Carolyn Maloney

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chair, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chair, the budget deceptively claims to adhere to the budget caps that are otherwise known as the sequestration levels of 2016, yet it adds tens of billions of dollars to what Republicans themselves have called a ``slush fund'' for defense, including lucrative military contracts. The budget dishonestly calls for another $1.1 trillion in cuts to ``mandatory'' programs somewhere, somehow without specifying what those cuts would be, who they would hit, or how it would all happen. And it does not balance the budget. The budget falsely claims that it will place the country on a path of prosperity and paying off the debt when, in fact, it will not. As the Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman has pointed out: If this budget were to become law, as written, it would actually leave the Federal Government several trillion dollars deeper in debt than claimed. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline), my good friend.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. The Republican budget looks like a blueprint, but it is not. It is more like a vague set of directions, with the most important pieces missing. This budget calls for vast cuts, but it doesn't specify what will be cut or who will suffer the pain. It claims to lower budget deficits, but it relies on accounting gimmickry. This document is not a blueprint. It is not an engineering marvel. It does not deserve our praise or even serious attention. It is fundamentally dishonest. It is a dishonest document that would hurt millions of Americans and imperil our future. The deceptions in this document have already been brought to light by some of our Nation's leading papers. At this point, the fact that this budget is misleading doesn't surprise us, but the scope of the deception is absolutely breathtaking. Before we go to the great leader from the great State of North Carolina, I would like to point out who gets hurt in this budget. The Republican budget is also deceptive because it hides the fact that the ``savings'' they talk about, it achieves these savings at a huge cost to working families. Their budget is balanced on the backs of working Americans. This budget slashes our investment in education. It devastates our investment in research and innovation. It ignores the problems of our crumbling infrastructure. It provides no solution to the looming bankruptcy of the Federal transportation fund, and it will destroy up to 2.9 million jobs in 2017 alone. This is not general belt-tightening. It is the wholesale strangling of the dreams and opportunities of those who are already struggling. It could fairly be called a plan to ``soak the poor,'' because the poor and working Americans would be hit especially hard by this budget proposal, which would allow critical provisions of the earned income tax credit and the child tax credit to expire at the end of 2017. Democratic programs to help working Americans would expire under their plan. And that would increase the number of people in poverty by an estimated 1.8 million, including 1 million children. This budget falsely claims that it will, in the Republican words, ``make sure that those who need assistance get more than an invitation into a broken system.'' It then proceeds to cut the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by $125 billion between 2021 and 2025. This would either mean the end of food assistance for millions of low-income families or a cut in benefits below the less than $1.50 per person per meal households now receive. This budget would then further convert Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program into a block grant and drastically reduce its funding. This is not a budget for the future. It destroys the dreams of working Americans for the future. I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from the great State of North Carolina (Ms. Adams), a new member of our committee.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to respond to my good friend on the other side of the aisle. Economist Paul Krugman, Nobel Prize winner, did not support the Republican policies that led to the red, deep valley when we were losing 800,000 jobs a month. He supported many of the proposals that President Obama and the Democrats implemented, which led to growth and more jobs. The President and the Democrats will not be satisfied until every American who wants a job has a job; yet numbers don't lie, and this chart, which is based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' numbers, shows policies that led to 800,000 jobs lost per month to, now, an economy that is growing. I admit that Democrats will not be happy until it grows even more, but 12 million private sector jobs have been added. I want to go back to a budget that, I believe, will turn this blue into the red again. We have to continue with the blue policies that led to economic opportunities and job growth. Now, the Republican budget document claims that it aims to make sure that government keeps the promises that it has made, and then it proceeds to lay out plans to demolish Medicare. Medicare is one of the most successful and universally popular programs ever designed. It provides high-quality health care for Americans over the age of 65; yet this Republican budget would replace this program with a voucher program, giving seniors a coupon to help defray the cost of private insurance. Seniors would have to immediately pay new copays for preventative care and much higher costs for prescription drugs. They don't say how they are going to help the seniors. They are just going to give them this voucher program. Can private insurance companies provide better coverage? They don't know. They don't say anything about it. They just give them vouchers and let them go to private insurance. They don't say whether their program will cost more in out-of-pocket expenses, but I think it definitely will. Dismantling health care is a radical proposition. My guess is that, if Congress tries to take apart Medicare, millions of Americans will storm Capitol Hill. Let's remember what happened in the early 2000s when then-President George W. Bush tried to partially privatize Social Security. Like Medicare, Social Security is extremely popular with seniors because it works, and it makes a huge, positive difference in their lives. For many older Americans, Social Security is the only source of retirement income they will have, and for others, it is a critical supplement to their savings. Republicans have previously tried to privatize it. Let's be honest with the American people. If my Republican colleagues want to dismantle Medicare, they should come right out and say it and say it loudly. In their budget proposal, our friends across the aisle complain about how long it has taken our economy to recover from the Great Recession. Remember that it bubbled up and blew up on their watch. The recession was on their watch with their proposals. Their budget talks a great deal about accountability; yet nowhere do our Republican colleagues indicate that they should be held accountable for the mistakes and the mismanagement that led to the Great Recession. To the $17 trillion in household wealth that was lost, thankfully, most of that household wealth has been regained, and that is thanks to the Obama recovery. For my Republican friends who want to brush away any mention of the failed Republican policies of the past that brought us to the verge of economic collapse, I would remind you of the prophesy--of the words--of a great philosopher who said: Those who do not know the past are condemned to repeat it. I do not want to go back to the past of the red, deep valley that this chart shows. Republicans' promises in the past of prosperity through austerity have proven to be hollow. Democratic policies have produced an economy that has just added more than 200 private sector jobs every month for 12 straight months. That is the first time that has happened since 1977. Republicans' predictions that the passage of the Recovery Act would produce economic doom, hyperinflation, and the collapse of the dollar were all proven wrong. Democratic policies have produced an economy that has been growing steadily, with low inflation, a strong dollar, cheap gas, a deficit that has shrunk by two-thirds, and a Dow Jones index that has tripled. Republicans lamented that the passage of the Affordable Care Act would make health care unaffordable. It turned out to be totally untrue. The annual increase in healthcare premiums has dropped to a 50- year low. Now, I would like to take a short detour to give some advice for home buyers. If you ever consider buying a new house that is built on a blueprint like this Republican budget blueprint, please do not do it. Save your money. Look for a home that is built on a solid foundation. Look for a house that has strong walls and a solid roof. Look for one that will protect your family for a long time. Don't buy a house built on a blueprint that is as shoddy as this one. They are going back to their same failed policy. This budget is a fiasco, and the numbers do not add up. I am pleased that even some of my Republican colleagues have had the courage to say so. Some have called it budgetary tricks, gimmicks, funny money, slush funds; but the truth is far worse than that.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, as co-chair and co- founder of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues, I rise today to celebrate the 194th anniversary of Greece's declaration of independence from the Ottoman Empire. Inspired by an intense belief in the right to self-governance, the ancient Greeks pioneered the notion of democracy. The founding of our own great nation was built upon a similar desire for self-governance. Our shared dedication to democracy unites our countries and has preserved the strength of our close relationship. After generations of oppression, Greece's freedom was hard-fought, and the Republic of Greece has become a shining example of democracy to the world. Today, Greeks and their friends around the world celebrate March 25th as the day when the Greeks began the long, hard war for independence. It is a day of joy and pride for a great people and I'm very proud to acknowledge the remarkable contributions that the Hellenic people have made throughout the world. As many of my colleagues know, New York City is home to the largest Hellenic population outside of Greece and Cyprus and I have the honor of representing a large community of Greeks in Astoria, Queens. In Manhattan, we celebrate Greek Independence Day with a parade on 5th Avenue, which I have been honored to participate in over the years. Greece and the Greek people are such critical allies and dear friends of the United States and today I'm very proud to stand with my Greek brothers and sisters to celebrate the anniversary of their independence. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Greek Independence Day.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, sex trafficking is one of the world's most monstrous, pervasive, and underpenalized crimes. Up to 300,000 American children are at risk of being trafficked annually. The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, which I coauthored with Congressman Poe and which passed this House unanimously in January, clarifies that the true criminals are the traffickers who enslave adolescents and the johns who prey upon them. The bill would create stiffer penalties and enforcement for the demand side of human trafficking and provide restitution to the survivors. The bill has strong support in the other body, but it is being complicated by a proposed expansion of the Hyde amendment, which I do not support. We must pass this bill. The Senate should either take up the House- passed version or find some other compromise. The voiceless victims of modern-day slavery in its most horrific form of cruelty cannot afford to wait any longer.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, as Congress debates how to best craft the 2016 budget proposal, I hope that heavier consideration will be given to reality over ideology. Let's look at the facts of what has actually worked in the past and what has not. Because in real life, the facts show that Democratic administrations have outperformed the Republican administrations in creating jobs by a significant margin. The most recent jobs report, for instance, showed that the economy added another 295,000 jobs in February. That is the 60th consecutive month of private sector job growth, and the longest streak in history that has been recorded. Over the past 5 years, the American automobile industry added over 500,000 jobs due to the Democratic-led restructuring. And during the past 4 years, while our friends on the other side of the aisle predicted hyperinflation, the collapse of the dollar, and worse, we put more people back to work than all other advanced economies combined. Let's face the facts and consider what has worked in the real world in creating jobs.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, we are approaching the 1-year anniversary of the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls by psychopaths who call themselves Boko Haram. Since their abduction, almost every week has brought fresh reports of outrages and slaughters by the terrorists, but only silence about the girls. There have been some unconfirmed reports that some of the girls have been taken across Nigeria's borders and that some have died of snakebites and illness. Recently, the Emir of Kano in Nigeria challenged every Muslim leader in the country to speak up and put an end to Boko Haram in their country. That is a good start. But let's also call on all of the leaders of Africa to unite, to rid their government and their continent of Boko Haram, and, as one, to do everything in their power to Bring Back Our Girls. Let's reunite them with their families. Let's end this horror. Let's Bring Back Our Girls.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, while Congress was away last week, we had another strong jobs report. You might even say, as former President Reagan used to say, ``It's morning in America,'' in his famous ad. In February, the economy added another 295,000 private sector jobs, and the unemployment rate edged down to 5.5 percent. That means that there have been 12 straight uninterrupted months of private sector job growth of over 200,000 jobs a month. That is the first time that has happened since 1977. Inflation remains tame; gas prices are low; the dollar is strong, and by many measures, the economy's performance under the Obama administration has been stronger than the economy under former President Reagan. Though I suspect that some may find it unusual to compare President Obama and President Reagan, their efforts are good news for the economy and good news for America.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, across all sectors and industries, flexible work arrangements are a key to meeting the 21st century's diverse workforce needs. Such voluntary arrangements have been shown to boost employee satisfaction and their physical and mental health as well as improve businesses bottom line by helping to retain key talent, reduce absenteeism, and enhance employee productivity. Flexible workplace policies are a win-win for businesses and workers. To help promote these policies, I am introducing the Flexibility for Working Families Act. This legislation guarantees employees the right to request flexible work arrangements and provides employers with flexibility by encouraging them to review these requests, propose changes, and even deny them if they are not in the best interest of the business. Such voluntary arrangements between employees and employers include changing the time, amount, and/or place that work is conducted. It is time for our country's workplace policies to reflect the reality of a 21st century economy--where both parents are working and overtime is expected. I urge my colleagues to support the Flexibility for Working Families Act, and I thank Sen. Bob Casey for his work on this important legislation.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name from H.R. 296.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the sense of the House of Representatives that the Senate should ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). I am proud to be joined in this effort by my friend and colleague Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. This year we also recognize the 20th Anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women, where the United States along with over 189 governments, adopted the ``Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.'' Since 1995, those commitments have ushered in enormous improvements in the lives of women across the world. It is in the spirit of this inspirational anniversary that we urge the United States to ratify the most comprehensive international agreement on women's rights, CEDAW. CEDAW is a landmark international agreement that calls on governments to take appropriate measures to end discrimination against women in all areas of life. The Convention seeks to develop women's equality in legal status, human rights, political participation, employment, education and healthcare, while committing countries to change or eradicate discriminatory laws, customs, and practices. Despite 187 countries ratifying CEDAW, the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that has not ratified the treaty, even though its fundamental principles of equality and nondiscrimination are paramount to the ideals of our nation. Other nations that have not ratified CEDAW include Somalia and Iran. Most importantly, CEDAW is not self-executing, meaning that any legislation the United States might adopt to comply with the treaty would have to go through the normal Congressional process. Ratification of CEDAW would continue our nation's proud bipartisan tradition of promoting and protecting human rights. The Senate's ratification of CEDAW would strengthen our standing as a global leader for the rights of women and girls. As we recognize International Women's Day next week, I hope my colleagues will cosponsor this important resolution that will benefit women around the world.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce bipartisan legislation with my colleague Rep. Ted Poe. In March of 1931 the infamous gangster, Al Capone, was indicted for tax fraud. Today the IRS Criminal Investigations division continues to play a vital role in proving criminal activity and fraud, and I believe they can play an even stronger role in cracking down on human trafficking and prostitution. This bill is meant to enhance the Internal Revenue Service's ability to crack down on sex trafficking by authorizing $4 million to establish an office within the IRS to prosecute sex traffickers for violations of tax laws. The office would focus on the willful failure of traffickers to file returns, supply information, or pay tax where the taxpayer is an ``aggravated'' non-filer. In addition, the office would coordinate closely with existing task forces focused on sex trafficking offenders in the Department of Justice. The bill also amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase criminal monetary and other penalties for attempts to: evade or defeat tax, willful failure to file a tax return, supply information, or pay tax, aggravated failure to file tax returns, fraud and false statements, and underpayment or overpayment of tax due to fraud. This offense will carry a maximum sentence of 10 years and a maximum fine of $50,000.00. The Human Trafficking Fraud Enforcement Act of 2015 also establishes a new felony offense for an aggravated failure to file to include failure to file with respect to income or payments derived from activity which is criminal under Federal or State law. This will target conduct committed by those involved in the promotion of commercial sex acts--pimps and traffickers--and not conduct of exploited persons in prostitution. Last, this bill directly benefits those that are victimized by the traffickers by revising current IRS Whistleblower provisions so that women and girls who choose to participate in the investigation will be eligible to participate in the whistleblower program and may ultimately be granted up to 15% of any fines levied against the trafficker. While important strides have been made to address trafficking, we must still use every tool possible to take down the traffickers. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this important legislation.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is time to further address the epidemic of sexual assaults at our nation's college and university campuses. During some of the most formative years of their lives, students across the country should not have to live in fear of being stalked or abused. That is why a bipartisan group have come together to introduce the Campus Accountability and Safety Act that will address ambiguities in the law, strengthen protections and enforcement, and improve reporting by universities. Rape is a horrific crime that exacts a physical and psychological toll on survivors. Women trying to get an education should not have to worry that they might also be victimized by predators on their campuses. This legislation establishes new campus resources and support services for student survivors; ensures minimum training standards for on-campus personnel, creates new historic transparency requirements, requires a uniform discipline process and coordination with law enforcement, and establishes enforceable Title IX penalties and stiffer penalties for Clery Act violations. I applaud the work of our colleagues in the Senate on their comprehensive and bipartisan bill, and thank my co-lead Rep. Patrick Meehan for teaming up on this legislation. I am hopeful that the House will take up this effort in tandem with the Senate so that we can put a bill on the President's desk.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House bring up H.R. 861, a clean Department of Homeland Security funding bill that will keep the Department open so that it is able to protect the American people.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans are playing politics with the security of the American people, and the American people deserve better. What was absolutely laughable a few days ago, it now appears that they are prepared to shut down the Department of Homeland Security. They won't budge, even though they have known all along that the House version of the bill will never pass the Senate, and if it did, the President would surely veto it, as he should. They are willing to burden this entire country with all the dangers and disruptions that a funding lapse would bring. They are willing to shut down funding for the security in the New York City rail system, communications equipment in Los Angeles, bomb-sniffing dogs in Massachusetts, and firefighter positions across this Nation, just so that they can put on another hollow, pointless political show. This legislation is failure by design. I find it scandalous that the Islamic terrorists are fully funded; yet the Department of Homeland Security that protects our citizens may not be. I urge a vote on a clean Homeland Security bill for the protection of our citizens.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, the destruction caused by natural disasters across the country affirms the need to address climate change. Conservation efforts that protect wildlife ecosystems help to mitigate these climate concerns as well as provide lands for all Americans to enjoy. Today, I am proud to introduce legislation that helps preserve the northern Rockies--one of our country's vital environmental regions. The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act will safeguard 23 million acres by establishing a system to connect biological corridors on public lands in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington. It prioritizes the health of whole ecosystems by designating all of the inventoried roadless areas as wilderness, including wild and scenic rivers. This designation helps ensure the preservation of native plants and animals. It's our responsibility to preserve our country's natural treasures for our own and future generations. I thank my colleague Public Lands Subcommittee Ranking Member Raul Grijalva for his longstanding support. I urge others to join us in helping to protect these public lands.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, last week, America got some great economic news. Businesses added over 267,000 jobs in January, extending the longest streak on record of consecutive private sector job growth to 59 months. We also set another record when the House, led by the Republicans, voted for the 56th time to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act. Our economy added 3 million private sector jobs in the last 12 months, including over a million jobs in the last 3 months alone; yet instead of capitalizing on this success in order to help grow the middle class and add more jobs, the majority just continues to vote to take away health care. Enough is enough. Thanks to President Obama and the Democrats, this economy has recovered from the worst recession on record. As you can see, the blue shows when President Obama took office, and then we grew out of the loss of jobs and have been gaining jobs.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, a million jobs were created in the last 3 months; the deficit is down, and the stock market is up; but instead of building on this progress, the Republican Party is again threatening a partial government shutdown. This time, it is the Department of Homeland Security. We don't have many days left. Why? Because the anti-immigrant fringe of the majority party disagrees with the President's decision to address our broken immigration system. If they don't get their way, they would stop paying our Border Patrol agents, stop paying our TSA security screeners at airports, stop paying the Coast Guard and Secret Service. The men and women who work to keep us secure would have to worry about how they would feed their families instead of protecting our country. This is dangerous to our security and to our economy. I urge my colleagues to let common sense prevail and pass a clean Department of Homeland Security bill. The American people deserve their security.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, today on February 5, 2015, we celebrate the 22nd anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, a family-friendly workplace policy that has benefited millions of American families. Since its passage in 1993, this landmark law has been used 200 million times by men and women across the nation. These individuals and their families have benefited from up to 12 weeks of unpaid job protected leave to care for a new child, sick family member, or a loved one recovering from a serious health condition. While we celebrate this anniversary we must also recognize that after more than two decades our nation's family leave policies have not kept pace with changes to America's families and workforce. FMLA provides unpaid leave, which means families must choose between foregoing a paycheck and caring for a loved one. Most families today no longer have a stay-at-home parent to care for a new child, and even before the economic crisis, few could afford to go without pay for any length of time. We need new policies that show that we truly value America's families. That is why I recently introduced the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, legislation that provides federal employees with 6 weeks of paid leave following the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child. The Federal government is our nation's largest employer and as such should be leading the way on family-friendly workplace policy. By extending paid parental leave for new parents this bill helps diminish the risk of real economic hardship for the 2 million federal employees following the birth or adoption of a child. I urge my colleagues to pass legislation that brings our country forward to the 21st Century and reflects the realities of our nation's workforce.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is estimated that more than 60 million Americans are at risk of serious vision loss--a number expected to increase as the baby boomer generation ages. Along with my colleague Rep. Gus Bilirakis, I am proud to reintroduce legislation to support Americans with limited or impaired vision. For someone with a visual impairment, reading a book or crossing the street could be blurred or distorted even with the help of glasses or contact lenses. In many cases a physician can prescribe magnifiers or special optical devices to help an individual remain independent. While there are a wide variety of options to help people with low vision, currently, there is an exclusion from Medicare coverage for devices that include a lens to aid vision or provide magnification of images for impaired vision. Ultimately, not having these assistance devices could shift more individuals from independent living to care facilities or nursing homes. To understand the impact of covering these devices for America's seniors, we are introducing the Medicare Demonstration of Coverage for Low Vision Devices Act of 2015. This legislation would create a five- year national demonstration project administered by the Department of Health and Human Services to evaluate the economic impact of allowing reimbursement for certain low vision devices under the Social Security Act. Coverage of such devices could help Medicare beneficiaries with low vision lead healthy, safe, and independent lives.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to admit what people with common sense all across America have known for years: mindless austerity just does not work. It doesn't grow the economy, it does not add jobs, and it doesn't unleash anything except misery. The sequester was a bad idea from the start. The country needs to embrace its can-do spirit, and Congress has to stop saying: ``Sorry, we just can't.'' The President's budget is tailor-made to help hardworking middle class families get ahead. It will invest in education, strengthen workers' skills, provide tax relief for the middle class, and rebuild our infrastructure. This is exactly what we need to build on the record of the 58 months of job growth we are experiencing and to make sure that everyone shares in the gains of our growing economy.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, in his State of Union President Obama spoke about restoring the link between hard work and growing opportunity for every American. That link is at the very core of what made America great. And he spoke about the need to ensure that working families have a fair shot and a level playing field. One of the places that the United States continues to lag behind the entire rest of the world is in providing paid parental leave. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation with no paid parental leave. It is only us and Papua New Guinea in the whole world that have no statutory maternity leave. This is embarrassing and it hurts hardworking American families It is way past time to drag at least our federal workplace policies into the 21st century. That is why I am introducing the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act to provide six weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees for the birth, adoption, or foster placement of a child. The federal government is our nation's largest employer and it should be setting an example--and leading the march into the modern era. Paid parental leave would be a big boost for the almost two million people who work for the federal government. And this won't just affect our nation's capital--86 percent of federal workers live and work outside the metro Washington, DC area. In fact, the metro region of my home city of New York City has the second highest number of federal employees of any region in the country. For these working families in New York and elsewhere around the country, paid leave is an economic lifeline. The growing costs of caring for a new child--the expensive diapers, bottles, baby carriers-- they all add up very quickly. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found that in the first two years a new child can cost families an average of nearly $13,000. Who can forego weeks of pay on top of those new expenses. It is both crippling and cruel to ask families to choose between a paycheck and caring for a new child when costs continue to mount. Providing paid leave helps pay for itself with the broad benefits it produces. It gives parents the time to bond with their child in those critical first weeks of life and research shows the critical nature of the first few months of life on the health and intellectual development over the lifetime of the child. To those who would push back on this legislation, I refer you to the Congressional Budget Office findings that this legislation is budget neutral. It costs nothing--but it means everything. It requires no new money but would immeasurably enrich the lives of federal employees by allowing them to maintain their salary during the course of FMLA- permitted parental leave. I urge my Republican colleagues to support the bill. It passed the House twice before--with great bipartisan support. Now is the moment to bring this legislation forward and in so doing, bring America forward.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague for her leadership and for yielding to me. I want to commend the Republican and Democratic leadership for bringing to the floor a large number of bipartisan bills to address the problem of human trafficking. I particularly want to thank Judge Poe for his enlightened leadership. He has brought an informed, intelligent, effective focus on this crime, and he has brought new momentum that is helping this country address this issue. I thank the bipartisan Women's Caucus that has made this goal, this common goal of attacking the exploitation of children as a joint priority for our caucus and for this Congress. It is an important way to mark Human Trafficking Awareness Week, and this modern-day form of slavery happens all across the world. We don't like to admit it, but it is happening right here in America. It is happening in our small cities, our big cities, every State, every race, creed, and color. There are no reliable estimates, but by some accounts, there are as many as 2 million minors trafficked within the U.S. alone. When they have missing children reports, many of the parents believe their children have been stolen into sex trafficking. Most of these child victims who are sex-trafficked are United States citizens or are here legally in the United States. Human trafficking, as my colleague pointed out, is the fastest growing crime and the third largest criminal activity in the world, but unlike drugs and guns that are sold only once, human lives can be sold repeatedly over and over and over again until their lives are shattered and destroyed. It destroys lives and comes with a huge social and economic cost. We can all agree that no child should be for sale in America--not now, not ever. Our children should not be for sale, but they are for sale under the guise of human traffickers and pimps. I am very pleased to work shoulder to shoulder with Congressman Poe on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act. As a former judge and a former prosecutor, he knows firsthand how damaging this crime is to the lives of our young people--and it involves young boys, too--and how difficult it is to get a conviction. His knowledge in this area is tremendously appreciated, and his knowledge is in this bill. I thank him for having been the key author on it and for his passion and hard work on it. This bill directly and specifically supports law enforcement training and prosecution of sex trafficking crimes, and it creates a domestic trafficking victims fund within the Treasury Department to support critically needed services for victims. We know there are not enough beds; there is no treatment. Many trafficked women tell me they get saved, but then they are put in a park with no place to go, and the traffickers come up and try to get them back into it. It goes after those who are trying to exploit children and vulnerable women, those who would profit off the misery of others by going after their wallets. It targets the demand side: the child abusers, the child molesters. Our victims fund will be financed through fines levied on those convicted of child pornography, human trafficking, child prostitution, sexual exploitation, and human smuggling offenses.

Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. The bill also makes it clear that it is not the victim who is sold and exploited who is the criminal. The criminal is the john, the child abuser who solicits a minor or a trafficker who puts a woman or man out on the street to be bought and sold. Human trafficking is harmful not only to the victims, but to society at large. Last May, this House passed this bill in total agreement, and I urge the Senate to follow it and pass it also. It is time to help the survivors get the resources they need to rebuild their lives and to punish the evildoers who purchase and sell these innocent children.