with no criminal history walk into a gun store, pass a background check and purchase a gun with the purpose of giving it to the prohibited buyer. Restore funding for public safety and law enforcement initiatives aimed at reducing gun violence. Congress should fund law enforcement's efforts to reduce gun violence, while supporting federal research into causes of gun violence. There is no reason the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) or the National Institute of Health (NIH) should be prohibited from researching the causes of gun violence. That is why I have co-sponsored H.R. 1832, legislation that authorizes the appropriation of funds to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention. I have also co-sponsored H.R. 1478, the Gun Violence Research Act, which repeals the provision that in practice prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from sponsoring research on gun violence. And there is no reason for the restrictions federal law places on our law enforcement officers' ability to track and combat the spread of illegal guns. Close the holes in our mental-health system and make sure that care is available for those who need it. Congress must improve prevention, early intervention, and treatment of mental illness while working to eliminate the stigma associated with mental illness. Access to mental health services should be improved, the shortage of mental health professionals should be addressed, and funding should be made available for those programs that have proven to be effective. That is why I have co-sponsored H.R. 1982, the ''Mental Health Access and Gun Violence Prevention Act,'' legislation that authorizes the Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Social Security Administration to: (1) increase access to mental health care treatment and services, and (2) promote reporting of mental health information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Help local communities get unwanted and illegal guns out of the hands of those who should not have them. Congress should help support and develop local programs that get unwanted guns off our streets, such as gun buy-back programs that proved so effective in Australia. Finally, we must address our culture's glorification of violence seen and heard though our movie screens, television shows, music and video games. Congress should fund scientific research on the relationship between popular culture and gun violence, while ensuring that parents have access to the information they need to make informed decisions about what their families watch, listen to, and play. Here is what I think neither the President, the Congress, nor state and local governments should not do to reduce gun violence. We should not arm teachers because they are not trained to handle weapons; this is not what they signed up for. We must not surrender to NRA even though the gun lobby has long enjoyed tremendous influence over congressional Republicans and some Democrats. Persons who live in fear of gun violence and mass shootings at schools, theaters, places of worship and work, and public spaces are not afraid of the NRA. What they are afraid of is an AR-15 in the hands of a mentally unstable person. Americans are a can-do people; we do not bemoan our problems and accept terrible outcomes. We act to solve them. We have made our cars and trucks and roads safer and reduced traffic fatalities. We have virtually eradicated polio, small pox, and other debilitating and life-threatening diseases. We respond immediately to natural disasters caused by hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, floods, and man-made disasters caused by acts of terrorism. When it comes to reducing or preventing gun violence, we must summon that same spirit of American resolve and know-how and get the job done. We can do it; after all, we are Americans.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4406, which designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 99 Macombs Place in New York, New York, as the ``Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building.'' H.R. 4406 is a fitting tribute to the African American men who fought heroically and against great odds and personal hardships, in World War II and is long overdue. The 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th, Bombardment Group of the United States Army Air Forces, which will be forever known as the ``Tuskegee Airmen,'' were instrumental in the Allied Powers victory in World War II, and is by any standard American heroes. For these reasons it is a fitting tribute that we honor these men by naming the Post Office at 99 Macombs Place, in Harlem, New York after them. A few years ago about this time, I was honored to join my colleagues, Congressman John Lewis and Congressman Charles Rangel, a Korean War veteran, in paying tribute to surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen and the 555th Parachute Infantry, the famed ``Triple Nickels'' at a moving ceremony sponsored by the U.S. Army commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The success of the Tuskegee Airmen in escorting bombers during World War II--achieving one of the lowest loss records of all the escort fighter groups, and being in constant demand for their services by the allied bomber units--is a record unmatched by any other fighter group. So impressive and astounding were the feats of the Tuskegee Airmen that in 1948, it helped persuade President Harry Truman to issue his famous Executive Order No. 9981, which directed equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces and led to the end of racial segregation in the U.S. military forces. It is a source of enormous and enduring pride that my father-in-law, Phillip Ferguson Lee, was one of the Tuskegee Airmen. Clearly, what began as an experiment to determine whether ``colored'' soldiers were capable of operating expensive and complex combat aircraft ended as an unqualified success based on the experience of the Tuskegee Airmen, whose record included 261 aircraft destroyed, 148 aircraft damaged, 15,553 combat sorties and 1,578 missions over Italy and North Africa. These outstanding African American men defied all odds and became military pilots when the United States was still subject to Jim Crow Laws and the American military was still segregated. Not only were these men exceptional soldiers who fearlessly defended this nation, but they were torchbearers who illuminated a path for countless African Americans to follow. The Tuskegee Airmen proved that the antidote to racism is excellence in performance. This bill would honor the unsung heroes of World War II who valiantly fought to defend this nation and pioneered a movement that led to the desegregation of the American military. For these reasons, I am proud to support, H.R. 4406; and I ask my colleagues to join me in voting to pass this fitting tribute to American heroes.

Ms. JACKSON LEE

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney), who joined with Representative Joyce Beatty from Ohio and the lead sponsor, Congresswoman Wagner, to be strong supporters of this legislation. She is an original cosponsor of the bill.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, let me thank the gentlewoman from Alabama for managing this legislation. I thank Congresswoman Wagner for her leadership and, as someone said, continued determination, joined by my friend and colleague from Ohio, Congresswoman Beatty and Congresswoman Maloney. We have all worked together over the years for the victims of human trafficking and sex trafficking. In the last couple of hours, we heard in the Judiciary Committee the stories of the victims of rape, so we know that this is an important time and important legislation. Throughout this time, you will hear stories of victims who have been victimized and are in need of this legislation. Just to recount my statement in the Rules Committee, yesterday, Monday, a week ago, in Houston, I sat down with victims who had been trafficked or who had been victimized through online sex trafficking or other aspects of sex trafficking. It was overwhelming to hear parents speak of a young girl, their daughter, who had been misled and driven away from their home or from her area and had been taken and abused for a long period of time until he had to rescue her himself, spending $50,000, and then $60,000, to be able to rehabilitate herself, which is now an ongoing process. Though, as every family and every parent, he is grateful that she is alive. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1865, Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017, an important bill intended to address the reprehensible crime of online sex trafficking by prosecuting the violators and providing relief to the violated. First and foremost, H.R. 1865 makes clear that section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which its interpretation was expanded in the first circuit court ruling of Doe v. Backpage, this bill makes it clear that section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was never intended to protect the facilitation of online prostitution or sex trafficking and calls out those websites that have acted recklessly in allowing the sale of victims of sex trafficking online or stood idly by while young boys and girls, many as young as 13 years old or even younger, were coerced, threatened, tortured, bought, and sold on the whims of their exploiters. Secondly, this legislation will provide Federal prosecutors with an additional weapon to use against the immoral individuals who participate in the forced enslavement we know as sex trafficking. H.R. 1865 creates the new offense of intentional promotion or facilitation of prostitution while using or operating a facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, such as the internet. A general violation of this offense will be punishable by a sentence of upwards of 10 years. Websites have operated with impunity, hidden behind section 230, allowing traffickers to advertise, promote, sell minors and other vulnerable at-risk members of our society, children, parents' precious, precious children, who are forced to perform unspeakable acts under the threat of violence, gun violence, starvation, and emotional and physical abuse. Under this legislation, an aggravated violation of the new offense, punishable by imprisonment, occurs if a defendant, such as Backpage, promotes or facilitates the prostitution of five or more victims or acts with reckless disregard of the fact that the conduct in question contributed to sex trafficking as defined in the Federal criminal code at section 1591, title 18. Not only does H.R. 1865 create criminal liability and mandatory restitution for online sex traffickers and their enablers, this legislation goes even further. Victims harmed as a result of an aggravated violation of this new offense will have the ability--very important--to seek civil damages, while judges will be required to impose restitution upon defendants convicted of committing either the general or aggravated violation. We appreciate law enforcement, U.S. attorneys, yet we know that State law enforcement agencies and prosecutors are vital in the fight as well, and they have called on Congress to act and to fight more effectively. There are State task forces across the country working to protect young girls and boys, and H.R. 1865 allows State legislators to enact laws prohibiting the conduct that reflects the offense created in this bill. Soon we will be discussing the Walters amendment, which is offered because of the victims groups who want a stronger response to helping victims. We thank them for that. The Jackson Lee amendment, which I will offer, leads to be able to help understand what the level of recovery is and the mandatory restitution. It will tell the story. It will provide the GAO study to find out how this legislation is positively impacting, who is receiving the dollars, are they receiving the dollars. Today, this account has swelled to $99 billion a year, with a considerable portion of that money being generated through online advertising solicitation, and that is the account of dollars that are being used through sex trafficking. My amendment will determine and help to bring information to us as to the effectiveness of this particular legislation, and I think it will be very important. Let me conclude by saying that a letter to Congress from the National Association of Attorneys General indicated certain Federal courts have broadly interpreted the Communications Decency Act, which has left victims and State and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, who regularly confront the cruel realities of sex trafficking, feeling powerless against online ad services and websites that facilitate or allow sex trafficking. My heart goes out, and I am grateful that we have moved. As we move forward, we will be able to build with more legislation that might include my second amendment that would have allowed victims of sex trafficking to file civil actions in State courts. Mr. Chair, let me express my gratitude to the victims who have been courageous enough to tell their story. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of H.R. 1865, the ``Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017,'' an important bill, intended to address the reprehensible crime of online sex trafficking by prosecuting the violators and providing relief to the violated. First and foremost, H.R. 1865: (1) Makes clear that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act was never intended to protect the facilitation of online prostitution or sex trafficking; and (2) Calls out those websites that have acted recklessly in allowing the sale of victims of sex trafficking online, or stood idly by while young boys and girls--many as young as thirteen years old or even younger--were coerced, threatened, tortured, bought, and sold on the whims of their exploiters. Secondly, this legislation will provide federal prosecutors with an additional weapon to use against the immoral individuals who participate in the forced enslavement we know as sex trafficking. H.R. 1865 creates the new offense of intentional promotion or facilitation of prostitution while using or operating a facility or means of interstate or foreign commerce, such as the Internet. A general violation of this offense will be punishable by a sentence of imprisonment of up to ten years. Websites have operated with impunity and hidden behind Section 230-- allowing traffickers to advertise, promote, and sell minors and other vulnerable, at risk members of our society, who are forced to perform unspeakable acts under the threat of violence, starvation, and emotional and physical abuse. Under this legislation, an aggravated violation of the new offense, punishable by a maximum of twenty-five years imprisonment, occurs if a defendant, such as Backpage.com: (1) Promotes or facilitates the prostitution of five or more victims; or (2) Acts with reckless disregard of the fact that the conduct in question contributed to sex trafficking, as defined in the federal criminal code at section 1591 of title 18. Not only does H.R. 1865 create criminal liability and mandatory restitution for online sex traffickers and their enablers, this legislation goes even further. Victims harmed as a result of an aggravated violation of this new offense will have the ability to seek civil damages, while judges will be required to impose restitution upon defendants convicted of committing either the general or aggravated violation. We appreciate the efforts of federal law enforcement and assistant U.S. attorneys who endeavor to rid the streets and virtual highways of sex trafficking. Yet we know that state law enforcement agencies and prosecutors are vital to this fight as well, and they have called on Congress to help them fight more effectively. There are state task forces across the country working on the frontlines to locate young girls and young boys--children--and return them to the arms of distraught mothers and fathers. H.R. 1865 allows state legislatures to enact laws prohibiting conduct that reflects the offenses created in this bill and the existing sex trafficking statute that I previously mentioned. Congresswoman Walters has offered an amendment, which is supported by many victims' advocacy groups, to further strengthen the legislation before us today. Taking two key provisions from the Senate bill, known as SESTA, the Walters amendment makes clear that the Communications Decency Act does not impair or limit federal causes of action filed by victims of sex trafficking and creates a right of action for state attorneys general to file federal causes of action for sex trafficking on behalf of their citizens. This leads me to my own amendment, which is intended to measure the effectiveness of the civil recovery and mandatory restitution provisions of H.R. 1865. In every community across the country, soulless individuals bend, break, and use the minds and bodies of young girls, young boys, men, and women--for a profit--over and over and over again. Despite the reprehensible nature of this crime, sex trafficking is a widespread problem that is now the fastest growing criminal industry. Today, it has swelled to $99 billion a year--with a considerable portion of that money being generated through online advertising and solicitation. Sex traffickers have harnessed the wide-reaching expanse of the Internet together with the ability to conduct their so-called business anonymously. They are no longer restricted to dark, unsafe street corners, filthy truck stops, or seedy hotels and strip clubs. Instead, websites have made sex trafficking easy, convenient, and less risky for traffickers and their cowardly customers. Today, visitors to websites can scroll through virtual Yellow Pages of listings, on their cell phones or tablets, according to their location, tastes, and preferences, without leaving the privacy and safety of their homes. According to the Polaris Project, U.S. law enforcement has identified online advertisements as the primary platform for buying and selling sex with minors. Over the past several years, more than 80 percent of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's reports regarding child sex trafficking relate to the sex trafficking of a child online. When notified of the criminal activity occurring on their websites and platforms, many companies, have worked to remove the content and even collaborated with law enforcement to find the perpetrators and rescue victims. On the other hand, there are companies that have made every effort to obfuscate the criminal nature of the activity that is allowed to continue unabated, while the companies continue to turn a profit, and traffickers continue to force their captives to perform sex acts, under the threat of violence and actual physical and emotional abuse. Girls and boys, men and women, are brazenly advertised and sold for sex on roughly a dozen major websites--the most notorious of these is, of course, Backpage.com. However, local law enforcement officials in Seattle, Washington have identified more than 130 websites where mostly women and children are bought and sold for sex. Many attempts have been made to hold these websites, including Backpage.com, accountable for allowing sex traffickers to operate on their platforms and profiting from their conduct. However, as was pointed out in a letter to Congress from The National Association of Attorneys General: ``certain federal courts have broadly interpreted the Communications Decency Act,'' which has left victims and state and local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, who regularly confront the cruel realities of sex trafficking, feeling powerless against online ad services and websites that facilitate or allow sex trafficking. My heart aches for those who are taken advantage of, abused, robbed of their innocence, and then robbed again of the justice they seek. As I said earlier, the legislation before us will allow victims to file civil actions in federal courts under certain conditions and my amendment will determine if the civil actions are delivering relief and restoration. I offered a second amendment that would have allowed victims of sex trafficking to file civil actions in state courts under the same conditions set forth in the underlying bill for federal civil actions. Although I am disappointed that this amendment was not accepted, I look forward to building upon the work that has been done to address the needs of victims and survivors of sex trafficking, and introducing additional legislation to continue along the pathway towards a comprehensive solution. I am inspired and energized by the countless survivors who, despite their suffering, are willing to stand against those who have exploited them. These brave individuals want justice and I want them to have it. As a leader in the fight against Human and Sex Trafficking and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, I am painfully familiar with the pervasiveness of sex trafficking in my own state of Texas--which has become a hot bed of human trafficking. Among law enforcement and human trafficking authorities, Houston is known as the hub of human trafficking. The highest number of calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in Texas comes from Houston, and a study conducted by the University of Texas stated that there are more than 300,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas, including almost 79,000 minors. In the few minutes I have left, I would like to share the story of a young woman named Kathy, who moved to Houston in 1994 with her family. Kathy was raised to be strong and independent; she was very involved in her church, community, and ROTC. She graduated from high school, with hopes of pursuing a career in journalism. Yet, Kathy became a victim of sex trafficking. Like most girls, she wanted to be loved. She met a charming young man who treated her like she had never been treated before. After a fairytale year, her Prince Charming proposed something Kathy felt she could not refuse--a promising job with his company, an administrative position that would triple her income and provide financial security for her future, which seemed like a dream come true. The job was in Dallas and, despite her initial hesitation, she saw the offer as an opportunity to provide for her family. But, shortly after she arrived in Dallas, Kathy found herself in the dark world of sex trafficking and prostitution--a life she never imagined. Graphic images were taken of her and placed on the Internet against her will. She was forced to perform sexual favors multiple times, every day, throughout Dallas and surrounding areas. Escape was not easy. She was cut off from her family. Her boyfriend, turned pimp, limited her phone calls to johns, and did not allow her to have money. But, somehow she found an opportunity to get away and she never looked back. After many years of living in silence, Kathy decided to journal her experience. That journal became a book, which became a stage play. Kathy found her voice and is now an inspirational speaker who hopes to use her story to encourage others to join the fight against sex trafficking. Images of Kathy's horrific past linger on the Internet. She says: ``Sites like Backpage have chosen to revictimize survivors and keeps us in bondage by refusing to remove images taken against our will.'' Kathy hopes that one day the voices of survivors will be heard. Well, Kathy--know that I hear you. Congress hears you. We hear the voices of the victims, who remain in physical and mental bondage. We hear the voices of the survivors, who are struggling to rid themselves of reminders of their torment--survivors like Liliana who was lured away from her home by a man she met on the internet, held captive, repeatedly raped by at least five different men, and suffers from PTSD. H.R. 1865, the ``Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017,'' together with Representative Walters's amendment, provides law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts at every level with the tools they need to hold responsible each and every bad actor who participates in, facilitates, contributes to, or profits from this modern-day form of slavery. The proposed legislative combination will help defend and protect communities across the country, guard against the further spread of sex trafficking, and provide survivors with a path to justice of their own. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), a Democratic cosponsor of this legislation. I thank her very much for her perseverance and determination.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Costa).

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from California.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren), a member of the Judiciary Committee, a distinguished Member, who is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security and knows about violations of human beings.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I have already raised the picture of Desiree, who is dead. Her death was driven by being exposed as a so- called prostitute in the sex trafficking of a little girl on Backpage. Or J.S., who, in fact, was victimized in Seattle. She was raped. She was put on Backpage. Then she was rescued by her family. Since it was before this legislation, it failed in court. My legislation is very simple: Does this bill work? What more can we do? I am asking for a study where the GAO would be instructed to assess the damages awarded to victims and restitution amounts imposed against defendants as a result of this bill. Victims of sex trafficking require a multifaceted response to rebuild their life. That includes housing; counseling; job training; and, in many cases, drug treatment and rehabilitation. We as Members of Congress need to be able to know if it works. A citizen-led movement called Fight for Us, along with a team of influential citizens called The Houston 20, work to fill in the gaps and strengthen the services for victims and survivors in the city of Houston. I was very proud to meet with them at the Community of Faith Church, a socially motivated church, led by Bishop James Dixon. Jackie is the lead. They were all committed, Children at Risk and many other organizations, to eliminating some of the gaps for The Houston 20, which will allow them to utilize resources for greater work. So I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 1865 which requests the Government Accountability Office to study the effectiveness of the civil and restitution provisions enacted by H.R. 1865. In an effort to determine if we are actually providing justice to victims of sex trafficking through this legislation, GAO would be instructed to assess the damages awarded to victims and restitution amounts imposed against defendants as a result of this bill. Victims of sex trafficking require a multi-faceted response to rebuild their lives that includes: housing, counseling, job training, and, in many cases, drug treatment and rehabilitation. There are well-meaning, dedicated victim advocacy groups all over the country, that offer their help and services that are dependent on state and federal grants, charitable donations, and private funding. A citizen-led movement called Fight For Us, along with a team of influential citizens called the Houston 20, work to fill in the gaps and strengthen the services for victims and survivors in my city of Houston. I commend these selfless individuals and hope that they continue their important work. Fortunately though, H.R. 1865 creates a civil cause of action for victims of the aggravated violation, and requires judges to impose mandatory restitution orders in criminal cases involving such victims. It is my hope that this measure will eliminate some of those gaps for the Houston 20 and allow them to utilize their resources for even greater work. Through this legislation, victims will be empowered to take control of their own recovery and restoration. My amendment will collect data on the civil awards and restitution orders, to determine whether victims are actually receiving the relief, assistance, and justice they require and deserve. My amendment primarily asks GAO to: (1) report the amounts of the damages awarded and the restitution amounts ordered; but also (2) report the amounts that are requested by victims and the government, on behalf of victims; (3) the nature and descriptions of the losses that are claimed and proven; and (4) the justifications for the amounts that are requested and eventually ordered to be paid. My amendment further asks GAO to report cases that are dismissed and provide information describing the reason or reasons for the dismissals. While it is Congress's duty to address the needs of our citizens by enacting sensible legislation, we are also responsible for monitoring the legislation we enact and determining whether we have truly responded to the needs of our citizens. For this reason, and all reasons previously stated, I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee Amendment. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time and offer a closing to this important legislation. Mr. Chairman, as indicated, I had offered an amendment that would have allowed victims of sex trafficking to file civil action in State courts under the same conditions set forth in the underlying bill for Federal/civil actions. I believe, however, that we have laid a stupendous foundation for innocent victims and that we will have an opportunity to work with all of our friends who fought so hard for this legislation. So again, I want to take the opportunity to thank Congresswoman Wagner and her cosponsors, and as well Congresswoman Maloney and Congresswoman Beatty, and the work that we have done in the Judiciary Committee through a period of coming together, I believe, is extremely constructive. It is so constructive that we have any number of support letters. I include in the Record a statement by John F. Clark, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Statement By John F. Clark, President & and CEO, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Regarding House Action on Legislation to Provide Justice to Child Sex Trafficking Victims--February 23, 2018 The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is pleased that the House of Representatives is scheduled to consider Representative Ann Wagner's Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (H.R. 1865) next week. We strongly urge all Members to support the crucial amendment offered by Representative Mimi Walters, which makes long needed updates to the Communications Decency Act (CDA) to ensure that children trafficked for sex online can have their day in court against online traffickers and to clarify that there is no legal protection for anyone who participates in the sex trafficking of children. We especially thank Senators Rob Portman and Richard Blumenthal for their powerful leadership in authoring the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (S. 1693), which is the basis for Representative Walters' amendment, and for their ongoing support of the child survivors, their families, and the coalition of advocacy organizations who serve these survivors. We look forward to continuing to work with Members of Congress to bring this legislation to a vote on the House Floor and through the Senate so that it can get to the President's desk to be signed into law.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I include in the Record a letter from Enough is Enough. For Immediate Release: February 26, 2018 Enough Is Enough Calls on the U.S. House of Representatives To Pass Critical Legislation To Hold Websites Accountable for Knowingly Facilitating Sex Trafficking Statement by Donna Rice Hughes, President & CEO, Enough Is Enough Great Falls, VA.--H.R. 1865, the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA), originally introduced by Representative Ann Wagner, is scheduled for an historic floor vote on Tuesday. The need for legislation to clarify Section 230 of the Communication's Decency Act (CDA) is necessary given the 1st Circuit ruling in Doe v Backpage which held that even if Backpage had participated in the crime of sex trafficking, Section 230 shielded the company from the claims filed by child victims. ``The urgency to amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is long overdue,'' said EIE President Donna Rice Hughes. ``Section 230, originally known as the Good Samaritan Defense, was intended to protect children from the online exploitation. Unfortunately, it has been anything but a Good Samaritan immunity for responsible Internet service and content providers, and instead has been misused by third party websites like backpage.com as a Trojan horse to knowingly facilitate sex and trafficking with women in children,'' said Ms. Hughes. ``There must be accountability in the form of state and local criminal and civil liability for such sites which have been referred to by prosecutors as an `online brothel.' Its time to put the dignity of women and children over corporate profit,'' said Hughes. For years, EIE has encouraged Congress to amend Section 230 due to a series of devastating rulings in multiple court cases over the years which have misinterpreted Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act by granting anything goes immunity to websites whose advertising business model knowingly facilitates sex trafficking and exploitation. ``By passing FOSTA along with the crucial amendment offered by Representative Mimi Walters which mirrors S. 1693 ``Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act 2017'' (SESTA), each member of the House has the opportunity to send an `enough is enough' clarion message to sites who exploit and traffic vulnerable children and women and to the federal courts who have failed to properly interpret Congress's original intent for #230 An overwhelming `yes' vote by the House will say to child victims, `we hear you, we see you and we are standing with you by providing the necessary legislative remedy to seek justice,'' continued Hughes, who applauded the resolution last week set forth unanimously by the Kentucky House of Representatives, which requested and petitioned the U.S. Congress to amend sections of the Community Decency Act (CDA 230) to ``permit the prosecution of interactive computer service providers.'' In 2016, during his candidacy, Donald Trump signed EIE's Children's Internet Safety Presidential Pledge in which he promised to ``aggressively enforce existing federal laws to prevent the sexual exploitation of children online, including the obscenity, child pornography, sexual predation & sex trafficking laws.'' Ms. Hughes added, ``We strongly urge the House to pass the FOSTA-SESTA compromise package and move it to the Senate, offering hope to and justice for those who have suffered from this unconscionable act of human exploitation.'' SESTA, originally introduced by Senators Portman and Blumenthal currently has 67 bipartisan Senate co- sponsors and is endorsed by the Internet Association (IA), as is H.R. 1865. In 2013, Enough Is Enough voiced strong support of the effort of The National Association of Attorneys General (49 Attorneys General) calling on Congress to support a simple two word amendment that would enable state prosecutors to help fight prostitution and child sex trafficking. Unfortunately, Congress failed to act, resulting in more years of untold trauma and exploitation for trafficking victims and huge profits for websites and interactive service providers.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Chair, I also include in the Record a letter from World Without Exploitation with many, many signatures. For Immediate Release National Anti-Trafficking Coalition Urges Congress to Pass FOSTA With Section 230 Provision to Curb Online Sex Trafficking--As Internet Demand Explodes, World Without Exploitation Calls on National Lawmakers to Support Survivors and Stem the Tide of Human Trafficking by Holding Websites Accountable New York, NY--February 26, 2018--World Without Exploitation (WorldWE), the national coalition to end human trafficking and exploitation, today urges members of Congress to pass legislation that would clarify Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and allow state law enforcement and survivors to seek justice against websites that knowingly engage in facilitating human trafficking. The bill will help disrupt sex trafficking in the United States, much of which has shifted from the streets to the Internet. The Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017 (FOSTA), H.R. 1865, was introduced by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) and now includes a crucial amendment by Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA) that seeks to close a legal loophole in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act that allows websites that host online sex ads to operate with impunity. The Walters amendment echoes language from the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 (SESTA), S. 1693 sponsored in the Senate by Rob Portman (R-OH) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). ``Every day, thousands of children and adults are being illegally bought and sold online, and the websites that facilitate these transactions have been able to hide behind legislation that was never designed to shelter this kind of activity,'' said Lauren Hersh, national director of WorldWE. ``WorldWE and our members are incredibly grateful to Reps. Wagner and Walters and Sens. Portman and Blumenthal, among many others, for listening to the voices of survivors and driving meaningful change with so much bipartisan support. The urgency we are seeing to stop human trafficking at the highest levels of our government is truly inspiring.'' With the growth of the Internet, human trafficking that once happened mainly on street corners has largely shifted online. According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 73 percent of the 10,000 child sex trafficking reports it receives from the public each year involve ads on the website Backpage.com. The anonymity and ease with which victims can be bought and. sold on the Internet has created a multibillion-dollar industry, and a tremendous surge in exploitation across the United States. ``The illegal sex trade is no less odious simply because it is operating on the Web,'' said Anne K. Ream, founding co- chair of WorldWE. ``Wherever it happens, whenever it happens, human trafficking is an industry in which profits are built on human pain. We need public policies that are responsive to the current face of trafficking, which is why passage of FOSTA with the Walters amendment is so critical.'' ``We urge the House to pass FOSTA with the Walters amendment and send the bill to the Senate for adoption,'' said Nikki Bell, founder and director of Living in Freedom Together (LIFT), a survivor-led organization. ``We are hoping after today, we will be one step closer to bringing justice to survivors and disrupting the profitable model of online trafficking in our country.'' To learn more about WorldWE, hear survivor stories, donate, and join our movement to create a world without exploitation, please visit http://www.worldwithoutexploitation.org./ About World Without Exploitation World Without Exploitation (WorldWE) is a national coalition of more than 100 organizations and individuals committed to human rights, civil rights, and gender justice. WordWE's mission is to create a world where no person is bought, sold or exploited. The coalition aims to create a culture where those who have been trafficked or sexually exploited are treated as victims of a crime, not criminals themselves, while those who purchase, sell or exploit another human being are punished.