Zoe Lofgren

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to Congresswoman Jackie Speier, my neighbor in the San Francisco Bay area.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order on honoring our retiring Members, Congressman Henry Waxman and Congressman George Miller.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I am the chair of the California Democratic delegation, and we are losing from our membership two spectacular Members who have served with tremendous distinction for 40 years each. Representative Miller and Representative Waxman were the final two remaining Members of the House elected as part of the historic Watergate class of 1974. Both were instrumental in passing the Affordable Care Act of 2010, which is the culmination of a nearly century-long struggle to guarantee that every American has access to quality and affordable health care. Representative Waxman was one of the most prolific lawmakers in American history. He has a long record of not only legislative, but oversight achievements. He was elected, as I said, in 1974 and reelected 17 times. He chaired the Energy and Commerce Subcommittees on Health and the Environment, the Energy and Commerce Committee from 2009 to 2011, and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee from 2007 to 2009. He left his mark all over this body, but the five areas that he will be remembered most about is health care, consumer protection, environmental protection, telecommunications policy, and just many good government laws. Some of the most important bills that he either wrote or coauthored include: the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments--we can recall when we couldn't breathe in Los Angeles, and that is no longer the case because of Henry's leadership and work preventing smog, air pollution, acid rain, and the depletion of the ozone layer; the Medicaid and CHIP expansion gave coverage and access to health care for children and working families; and his nursing home reforms helped protect the most vulnerable people in America. The Hatch-Waxman generic drug act gave rise to the generic drug industry, and the Orphan Drug Act gave hope to families across the country whose family members had diseases not lucrative prior to the act. From the Ryan White CARE Act to the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act to the cigarette and smokeless tobacco health warning laws, Henry has been recognized as a leader here. His oversight efforts were simply marvelous. Looking at waste, fraud, and abuse, he identified over $1 trillion in wasteful and mismanaged Federal contracts, including billions of dollars in wasteful spending in Iraq and in response to Hurricane Katrina. His oversight of the tobacco industry and the Wall Street collapse are known throughout the country. He has over his 40 years here provided tremendous service to our country. Our colleague, Representative George Miller, has similarly left his mark not only on this body, but on this country and indeed on this world. Our friend, George, is an aggressive and unapologetic investigator on behalf of taxpayers into the health and safety of children and workers. He took on asbestos executives, for-profit colleges, subsidized agribusiness, mining corporations, oil companies, and administration officials of both parties. Why? To stand up for the little guy who didn't have a voice. He chaired three committees during the past 40 years, the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families from 1983 to 1992; the Committee on Natural Resources from 1992 to 1994; and the Committee on Education and Labor from 2007 to 2010. He is a longtime cochair to the Democratic Steering Policy Committee. He is among the 50th, as is Henry, consecutive longest-serving Members of Congress in history out of more than 10,000 Members. His list of accomplishments is too long to read, but they certainly include fair pay for women; investigating sweatshops not only here, but around the world; fighting for pension reform; standing up for occupational safety and occupational disease compensation; international labor standards; the minimum wage; antidiscrimination laws; and the defense of the right to organize and collectively bargain. The notable legislation written or cowritten by George Miller include: the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007; the student loan reforms of 2007 and 2010; the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002; the California Desert Protection Act of 1994; the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, now known as the Individuals With Disability Act; and the Pay-As-You-Go Act, PAYGO, passed in 1982 to reduce the deficit and instill greater discipline in the budget process and to ensure that military and nonmilitary spending were treated under the same rules. He played a key role in shaping the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the response to the worst American recession since the Great Depression. California is proud of our two colleagues, and many Californians and indeed some honorary Californians are here tonight who would like to say a few words to honor these two outstanding men. First, I yield to the gentleman from California, Mr. Alan Lowenthal, who represents a district in southern California for his tribute.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored now to yield to the gentlewoman from California, Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New Jersey, Rush Holt.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to another distinguished gentleman from Maryland, Congressman John Sarbanes.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield to our colleague from New York, an honorary Californian and a fellow fan of these two great Members, Congressman Paul Tonko of New York's 20th District.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield to our colleague from California, Mr. Mark Takano.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield to our colleague from Maryland, Congressman Chris Van Hollen.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I, in my opening remarks, did note the uncanny similarity between the action that President Reagan and the first President Bush took and the action that President Obama has now taken. I would note that I used the official record as a source of information instead of chat and articles, and I submitted for the record the internal decision memorandum in the INS, dated February 8, 1990, indicating that 1.5 million, 40 percent of the undocumented population, in contravention to the orders of Congress, were going to be given deferred action. The Commissioner of the INS testified that 40 percent of the undocumented population were going to be given, in contradiction to the Congress' explicit decision, were going to be given deferred action. I also have the draft processing plan that says millions of people would be given, in contravention to the act of Congress, deferred action. They even have the amount of money that they were going to make off the estimated filing fees. I would recommend that people take a look at the documents, and they will see that what President Reagan did is almost exactly the same as what President Obama did--40 percent of the population. I don't think that President Reagan could get the Republican nomination today, but that does not diminish the validity of his action at that time.

Ms. LOFGREN. He cannot change the law, and he has not done so. He does have the authority to grant temporary relief to some. We need broad reform, and to do that, we need to legislate. It is shameful that the House has failed in its duty to legislate to fix our broken immigration system. The Judiciary Committee has reported out four bills. We have yet to see them on the floor. I would like to enter into the Record the testimony by the Commissioner before the Judiciary Committee in 1990, the draft processing plan from 1990, and the decision memo from 1990 that prove the elements of the Reagan fairness plan.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, there is legal authority for the President's immigration actions derived, in part, from his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed. In Heckler v. Chaney, the Supreme Court explained this duty does not require the President to act against every technical violation of the law. The Court said: ``An agency's decision not to prosecute or enforce, whether through civil or criminal process, is a decision generally committed to the agency's absolute discretion.'' Two years ago, the Supreme Court, in Arizona v. United States, struck down most of Arizona's S.B. 1070 law. The Court said then the broad discretion exercised by Federal immigration officials extends to ``whether it makes sense to pursue removal at all.'' The Court said discretion in the enforcement of immigration law embraces immediate human concerns and can turn on factors, including whether the alien has children born in the United States, long ties to the community, or a record of distinguished military service. When we created the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, we charged the Secretary with the duty to establish national immigration enforcement policies and priorities. That is at 6 U.S. Code 202. Congress delegated that authority to the executive branch, and they are now using this authority. We enacted a law that permits the issuance of employment authorization. They are now implementing that part of the law. This bill would block some portions of the President's recent action to keep young people from facing deportation and to prevent parents of U.S. citizen kids from being deported, but the bill harms others, too. Immigrant victims of domestic violence who seek a green card through the Violence Against Women Act are not protected from deportation while they wait for a visa. With this bill, they would face deportation. Victims of serious crimes approved for U visas get deferred action while they wait for a visa. Under this bill, they would face deportation. The exception in the bill is insufficient because victims may assist law enforcement without appearing at trial. Victims of severe forms of human trafficking eligible for statutorily-capped T visas could also face deportation. The bill would end the ability to parole in place the undocumented families of American military personnel and veterans. Deporting the mothers of American soldiers could be the result. There is strong historical precedent for the President's actions. Prior Presidents were not met with such obstructionism. President Ronald Reagan created the family fairness program. Once expanded by President George H.W. Bush, that program is expected to protect 1.5 million people. The reason was to keep families together, one of the key motivations for the President's actions last month. As some wrongly claim, the Reagan program was to carry out congressional intent in the 1986 act. That is false. When the Senate Judiciary Committee reported the bill, they said: ``It is the intent of the committee that the families of legalized aliens will obtain no special petitioning right by virtue of the legalization. They will be required to wait in line in the same manner as immediate family members of other new resident aliens.'' President Reagan decided otherwise. Some wrongly argue the scope of the Reagan family fairness program was smaller, that it was not intended to provide relief to 1.5 million people, about 40 percent of the undocumented population at the time. Again, that is false. The INS Commissioner then testified before Congress that it covered 1.5 million people. An internal decision memo at the time states: Family fairness policy provides voluntary departure and employment authorization to potentially millions of individuals. The draft processing plan at the time said: Current estimates are that greater than 1 million IRCA- eligible family members will file for this benefit. Now, many Members on the other side of the aisle want to prevent the President's actions from going into effect, but the President has strong constitutional and statutory authority to take these actions.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commend the First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, San Jose for 150 years of service, fellowship and stewardship to the San Jose community. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Mother Church, was founded in New York City, in October 1796. The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was named the Freedom Church because it struggled mightily for the dignity and emancipation of Black people in America. In 1864, the First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, San Jose was founded in San Jose and has continued in the tradition of the Mother Church to fight for the dignity, emancipation and rights of all people and has been recognized by the City of San Jose as the oldest Black church in San Jose. On November 23, 2014 the First African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church will celebrate 150 Years of service to the San Jose community and is planning for the community service demands of the future.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Chairman, I oppose this bill. I really believe that the so-called Secret Science Act is in fact a direct attack on American science. I am a very strong supporter of transparency in government, as well as in science, and in Silicon Valley, where I am from, we believe more data in more hands benefits everybody, but I think this bill is not in fact an open data bill. It will be a data reduction bill. It doesn't give the EPA greater authority to provide the raw data it uses. It actually reduces the kinds of data that can be used by prohibiting the EPA from using any data that can't currently be publicly released. That sounds reasonable except that in fact there is some data that you can't actually release under current law--medical records, confidential business data, trade secrets--all of which, if made publicly available, would run afoul of various provisions of law. I believe that we could work together on a bipartisan basis to figure out how to fix the barriers to release of data while maintaining necessary confidentiality for some data. I think we should all agree on that. I want to point out another way that the bill is a problem, and that is the additional cost that is going to be incurred per study. The estimate, according to CBO, is that there will be an additional $10,000 to $30,000 added per study. That means that if this bill were to become law, it would cost an additional $500 million to $1.5 billion a year to do science studies. I would love to be disappointed, but I don't believe that the Republicans intend to add additional funding to the EPA to cover the cost of the science studies that this bill would create. In fact, this bill does not address that issue. What this would do would be to actually cut the number of science studies that the EPA is able to do. I think that that is a result that would be very unfortunate for the country. What we need is more science, not less.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Miller for his leadership in this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as has been said, this bill makes a small but important change to the Federal charter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States. As has been mentioned, it would amend the charter to become gender neutral by replacing ``men'' with ``veterans'' and ``widows'' with ``surviving spouses.'' I think doing this aligns the charter with the actual makeup of the organization today, and I totally support the change. The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States has been serving veterans of our Armed Forces for over 100 years and traces its roots to the Spanish-American War. Only men were permitted to serve in the military when the organization was chartered in 1936, and of course, we know, since that time, things have changed a great deal. The role of women in the military has greatly expanded. In fact, two of our colleagues--Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth of Illinois--both served with both distinction and honor in our military services and now serve with us as colleagues in the House. Women serve in varied roles throughout the Armed Forces, and they have made many important sacrifices for the country. Women in fact now make up almost 10 percent of the total veterans population, and the Department of Veterans Affairs predicts they will represent nearly 18 percent of veterans by the year 2040. In recognition of these facts, the VFW opened its membership to women over 35 years ago, and they certainly deserve our commendation for doing so. Generally, as has been said many times, it should be up to the organization, not Congress, to decide who may and may not be a member of that organization. That is one of the many reasons why Members on both sides of the aisle have long supported the committee's policy against creating new Federal charters. Even so, there is no policy against amending existing charters, and if such amendments are needed to align the charter to actual reality, then there is no reason to prevent such an amendment. In fact, I also support the reason for this change. The Veterans of Foreign Wars seeks this change because it ``strongly believes that combat service, not gender, determines membership eligibility.'' I could not agree more, and I can only applaud the VFW for initiating this change and coming to the Judiciary Committee, seeking out the author of the bill and working with us in a bipartisan basis to get here today. Mr. Speaker, I thank the author of the bill, and this was unanimously approved by the Judiciary Committee. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleagues, Congress members Anna Eshoo and Mike Honda, to recognize the impact of Mr. Peter Andreas Szego's lifelong involvement in the life of our community. We would like to express our deep sadness over his passing on September 28, 2014, in San Jose at the age of 89. To escape Hitler's Germany, Mr. Szego immigrated to the United States with his family in 1934. After he started his studies at Stanford University, his education was interrupted in 1944 when he entered the U.S. Army to serve in Europe as a dental technician until 1946. After WWII, Mr. Szego returned to the United States to finish college, undertake course work toward a Ph.D., and teach at Rice University, Houston, Texas, and Santa Clara University. Around this time, Mr. Szego began his life-long activism for civil rights, justice, peace, and many political campaigns for candidates who stood for these causes. After doing research for over a decade and while continuing to work and publish in applied mathematics, Mr. Szego left engineering to join the staff to Mr. Dan McCorquodale, the Santa Clara County Supervisor at the time. Among other things, in 1963, Mr. Szego joined an interracial group to take part in the March on Washington. Additionally, Mr. Szego served as an advisor to U.S. Representative Phil Burton on the issue of drafting fair political districts long before computer programs were used to draw boundaries. After his retirement from the Legislature in 1991, Mr. Szego continued to work even harder to improve the lives of people of all races, backgrounds and ages, both on the local and national levels. In fact, in recognition of his numerous years of dedicated volunteer service, Mr. Szego received the AARP's highest state honor, the California Percy Andrus Award for Community Service. Deservedly, in May, 2014, Mr. Szego received the Santa Clara County Democratic Party Don Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award. We join Mr. Szego's family, colleagues, and our community to express our heartfelt sense of loss. Mr. Szego's service leaves our world a better place, and he will be dearly missed.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to join in honoring our former colleague from Minnesota, Congressman Jim Oberstar. He was a legendary figure in the House, elected in 1974 as part of the class of Democrats called the Watergate Babies that also included my colleagues from California, Henry Waxman and George Miller. During his service in Congress, he became a well respected voice for transportation and infrastructure issues, earning him the nickname of ``Mr. Transportation.'' For decades he fought tirelessly to rebuild and renew our country's infrastructure and he eventually rose to chair the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Under his leadership he championed transportation, reinvigorating commerce, and good stewardship of our environment. An avid cyclist, he championed the creation of trails for hiking and cycling. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, he can be credited with including major funding for transportation and infrastructure projects that put Americans back to work rebuilding our bridges and roads--and rebuilding our economy in the process. I have very fond memories of Jim Obstar. At the time Democrats were in the majority--I was Chair of the Ethics Committee--I enjoyed Jim's wise counsel and perspective on many legislative matters when we gathered with our fellow Chairs during the Leader's weekly Chair meetings. Jim was a real expert in transportation and infrastructure but his passion was for working people. I appreciate Jim Oberstar as an amazing and multi-faceted person. He was born into humble roots in Chisolm, Minnesota and he rose to greatness through hard work and higher education: He earned his Bachelor of Arts from College of St. Thomas (now the University of St. Thomas) in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1956. He earned his Master's degree in European Studies from the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium in 1957, And he studied further at Universite Laval in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, Canada and Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Jim even spent four years as a civilian language teacher in the United StatesMarine Corps, teaching English to Haitian military personnel and French to American Marine officers and noncommissioned officers. Jim's talents did not go unnoticed and when he served as a Congressional staffer he quickly rose to Chief of Staff for Congressman John Blatnik (D-Minnesota-8). Later, he was elected to represent his beloved Minnesota as the Congressman from the 8th District, ultimately being reelected for 18 terms--the longest tenure in Minnesota history for a Member of Congress. Many of us will remember Jim Oberstar as a modern renaissance man of many talents and an amazing intellect but--he never forgot his hardworking roots, or stopped fighting for the hard working people of his state and our country. Like many of my colleagues, I join in praising Jim Oberstar and send my deepest sympathy to his wife Jean, his children and his grandchildren. We share your feelings of loss and send our sincerest gratitude to you for sharing this great man with our country.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, it is with a very heavy heart that I share this obituary of an outstanding young American, Mr. Brendan Bernard Francis McKay. Brendan, 30, passed away Monday, September 8, 2014, in Rome, Italy, following a tragic accident. An AmeriCorps volunteer, artist, multi-instrumentalist, snowboarder, world traveler, counselor, historian, Ph.D. candidate, and Seanchai in the Irish storytelling tradition, Brendan was born June 30, 1984 in Summit, New Jersey, the second of Bernard and Mazy McKay's four children. He grew up in Alexandria and McLean, Virginia, where he graduated from McLean High School in 2002. Brendan began undergraduate studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, later attended Western Connecticut State University and John Cabot University in Rome, and in 2012 graduated magna cum laude from Rhode Island College with a Bachelor's in History. Most recently, Brendan completed his Master's degree in International Relations at St. John's University in Rome, Italy in June 2014. Throughout his teens and early twenties, Brendan struggled with addiction issues. With the support of loved ones, he participated in therapeutic and rehabilitation programs in Utah, New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Kansas. In 2008, Brendan emerged from this period secure in his recovery, and with a renewed passion for education, adventure, and experience which would come to define the rest of his life. From 2008-2010, Brendan served with AmeriCorps as a volunteer with Big Brothers, Big Sisters in Worland, Wyoming. Within a matter of months he was promoted to Vice President of Development, going on to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars on behalf of at-risk youth, before leaving to accept a position as an AmeriCorps Program Manager in Rhode Island. Before leaving Wyoming he was urged by locals in Worland to stay and run for mayor. He was flattered and seriously considered it. Brendan is remembered fondly by his loved ones in the U.S. and around the world for his legendary sense of humor, a classic Irish storyteller vividly sharing his many adventures. He ran with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. He rode a hot air balloon through the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. He skied across the Swiss-French border in the Alps, not entirely on purpose. Completing an Asian journey that included Malaysia, Cambodia and Nepal, he returned to Rome over the Himalayas and Mt. Everest. He crisscrossed the United States by car, camped in the badlands of North Dakota, and lived on a mountain in Southern California. During academic travel to North Korea he became one of only a small number of Americans to have seen the demilitarized zone from the north side. Brendan was also intellectually brilliant. He was an enthusiastic reader, with particular interest in philosophy, history, physics, and comparative religion. His collection of unusual tattoos included the Fibonacci sequence on his arm. His creativity and humor led to unique inventions; on one occasion, Brendan created what he called a ``Scrabbanjelo,'' a playable banjo which he constructed from the wooden box of a Scrabble set--a game at which he was renowned as unbeatable. At the time of his passing, he was looking forward to his doctoral work at King's College in London. His studies were to focus on the little-told story of the town of Fiumi on the Italy-Croatia border, which formed its own independent state in World War I in defiance of the warring countries around it. Brendan's 6' 6" physical presence was the outer manifestation of an unusually humble, sensitive, self-deprecating person, whose generosity, kindness, and compassion for friends and family alike will never be forgotten. His beloved dog, Anastasia, is the physical embodiment of that kindness. Brendan had encountered a group of drug dealers about to shoot a young puppy for which they had no use. He persuaded them to let him adopt her in exchange for what little money he had in his pocket, a meager five dollars. For more than a decade, Anastasia has been a cherished member of the McKay family, displaying a level of emotional intelligence that is extraordinary to find in an animal. Brendan was not immune to accidents, and indeed had scars going back to toddlerhood. But he always stood up, brushed himself off, and went at life again, charging boldly at every experience the world could offer. His enthusiasm for adventure inspired all who knew him. Brendan is survived by his parents, Bernard and Mary, his two brothers, Patrick and Conor, his sister, Rosemary, sister-in-law Nora, and his beloved, Camilla Valeriano. He will be sorely missed.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Susan Hammer and congratulate her on her Cornerstone of the Arts Award, a timely and well-deserved honor. From the beginning of her career in public service, Ms. Hammer worked tirelessly to link San Jose's civic future to the continued growth and development of its arts and cultural institutions. Indeed, she entered public life in 1969 by founding a community art museum that became the San Jose Museum of Art. She was instrumental in saving the historic building now home to its administrative offices from destruction. Ms. Hammer's unwavering support of the arts continued throughout her illustrious career. As the 62nd Mayor of San Jose, Ms. Hammer lead the creation of San Jose's first cultural plan, which served as the blueprint for the evolution of the Office of Cultural Affairs and lead to arts education reform. Ms. Hammer created San Jose's first cultural tourism program, worked to build The Tech as a museum of national stature, and fought to complete the Guadalupe River Park. Ms. Hammer made sure that The Rep got a permanent home in San Jose. Together with the San Jose State University President, Ms. Hammer developed the idea of creating a joint library and was part of a committee that raised $16.5 million for the completion of San Jose's stunning Martin Luther King Jr. Library. Ms. Hammer is a trailblazer when it comes to the development of San Jose area's thriving community and dynamic culture. As Mayor, she focused on affordable housing, child care, education, the arts, and the revitalization of the San Jose Downtown. Ms. Hammer is truly the ``cornerstone'' of the San Jose arts community and sets the highest standard for public service. Unsurprisingly, in her retirement, Ms. Hammer continues to be civically involved and active in community and educational organizations. I wish to congratulate Ms. Susan Hammer on her Cornerstone of the Arts Award and express my gratitude for her exceptional leadership and lasting impact on the San Jose art and cultural landscape.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I rise with my colleagues, Congress members Anna Eshoo and Mike Honda, to recognize the impact of Ms. Lee Sturtevant's lifelong service on the County of Santa Clara. We would like to express our deep sadness over her passing on August 7, 2014, in San Jose at the age of 91. Ms. Sturtevant was a life-long, dedicated, selfless, and influential activist in Santa Clara County, particularly in her tenacious leadership capacity within the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee and of Democratic Activists for Women Now (DAWN). A committed Democrat, she believed in the government's importance in advancing opportunities for those who had none. Ms. Sturtevant dedicated her life to getting women involved in politics. In 1974, she successfully managed the campaign of Assemblywoman Leona Egeland, the only woman serving on the Assembly at the time. In 1981, Ms. Sturtevant served as my Chief of Staff when I was first elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. She was a staffer for many other Santa Clara County area elected officials over the years, including Congressman Honda. Ms. Sturtevant was a dedicated advocate for those with developmental disabilities. She worked as a teacher and librarian for the Cupertino School District, and served on the San Jose Unified School District Board of Education. She had walked precincts for Franklin D. Roosevelt, organized community college professors, and conducted workshops on collective bargaining for the Detroit United Auto Workers. Ms. Sturtevant's continued hands-on involvement in key social issues cannot be overstated. We join Ms. Sturtevant's family, colleagues, and the Santa Clara County community to express our heartbreak and great sense of loss. Ms. Lee Sturtevant was a source of tireless advocacy for social change and improvements in the lives of others and a tremendous force for good. She was a leader, advisor, and a mentor to many women and girls over the course of her impressive career. She leaves Santa Clara County and our world a better place and will be dearly missed.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, we have heard repeatedly that this bill simply treats all children the way that Mexican children are treated. It is true that the bill would subject all children to the ineffective border screening that Mexican children now undergo, but it actually makes that screening much worse. Under the antislavery law, Mexican children are permitted to withdraw their applications for admission and return to Mexico only if the Border Patrol screener determines that the child has the capacity to understand what is going on and can independently agree to withdraw the application for admission. This bill strikes that language. Under this bill, it does not matter whether the child can comprehend that she has been given the option to voluntarily return to her home country because, in this bill, it does not matter what she thinks. This bill now says that while a child may be permitted to withdraw her application for admission, no matter what, she shall be returned-- no matter what, once Border Patrol decides, that is the end of the discussion, and that kid is going home. Now, this is not just about our southern border and children from Central America. This new procedure would apply to any unaccompanied minor child who appears at our border seeking asylum. It could mean that the pregnant Chinese teenager fleeing forced abortion in China simply gets turned away. It could mean that Syrian Christian children fleeing horrific violence and persecution in Syria simply get turned away. It would turn aside a child from Thailand being trafficked for sex. I don't know that this was necessarily the intention of this bill--I would certainly hope not--but that is the way the bill is written. That is the effect it would have, and I think it is simply unconscionable.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, we keep hearing that the antislavery law has some loophole that is being exploited. That is not the truth. It is not what the Evangelical Immigration Table says. Here is what they write: By making the legal process clearer and more efficient for children, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops found that the law is working. It should not be changed to address the current temporary situation. The law allows for responses to exceptional circumstances. That is not some open borders crowd. That is the National Association of Evangelicals. That is the Southern Baptists. That is the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. I would note, also, that over a year ago we saw the Senate come together to pass bipartisan immigration reform. Republicans in this House have blocked a vote. We should vote on it today and get it to the President. Evangelical Immigration Table, July 22, 2014. Dear Member of Congress, In a matter of months, more than 50,000 unaccompanied children have arrived in the United States. Millions of Americans have been moved by the plight of these children who are currently awaiting processing, with many asking how they can help. Children are vulnerable even in the best of circumstances and warrant special protection beyond that offered to adults. This vulnerability is compounded among children who flee situations of criminal gangs, sexual violence, trauma and extreme poverty, without their parents to accompany them. Evangelicals are guided by Jesus' admonitions to welcome and protect children (Matthew 18:6, Mark 9:37, Luke 18:15- 17). As our nation responds to this humanitarian crisis, we are thankful for laws that protect children and provide for their needs. While our systems are currently stretched, our laws uphold basic child protection principles. Accordingly, we are concerned about potential weakening of protections afforded by the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) which was enacted in 2008 and reauthorized in 2013. The TVPRA ensures that victims of trafficking are not only identified and screened properly but that traffickers are penalized and brought to justice. It also appropriately assigns responsibility for the care of unaccompanied children to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and ensures that children are placed with their families when possible. By making the legal process clearer and more efficient for children, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops found that since the passage and implementation of TVPRA 23% more children were assisted. The TVPRA is working according to its design. It should not be changed to address the current temporary situation. The law allows for responses to exceptional circumstances. Additionally, we urge you to provide the necessary resources and policy guidance to address the current crisis, and then hold the Administration accountable for fulfilling its responsibilities under the law. Robust funding is needed for the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) in HHS which has extensive experience with vulnerable immigrants, including UACs, refugees, and victims of trafficking. To respond to this crisis, ORR is considering reprogramming funding from other refugee programs. Funds must not simply be transferred from one vulnerable population to another. More funding is needed. There should also be increased funding for immigration courts and judges to more quickly screen the children and counsel for children going through legal proceedings so they know their rights and can understand the process. More robust investment in effectively addressing root causes of migration in Central America and Mexico is also imperative. As we pray for these children and also our nation, we are reminded of Matthew 19:13-14 in which Jesus said, ``Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them.' Churches and faith-based organizations have long partnered with the federal government in serving immigrant children and families in the United States. Many churches and faith-based organizations are ready and committed to provide the same type of assistance and pastoral care in the case of these unaccompanied children. We offer our prayers and service as you make important decisions about our nation's response to migrant children. We hope that any response you make will strengthen our country's tradition of providing safety and refuge to the vulnerable. Sincerely, Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals; Stephan Bauman, President and CEO, World Relief; David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World; Noel Castellanos, CEO, Christian Community Development Association; Russell D. Moore, President, Southern Baptist Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission; William Robinson, Interim President, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities; Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Gabriel Salguero, President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition; Richard Stearns, President, World Vision U.S.; Jim Wallis, President and Founder, Sojourners.

Ms. LOFGREN

Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, some Members have asked whether this bill terminates deferred action for DREAMers with DACA. This question was put to Chairman Goodlatte at the Rules Committee today, and he answered, as I saw on TV, that the text speaks for itself. He is right. The text does speak for itself. And on lines 5 through 7 on page 1, the text clearly terminates DACA by prohibiting DREAMers from applying to renew their deferred action, which they must do after a 2-year time period. It also prevents future deferred action to ensure that we continue to deport the parents of the DREAMers and parents of U.S. citizen children, sending those children, by the way, into foster care, or prevent DREAMers who have not yet filed for deferred action from doing so. So basically, this bill will have the effect of removing DACA from the DREAMers and making them deportable. Now, there has been a lot of discussion about the role that DACA has had, and I will put into the Record a report from the Cato Institute, titled, ``DACA Did Not Cause the Surge in Unaccompanied Children.'' If you do statistic analysis, you can see that it is impossible that DACA has been the cause of these children coming from the three war-torn countries, as the report reports. [From the Cato Institute, July 29, 2014] DACA Did Not Cause the Surge in Unaccompanied Children (By Alex Nowrasteh) In June, 2012 the Obama Administration announced that it had authored a memo deferring the deportation of unauthorized immigrant childhood arrivals in the United States, a program known as deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA). The memo directed then Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to practice prosecutorial discretion toward a small number of unauthorized immigrants who fulfilled a specific set of characteristics. In essence, some unauthorized immigrants who had come to the United States as children were able to legally stay and work--at least temporarily. Did DACA Cause the UAC Surge? Some politicians contend that DACA is primarily responsible for the surge in unaccompanied child (UAC) migrants across the border in recent years. A recent House Appropriations Committee one-pager stated that, ``The dire situation on our Southern border has been exacerbated by the President's current immigration policies.'' Proponents of this theory argue that DACA sent a message to Central Americans that if they came as children then the U.S. government would legalize them, thus giving a large incentive for them to come in the first place. Few facts of the unaccompanied children (UAC) surge are consistent with the theory that DACA caused the surge. First, the surge in UAC began long before the June 15, 2012 announcement of DACA. It is true that DACA had been discussed in late May 2012 but the surge was underway by that time. From October 2011 through March 2012, there was a 93 percent increase in UAC apprehensions over the same period in Fiscal Year 2011. Texas Governor Rick Perry warned President Obama about the rapid increase in UAC at the border in early May 2012--more than a full month before DACA was announced. In early June 2012, Mexico was detaining twice as many Central American children as in 2011. The surge in unaccompanied children (UAC) began before DACA was announced. Second, the children coming now are not legally able to apply for DACA. A recipient of DACA has to have resided in the United States continuously from June 15, 2007 to June 15, 2012, a requirement that excludes the unaccompanied children coming now. Third, if DACA was such an incentive for UAC to come from Central America, why are so few Nicaraguan children coming? They would benefit in the same way as unaccompanied children from El Salvdaor, Honduras, and Guatemala. The lack of Nicaraguans points to other causes of the surge. The timing, legal exclusion of the UAC from DACA, and lack of Nicaraguans indicate that DACA was not a primary cause of the surge. Of the 404 UAC interviewed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since 2011, only 9 mentioned that U.S. laws influenced their decision to come to the United States. Other American laws could have influenced the unaccompanied children to come but DACA is not the main culprit. Details on DACA The DACA beneficiaries, at the time of the memo, would have to fulfill all of these requirements to have their deportations deferred: under the age of 31; arrived to the United States before reaching their 16th birthday; entered the United States without inspection or overstayed a visa prior to June 15, 2012; continuously resided in the United States from June 15, 2007 to the time of the memo; physically present in the United States on June 15, 2012, as well as at the time of requesting deferred action from United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS); been in school at the time of application, or have already graduated or obtained a certificate of completion from high school, or have obtained a general education development (GED) certificate, or are an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard or the U.S. Armed Forces; not been convicted of a felony, significant misdemeanor, or three or more other misdemeanors, and do not otherwise pose a threat to national security or public safety. Beneficiaries of DACA were also allowed to apply for employment authorization according to the Code of Federal Regulations. There is a debate amongst legal scholars over whether the administration's grant of deferred action was legal. Those who argue that DACA was illegal contend that the President overstepped his constitutional authority to defer the deportation of some unauthorized immigrants. Those who argue that DACA was legal point to the general power of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to defer enforcement action. They argue that the Supreme Court has ruled that decisions to initiate or terminate enforcement proceedings fall within the authority of the Executive--an enforcement power used since the early 1970s. Here is more of their argument. This disagreement has not been settled. By the end of September, 2013, 580,000 requests for DACA were accepted by the U.S. government and 514,800, or 89 percent, were approved. Seventy-six percent of the requests came from Mexicans. Twenty-nine percent of the requests were filed from California, 16 percent from Texas, and 6 percent from Illinois. Read the Full Article: DACA Did Not Cause the Surge in Unaccompanied Children