Jim Langevin

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to register my disbelief that Republicans are continuing to use funding for the Department of Homeland Security as a political football. Every single member of the Democratic Caucus is a cosponsor of a clean, full-year funding bill, a bill that would be sure to pass if House leaders were to allow it to come to the floor. Across the Capitol, the Senate has already passed a clean bill. And yet House Republicans continue to insist that their political priorities take precedence over the operations of an agency vital to our national security. I am a member of the Committee on Homeland Security. Over the past few weeks, I have heard testimony highlighting the threat that we face from violent extremists, particularly those radicalized in the U.S. I have heard testimony about the pervasiveness of the cyber threat to our nation, particularly to our critical infrastructure. And I have heard how DHS plays a vital role in ensuring we can protect against and respond to these threats. Trying to implement strategies to protect our homeland security on a three-week time frame is simply absurd. Republicans created this funding crisis by refusing to approve a bipartisan agreement in December, and Republican action today is prolonging it. I hope that the majority will cease their political gamesmanship well before their new deadline and join with Democrats in passing a clean bill.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I thank both of my colleagues for their supportive comments in support of this amendment. I urge all of my colleagues to support the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I my consume. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Scott for their work in bringing this bill to the floor. While I still have strong concerns about the underlying bill, I am pleased to offer this bipartisan amendment along with my good friend and colleague, Mr. G.T. Thompson of Pennsylvania. As cochairs of the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus, Mr. Thompson and I are committed to expanding skills training that will provide students of all ages with the capabilities necessary to meet the demands of the modern economy. Our amendment simply provides flexibility for States to use title I funds for apprenticeships and comprehensive career counseling. Now, this is becoming a common refrain I know, but the skills gap is a persistent and wholly fixable drag on our economy, and we simply need to address it. In conversations with businessowners across my home State in Rhode Island, I have constantly heard that they are struggling to find qualified candidates to fill the job openings that they have available right now. In a State such as mine that has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country still, this is a troubling situation that we need to fix. Apprenticeships are a tested and proven way for students to gain real-world experience while earning credit toward high school graduation. Students are able to get on-the-job training and skills needed for future career success. Adding apprenticeships to title I will provide a much-needed boost to career training programs. Additionally, this amendment will make it easier for school districts to invest in comprehensive career counseling, a vital part of skills training. It is becoming clear that high school diplomas are no longer sufficient for the modern job market. Our amendment seeks to help school counselors connect high school students with the skills that they need to succeed in the 21st-century workforce. Now, Mr. Speaker, while not every job will require a college degree, some sort of postsecondary education will be absolutely necessary, and, in fact, is absolutely necessary. Whether it comes from a community college, a skills training program, or on-the-job training, we need to change what it means to be college- and career-ready. We need to provide students with the knowledge and the experience that will truly prepare them for what is next. With that, Mr. Chairman, I urge all of my colleagues to join us in supporting this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Mr. Art Coviello, a longtime friend and leader in the security industry, on his retirement as Executive Vice President of EMC Corporation and Executive Chairman of RSA, The Security Division of EMC. Art has pushed the envelope in the industry for more than 40 years, and his influence as a thought- leader, as well as his work solving complex challenges in the Age of Information, have truly helped transform the field of security, specifically with regard to cyber-security. As the new millennium ushered in groundbreaking advancements, Art served as a conductor, helping to guide the industry through new developments in the most technologically dynamic time period the world has ever seen. Mr. Coviello's impact has been felt in both private and public sectors alike as he pushed us all to a better state of affairs through engagement in initiatives like the National Cyber Security Summit, TechNet New England, the Cyber Security Industry Alliance, and many others. He has also testified in Congress on a number of occasions, lending his expertise to our deliberations here in order to ensure that our nation remains a leader in cyberspace. Art retains the special ability to see beyond the visible arc of technological advances and effectively communicate about an incredibly dynamic landscape in order to positively impact policy. I am honored to extend my deep gratitude and praise to Art as he retires, and to be able to call him a friend. I wish him the best of luck in all future endeavors.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 92 I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. LANGEVIN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up H.R. 861, the clean Department of Homeland Security funding bill that would keep the Department open so that it can carry out its mission of keeping the American people safe.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mrs. Terry Wagoner of Royal Oak, Michigan, on her retirement from William Beaumont Hospital after 44 years of dedicated service as a Registered Nurse. Mrs. Wagoner began her nursing career at Beaumont after graduating from Grace Nursing School in Detroit, Michigan, in 1970. Her time at Beaumont spanned the hospital's growth from a community hospital to one of the nation's leading hospitals. Predominantly working with medical and geriatric patients throughout her career, Mrs. Wagoner's kindness and compassion have made her one of Beaumont's top nurses and a mentor to the generations that have followed in her footsteps. Mrs. Wagoner's dedication to the care and well-being of her patients often included taking care of the emotional needs of their family members. Holidays with her own family often included a family member of a patient who had nowhere to go. Mrs. Wagoner has given tirelessly to William Beaumont Hospital, to her patients, to her colleagues and to her family. I am proud to congratulate her on this accomplishment, and wish her well in a retirement that is so richly deserved.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join my good friend and colleague, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, in recognition of Career and Technical Education Month. As cochairs of the Congressional CTE Caucus, we are absolutely committed to ensuring that every student has the ability to achieve his or her career goals. Mr. Speaker, it is long past time to reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. I certainly look forward to working with all my colleagues on this important legislation. This year the CTE Caucus will also focus on expanding apprenticeships and employer-educator partnerships, as well as helping school counselors to provide students the information necessary to make informed career decisions. To that end, I encourage all of my colleagues to join us on the Congressional CTE Caucus and also to cosponsor the bipartisan Counseling for Career Choice Act that we will introduce later this month that will ensure that school counselors have all the job training information that they need to understand in order to advise their students about the good-paying jobs that will be available to them in the future. I want to thank, again, my good friend and colleague, Mr. Thompson from Pennsylvania, for being such a strong partner on these issues.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, in these challenging times, as we work to protect the country from the security threats we face, I call on the Republican leadership to bring a clean bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security to the floor. As a senior member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I know that DHS plays a vital role in protecting us from threats like ISIL, and I strongly support those who defend our Nation, go to work every day to protect us, and particularly those who put their lives on the line. Protecting the homeland extends beyond conventional acts of terror to things like cybersecurity, an area that I am deeply concerned about. Through endeavors like the National Cybersecurity Communications and Integration Center and US-CERT, DHS partners with industry to defend us against attacks and works to protect and assist Federal agencies from cyber assault. Mr. Speaker, the attack on Sony and Anthem's massive data breach underscore the need for the robust cybersecurity activities supported by DHS. For the majority to prevent DHS' hardworking employees from being paid or undertaking new projects is politics trumping policy, and I urge my Republican colleagues to abandon their misguided strategy and bring a clean bill to the floor that will appropriately fund DHS.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor and remember a lifelong Rhode Islander who dedicated his life to his country and to his family. James McIntyre leaves behind eight children, 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, and I have no doubt that his absence will be felt by them every day. James served this nation in the Korean War, and after leaving the U.S. Army, he went on to become a longtime surveyor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He never hesitated to lend a hand to family or friends. He was always eager to tackle a project, earning him a reputation as the resident handyman, and the first one to call when something needed fixing. His generosity of spirit was extended to his friends at the Knights of Columbus, and to all who asked. I have had the honor of working with James's daughter, Nancy Beattie, for more than 20 years. Nancy is my director of constituent services and one of the kindest, most generous and genuine people that I have ever met. She works tirelessly on behalf of my constituents, and is a living representation of the values that James instilled in his family. My deepest condolences go out to Nancy and to James's loving wife of 61 years, Margaret McIntyre, and I know my colleagues will join me in extending our sympathy to the entire McIntyre family.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015. I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Congresswoman Karen Bass, for introducing this bill and for all she does on behalf of foster youth. As an original cosponsor of this bill and a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I encourage all my colleagues to support this important legislation. In the previous Congress, similar legislation passed the House by a vote of 399-0--a strong show of support for foster youth. Foster youth are some of the most at-risk children in our society. They are often the victims of abuse or neglect; and too many face trials and tribulations beyond their years. So much that we take for granted--a stable home, living with our siblings, or returning to the same school year after year--are constant obstacles for these children. This legislation will specifically address the link between girls in foster care and sex trafficking, and will require states to develop a child protection plan to identify and assess all reports involving children known or suspected to be victims of trafficking. Additionally, states must provide training plans for child protective services workers to appropriately respond to reports of child trafficking and have procedures in place that will connect child victims to public or private specialized services. I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation, and again I urge all my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the National Cybersecurity Protection Act and the Senate Amendment to the Cybersecurity Workforce Assessment Act. I applaud my friend and fellow co-Chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, Mike McCaul, as well as Chairman Carper in the Senate and Ranking Member Thompson here in the House, for their efforts to bring this legislation to this point. I believe that cybersecurity is one of the defining national security challenges of our time. No other issue affects our national defense, our economic well-being, and our individual lives as cybersecurity does. With each day's news rife with stories of cyberattacks and data breaches that target our agencies, companies, citizens and allies, we as policymakers have a responsibility to act. I have made no secret of the frustration I have felt for the past several years as Congress has failed to act to shore up our cybersecurity. This week, with these bills and others, we are making a down payment on what must be a sustained level of attention and effort. The challenge we face demands no less. But so very much more needs to be done--and soon. I am extremely disappointed that the Senate has failed to pass information sharing legislation that was approved by the House, legislation that the private sector and government agencies agree is long overdue. And while the bills before us and others that Congress has passed in recent days are important, even these measures are limited in scope. In particular, they do not address any organizational changes within the executive branch that I firmly believe are necessary, such as the creation of a National Office for Cyberspace within the Executive Office of the President, with budgetary oversight powers, able to coordinate and oversee the security of agency information systems and infrastructure across government. Still and all, these pieces of legislation move the ball forward in key areas, and above all ends the inaction on cybersecurity issues that has gripped this Congress for far too long. I applaud my House and Senate colleagues for their efforts, and urge support of these measures.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I applaud the work Chairman Rogers, Ranking Member Lowey and their staffs put towards drafting legislation to fund the federal government. Sadly, I cannot support the finished product due to extraneous provisions that have no business being in an appropriations bill. These riders, included at the last minute with no debate and no input from Democratic members, circumvent the will of American voters, harm retirees, put taxpayer dollars at risk, and allow a privileged few to have even more influence over our elections. These extraneous provisions have nothing to do with funding the government. Instead, they will cut benefits to seniors and roll back critical Dodd-Frank provisions to protect taxpayer dollars. They will also increase the amount of money that special interests, private corporations, and wealthy donors can spend on political conventions and other election activities, when we know that more money in politics is not the solution, it's the problem. Rhode Islanders are still recovering from the financial crisis of 2008, and I cannot in vote for a return to the status quo, which helped bring about the crisis in the first place. The derivatives provision is a Christmas gift to big banks at the expense of American taxpayers. It would remove restrictions included in Dodd-Frank that prevent these banks from gambling with our constituents' money by using taxpayer- insured bank deposits in risky derivatives transactions. I am greatly disappointed that I am not able to support what is in many other ways a solid bill. This legislation includes funding for important investments to our infrastructure, the National Institutes of Health, Ebola response efforts, spinal cord injury research, the peerless Virginia-class submarines, and so many other initiatives and programs that are critical to our national defense and our future as a nation--not to mention that it provides for the brave men and women in our armed services and intelligence community who are in harm's way even as we speak. Regrettably, these priorities were eclipsed by poisonous provisions that could greatly undermine the important work voters elected us to do--restore the economic certainty we need to keep our economy growing and our businesses hiring. Mr. Speaker. I have supported numerous bipartisan efforts in the past to fund the government, and I know what can be accomplished when Democrats and Republicans sit down and negotiate in good faith. But the price Republicans are trying to exact this time is simply too high, and I will not sacrifice my principles and the interests of my constituents.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support the Intelligence Authorization Act. As a member of the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, I know these Authorization bills provide the necessary accountability, direction, and resources for those who keep our nation safe. Today's bill reflects the continuation of the Committee's bipartisan and bicameral work, and I want to thank Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Ruppersberger for their strong and consistent leadership on these critical issues. Today I want to highlight two areas of specific interest to me. First, this legislation strikes a careful balance between ensuring that our nation's secrets are kept safe and providing appropriate transparency with the American people. There are lawful ways to raise concerns of wrongdoing and procedures to declassify information when appropriate. In the past, Congress has strengthened these avenues, including by enhancing whistleblower protections and the role of Inspectors General. As it has each year, this bill adds to the mission of counterintelligence to ensure that information is protected and that the tools utilized by security professionals are handled lawfully and with full consideration for the privacy and civil liberties of our intelligence professionals. This bill continues this important direction, asking the DNI to establish appropriate guidelines to govern how publicly available information can be utilized. Second, this bill continues to support the work of the men and women at the front lines of cybersecurity. It helps cyber professionals at NSA, FBI, and DHS to hone their tools and skills to protect us, while supporting initiatives to grow the next-generation cyber workforce. And it will further aid the Intelligence Community in understanding and defending certain networks from cyber threats. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of our work on this bill, and I urge its passage.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today to honor a great legislator, a consummate public servant, and a man whose legacy will leave an indelible mark on this institution and every American he served during his 59 years in the House of Representatives. As the Dean of the House, John Dingell holds the distinction of being the longest serving member in the history of Congress. However, it's not the length of his tenure that will earn him a place in the history books, but his many accomplishments that have improved the health of our entire nation and its citizens. John Dingell presided over this chamber during passage of Medicare in 1965, just one of the laws he shaped over the course of his distinguished career. He helped write the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. He has fought diligently to protect Social Security, a program his father helped create, and he was a champion of the Affordable Care Act following years of advocacy on his own part to create an accessible and affordable system of universal health care. Those of us who have been lucky enough to serve with Representative Dingell will remember him as a man of unparalleled fortitude and passion, tempered with a sense of respect for his fellow colleagues and the legislative process, who raised the overall tenor of discourse and debate in the House of Representatives. Although we are extremely sad to see his service in this chamber come to an end, his contributions will continue to impact our country for years to come, and the Dingell name will continue to grace the halls of Congress through his wife, Debbie, who will carry the mantle of public service on behalf of Michigan's 15th District. Representative Dingell, on behalf of a grateful country, I thank you for your service to this Congress and to our nation.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank Chairman McKeon and Ranking Member Smith for their work on this bill. The NDAA gets done year after year not because it is easy but because it is absolutely critical to our national security, and it is absolutely critical to honoring and supporting our men and women in uniform who have put themselves in harm's way every day to keep our Nation safe. Mr. Speaker, this year I am particularly proud of what Chairman Thornberry and I were able to accomplish in the Intelligence, Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee. I thank Mr. Thornberry for his partnership, especially on issues relating to intelligence and cybersecurity issues, and I congratulate him on becoming the incoming chairman of the full committee. This bill supports important investments in areas from emerging technologies such as electric weapons, including railguns and lasers, to broad-based R&D that will support the next generation of disruptive technologies and to the STEM education efforts that will inspire the innovators of the future. It will also strengthen DOD's cybersecurity posture by identifying the tools needed to recruit and retain a qualified workforce, further our understanding of the threats we face in cyberspace, enable access to test and training ranges, and provide for operational and ready force. It extends critically needed special operations authorities while working to combat the alarmingly high rate of suicide among our Nation's special operators. Finally it strongly supports the critical undersea programs such as the Virginia-class submarines that continue to be so important to our security. I also applaud the inclusion of language to address economic or industrial espionage in the United States. Earlier this year I successfully advocated for efforts to understand how we as a nation should diagnose and respond to economic warfare, which is abetted on a large scale by the freedom of cyberspace and is an insidious and pervasive threat to our national well-being. I also note the valuable inclusion not just of public lands legislation important in my home State of Rhode Island but also the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act. While more must be done to address our challenges in cyberspace, this long-needed update to existing law is important progress. With that, again, I applaud the chairman, the ranking member, and the committee, especially the staff, for their efforts, and I urge support of the legislation.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of November as Epilepsy Awareness Month. Each year, more than 200,000 people are diagnosed with epilepsy, yet research for this condition remains vastly, vastly underfunded, impeding scientific advancements for better treatments and a potential cure. We are extremely lucky to have organizations like the Epilepsy Foundation and the Matty Fund active in Rhode Island. They help raise awareness, provide support, promote safety, and improve the quality of life for children and families living with epilepsy. The Matty Fund is the product of two loving and dedicated parents who, sadly, lost their 5-year-old son, Matty Siravo, on Mother's Day 2003 following a grand mal seizure. The Siravos honor their son's memory every day by continuing to raise awareness about epilepsy. I am so proud to represent such an inspiring family, and I hope everyone will take a moment to reflect on what they can do to support epilepsy awareness, not just in November, but every day of the year.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of National Career Development Month. In conversations with businesses across my home state of Rhode Island, I have been hearing a constant refrain: Employers have job openings but are unable to find local, skilled workers with the expertise necessary to fill the open positions. Meanwhile, job seekers find it hard to acquire these skills without the proper training, a vicious cycle that continues to hold back our economy. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, closing the skills gap is one of my top priorities. In order to match students with the skills they need, I have introduced the bipartisan Counseling For Career Choice Act. This bill would help to make sure that school counselors and students know of the full range of options available to them post-graduation. By tracking workforce trends and increasing collaboration between employers and educators, we can help students to make informed decisions regarding their career paths. Comprehensive career counseling is a vital component of skills training and helps to better align school curricula with local workforce trends and available post-secondary opportunities. While not every job will require a college degree, some sort of postsecondary education will be necessary. Whether it comes from a community college, a skills training program, or on-the-job-training, we need to change what it means to be college- and career-ready. We need to provide students with the knowledge and experience that will truly prepare them for what's next. However, we cannot neglect the skills gap that remains for people already in the workforce. Many workers need to learn new skills to advance their careers, and although they may not have the option to work with a school counselor, they can foster connections with career development professionals. Across the nation, career development professionals help students to achieve their goals by providing professional development resources, scientific resources and advocacy. Each November, career development professionals celebrate the achievements of their clients with career- focused events and activities including the National Career Development Association (NCDA) Poetry and Poster Contest. In fact, this year marks the 49th successful competition, which is appropriately titled, ``Reimagining Life's Possibilities: Celebrating First Jobs Through Encore Careers.'' NCDA represents a broad range of members that provide career intervention and support services. Members include school and college counselors, One Stop Career Center counselors, Veterans Administration counselors, and private practice counselors, coaches and consultants. NCDA supports its members by providing research, advocacy and training. Last year, NCDA celebrated its 100th year of providing professional service to individuals seeking career advancement and success. I would like to thank all career development professionals for their dedication to helping Americans improve their skillsets, find quality employment and achieve their professional and personal goals.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, it is with a great sense of disappointment that I deliver my remarks today. For the past 21 months, this House has failed to take any meaningful action to reduce unemployment or boost job creation in America. We know what the solutions are, and yet unconscionably the Republican leadership has chosen to engage in divisive political gamesmanship rather than taking on the more challenging task of governing, which is what our constituents sent us here to do. In my home state of Rhode Island, employers are still struggling to find qualified employees to fill available jobs. This skills gap keeps the unemployment rate stubbornly high, while many middle class families are still struggling to make ends meet. H.R. 4 contains provisions from several bills that have already passed the House and failed to gain traction in the Senate. Instead of more duplicative messaging bills, we should be working with our colleagues across the aisles, and across the Capitol, to incentivize companies to bring jobs back home, invest in advanced research and development, educate and train our workforce for a 21st Century economy, and modernize our infrastructure to improve safety, boost commerce and create jobs. Certainly the House and Senate have different visions about how to proceed. But when disagreements arise, the process should involve working together to find a solution that can pass both houses and reach the President's desk. Instead, House Republican leaders have decided the best course of action is to revisit bills that we already know are unacceptable to the Senate. As a fitting coda to the 113th Congress, we will again squander an opportunity to act while millions of Americans still need our help. This Congress is set to go down in history as the least productive ever. Many members have taken a ``death or glory'' approach to legislating, demanding that either we give them everything, or nobody can have anything. It was a year ago that we suffered the first government shutdown in 17 years; a shutdown caused by the House Majority's inability to contemplate negotiation. Even by the Speaker's own criteria of ``laws repealed'' instead of laws passed, we have been remarkably unproductive. Without any coherent legislative strategy, the Republican majority has attempted to repeal or undermine the Affordable Care Act over 50 times. However, we still cannot find the time to extend long-term unemployment insurance, fix our broken immigration system, or tackle any of the other challenges that our constituents sent us here to fix. One of the easiest steps we can take would be to re-authorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. This main source of federal funding for career training programs was last re-authorized in 2006 and expired in 2012. There is broad, bipartisan support for revisiting Perkins and updating its provisions to reflect the realities of the 21st Century economy. Advocates across the country support re- authorizing Perkins. Unfortunately, this did not become a priority for the Committee and we are left waiting for action yet again. There is too much work to be done to waste time on this petty political squabbling. We have the capacity to meet the challenges that face us, but a lack of courage on the part of House leadership keeps us from doing so. It is my sincere hope that in the 114th Congress we return to regular order, negotiate instead of digging in our heels, and solve problems instead of creating them.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the amendment offered by Chairman McKeon, and I want to be very clear about what is at stake here today. The terrorist group ISIL poses a direct threat to our allies and friends in the Middle East; and, of equal importance, left unchecked, their nihilistic vision could pose a direct threat to the United States, particularly given the number of individuals fighting with ISIL who have American and Western passports. I am gravely concerned that those individuals could return home and carry out acts of violence against the homeland. We have a clear imperative to act. These terrorists have brutally murdered two unarmed American journalists and an aid worker from the United Kingdom. They have slaughtered thousands of innocent Muslims, killed children, and committed unspeakable atrocities against women and religious minorities. ISIL and its agents operate without regard to international borders, and any strategy to degrade and defeat these terrorists must acknowledge this reality. In Iraq, the United States and its allies are operating in support and at the request of the sovereign Government of Iraq, as well as Kurdish forces. We have friendly boots on the ground and U.S. advisers in place, but, in Syria, we lack that clear partnership. I believe the President has rightly committed to an approach that does not involve U.S. combat troops fighting on foreign soil, but the opposition needs training and equipment that the U.S. and its allies are able to provide. Our commitment, however, needs to be matched by that of other countries in the region, including Sunni countries with whom the United States has a rich history of partnership. After all, ISIL is not just a problem for the United States. It is also a problem for the many Western countries with citizens fighting overseas. It is a problem for our NATO allies, for whom Syria is a neighbor, and it is a problem for the safety, security, and the stability of the entire region. We can't simply kill terrorists and expect to see democracy flourish. We must carefully consider the full range of possible outcomes in Syria and what risks we may incur in a nation and region already riven by years of civil war, the use of weapons of mass destruction, and a terrible humanitarian crisis. This is an exceedingly complex task but one that we must address. If we do not act, we face a darker, more uncertain future. Congress and the administration must do their parts. Today's amendments are only a down payment on what will assuredly be years of difficult oversight, debate, and discussion. It is far from a blank check. It will require a great deal of hard work, and there are many legitimate questions that remain unanswered, but we need to act, and I believe that this amendment represents a prudent first step. I urge my colleagues to support the McKeon amendment.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, too many middle class families are still struggling to make ends meet. Income inequality continues to grow, and unemployment remains unacceptably high, particularly in my home of State of Rhode Island. Our constituents deserve solutions that will promote job creation and increase economic opportunities for everyone. One of the most important things that we can do for our country is to ensure that our workers have 21st century skills for a 21st century economy. In particular, I have been proud to work across the aisle to expand career and technical education, securing a $52 million increase for funding for Perkins Act career training programs this year alone. However, skills training is only one piece of the puzzle. We must incentivize companies to bring jobs back home, increase the minimum wage so that full-time workers aren't living in poverty, and invest in infrastructure to ensure safety, boost commerce, and create jobs. Mr. Speaker, economic opportunity should not be subject to partisan politics. It is time to act on these commonsense policies and provide all Americans with the means to make it in America.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, this weekend we celebrated the 24th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed into law by President Bush on July 26, 1990. Twenty-four years later, the ADA remains one of the most significant and comprehensive civil rights laws of our time. Its enactment affirmed our collective belief in America's fundamental promise of equality and opportunity for all. Today, the ADA and the subsequent ADA Amendments Act--which I was proud to help pass in 2008--continue to open doors and ensure greater access, inclusion and justice for millions of people living with disabilities. On this anniversary, we honor the civil rights pioneers who championed the ADA and express our sincere gratitude to those who continue the fight to fulfill its promise and expand opportunities for the entire disability community. As someone who has lived with the challenges of a disability since the age of 16, I know firsthand the positive impact the ADA has had on everyday activities for countless Americans. It has broken down barriers to education, employment and technology. It has made public transportation more accommodating, improved voting accessibility, and reduced the prevalence of discrimination throughout communities nationwide. I am proud future generations will live in a world that is more inclusive, more accessible, and increasingly recognizes the unique talents and abilities of individuals with disabilities. As we celebrate progress, however, we must also acknowledge areas where we have not yet accomplished our goals. Equal employment opportunities and fully integrated community living has not been fully realized; recent data shows 31 percent of disabled individuals live below the poverty line and less than 34 percent are fully employed. It is more important than ever that we educate businesses and connect them with proper resources to create more employment opportunities. We must ensure that transportation is available and accessible to everyone so they can get to their job, the doctor, or the grocery store. We must also address changes that accompany the modern age, such as fully accessible internet services. And we must ratify the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to reaffirm our country's longstanding role as a leader in global disability rights. Clearly, our work is far from done. As we approach the silver anniversary of the ADA, I look forward to reaffirming our commitment to equal opportunity, full participation, independent living and economic self-sufficiency for people with disabilities everywhere.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3696, H.R. 2952, and H.R. 3107. I want to thank Ranking Member Thompson, Chairman Meehan, and Ranking Member Clarke for their hard work in bringing these bills to the floor today. Most especially and in particular, I want to thank Chairman McCaul, the chairman of the full Homeland Security Committee, who also serves with me as a founder and a cochair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus. I want to thank him for his dedication to bringing these bills to the floor today and for his commitment to enacting strong cybersecurity legislation. In today's political climate, moving significant reform in a consensus manner is exceptionally difficult, and this success reflects Chairman McCaul's bipartisan approach. Mr. Speaker, we all know that we depend on cyberspace and the Internet every day. It is vitally important to the American people. It is an inseparable part of our everyday lives. It is in everything that we do--vital to everything from banking to national security--but it is also highly contested. Unfortunately, the pace of the threats is ever- increasing. We see them every day, whether it is the theft of personal information or of credit card information that is used for criminal intent or whether it is the theft of intellectual property that costs America its competitiveness and jobs. We also know of the threats to our critical infrastructure in particular, both to our electric grid and to our financial system--things that I have been calling attention to for years now. We must tap into our creative and innovative spirit to address today's challenges and position ourselves to be agile in the face of both today's threats as well as tomorrow's. I believe that the three bills that are before us today, in conjunction with the information sharing and other measures passed by this House earlier in this Congress, will help to enable a better future for our Nation's cyberspace capabilities. I know, Mr. Speaker, that we will never be 100 percent secure in cyberspace. It is an ever-evolving and moving threat, and we will never be 100 percent secure. Yet I do know this: that we can close that aperture of vulnerability down to something that is much more manageable, and I urge my colleagues to support the bills that are before us today. I thank the gentleman from Texas for his leadership, and I strongly urge the support of these three bills.

Mr. LANGEVIN

Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.