Ann Kuster

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Heidi Welch who will retire this spring after serving for 20 years as music director at Hillsboro-Deering High School. Heidi's dedication and enthusiasm for music and the arts has inspired generations of students in the Hillsboro-Deering community. In 2013, she was recognized as New Hampshire's Teacher ofthe Year and served as the Granite State's representative as a finalist for the National Teacher of the Year. Through Heidi' s leadership, the Hillsboro-Deering band and chorus consistently wins accolades at national competitions. Heidi is also civically engaged as music director for ``HillCat Summer Theatre'', as an adjunct professor at Keene State College, and soon will be receiving a Ph.D. in her field of music education. Heidi was once even selected as a guest conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank Heidi for her many years of service and being a part of what makes the Granite State's public schools so special. Her legacy of teaching will continue through the countless students she has inspired. I am honored to recognize and congratulate Heidi on her retirement and wish her the best of luck in the years ahead.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lupus Awareness Month. An autoimmune disease, Lupus impacts more than one million Americans and many in communities across our Granite State. Those living with Lupus often experience significant symptoms such as fatigue, cognitive issues and physical challenges. While Lupus affects millions of individuals worldwide and there are 16,000 new diagnoses each year, two-thirds of Americans are unaware of it. Through Lupus Awareness Month each May, advocates will ``Go purple for Lupus'' with local and national events to encourage understanding, research and support of the disease. I will continue to champion and support public health efforts in Congress. I encourage my colleagues to honor individuals living with Lupus through annual awareness programming each May and throughout the year.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, during the week of Monday, April 23, 2018, I missed rollcall votes 148-166. Had I been present for these recorded votes, I would have voted as listed below: Rollcall Vote 148: ``aye,'' rollcall Vote 149: ``aye,'' rollcall Vote 150: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 151: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 152: ``aye,'' rollcall Vote 153: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 154: ``aye,'' rollcall Vote 155: ``aye,'' rollcall Vote 156: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 157: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 158: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 159: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 160: ``aye,'' rollcall Vote 161: ``aye,'' rollcall Vote 162: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 163: ``nay,'' rollcall Vote 164: ``aye,'' rollcall Vote 165: ``aye,'' and rollcall Vote 166: ``nay.''

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great pride and admiration that I offer my sincere thanks to Ms. Sharlene M. Labore for her three decades of service to the United States Postal Service (USPS). Whether it was her work with the National Post Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU) and the New Hampshire AFL-CIO, or her dedicated activism for workers' rights and social justice, she has made meaningful contributions to our community and our state. It is Granite Staters like Sharlene who make New Hampshire such an incredibly special place to live, work, and raise a family. On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank Sharlene again for her distinguished public service. I wish her the best in her future endeavors.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere congratulations to the Plymouth Regional Senior Center on its 25th anniversary. The Plymouth Regional Senior Center gives people across Grafton County a place to come together and share experiences, and it provides valuable resources and programs that help our elder citizens maintain their health and wellbeing. I remain committed to doing all I can to ensure that seniors in the Granite State have the resources and support they need. On behalf of my constituents across New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank the Plymouth Regional Senior Center for the great service it provides to the Granite State and congratulate the Center again on 25 years of operation. I look forward to our continued work together in making New Hampshire an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my good friend Mark Scarano as he steps down after nearly three years as Federal Co-Chair of the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC). Through his service on the Commission, Mark has continued his life's work as a community economic developer serving areas that are most in need of support. Mark got his start in this field in Millinocket, Maine, and later in Piscataquis County. We in New Hampshire were fortunate that he came next to Grafton County, where for eight years he led its Regional Development Corporation and significantly expanded workforce development and entrepreneurship programs. In 2015, I was tremendously proud to support President Obama's nomination of Mark to co-chair the NBRC, and his unanimous confirmation by the Senate was a testament to his stellar reputation and achievements. He has proved more than worthy of that honor, as he has been a tireless leader, steward, and advocate of the Commission's important work during a period of tightening budgets and the emergence of new challenges, like the opioid epidemic, which are threatening our rural economy and its development. Ten years after it was first authorized, the Northern Border Regional Commission continues to play a critical role in driving the economic growth and community development in some of New Hampshire's most economically distressed communities. It supports projects that create and sustain jobs, tackle workforce development, infrastructure, telecommunications, healthcare, culture, and much more. Mark has worked diligently during his tenure to streamline processes and procedures and maximize the impact of the Commission. Through his excellent leadership, Mark has been an invaluable resource to the Granite State and improved the lives of thousands who have relied on projects championed by the Commission. On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank Mark for his many years of dedicated service to the Granite State and the Northeast. His achievements will continue to benefit our state for years to come. I am honored to recognize and congratulate Mark, and wish him the very best of luck in the years ahead.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere gratitude for Jennifer Frizzell as she moves on after fifteen years from her role leading public policy work for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Throughout Jennifer's long career as an advocate for reproductive rights and improved access to family planning resources, she has helped support women across New Hampshire in obtaining well-deserved quality healthcare. Whether it's been advocacy to protect buffer zones outside of clinics or fighting against a lawsuit to prevent the opening of a Planned Parenthood in downtown Manchester, Jennifer has made invaluable contributions to our state and the country. Her commitment and compassion have improved the lives of countless women in need, and she has cultivated a better future for Granite State women and families. On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District and all those who have benefitted from Jennifer's work, I thank her for her incredible service and congratulate her on all that she has accomplished. I wish her the best of luck in the years ahead, and I look forward to our continued work together to make New Hampshire an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Stan Judge for his decades of service to Wildcat ski area and skiing across New England. In 2007 Stan was presented the Sherman Adams award, which is given to a person from an Eastern ski area who has significantly influenced the ski industry. This award, named after former New Hampshire governor and Loon ski area founder Sherman Adams, recognizes Stan's lifelong commitment to Wildcat and the ski industry at large. Stan also played a vital role in developing the American Standards Association Tramway Safety Code, and his leadership here brought standardized safety codes for all ski areas to use. This year as Wildcat Ski Area celebrates its sixtieth year in operation, I wanted to take the time to thank Stan for all of his work making Wildcat a safe and family-friendly place for winter recreation. On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District and all those who have benefited from Stan's work, I thank him for all his passion and dedication, and I wish him the best of luck in his next step.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere gratitude for Jennifer Frizzell as she moves on after fifteen years from her role leading public policy work for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Throughout Jennifer's long career as an advocate for reproductive rights and improved access to family planning resources, she has helped support women across New Hampshire in obtaining well-deserved quality healthcare. Whether it's been advocacy to protect buffer zones outside of clinics or fighting against a lawsuit to prevent the opening of a Planned Parenthood in downtown Manchester, Jennifer has made invaluable contributions to our state and the country. Her commitment and compassion have improved the lives of countless women in need, and she has cultivated a better future for Granite State women and families. On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District and all those who have benefitted from Jennifer's work, I thank her for her incredible service and congratulate her on all that she has accomplished. I wish her the best of luck in the years ahead, and I look forward to our continued work together to make New Hampshire an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, in New Hampshire and all across this country, people are dying every day. Communities have been devastated by the heroin and opioid epidemic. Last year, we lost nearly 500 people to substance abuse disorder in my small State of New Hampshire. Helping families, first responders, treatment providers, law enforcement officials, and activists in the Granite State confront this crisis has been one of my top priorities in Congress. Our communities need our help, and there is strong bipartisan commitment here in the House to respond effectively to this crisis. While we have passed effective legislation over the last 2 years, including the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, the most important thing that we can do is to provide the funding to help those on the front lines of this crisis do their jobs. While I and my Democratic colleagues welcome the President's declaration of an opioid public health emergency, the lack of corresponding funding means that this commitment has been little more than empty rhetoric. We need leadership from Congress and the President to save lives across the country by providing real solutions to the opioid epidemic, and I call on my colleagues to act now. During the State of the Union, the President, once again, expressed his commitment to working to address the opioid and heroin epidemic, but, unfortunately, his actions have fallen short of his rhetoric. I have come to the floor today so we can defeat the previous question and bring up for consideration my legislation, the Respond NOW Act. This critical legislation creates a $25 billion opioid epidemic response fund to provide $5 billion annually over 5 years targeted to numerous key initiatives involving agencies such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health. This includes $18.5 billion for SAMHSA grants to States, particularly those targeted at expanding medication assistance treatment, which opioid experts agree is among the most critical ways to help those suffering from substance use disorder. My bill also provides funding to increase the number of substance use treatment providers and to expand medical research related to the opioid epidemic. Additionally, it provides $2.5 billion for critical CDC initiatives, such as expanding and strengthening evidence-based prevention and education strategies. Finally, the bill includes funding specifically to support children and families impacted by this opioid epidemic, including $250 million to support the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, which can help address the risk of adverse childhood experiences, a known driver of this epidemic. We need to break the cycle, and these programs are ideally suited to support substance abuse treatment services to help families stay together and keep children in safe and stable homes. The opioid crisis is a multifaceted challenge, and we are fortunate that so many amazing researchers, first responders, law enforcement officials, community activists, and others are doing amazing work in communities all across our country. But they need the resources to effectively meet these challenges. We must stop playing political games and act immediately to provide emergency funding to help stop this crisis in New Hampshire, in Florida, and all across this country.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the members of the Claremont, New Hampshire, Ad Hoc Amtrak Platform Committee. The people of the Upper Valley owe a tremendous debt to the public servants and civic-minded citizens who took up the important work of this committee. Those individuals are: Jeffrey Albright, State Representative Raymond Gagnon, Mayor Charlene Lovett, Scott Magnuson, former City Councilor James Reed, Walter Stapleton, and former City Councilor Carolyn Towle. Since its formation in 2014, the committee has worked extensively to promote and improve rail transportation and access in the region. Through new signage around Claremont and effective digital marketing, the committee did an outstanding job of raising awareness of the value and opportunity the Amtrak Vermonter line had for the Claremont community, and vice versa. They spearheaded a campaign to construct a passenger shelter at the Claremont station with all-volunteer funding and labor. As a direct result of their efforts, ridership numbers have notably increased each of the last three years, and the New England Intercity Rail Initiative has decided that Claremont should remain included in future high speed rail service. It is also important to recognize the national and international impact of the committee. Its members worked closely with my office to provide input and help advance the Promoting Travel, Commerce, and National Security Act, which I introduced in 2016. This legislation paved the way for a bilateral border security agreement that allows the United States and Canada to expand preclearance customs facilities, including rail facilities for the first time. It improves travel and trade opportunities for our northern border communities while also strengthening our national security. The bill was signed into law by President Barack Obama, and in 2017 the agreement was approved by the Canadian House of Commons. I commend the committee members for all they have done to help bring this meaningful policy to fruition. On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank Jeffrey, Richard, Charlene, Scott, James, Walter, and Carolyn for their dedicated service and advocacy. Their achievements will continue to benefit Granite State transportation, tourism, and economic development for years to come. I am honored to recognize and congratulate them.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak candidly and directly to the American people. There are many, many issues that we agree upon, Republicans and Democrats, coming together to solve big challenges. In my district in New Hampshire, people are dying, and they are dying from an emergency that did not exist--a continuing resolution will not solve their problem--and that is the opioid epidemic that hits districts all across this country. People are dying, families are suffering, and our communities are hurting. We need to come together, and we can. We have a bipartisan task force with 100 Members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats. Just this week, 50 Members, Republicans and Democrats, came together to ask for funding for this emergency crisis. We ask the President: Extend the emergency. We need to fund, and now is the time. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent, please, together, Republicans and Democrats, bring up H.R. 4872, the End the Shutdown Act of 2018, a continuing resolution that would immediately reopen the government through Tuesday while we continue negotiations on a budget agreement that adheres to parity and other critical issues like this opioid epidemic. This is urgent. Please, I ask my brothers and sisters on both sides of the aisle.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1266, Enhancing Veteran Care Act. Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs can contract with qualified and accredited third-party nonprofits to investigate a VA medical center for deficiencies in its facility. Only the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, however, is directly capable of authorizing these third-party investigations. Unfortunately, this process is needlessly cumbersome and delays the improvement of medical centers. This bill is an important reform because it empowers Veteran Integrated Service Network directors and VA medical center directors to initiate these third-party reviews. The Manchester VA Medical Center in my home State of New Hampshire currently faces a number of questions regarding the services it provides and the facilities it manages. While Secretary Shulkin has initiated reviews of the facility, it took a number of whistleblowers to put their reputation and jobs on the line to force action. Legislation like the Enhancing Veteran Care Act could have streamlined this process and made both the facility and the VISN more accountable to the needs of veterans in New Hampshire. VA must be better at assessing its own shortcomings. Ultimately, veterans in the Granite State and across the country deserve the highest standard of care. I thank Senators Inhofe and Lankford for introducing this important legislation. I thank Senator Shaheen, one of the lead Democratic cosponsors of the bill, for helping advance this bill through the U.S. Senate and being attentive to the needs of our Granite State veterans. I proudly support this legislation and urge all of my colleagues to support this bill and immediately send it to the President's desk.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Brady and the chair. I want to thank especially Congresswoman Speier and Congresswoman Comstock for their good work on this issue. Almost 40 years ago, I worked here in the United States Congress as a member of the staff. I was 23 years old and I was sexually assaulted by a distinguished guest of the United States Congress. Neither I nor anyone in my office had received any type of sexual harassment training. I had no place to turn; I had no one to tell; and I could do nothing about it. But today is a historic day. This is a watershed moment. Times have changed and people do make changes. This is one that we are all standing together--Republicans, Democrats, men, women, across the board--to say ``enough is enough.'' I support this resolution as an important first step so that every Member of Congress and every member of the staff on Capitol Hill understand that we are drawing the line. We have had enough. We need to address sexual harassment and assault in the workplaces, on college campuses, in our military, and communities. The Halls of Congress can be no exception.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Amanda Grady Sexton, the Director of Public Affairs for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, for receiving the 2017 Sandra Matheson Award for Exemplary Commitment to Victims of Crime. Amanda is incredibly deserving of this recognition; having worked tirelessly at the New Hampshire Coalition for 15 years to ensure protections for survivors of sexual assault in the Granite State. She led the effort in the state legislature to pass legislation that strengthens New Hampshire's Rape Shield Law and established critical protections for survivors of sexual violence. She has also supported other initiatives to extend the statute of limitations in cases of child sexual abuse and criminalized acts of human trafficking and domestic violence in state law. Though Amanda's voice is essential in New Hampshire, her advocacy extends beyond the Granite State. She regularly advises me and other members of the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation, and assisted Congress with the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and the passage of the Sexual Assault Survivors' Rights Act. Through her incredible work, Amanda has given hope and a voice to countless victims of crime in New Hampshire and nationwide, and has helped reduce the stigma associated with sexual assault. On behalf of New Hampshire's Second Congressional District and all those who have benefitted from Amanda's work, I thank her for everything she has done and will continue to do for our state, and congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition. I look forward to our continued work together to make New Hampshire be an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the need for tax policy that benefits hardworking families in New Hampshire and all across this country. We are long overdue for real tax reform, but, unfortunately, the plan unveiled by my Republican colleagues is more of a giveaway to millionaires, billionaires, and corporate special interests. In fact, consider this: 80 percent of the tax breaks in their bill go to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans. This is while cutting $500 billion from Medicare and $1 trillion from Medicaid. That trade is, frankly, unconscionable. This bill is a bad deal for Granite Staters and a bad deal for the American people. The Republican tax plan eliminates important deductions for hardworking middle class families. It caps property tax deductions, eliminates student loan interest deductions and the medical deduction tax credit. The plan even ends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit that encourages employers to hire veterans. House Democrats are offering a better deal. I urge my Republican colleagues to work with us to support working families.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Nancy and Gary Stewart, the owners of Sandwich Depot in my hometown of Concord, New Hampshire. Through hard work and dedication, Nancy and Gary, along with their employees, created a truly special place in our community. Sandwich Depot opened for business over 28 years ago. In the time since, they have turned an inconspicuous building on the side of Hall Street into one of the best sandwich shops in the state. Over the years, a lot has changed in Concord, but one thing has remained the same: if you want a world-class breakfast or lunch, you can find it at the Sandwich Depot. Gary has an uncanny ability to remember customers' names, and his warm smile and humor make any visitor feel welcome. Nancy cooks and assembles sandwiches that leave everyone full and satisfied. The shop is covered in historic pictures of Concord and local antique signs, which add to the sense that the Depot is a uniquely Concord institution. My family, friends, and staff--as well as everyone in the Concord community--will all miss the Sandwich Depot, but we are confident that Nancy and Gary will continue to make wonderful contributions to the Concord area in the years to come.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following: Good morning Congresspersons Kuster, Speier, Meehan and Joyce. Thank you for inviting me to participate in this important roundtable before the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence. My name is Amy Sanchez and I am the CEO of Break the Cycle, a national nonprofit that engages, educates and empowers youth to build lives and communities free from domestic and dating violence. Break the Cycle believes that everyone deserves a healthy relationship and since 1996 has worked to end dating abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in the lives of young people ages 12 to 24 across the U.S. Thank you for holding this roundtable today to address the steps Congress can take to support the implementation of K through 12 healthy relationships and consent education, and to thank you each for being champions for ending sexual violence. Dating abuse and sexual violence are public health epidemics with severe impacts for young victims: One in three high school students experience either physical or sexual violence, or both, perpetrated by someone they are dating or going out with. Nearly 30 percent of adult victims of interpersonal violence homicides from 2003 to 2014 were young women between the ages of 18 and 29. (Unfortunately this CDC study did not address girls younger than 18.) In Texas alone, 8 young women 19 and younger were murdered by an intimate partner in 2016. More than half of women (69.5 percent) and men (53.6 percent) who have been physically or sexually abused, or stalked by a dating partner, first experienced abuse between the ages of 11 and 24. Among male high school students who have experienced sexual and physical abuse by a dating partner, more than 1 in 4 have seriously contemplated suicide, and almost as many have attempted suicide. Among female high school students who have experienced sexual and physical abuse by a dating partner, nearly half have seriously contemplated suicide, and more than 1 in 4 have attempted suicide. We also know that raising awareness early is essential to ending this epidemic because: More than half (58 percent) of college students do not know how to help someone who is experiencing dating abuse; and Nearly all college students (89 percent) are not confident in their ability to recognize the warning signs of dating violence. Both intervention and prevention are keys to stopping dating abuse and sexual assault among young people. To that end, Break the Cycle's work focuses on three: 1) direct legal representation to young victims ages 12 to 24 in Washington, DC, in restraining order, Title IX, and victim witness advocacy cases; 2) supporting youth leadership on dating abuse issues in schools and communities; and 3) providing education programs to schools and other youth-serving entities on supporting young people to prevent dating abuse and sexual assault. My remaining remarks will address the third element of this work--prevention education--and how we can ensure that every K through 12 student in the U.S. has access to developmentally appropriate programming. Break the Cycle's prevention programming takes many forms, including Healthy Relationships workshops, Resource Manuals for schoolteachers and administrators, and Real Talks. The goal is always to create a space for youth to engage in open and honest conversations about healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviors in order to: decrease the isolation that young victims so often feel; enable young people to lead conversations about the good, the bad, and the normal in dating and relationships today; teach young people how best to provide support to each other since we know they often do not report dating/sexual abuse to an adult; allow young people to talk without fear of being judged or influenced by adults; educate young people about dating abuse, including its warning signs; and build on the lived realities of young people to develop effective engagement strategies to end dating violence and create a culture without abuse. To prevent dating abuse and sexual violence among young people, Congress must fund primary prevention in every school. The funded approaches should meet the best practices standards set by the CDC, including that the education be: comprehensive; offered in sufficient dosage; socio-culturally relevant; evidence-based; offered by well-trained implementers; include outcome evaluations; and employ varied teaching methods. One cannot check social media or news outlets today without reading about another sexual assault case, including on our school campuses. School districts are waking up to the fact that primary prevention programs are needed to teach young people about healthy and unhealthy relationship patterns and what consent means. Many states, including Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Ohio, Oregon, and Rhode Island, are leading the way by requiring that schools include consent and healthy relationships education within their sexual education curricula. Budget choices are policy choices, and Congress has the opportunity to support these state efforts through adequate funding. One such avenue is the $5 million increase for Rape Prevention Education in the Senate Appropriations Bill--the Task Force should champion this increase in RPE in the House as a concrete step towards ending dating abuse and sexual assault. I want to close with some words from the sister of a dating abuse survivor who Break the Cycle assisted. She wrote BTC: ``I had not thought about the need for interventions for young people. But then when my sister needed help, you were there for her. I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did for her. She has since met an amazing man and will be getting married soon. I doubt she will tell you, but you will be there nonetheless--in the form of a safe and whole bride walking into the arms of a man who loves and respects her.'' Through adequate funding and mandates for healthy relationships and consent education in K through 12 schools, Congress can be instrumental in preventing dating violence and sexual assault and ensuring that love and respect are the touchstones of relationships that young people form throughout their lives.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following: Thank you Co-Chairs Joyce, Kuster, Meehan, Speier and members of the Task Force for the opportunity to join you today. I'd like to thank this Task Force for your dedication to ending sexual violence in all aspects of our society. For the last six months, I've had the honor to serve as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. We at the Department are dedicated to the mission of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the nation through vigorous enforcement of civil rights. Like too many of us, I bring with me to this work personal experiences surviving sexual violence. Being raped at age twenty jeopardized the trajectory of my life and nearly prevented me from graduating law school. It took years to try and shake the remnants of shame, humiliation, and pain that sexual assault inflicted. In my work at OCR, I've been deeply moved by talking and working with students and their advocates, hearing story after story of how their educations have been derailed and their lives imperiled by sexual violence. All students in our nation's schools have the right to feel safe and secure at school. All students should know that their school fosters an environment that decreases the risk that any student will suffer sexual harassment or assault. All students have a right to expect their school to respond promptly and fairly to incidents of sexual violence. At OCR we are charged by Congress, among other things, with the critical responsibility for enforcing Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination by any school receiving federal funds. It's our duty to enforce legal requirements concerning how a school must respond to incidents of sexual violence. OCR investigates and resolves complaints over how schools respond to sexual violence, resulting in changes to schools' policies and procedures to better ensure that schools provide the ``prompt and equitable'' response to sexual harassment and violence that federal regulations require. Our role as an enforcement agency is crucial. We can and will continue to fulfill that role. OCR currently has 353 sexual violence cases open with colleges and universities, and 149 cases open with K through 12 school districts. Twenty-five percent of the higher education sexual violence complaints, and twenty-eight percent of the K through 12 cases resulted from complaints filed during the current Administration. We believe this continued influx of complaints reflects an improving culture where survivors feel supported coming forward both to their schools and to OCR. At the same time, the high number of sexual violence complaints shows that too many students are not yet experiencing school-level procedures that are prompt and equitable. The Department therefore recently issued interim guidance to encourage schools to ensure their procedures are both supportive to survivors and fair to all involved parties. The Department will undergo a transparent notice-and-comment rulemaking process to solicit perspectives from all stakeholders to ensure that Title IX regulations result in school procedures that best serve Title IX's critical purpose. It is helpful that this Task Force called this Roundtable together to discuss promoting healthy relationships in K through 12 schools. One of themes I hear over and over is that by the time many young people arrive at college, their approach to interpersonal relations and their basic understanding (or lack of understanding) of what it means to respect themselves and each other has already been formed throughout their K through 12 years. Waiting to address these interpersonal issues until college is problematic. I am grateful for the opportunity to share with you the work being done at the Office for Civil Rights, and look forward to continuing this dialogue with this Task Force.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following: My name is Dr. Daniel Swinton and I am honored to be here today. I serve as Vice President of the Association of Title IX Administrators (ATIXA) and am here representing over 3,500 members at schools and colleges nationwide. I am also Managing Partner of a law and consulting firm that advises thousands of K through 12 and higher education administrators, teachers, faculty and students on issues of sexual violence, consent in sexual interactions, harassment and discrimination in all its forms, as well as critical issues of mental health and well-being, behavioral intervention, and alcohol and drugs. Over the last six years, the Department of Education has given significant time and attention to sexual violence at colleges and universities, but has largely failed to give needed time and attention to sexual violence and consent- based issues in K through 12 education. Sexual violence has been called an ``epidemic'' at colleges, and universities and our members indicate that such a label is both accurate and reflective of the immediate needs to prevent and address sexual violence on their campuses. If higher education is facing an ``epidemic,'' then K through 12 is facing an even more serious, plague-like level of sexual violence, that continues largely unabated. The lack of legal and regulatory attention given to the matter is both startling and frustrating, as many of the issues involve abuse of minors and children. Further, K through 12 remains well behind higher education in educating its administrators, teachers and students about sexual violence and the many related issues of consent, substance abuse, and healthy relationships. As one member told me last week, K through 12 needs something like Clery and Section 304 of the Violence Against Women Act to ensure appropriate training, prevention, response and accountability are present. To be fair, K through 12 administrators face a litany of demands on their time and a host of unrelated legal and regulatory requirements such that, absent a crisis, a law or a regulation, sexual violence prevention and response receives little, if any attention. The result is that K through 12 administrators largely lack the training necessary to appropriately and fairly address issues of sexual violence in their schools and districts. Further, school-based instruction of K through 12 students about consent in sexual interactions is rare, leaving the students to learn about sexual interactions, consent and the impact of alcohol and drugs from peers, the Internet and other media. Certainly, parents play a role in educating their children, but in our members' experience, few parents discuss the nuances of sex, alcohol and consent with their children prior to college. We are seeing significant issues of sexual violence at all levels of K through 12, but especially in middle and high school. Any discussion also needs to recognize the role that technology plays in increasing the number and complexity of issues our members are seeing in their schools. Training and prevention efforts lag, policies and procedures remain inadequate, and prevention is reserved to basic training on how to report child abuse. I want to stress that the current state is not for lack of desire, but, given the nature, complexity and decentralized nature of K through 12 education, stems largely from lack of guidance, funding or grants, legal requirements and accountability. Our members are anxious to give these critical matters time and attention, but buy-in and resources tend to follow only once Congress makes it mandatory. Thank you for your time.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following: On behalf of the more than 170,000 bipartisan members and supporters, over 1,000 branches, and almost 800 college and university partners of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), I want to thank you for inviting me to testify at today's roundtable on the topic of ``Promoting Healthy Relationships in K-12 Education and Preventing and Responding to Sexual Violence on College Campuses.'' AAUW is the nation's leading voice promoting equity and education for women and girls. Since our founding in 1881, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day--educational, social, economic, and political. As early as 1945, AAUW was studying the impact of sex discrimination on college campuses. In 1972, we were instrumental not only in winning passage of Title IX but also in securing the subsequent regulations to aid compliance with the law. Today AAUW continues to fight for gender equity in education through research, legal case support, fellowships and grants, and advocacy. When education environments are hostile due to sexual harassment, assault, or violence, students cannot learn and end up missing out on true educational opportunities. AAUW's own research reveals that two-thirds of college students experience sexual harassment and nearly half of students in grades 7 through 12 face sexual harassment. In addition, many studies have found that around 20 percent of women are targets of attempted or completed sexual assault while they are college students. Recently, AAUW has taken a look at what information schools collect and report regarding the number of incidents experienced by students. We have concerns about the continued underreporting of sexual harassment and violence reveled in our analyses and what this tells us about the lack of progress educational institutions have made in removing barriers for survivors to come forward. With regards to higher education, AAUW has examined the data required by the Clery Act. Our findings indicate that the annual statistics collected by colleges and universities still do not tell the full story of sexual violence on campus. Eighty-nine percent of college campuses disclosed zero reported incidences of rape in 2015. With about 11,000 campuses providing annual crime data, an overwhelming majority of campuses certified that in 2015 they did not receive a single report of rape. In addition, for 2015 about 9 percent of campuses disclosed a reported incident of domestic violence, around 10 percent disclosed a reported incident of dating violence, and about 13 percent of campuses disclosed a reported incident of stalking. So in each of these categories as well, most campuses did not disclose any reported incidents in 2015. Among the main or primary campuses of colleges and universities with enrollment of at least 250 students, 73 percent disclosed zero rape reports in 2015. A similar trend is present in K-12 schools. Just this week AAUW released additional analysis of the 2013-14 data from the Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) to get a picture of where sexual harassment in public schools is being reported. In our analysis we specifically examined public schools whose students include those enrolled in grades 7 through 12. In analyzing the CRDC data we found that nationally, 79 percent of these schools disclosed zero reported incidents of sexual harassment. The rate of reporting varied across states, from Florida and Hawaii, where 98 percent of schools reported zero incidents of sexual harassment, to Vermont, where only 46 percent of schools reported zero incidents. Contrast that to findings from AAUW's groundbreaking study, Crossing the Line, which found that nearly half (48 percent) of students surveyed had experienced some form of sexual harassment in the past school year, with nearly 9 in 10 (87 percent) saying it had had a negative impact on them. The extraordinarily high number of zeros at both the K through 12 and higher education levels suggests that some students continue to feel uncomfortable coming forward to report such incidents. This should be a cause for concern for all schools. Our educational institutions must take an honest look at their processes: Do they facilitate accurate data collection, welcome reporting, and provide resources and training to support survivors? Respond fairly and promptly to incidents and prevent their recurrence? If not, reforms must be made. Prevention is Critical First and foremost it is important that schools commit to preventing sexual harassment and violence before it occurs. As the CDC recommends, a comprehensive approach to prevention focuses on several strategies that together have an impact. These strategies include, ``promoting social norms that protect against violence; teaching skills to prevent SV; providing opportunities, both economic and social, to empower and support girls and women; creating protective environments; and supporting victims/survivors to lessen harms.'' Several evidence-based programs support this approach and can be utilized in schools. School Response Schools must also work to end sexual harassment violence by implementing a prompt and fair response to incidents, as required by federal law. Doing this can help contribute to the change necessary to end sexual harassment and violence in schools. Several federal laws play an important role in shaping schools' responses to incidents. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education. This includes protecting all students from sexual harassment and sexual violence regardless of who the harasser may be. And Title IX applies to all education programs, including both K- 12 schools and institutions of higher education. Title IX has long required schools to evaluate their current practices, adopt and publish a policy against sex discrimination, and implement grievance procedures providing for prompt and equitable resolution of student and employee discrimination complaints. Under Title IX, schools are required to eliminate sexual harassment and sexual violence, prevent its recurrence, and address its effects. The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act) requires colleges and universities who participate in federal financial aid programs to disclose campus crime statistics and security information. Every school provides this information publicly. Thanks to updates to the Clery Act in the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, schools are now required to report crime statistics (on rape, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking), update procedures following an incident of sexual violence, and provide prevention and bystander intervention training to all students and employees. These new requirements are separate and apart from the long-standing obligations that schools have under Title IX. These laws can work together to ensure that students have the information they need regarding campus safety, as well as a clear course of action when sexual violence occurs. While Title IX remains the law of the land and students continue to have protection from sexual harassment and violence in schools, AAUW is disappointed that the Department of Education has recently withdrawn the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter on Sexual Violence as well as the 2014 Questions and Answers on Title IX and Sexual Violence. Both were critical guidance tools schools requested to clarify their responsibilities under Title IX when responding to sexual violence. In their place, a new, less robust Questions and Answers guidance document is to be used. This is a blatant rollback from the strong and much-needed guidance that was in place. This ever-changing landscape could potentially sow confusion for schools, administrators and staff, students, parents, and communities. The new interim guidance was also issued following an open comment period where the Department of Education heard from thousands of stakeholder including more than 10,000 AAUW advocates urging the protection of Title IX. The department's willingness to ignore the overwhelming support for Title IX, its regulations, and prior guidance is proof that the agenda was not to listen and take into account input from the community but rather to move forward with a predetermined plan of action. AAUW looks forward to weighing in as the Department of Education engages in its stated rulemaking process. In the meantime we continue to work with schools to ensure that students' civil rights are upheld. Congress also has the opportunity to continue to drive progress on the important issue of ending sexual harassment and violence in schools. AAUW urges Representatives to support legislation including, but not limited to, the Gender Equity in Education Act, the Title IX Protection Act, the Hold Accountable and Lend Transparency Act, the Safe Schools Improvement Act, and the Student Non-Discrimination Act. In addition, Congress should fund prevention education through the Rape Prevention & Education Program (RPE), administered by the CDC Injury Center, at the Senate approved levels for FY18. Increase funding for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, administered by the Department of Education. Congress should also continue to support the Civil Rights Data Collection and Clery Act data collection so that students, parents, administrators, and community members can continue to monitor the prevalence of sexual harassment and violence in schools. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in today's roundtable discussion. AAUW looks forward to working with the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence on these critical issues.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following: Dear Representatives Kuster, Meehan, Speier, Joyce, and honorable members of the Task Force to End Sexual Violence, My name is Joe Cohn, and I am the Legislative and Policy Director at the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, or as we are better known, FIRE. I thank you for the opportunity to discuss this critical issue. One of the core constitutional rights that FIRE defends is due process. Universities are both morally and legally obligated to respond to known instances of sexual misconduct. And for more than 50 years, courts have repeatedly held that the Constitution requires public universities to provide meaningful due process to accused students. The stakes are extremely high for everybody in campus disciplinary proceedings. When a college sweeps an allegation of sexual misconduct under the rug, it has not only behaved immorally, it is in clear violation of Title IX. It is similarly unethical and unlawful when an institution punishes a student for alleged sexual misconduct without a truly fair and impartial process. We must not concede that either situation is acceptable. The attention focused on this issue in recent years by student activists and the Department of Education has shed important light and opened the door for a much needed examination of whether institutions have been adequately addressing sexual violence. Unfortunately, however, some of the particular strategies implemented have had a pernicious effect. We have too often seen a disregard for the rights of victims of sexual violence replaced by a disregard for the rights of the accused. Two wrongs do not make a right. Addressing campus sexual misconduct must continue to be a priority. We believe that by working together, we can--and indeed, must--do a better job of protecting the rights of victims and accused students alike. That is why we are pleased that the Department of Education has committed itself to engaging in formal notice and comment to craft a new policy with both of those goals in mind. So, today, I'd like to set forth a few principles that we hope will guide you and the Department of Education in your collective efforts to ensure that campuses are free from sex discrimination. First, we must not, under any circumstances, return to the days when allegations of sexual violence on campus were brushed aside and concealed. At a minimum this will require insisting that institutions have clear, accessible policies, and that they make efforts to inform the campus community of them and enforce them fairly but unequivocally when necessary. Second, we must recognize that government actors and institutions cannot solve this problem alone. We will all need to work in partnership with each other and many committed activists, practitioners, and experts not now in this room. Today you are undertaking the necessary work of listening to a broader range of stakeholders affected by campus sexual assault. If we want our nation's colleges to employ clear, equitable, and fair procedures in which everyone can trust--and I believe we all do--we must hear from everyone affected and everyone committed to addressing these issues. That is why FIRE is adamant that at the regulatory level, government agencies engage in formal notice and comment rulemaking to hear insight from all parties. Through this process, the Department of Education can combine institutional knowledge, professional expertise, and the experiences of students to create a workable, fair, and effective set of Title IX regulations. Crafting a policy on campus sexual assault without hearing from complainants, the accused, the institutions themselves, medical professionals, victim's rights advocates, civil rights advocates, parents, and the many law enforcement professionals who have dedicated their careers to ending sexual violence, is bound to be inadequate. Third, our national policy must be careful to assign only those responsibilities to institutions that we are confident they can perform well. Consulting with professional experts only goes so far if the resulting policy delegates tasks that require particular expertise to those without the sufficient background, training, and tools to perform those functions properly. Colleges and universities have a vital role to play in addressing campus sexual assault. They cannot simply refer complainants to law enforcement and wash their hands of the problem. Likewise, we must not allow ourselves to continue under the dubious assumption that with a few hours of annual training colleges are equipped to handle these challenging investigations and adjudications. They are not well suited to adjudicating these complex cases. This gap between what we demand of institutions and what they are well-suited to perform has been one of the significant causes of the injustices--which flow in both directions--with which we are all too familiar. The final broad principle is that the only way our solutions will be sustainable is if they are mindful of the rights of all students. No one benefits from a system that does not have the public's trust--not victims, not accused students, not institutions, and not the public. FIRE wants every institution to know how to assist when a student calls for help in the middle of the night. We want institutions to dedicate enough resources to ensure that the well-being of victims is a top priority. We want every student to know that their case will be handled fairly. Due process--equal justice under law--is not an abstract principle; it is the foundation of any system of justice worthy of the name, whether on campus or off. We agree with the Secretary that we must ensure that every student's case is handled with the care that we would expect if one of our loved ones were a party, regardless of which side of the table they are sitting on. The status quo is unacceptable. It isn't working for anyone. It isn't working for victims. It isn't working for institutions of higher education. And it isn't working for accused students. We must protect students. We must make sure hearings are fair and accurate. We must help institutions get it right. And we must continue to hold them accountable when they do not. I thank you for the opportunity to address you today, and look forward to working with you on this important mission.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the following: Good morning Congresswoman Kuster and co-chairs Meehan, Speier and Joyce. My name is Jane Stapleton and along with Dr. Sharyn Potter, I am the Director of Prevention Innovations Research Center at the University of New Hampshire. It is an honor to provide testimony on campus sexual violence and promoting healthy relationships and consent education in K through 12 schools to the Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence. Prevention Innovations is made up of researchers and practitioners who work together to create, evaluate and disseminate evidence-based prevention and responses to sexual and relationship violence. We work to build practitioners' capacities to respond to survivors, prevent violence and navigate the changing landscape of federal laws and mandates. We believe that to truly end the problems of sexual and relationship violence in K through 12 schools and post- secondary education, we must understand what works in prevention and response and then implement evidence-based and research informed prevention strategies. Together, my colleagues and I have developed, evaluated and implemented prevention strategies to engage community members as bystanders who take responsibility to create safe and respectful learning and living environments. Prevention Innovations' evidence-based prevention strategies include: Bringing in the Bystander, an in-person prevention program with high school and adult versions Know Your Power bystander intervention social marketing campaign uSafeUS, a mobile app that puts trauma informed responses and evidence-based prevention strategies in the hands of survivors and their allies Still in development: a Bystander Intervention Video Game Increased attention to sexual and relationship violence in schools has led to exponential growth in the number of vendors offering solutions to these pervasive public health problems. Vendors sell products that guarantee compliance and prevention, oftentimes with little to no scientific evidence to suggest that they are effective. Prevention Innovations has recently published a white paper on choosing prevention products. It seems appropriate to share this guidance with the Bipartisan Task Force. It is essential to know whether prevention products have been thoroughly evaluated with scientific research methods. Prevention products should have stated, measurable learning objectives that can be evaluated. Ongoing evaluation and utilization of the best available evidence should also inform the product's evolution over time. Sexual and relationship violence are nuanced issues, so it is vital that prevention efforts are developed by people with expertise. The best interventions adhere to the principles for effective prevention. Effective prevention strategies are informed by theories that have been developed and validated through rigorous scientific scrutiny. Effective prevention products should be grounded in theories that foster change. Prevention efforts are most effective when they use multiple modalities such as text, video, audio, case studies, interactive exercises, gaming principles, and skills practice. Products should be developmentally and culturally appropriate to your audience and well-suited to the method of dissemination. It is critical that all efforts promote a campus culture that supports survivors. It is important to consider the impact of prevention products and programs on members of the community who are survivors and secondary survivors, and to ensure they are trauma-informed products. The product should be informed by those for whom it was intended. A prevention strategy developed for a college student is most likely not appropriate for a high school student and definitely not for a middle school student. Prevention efforts require sufficient dosage to be effective. Cutting down the prevention dosage could lead to inadequate or no effect or could potentially cause harm. One- time programs are tempting, and vendors may claim that they ``check all the prevention boxes,'' but a solo packaged program or a single annual event will not change campus culture. It is vital that prevention messages are socioculturally relevant and reflect a community's diversity. For prevention efforts to be effective, members of the community need to see situations and people like those they would regularly encounter. While we know a lot about prevention, there is still so much we do not know, such as the impact of consent education on reducing sexual assault perpetration; and the effectiveness of on-line prevention modules, community and societal level interventions. The best way to proceed in our efforts is to continue to develop scientifically evaluated prevention strategies and implement these evidence-based and research informed prevention tools in a comprehensive plan that engages all members of the social ecology. On behalf of Prevention Innovations Research Center, I would like to thank the Bipartisan Task Force for your careful consideration of our suggestions for the most effective elements of prevention in K through 12 and colleges. I welcome your questions and the opportunity to provide additional information.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Lorraine Merrill as she retires after a decade of service as Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture. The people of the Granite State owe a tremendous debt to Commissioner Merrill. She has been an excellent steward of the Agriculture Department, guiding our state through the economic recession of 2008 and a devastating drought in 2016--two of the greatest challenges our agriculture community has faced. She has been a tireless supporter and advocate for farmers, producers, and foresters in New Hampshire. From dairy and produce to ornamental horticulture and maple syrup, ours is an incredibly diverse state for agriculture and she has represented everyone so well. Lorraine's service as commissioner was only the latest in a remarkable career of service both to agriculture and her community. She has been a teacher, author, founding member of the New Hampshire Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture, director of the New England Dairy and Food Council, and chair of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency State Committee. She continues to own and run a dairy farm with her family in Stratham, New Hampshire, where they have been honored by the American Farmland Trust for their leadership in conservation and environmental management best practices. On behalf of my constituents in New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank Lorraine for her many years of dedicated service to the Granite State. Her achievements will continue to benefit our state and agricultural industry. I am honored to recognize and congratulate Lorraine on her retirement and wish her the best of luck in the years ahead.

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire

Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Patricia Clark as she retires after more than five decades of service to the Federal Aviation Administration at the Patricia Clark Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center in Nashua. The people of the Granite State and throughout New England owe a debt of gratitude to Patty for ensuring the safety of pilots and fliers, as well as continuing the efficiency of our transportation system. Further, it should be noted that Patty has maintained perfect attendance throughout her decades of service, never using vacation leave or a sick day. In 2013, during my first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, I was honored to have introduced legislation, H.R. 1092, that became law renaming the Nashua facility the ``Patricia Clark Boston Air Route Traffic Control Center.'' Renaming this facility after Patty was the very least that could be done to honor her accomplishments to the air traffic control industry here in New England. I am honored to be able to recognize Patty once again on the occasion of her retirement from federal service. On behalf of my constituents across New Hampshire's Second Congressional District, I thank Patricia Clark for more than half a century of dedicated service to the Granite State. Her achievements will continue to benefit our state and industry. I am honored to recognize and congratulate Patty on her retirement and wish her the best of luck in the years ahead.