Seth Moulton

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to make it easier to get mental healthcare. We should pass the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act and make 988 the national number for mental health emergencies. When your house is on fire, you don't have to look for a phonebook to know who to call. You just dial 911. Mr. Speaker, it ought to be the same way for mental health emergencies as well. And that is just the beginning. Let's lead by example and change our culture so getting a mental health checkup is just part of routine life. Deployed servicemembers can set an example by getting a mental health checkup within 2 weeks of returning home from their deployments. That bipartisan requirement is in the House version of the NDAA. Let's start a conversation in this country so that getting mental healthcare is a regular part of life.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, right now, with President Trump's permission, Turkey is slaughtering our Kurdish allies, the only people who stand between us and ISIS, men and women who have died by the thousands to protect Americans from terrorism, the families of our American constituents, like Seyhmus Yuksekkaya from my district. As a result, Russian and Syrian forces are taking our positions next to them. ISIS prisoners are escaping, and, Mr. Speaker, the crisis has only just begun. We must act today because the President has taken the side of dictators and butchers. The President has never put his life on the line for our country, like our Special Forces soldiers who have been fighting terrorists in Syria, whom he mocked earlier today by saying they are shooting each other. Perhaps if he had not dodged the draft by lying about his feet, sending another American in his place to Vietnam, he would know something that all veterans know well, that there are a lot of ways you can fail in battle. You can fail physically. You can fail to summon the mental courage. You can have a bad strategy or bad tactics. But nothing is worse, nothing is more evil, than betrayal. Yet, betrayal is exactly what this President has done. It sends exactly the wrong message to our allies, to our troops, and to our enemies. Our Commander in Chief should lead with American values. He should lead by the idea that there is no better friend and no worse enemy than the United States of America. Today's vote is necessary because there has been no worse enemy to the Kurds and no better friend to our enemies than this President.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, this agreement is a good step forward; not a great step, but a good step. As vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and a veteran who serves on the Armed Services Committee, I want to speak for a moment about its impact on our national security. This bill turns our attention to confronting and out-competing our adversaries. And partly, it does so by ending the threat of sequestration. Now, we all know that the Budget Control Act was established with the tool of sequestration in an effort to improve our budgeting process to, in fact, address our debt, which itself is a threat to our national security. But we also know that that hasn't worked. And in the meantime, our national security, our defense budgeting is at risk. This bill not only ends that; it also creates parity in increased defense investments with domestic investments. That is a big deal, because it means we will spend as much on the dignity of Americans as we will on their defense. But it is also important to note that a lot of defense functions, a lot of things that ensure our national security fall under nondefense discretionary spending; things like investing in veterans' healthcare, investing in embassy security. In fact, the entire investment we make in the Department of Homeland Security falls under nondefense discretionary spending, and we increase that significantly with this deal. But let's not kid ourselves. This deal is not perfect. America is racking up a huge credit card bill which our kids will have to pay. It has skyrocketed under this President and his massive tax cut for the wealthiest few, and this bill does not address that. And while I don't love that this bill was negotiated behind closed doors, it proves there is middle ground, and it strips Congress of those draconian tools in the Budget Control Act that made that middle ground hard to find. Chairman Yarmuth and his team have done us a tremendous service. This deal buys us the time and the opportunity to fix the budgeting process, and I hope we will use it. In the window this creates, where we aren't negotiating under gunpoint, let's fix Congress and create a next-generation budgeting process where there is thoughtful debate and, ultimately, consensus around a fiscally responsible bill. We can get there. We can start today, and we can begin by passing this bill.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I want to point out that I agree with my colleague that this treaty is outdated, that Russia and China are developing weapons that exceed what is included here, but that is all the more reason why we need the time afforded by extending this treaty to develop a stronger replacement. We shouldn't do what Russia wants. That is why I oppose this President, which Russia wants. We need to have a stronger replacement for this treaty, and this amendment does exactly that. It gives us the time to get there while ensuring our safety in the meantime.

Mr. MOULTON. Madam Chair, I rise to oppose this amendment. Now, I do not question my colleague from Ohio's commitment to our national security. He and I have worked together on this committee for several years. But I do think that this amendment would be a grave strategic mistake. I oppose the development of these low-yield weapons for three distinct reasons: One, they increase the chance of miscalculation by our enemies; Two, they are a waste of taxpayer money for a capability that we already possess; and Three, they weaken our national defense as a consequence. The fundamental strength of our nuclear deterrence lies in the fact that our nuclear weapons are so catastrophically damaging that nobody would dare attack us or even threaten our allies with a nuclear weapon. Lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons by signaling to our enemies that our response might not be catastrophic for them makes it more likely that our enemies will use nukes against us and our allies in the first place. It plays into Russia's dangerous new escalate to de-escalate doctrine. Nobody should question the resolve of the United States of America to respond with overwhelming force if strategic weapons are used. Developing these low-yield weapons does just that. It questions that resolve, and that weakens our national defense.

Mr. MOULTON. Madam Chair, colleagues, this vote is about several things. It is about war with Iran. The President and John Bolton have manufactured a crisis by withdrawing America from the Iran nuclear deal with no alternative, and Iran has a strategic advantage over us now that they did not have before under the deal. This vote is about the Authorization for Use of Military Force passed almost 20 years ago that does not authorize war with Iran. We do not underestimate the Iranian threat. It is real, it is significant, but that does not make going to war now legal or necessary. But most of all, this vote is about the Constitution and our duty to uphold it. It is the Commander in Chief's job to strengthen our national security, not weaken it, as he has done, and it is Congress' job to decide when we send young Americans to war. The oath that we all took to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States is the same oath, word-for-word, that I took as a Marine officer. Our troops are upholding that oath. They are doing their jobs. It is time for us in Congress to do ours.

Mr. MOULTON. Madam Chair, when is enough enough? The vote to go to war against Iraq in 2002 was a mistake. Congress should have been more careful, questioned the intelligence, and made sure that we exhausted every other option before we put young American lives in danger. It is time that we stopped living off those past mistakes. Both the Obama administration and the Trump administration have maintained that the 2002 AUMF only serves to reinforce currently existing legal authority. So it needs to end. We need to repeal it. Because keeping it in place does not support current operations, and it could be used as a legal pretext for future escalation in the Middle East that has not been authorized by Congress. If we ever need to go to war against Iraq again, Congress has the constitutional obligation to make that decision. And we are fortunate that now that decision will be made, in part, by the generation that fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is coming to Congress to step in for the generation that sent us there. So let's get rid of this mistake, clear the decks for a new generation of better, more accountable leadership, and ensure that Congress takes more careful responsibility for these decisions moving forward.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, amidst the tragedies of the Iraq war, I witnessed one of the proudest demonstrations of democracy in modern times. When Iraqis voted for the first time, they dipped their fingers in ink and, rather than hiding those fingers for fear of reprisal, they held them high walking through the streets. What they were saying was that, for the first time in their lives, their opinion mattered. Their vote counted. It is the most fundamental requirement of a democracy. Yet, today, we know that this basic right has never been truly guaranteed here at home. Our elections are not free when Americans must choose between providing for their families and casting a vote; our elections are not fair when gerrymandering predetermines them or dark money makes some votes count more than others; and our people do not have a voice when they are turned away by voter ID laws that make it easier to buy a gun than cast a vote. H.R. 1 changes that, taking a stand against Citizens United, resolving to end gerrymandering, and making it far easier for Americans to vote. I believe that America, however imperfect, is the greatest democracy on Earth. H.R. 1 finally makes us act that way.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, last year I attended a rally where the father of a gunshot victim spoke, and he talked about all the things that he and other people around this country are doing to end senseless gun violence. Then he turned to the crowd and asked: But what is Congress doing? And tens of thousands of Americans, as if they had rehearsed it hundreds of times, all said in unison: ``Nothing.'' But what is Congress doing? Nothing. Standing in that crowd was not a proud moment for me, because he is right. Mr. Speaker, 37 Americans have died from gun violence in my district alone in the past 5 years. Gun violence is now the second leading killer of young people Nationwide, trailing only car accidents. For too long, Congress has done exactly what the crowd said: nothing. This week, we are putting forth legislation to enhance background checks, but this alone isn't enough. Thoughts and prayers won't cut it. Only action saves lives. This is just a start.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to note that 2018 marks The MITRE Corporation's 60th anniversary. MITRE is a not-for-profit company that operates seven federally-funded research and development centers. Its 8,700 employees work in the public interest, free from commercial conflicts of interest, at two primary locations in Bedford, Massachusetts and McLean, Virginia, and at other sites around the world. MITRE's principal sponsors include the Department of Defense; the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services; the Department of the Treasury and the IRS; the Department of Veterans Affairs; the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the Federal Aviation Administration; the Department of Homeland Security, and the federal courts. The company's staff works on some of the most challenging technical problems facing our nation, performing analysis, planning and concept development; R&D; engineering; and systems acquisition work. Since its earliest work to develop the nation's first air defense system, MITRE has generated countless innovations to address emerging threats, improve healthcare, defend cyberspace, secure our borders, ensure aviation safety, protect financial integrity, support our veterans, and more. I congratulate MITRE's employees for their vital work over six decades to solve problems for a safer world, and wish them continued success in the years to come.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, due to personal reasons, I was unable to vote on Wednesday, December 19, 2018. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 436; YEA on Roll Call No. 437; YEA on Roll Call No. 438; YEA on Roll Call No. 439; YEA on Roll Call No. 440; YEA on Roll Call No. 441; YEA on Roll Call No. 442; YEA on Roll Call No. 443; YEA on Roll Call No. 444; and YEA on Roll Call No. 445.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, due to personal reasons, I was not able to vote on Friday, September 28th. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 413; NAY on Roll Call No. 414; and YEA on Roll Call No. 415.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, due to personal reasons, I was unable to vote yesterday, July 12, 2018. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 322; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 323; ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 324; ``nay'' on Roll Call No. 325; and ``yea'' on Roll Call No. 326.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, America is keeping kids in cages. America is keeping kids in cages. Many people across our country have risen to say that this is not who we are. It doesn't represent our values, our ideals, or our Constitution. But the sad reality is that today, this is who we are. You are an American. I am an American. It is fellow Americans who are ripping toddlers from their mothers and fathers and guarding them in steel cages. And in truth, we have done this before. We herded American Indians into reservations. We turned our backs on Jews fleeing for their lives from the Holocaust. We ripped children from their parents when we sold them as slaves. But we all thought we had learned our lessons, moved past those hateful times. We have been on a march to grow into a country with the courage to live up to our values and serve as a beacon of hope for the world, not repeat the darkest parts of our history. The families in these detention centers aren't fleeing to the U.S. to take our jobs, they are running for their lives. They are fleeing a world of racism, ransom, murder, where their sons are being forced into violent gangs, and their daughters are being stolen on their way to school and prostituted as sex slaves. A nation that fails to learn the lessons of history, that fails to live up to its core values, that can't abide by the rights enshrined in its own Constitution, is not strong, Mr. Speaker, it is weak. Today, we are stealing kids from their parents and we are weak. And although it is this administration's policy that is directly responsible for this disgusting practice, we are all guilty as fellow Americans so long as it goes on. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These are our core values. Let's live up to them today.

Mr. MOULTON

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

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to the Water Resources Development Act, which will increase funding for the Army Corps of Engineers' storm and hurricane restoration and impact minimization program. As communities across the country come together to rebuild in the wake of unprecedented storms, this program funds vital coastal resiliency projects across the Nation. I emphasize ``resiliency'' because part of what this program does is save money by making cost- effective investments now that will prevent that money from having to be spent on costly recovery efforts in the future. Over the past year, severe storms and hurricanes have devastated communities throughout our country, costing us billions of dollars in recovery efforts. We know that severe weather patterns are occurring at a more frequent rate, and with the 2018 hurricane season fast approaching, the cities and towns along our coasts need more resources to minimize the impacts of flooding, storm surges, and coastal erosion. What we don't need are more outdated government projects that are wasting taxpayer dollars. And by cutting these, we fund the increases to this program. That makes this amendment fully offset and budget neutral. Cities and towns in my district and throughout the country are undergoing studies to assess the feasibility of implementing beach erosion and control projects under the storm and hurricane restoration and impact minimization program today. By raising the cap on this program's authorization, we can ensure that the vital resources provided by the Army Corps are available to more districts throughout the country. There are States across the Nation that have already benefited from this program, from Alabama to Louisiana, from Alaska to Florida, Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey, and Indiana. All of these States, in addition to my home State of Massachusetts, have benefited from this innovative program. I am proud to have bipartisan support, and I think we need to come together to support this commonsense solution that will empower us to protect our coastal communities by leveraging private sector innovation to enhance coastal ecosystems, promote recreation, and save taxpayer dollars. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I would just like to thank the chairman for his help in supporting this amendment, and ushering it through the process. I think it is a good amendment, and I am proud to have bipartisan support for it. Mr. Chair, I yield the remainder of my time to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Napolitano).

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent in the House Chamber for votes on Wednesday, Februrary 7th. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 61; YEA on Roll Call No. 62; and YEA on Roll Call No. 63.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, 26: that is how many people were gunned down in a Texas church. Fifty-nine: that is how many were murdered at a concert in Las Vegas. And 489: that is how many law-abiding Americans were injured in that same attack. Mr. Speaker, it has been weeks after those shootings, and we haven't taken a single action in the United States Congress to stop the gun violence epidemic plaguing America. Instead, Republican leadership is pushing a bill with blood money from the NRA that will create a race to the bottom where States with the weakest concealed carry requirements will rewrite the laws for everyone else. Meanwhile, we all know there are bipartisan bills that will reduce gun deaths, including my bill to ban bump stocks. Those bills have been denied a vote. Mr. Speaker, we have lived through too many massacres. At this rate, I guarantee we will live through more. Let's stop this nonsense and work together on commonsense solutions the majority of Americans want.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the National Defense Authorization Act. I must say that I am so proud to be a member of a committee so known for its bipartisanship. I am particularly proud to serve on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee with my colleague, Vicky Hartzler, from Missouri. I am concerned that this administration is failing to confront the threats our country faces, like Russia, so I am encouraged that this bill includes a package of measures to deter Russia, including U.S. training and support for our European allies; a plan for additional sanctions on Russia linked to treaty violations; as well as a requirement for the administration to develop a strategy to counter Russia over the long term. The bill also forces the same type of accountability that I have been pushing for on Syria policy for a long time, requiring the President to submit a comprehensive Syria strategy, including diplomatic, military, and humanitarian assistance initiatives. Too often, big bills like this forget the troops on the ground, but this bill raises military pay by 2.5 percent and takes action on specific concerns raised to me and my team by requiring a study on improving opioid prescription practices as well as additional mental healthcare for those transitioning out of Active Duty. The bill includes a provision I supported for our critical allies in the fight against terror. The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa program affords Afghan interpreters who have risked their lives--not only for their country, but for ours--the ability to resettle in the U.S. due to threats that they and their families face on a daily basis because they work with U.S. troops. Here at home, our military families selflessly support our men and women in harm's way and provide the backbone so important to military communities across our country. That is why I led an effort to include a requirement for the DOD to examine a new Military Family Service Corps to support volunteer efforts surrounding spousal career support, career transition assistance, community integration for military families, support for liaison programs with schools, as well as families with children of special needs. By building on these efforts, we can ensure our servicemembers and their families are supported to the fullest extent possible. Despite the important provisions included in this bill, it does come at a time when we as a Congress have forced the Department of Defense to operate under yet another continuing resolution in the absence of a full-year budget; and we are authorizing an unprecedented $692 billion in defense spending, blowing past the budget cap set by the Budget Control Act, by over $80 billion. All the while, Republicans are pushing one of the most aggressive tax cut packages in history, set to cost our country at least $1.7 trillion. Simply put, Republicans don't know how to balance a checkbook. Ultimately, it is our servicemembers and their families who will pay the price. As Admiral Mike Mullen, the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in 2010 and again in 2016: Our Nation's long-term debt is the single greatest threat to our national security. We ought to balance the budget because it is the right thing to do for the troops.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise today as a member of the Budget Committee to express my strong opposition to this budget resolution, which, if passed, would leave countless working families behind, and not to mention would, in fact, raise the Federal debt by at least $3 trillion over the first decade and by at least $6.6 trillion by the end of the second 10 years. This proposed budget is an atrocious representation of our values. As more Americans find it harder and harder to get by, this budget guts what people need to be most successful. It takes away dollars from education; it takes away dollars from the programs we rely on for retirement, for switching between jobs, for healthcare. We should be focused on funding the things that will enable the workforce to prepare for the 21st century, not gutting programs that will leave them falling further behind. Rather than funding luxury travel for the Trump administration, let's invest in quality education, job skills training, and properly fund the State Department and foreign aid programs that Secretary of Defense Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dunford have said are critical to our national security. This budget puts working families, our economy, and our national security at risk. Passage of this budget would also pave the way for Republican tax reform, if you want to call it that, which would favor big businesses that destroy our small towns. It shouldn't be easier for a company to get a tax break on buying another robot than training their employees to gain skills for the modern economy. We need a tax plan to incentivize companies to invest in their workers instead of engaging in a race to the bottom where workers are viewed as a burden rather than an asset. We need a budget that will foster economic growth for all of our people, and we need to make taxes more simple and fair for working families, not give handouts to the rich. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this proposed budget so that we can go back to the table--or, actually, to go to the table for the first time as Democrats and Republicans, and have a conversation about funding the resources that will actually move our economy and country forward into the 21st century and beyond.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues from Wisconsin and Arizona. It is an honor to stand here as fellow marines in support of this bill today. Today is a big day. It is a milestone in a journey that we started over a year ago. We are taking a major legislative step in the direction of creating a memorial honoring those who have served on Active Duty during the global war on terrorism. For many, like my colleagues, this bill is personal. None of us will forget where we were on September 11, 2001, and we all continue to live with the aftermath of that tragic day in American history. It is important to note that the tragic events of 9/11 and the war on terror to follow did not leave us isolated and afraid as a nation. Rather, in true American fashion, they inspired an entire generation to come together and serve. So many young men and women selflessly answered the call to serve their country in the wake of that tragedy, and I would like to share just one story with you about someone from my district who would be on this memorial. Captain Jennifer Harris lived in the town of Swampscott. She was a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and, sadly, became the first Massachusetts woman killed in the Iraq war. Jennifer was the epitome of leadership and sacrifice. On flying missions, she had the call sign ``The Dove.'' She would often be called to evacuate our wounded soldiers and marines from the battlefield. Captain Harris' final mission was to transport blood supplies. She willingly volunteered for it even though she was only just days away from returning home. In fact, she was initially told: No. You are too close to leaving. Don't go. But she said: I want to fly one more time. Her superiors reluctantly agreed. Captain Harris died on February 7, along with six other crew members after insurgents shot down her helicopter. In her twenties, with a bright future ahead of her, Captain Harris was on her third tour of duty in Iraq. I can't help but think today of my grandfather, a World War II veteran. He never got to see the WWII Memorial in his lifetime. He was never afforded the opportunity to have some place to take his family to reflect on his time in the service or remember his colleagues who did not have the opportunity to come home. Let's not let that history repeat itself. The men and women who have given their all in the war on terror should be afforded a place on the National Mall where their loved ones can pay respects and honor their sacrifice. Passage of this bill is an important first step in seeing this memorial built in our lifetime. Let's get this done for Captain Jennifer Harris and the thousands of others like her who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman and the ranking member for including this amendment in the en bloc package, because I remain concerned about the lack of a clear plan or strategy in Syria. As the Syrian opposition supported by U.S. and coalition forces fight to liberate Raqqa from ISIS control, we are confronted with the complex and critical question of what comes next. Freeing Syrians from the brutality of ISIS is but one part of a complex, grinding civil war that began with the Assad regime's heinous violence against civilians and has endured for over 6 years, with over 400,000 Syrians killed, 6 billion Syrians displaced within Syria, and over 4.5 million forced to flee as refugees. We now have over 500 U.S. troops deployed to Syria to advise and assist Syrian opposition forces. However, we have yet to have a clear, comprehensive political strategy that describes what the end goals are for U.S. involvement and how we hope to achieve those goals. This amendment requires just that, and follows a similar effort I led with General and Representative John Bacon on Iraq that received bipartisan support in the Armed Services Committee last year. This amendment requires a comprehensive political and military strategy for U.S. policy in Syria to be submitted by the Departments of Defense and State to Congress and the American people within 90 days of enactment. We owe it to our troops, those young men and women whom we ask to risk their lives in Syria today, to tell them what their job is, what it entails, what the end goal is, and why it is worth the risks that they take every single day.

Mr. MOULTON

Mr. MOULTON. Mr. Speaker, I come to the floor today to honor a constituent, a friend, and a beloved member of our community, Henri Termeer. Henri was a resident of my hometown in Massachusetts and the retired CEO of Genzyme, the biotech firm credited with launching the Boston biotech revolution that now leads the globe. Henri has been described as the epitome of a renaissance man, and he embodied the nexus of business, culture, and civic responsibility. He also left a lasting imprint on those he loved. His 16-year-old daughter, Adriana, referred to him as the giving tree because of the seemingly endless energy he devoted to the causes he believed in and the lives he touched. At dinner the night he passed away, Henri said to his guests: We are getting older and running out of runway here. We need new leaders now. Mr. Speaker, we would all do well to aspire to be the kind of thoughtful, passionate, and impactful leader Henri was. He saved countless lives, yet he was known for his modesty. Henri was one of the kindest men I have ever known, and we will miss him.