Nancy Mace

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3019) to establish an inspections regime for the Bureau of Prisons, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3019. The Federal Bureau of Prisons operates 122 facilities nationwide. Conducting meaningful oversight with an organization of this size can be challenging. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General handles criminal complaints on behalf of incarcerated people and bureau staff. However, this office is overwhelmed with noncriminal incarcerated people, their friends and family, and the Bureau of Prison staff. Examples of common complaints include poor prison conditions and civil rights violations. While these complaints often do not rise to the level of criminal misconduct, they are still very important and warrant investigation to determine if reforms are actually necessary. The Federal Prison Oversight Act addresses this issue by ensuring that incarcerated people, their families, and bureau staff have a reliable mechanism to file their complaints. First, the bill requires the Office of the Inspector General to conduct inspections of Bureau of Prisons facilities and provide recommendations to address each facilities' shortcomings. The Office of the Inspector General will assign each facility a risk score. Higher risk facilities will receive more frequent inspections. Additionally, the bill creates an independent ombudsman within the Department of Justice to investigate issues that impact the health and safety of incarcerated individuals and staff. The ombudsman can initiate an investigation after receiving a complaint from an incarcerated person, their family, Bureau of Prisons staff, or others. If the investigation of these complaints finds significant harm, the ombudsman must report their findings to the Attorney General and Congress. This bill will ensure that both the inspector general and the ombudsman will have access to all the Bureau-operated facilities and are authorized to conduct unannounced inspection visits. The bill encourages the Bureau to fund these investigations with between 0.2 and 0.5 percent of their annual appropriations. The bill is endorsed by the Council of Prison Locals, representing nearly 30,000 correctional officers, along with public safety and civil rights organizations. I thank Senators Jon Ossoff, Mike Braun, and Richard Durbin for their work drafting this bill. I thank Representatives Lucy McBath and Kelly Armstrong for introducing this bill in the House. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman McBath and Congressman Armstrong for this bill. I thank my colleague, Congressman Raskin, for bringing up how we should be reducing the rate of recidivism in this country with different policies and that we can work together. He mentioned the First Step Act, also. I was glad that he mentioned it. It was a bill that inspired me a couple of years ago. When I was a State lawmaker, Donald Trump signed the First Step Act into law in December 2018. This was a bipartisan bill. It was done in such a significant way, but when I learned about President Trump signing the First Step Act into law in December 2018, I was sifting through the bill, and this is where I got my start in criminal justice reform. There was a provision in there that would ban the shackling of women during birth. This was actually a thing that was going on in our prison system. I saw this because I am a woman and very passionate, like my colleague across the aisle, about women's issues. I looked at the State of South Carolina and learned that we didn't have this codified into law, that women in our State penitentiary system, our State system, could still be, and in some cases were, shackled while they were actually giving birth. That inspired me to do a bill that was signed into law by my Governor, Henry McMaster, in May 2020. It banned the shackling of women in our system in South Carolina and allowed these infants, these babies, to have skin-to-skin contact with their mothers after they were born. It allowed women to have their children visit them once a week in prison. It allowed them to have feminine hygiene products accessible to them. I really applaud my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working together because we know that when we give people opportunities after prison--jobs, therapy, intense therapy, job training, and careers afterward--they don't want to go back to prison. They don't want to go back to jail. This body, this Chamber, has a long history of working together to reduce the rate of recidivism. I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill to increase transparency in the Federal prison system and provide much-needed recourse for incarcerated persons experiencing abuse. Nobody wants that to happen. Madam Speaker, I encourage colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this very necessary legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the achievements of Colonel James Collins' service as the Chief, House Liaison Division, Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison, where he was responsible for the liaison between the Army and the United States House of Representatives. A truly outstanding leader of impeccable character, Colonel Collins skillfully managed an office that played a vital role in advancing the Army's interests while maintaining effective relationships with the 117th and 118th Congress during a critical time in our Nation's history. Under Colonel Collins' leadership, the House Liaison Division conducted numerous outreach events to enhance congressional trust and confidence during two National Defense Authorization Act legislative cycles. The House Liaison Team was instrumental during MLA luncheons and enabled countless engagements that provided members and staff the opportunity to speak directly with Army Senior Leaders from both the Secretariat and Army Staff. Colonel Collins was instrumental in enhancing the Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison within the Army Secretariat and Headquarters, Department of the Army Staff, as well as the Army's standing with the U.S. House of Representatives. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize and commend Colonel Collins' personal example, commitment to excellence, and exemplary performance of duty that reflects distinct credit upon himself, the Office of the Chief of Legislative Liaison, and the United States Army. We bid Colonel Collins farewell and best wishes in his next assignment as the Citadel's Professor of Military Science.

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I hereby remove my name as cosponsor of H.R. 1139.

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to join my resolution in regard to IVF. My resolution expresses support for continued access to fertility care and assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization in light of Alabama's court ruling last week that has jeopardized access to in vitro fertilization and other assisted reproductive technology in the State of Alabama. For years now, since 2019, I have been advocating for women's issues and women's rights on the issue of contraception, on the issue of contraceptives, and on the issue of abortion exceptions, particularly for the life of the mother, rape, and incest. In 2019, as a State lawmaker, I told my story as a survivor of rape. When the State of South Carolina was doing its fetal heartbeat bill, it had no exceptions for women who were raped or for girls who were victims of incest, and I was frustrated by that argument because very few women are actually speaking up about women and about those exceptions. Ever since then, I have become very passionate about protecting women, about protecting their rights, and about protecting access to IVF, et cetera. Today, I want to point out I have cosponsored legislation and resolutions by my colleagues on the other side of the aisle as it relates to contraception, as it relates to contraceptives, as it relates to providing information and protecting IVF, and, yet, not a single one of them got criticized for the legislation because they were Democrats. Yet today, I am trying to work with Members on both sides of the aisle together to condemn the ruling in Alabama, to express our sentiment and express our support for IV access for women all across the country. When a Republican does it, it should be equally supported by the corporate media, but, apparently, it is not. I am urging my colleagues today to get beyond the divisive politics and look forward to how we can actually work together because this IVF issue shouldn't be Republican, and it shouldn't be Democrat. The vast majority of Americans--I dare say almost every single American in this country, almost a hundred percent--support efforts to protect women's access to IVF. I also want to mention, last year I cosponsored H. Res. 345, Debbie Wasserman Schultz' resolution, that recognizes that infertility is a widespread problem that affects populations of diverse ages, races, ethnicities, and genders. Madam Speaker, 12 percent of women in the U.S. have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, and 9 percent of men experience infertility. The resolution acknowledged that infertility is a disease and that infertility is not just a women's issue because it impacts men also. This is a families' issue. The Federal Government has a moral obligation to ensure the availability of infertility-related services to all individuals and families without barriers such as access, cost, and coverage. I remind the press that I also was only one of eight Republicans that voted in favor of Kathy Manning's Right to Contraception Act. The Greater Access to Contraceptive Options Act ensures women and families across the country have a right to obtain and use contraceptions. It is a commonsense measure in the case of rape, incest, or in order to maintain a healthy and well-functioning body. Reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies requires ensuring contraceptives are available to couples, women, et cetera. Finally, beyond the numbers as it relates to my resolution regarding support for IVF, IVF has a genuinely positive impact on individuals, families, and communities. IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies contribute to the birth of over 10 million babies globally every single year. In the U.S., 12 percent of women of reproductive age have utilized assisted reproductive technology. Infertility is a deeply personal and obviously devastating issue. I am calling on my colleagues today on both sides of the aisle, Republican and Democrat alike, to join me in expressing the sentiment in the whole House of Representatives that we are dedicated to protecting the American Dream of starting a family by cosponsoring this resolution.

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support our bill, H.R. 4502, the Modernizing the Acquisition of Cybersecurity Experts Act. I say ``our bill,'' because my colleague Katie Porter from California and I joined forces. I don't have a problem with anyone working and reaching across the aisle. No one wants to shut down the Federal Government. We are not on a crusade to do that. I just want Congress to follow the law. There was a law created in 1974, the Budget Impact and Impoundment Control Act, that requires Congress to have a budget in 12 separate spending bills. Both sides do it. Both sides are a failure to the American people because we don't follow the law. We can't expect our fellow Americans to follow the law when we ourselves are unwilling to do the work. Chuck Schumer has 70 percent of Federal Government spending in his in-box right now. No one wants to do that. I don't oppose us working across the aisle for government spending or any of that. There is no crusade to shut down the Federal Government. I just want Congress to do its job and follow the law. On to the rest of it. This bill solves a simple problem. You can't deem one applicant more qualified for a Federal cybersecurity job solely because he or she has a degree in underwater basket weaving. I remember the first time I learned to code my first programming language. I was actually in college, but college didn't teach me to code. I taught myself to code. There are a lot of kids and students and adults out there that are teaching themselves to code and finding great jobs. When I was a coder, my first job, I got paid $35,000 a year. Because of the demands of these jobs today, it is a much better era for programmers and engineers. I have a family member today who never set foot in college. He recently turned 22. He owns his own home, and he makes significantly more money than we do as Members of Congress. Despite the shortage of over 700,000 cybersecurity professionals in the public and private sector, people who don't attend or finish college are often barred from consideration for jobs in the field when they shouldn't be. There are many, many brilliant programmers and computer whizzes out there. There are some that drop out of Harvard after a year or two, like Bill Gates. There are many others who have gone on to have outstanding careers in IT, technology, cybersecurity, et cetera, and they don't have a college degree. While the cyber workforce is crucial to our national security, it is graying rapidly. According to a report issued last year, there are five times as many cybersecurity workers over the age of 55 as there are under 30. Only 1 in 16 Federal cybersecurity workers is actually under the age of 30. This bill would prohibit mandatory degree requirements for Federal cybersecurity jobs unless they are legally required to perform the duties of the position, which is rarely the case. Currently, even entry-level positions in the Federal Government require a 4-year degree. Federal cybersecurity professionals help secure the information of millions of Americans from cybercriminals and hackers sponsored by enemy nation-states. Some of these young people literally have the skills to hack these critical systems, but they can't get their foot in the door for employment at the same agency. We are missing out on a tremendous amount of talent. Over the past few years, we have seen leaders from both parties at all levels of government rolling back degree requirements resulting in greater economic opportunity for every American, no matter their ZIP Code. Many large companies have done away with unnecessary degree requirements. If the government was run like a business, I think we would be much better off. This bipartisan bill codifies--I hope no one's head explodes today--a Trump-era executive order maintained by the Biden administration. I can think of nothing more bipartisan than this. Lastly, I thank my colleague Katie Porter from California for her work on this valuable piece of legislation.

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to Angela Mund, DNP, CRNA. Dr. Mund will soon complete her year as national president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA). I am proud that Dr. Mund was elected as the 2022-2023 president of this prestigious healthcare organization. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice registered nurses who administer more than 50 million anesthetics to patients each year. They work in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered including hospital surgical suites, obstetrical delivery rooms, ambulatory surgical centers, and the offices of dentists, podiatrists, and specialty surgeons. They also provide acute and chronic pain management services to patients in need of such care. CRNAs provide anesthesia for all types of surgical cases and are the sole anesthesia providers in many rural hospitals. CRNAs have full practice authority in the Army, Navy, and Air Force and are the predominant provider of anesthesia on forward surgical teams and in combat support hospitals. As a member of the AANA for 27 years, Dr. Mund has contributed greatly to the healthcare community in the Mount Pleasant area and nationwide. Dr. Mund's career spans 19 years with roles at the University of Minnesota as well as the Medical University of South Carolina. Providing the diverse and interrelated perspectives of a leader, educator, advocate, and clinician, she has testified before state legislative bodies as well as the U.S. House of Representatives on the important role CRNAs play in providing safe, quality anesthesia care. Honorably discharged as captain from the U.S. Army Reserve Nurse Corps, Dr. Mund was previously the executive director of the Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists as well as its president. Dr. Mund earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She completed her nurse anesthesia training at the Minneapolis Veteran's Affairs Medical Center School of Nurse Anesthesia. During her AANA presidency, Dr. Mund has been a prominent advocate for the patients and practice of nurse anesthesia before federal agencies and members of Congress. She has worked tirelessly to promote anesthesia patient safety and the value of CRNAs to our healthcare system, especially at a time when that healthcare system has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Mund has advocated to eliminate burdensome regulations for CRNAs, to have CRNAs recognized as full practice providers in the Veterans Health Administration, and to address underlying causes of surprise billing such as provider discrimination. I extend my sincere congratulations to Dr. Mund today on a job well done. Her service to AANA and to her patients, and her commitment to safe, quality anesthesia care nationwide, are highly commendable. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Mund's notable career and outstanding achievements.

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Chief Luther Reynolds, the city of Charleston's police chief who died recently to cancer. He was an exceptional leader and dedicated public servant who served the Charleston community and beyond. His legacy will leave a testament of courage, service, and love, and I offer my deepest condolences to Chief Reynolds' family, his wife, his children, his friends, and the Charleston Police Department. We mourn his untimely passing and honor his unyielding spirit. I have very fond memories of Chief Reynolds. In fact, he was the guy that called me when my house got spray-painted at 7:30 in the morning, making sure that I was aware and that it was safe and sound and would be protected. There are so many instances of threats that I have had on my life and my family's life where Chief Reynolds was there for us each and every day. He was a neighbor, he was a friend, and he was a protector of the city of Charleston. We remember his dedicated service and his commitment to our community. Remembering the Victims of Emanuel AME Church Massacre

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the new Deputy Chief Brent Melcher taking over the fire chief for Summerville from Richard Waring on June 23. We thank Chief Waring for his 30 years of service to Summerville and Dorchester County. We also recognize that Chief Melcher wants to continue the strong family atmosphere in the department and expansion into Nexton. Melcher has served Summerville since the year 2000. I recently was able to connect and meet with him and was very proud of his achievements of Summerville's new fire chief. Special Bond Formed at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize some of the comments made by my colleagues today. Four days from now will be the anniversary of Mother Emanuel, a day that was a very dark day in South Carolina's history where nine Black church members of Mother Emanuel were murdered in cold blood by a white supremacist, by a young man who wanted to commit evil atrocities on our State and our Nation. I recognize those individuals: Clementa Pinckney, who was a pastor and State senator; Cynthia Graham Hurd; Susie Jackson; Ethel Lee Lance; DePayne Middleton-Doctor; Tywanza Sanders; Daniel Simmons; Sharonda Coleman-Singleton; and Myra Thompson. As a State lawmaker, I believe that we need to strengthen our background checks, because in the State of South Carolina, the reason that the killer was able to purchase that gun, though he was ineligible, was because of our weakened background systems. We have dozens of databases across the State that don't talk to one other about the criminal information of bad guys who are trying to purchase a gun. It is an issue that I worked on as a State lawmaker, and it is something I am advocating for today in Congress. I hope that we can find a way to strengthen our background checks so that bad guys who are breaking the law and shouldn't be able to buy a gun, don't have the ability to commit such atrocities as those committed at Mother Emanuel. We stand South Carolina strong and Charleston strong, and I recognize our heroes from that day. Recognizing Berkeley County Adult Education Graduates

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Berkeley County Adult Education graduates. As a high school dropout, as someone who understands how challenging it can be to finish education, I congratulate the adult education graduates. From my home county and Berkeley County, I offer a heartfelt congratulations to this graduating class. They have demonstrated exceptional persistence and have overcome so many hurdles that life has thrown their way. They are an aspiring example of learning at any age and under any circumstances. Their perseverance prevails, their determination reaps rewards, and their learning is lifelong--something that everyone can commend today. Madam Speaker, I extend my best wishes for their future endeavors in everything that they do. South Carolina's Aquarium Turtle Releases

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize South Carolina's aquarium releases of their turtles. We are celebrating the release of two loggerhead turtles, named Bea and Pluto, by South Carolina Aquarium's Sea Turtle Care Center in Charleston. The turtles were found in distress, each missing a flipper, and underwent extensive rehabilitation to recover. Despite their physical challenges, the turtles displayed remarkable resilience and this is something that the Coast of South Carolina certainly is proud of. Madam Speaker, I offer gratitude to the Sea Turtle Care Center team led by Melissa Ranly. New Summerville Fire Chief

Ms. MACE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the special bond formed at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital. A story of resilience and friendship among three young boys: Bennett, Jackson, and Marcelino formed a strong bond at Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital as they awaited their heart transplants. Despite their medical challenges, they have supported and comforted one another. Their friendship demonstrates the power of human connection during difficult times.

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of Joan Grier Weaver, a beloved wife and mother in my district, who passed away on April 19, 2023, at the age of 71. Born on October 30, 1951, in Williamsburg County, Joan was the daughter of the late Harvey J. Grier and Dorothy Hanna Grier. She was a graduate of Hemingway High School and a member of Union Baptist Church. Her dedication to her family and community was admirable, and she was cherished by all who knew her. Joan is survived by her loving husband of 50 years, L. Dean Weaver of Mt. Pleasant, her sons Chad (Allison) Weaver, Lyniel Weaver, and Justin Weaver, and her six beloved grandchildren, Her brothers-in-law Robert ``Bob'' (Gail) Weaver of Florence, Maurice (Debbie) Weaver of Myrtle Beach, Marlon Weaver of Pawleys Island, and Stewart Weaver of Murrells Inlet also survive her. Joan's contributions to her community and her profession will not be forgotten. Her professionalism and dedication as the Controller and Chief Financial Officer for L. Dean Weaver Construction were invaluable to the company's success, and her kindness and generosity towards her colleagues and friends were truly inspiring. Mr. Speaker, this tribute is a small but sincere token of our gratitude and admiration for Joan Grier Weaver, a remarkable woman who touched the lives of so many and will be deeply missed.

Ms. MACE

Ms. MACE. I have. I actually know transgender constituents. I know transgender children. I have friends in my district that have transgender kids. I am very well aware.

Ms. MACE. Yes, 100 percent.

Ms. MACE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. MACE. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would mandate the Comptroller General carry out a study to determine the adverse effects of allowing biological men to compete in women's sports. It looks at the adverse psychological, developmental participatory, and sociological results to girls of allowing males to compete, be members of a sports team, or participants in athletic programs that are designed specifically for girls, including hostile environment creation, sexual assault, and sexual harassment. We are going to call this today the Riley Gaines report. Riley Gaines lifetime of hard work was undermined by a biological male who was wrongly allowed to compete against women in NCAA-sanctioned competition. Furthermore, she had to deal with the psychological trauma of being forced to share a locker room and change in front of a biological man. Subjecting more women to this is cruel. All of the glass ceilings that have been shattered by women in sports have been for naught if we allow this to continue, so I am going to stand with women and fight for their fair right to competition. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MACE. Mr. Chairman, for years, the left has said to follow the science. Well, today, Republicans are following the science. We are not confused about the differences between biological men and biological women. As a woman who is pro-LGBTQ, I don't care how you dress. I don't care what pronoun you take. I don't care if you change your gender. But we ought to protect biological women and girls in their athletics and their achievements. As someone who has broken glass ceilings, I am the first woman to graduate from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina. We don't want biological men taking away the achievements of women who fought so hard for where they are today. It was 100 years after women's suffrage that South Carolina elected the first ever Republican woman to Congress. That is what I did in 2020. We don't want to take these achievements away from women at all. We are not confused. Having biological men in locker rooms, as a mom of a girl, and hearing Riley Gaines' story, and as someone who was molested at 14, raped at 16, the risks to our girls and to women by biological men in some of these cases and the stories that we have heard, we ought to do our damnedest to protect women and girls in sports. This is not insidious. What is insidious is allowing men in girls' locker rooms as they are changing, as they are showering. That is perverted; it is insidious; it is disgusting. We want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to protect women and girls. This report will study that and bring the results to Congress. I thank Riley Gaines for sharing her story, putting it out there, and talking about the realities of what is going on in this country. I can tell you the other side is very much confused. They are so confused now that Republicans have become the feminists of today. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. MACE. Mr. Chair, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Ms. MACE. Mr. Chairman, when we use the term ``biological men,'' we are actually following the science because for years the left has said follow the science. When you are born a biological male, you are born with physical advantages over women. We do want to study the psychological effect on women in sports, in their locker rooms. We want to study what is going on and how it negatively impacts women. Women should not be ignored in this situation, whether they are in the classroom, or on a sports team, or in the private sector. As I mentioned before, I know and have met with plenty of transgender individuals. This is not against the LGBTQ community. We are pro-women today, and that is what this amendment is about, protecting women and girls against biological men who want to compete against them. I don't think any of us have any discontent if transgender girls wanted to have their own sports teams and compete at that level because the physical differences between biological men and biological women are very different. We want to make sure that we are going to protect them, and that we don't have any other women going through what Riley Gaines went through. It was wrong then; it is wrong now. I am proud of this amendment and the work that we are doing to protect women and girls. As I said before, I have broken many glass ceilings, and I don't want to see those achievements taken away from biological women who have worked so hard to get to where they are today. We want to set a good example that they can achieve anything they want in America, anything they want in the United States of America. If they have goals, they work hard to achieve them. They can do anything they want, and no man will get in their way. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.