Carol Miller

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2638, the Friendly Airports for Mothers Improvement Act. Traveling with infants is often stressful on new mothers and new fathers. I think back to when I was a young mom traveling with my sons, Chris and Sam, and now traveling with their wives, who just blessed us with our sixth grandchild, and to all moms and dads across the country who face the distinct challenges of traveling with their babies, let alone babies plus a sibling who could be a toddler, which is often the case. This bill helps to lessen anxiety when traveling and allows mothers to have a quiet private space to care for their young ones. I introduced similar legislation, H.R. 3362, earlier this year to help accomplish this goal, and I am pleased to see this issue brought to a vote today. As air travel continues to be one of the most preferred and popular means of transportation, we need to make sure that airport infrastructure is properly updated to fit the needs of American mothers and fathers and American families. S. 2638 would require small hub airports to construct mothers' rooms, which are areas where mothers can nurse their children in privacy, rather than a restroom. Think how disgusting that would be. Moms know that there is nothing comforting or nurturing about nursing a baby in an unsanitary condition of an airport bathroom. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 required all large and medium hub airports to construct mothers' rooms by 2021. This bill would help fill the remaining gap and similarly require small hub airports to install mothers' rooms, extending the coverage to 97 percent of all travelers. With the pandemic, travel has become even more difficult, so the timing of this bill couldn't be more appropriate because it emphasizes the need for Congress to come together to pass bipartisan support in the COVID crisis, without which our airports may continue to be empty. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 2638, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), the ranking member of the Aviation Subcommittee.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. S. 4075, the RLF Act, would release the Federal interest in the Economic Development Administration's revolving loan funds after 7 years if requested by the recipient. I thank Congressman Katko, the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, for his leadership and work on this issue. This fix to reduce the administrative burden of RLF funds was requested by the administration, as well as by State and local economic development officials. Even after the funds have turned over in these RLFs, local officials continue to be saddled with unnecessary paperwork. Releasing the Federal interest when the government's role is over will also release officials of the extra paperwork. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, S. 4075 will cut red tape and reduce paperwork for the communities that receive EDA grants for revolving loan funds. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan government reform bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5901, the Information Technology Modernization Centers of Excellence Program Act. This bill will help our government catch up with private-sector innovations by equipping agencies to take advantage of modern information technology solutions. Federal agencies remain challenged by inefficient, costly, and unwieldy legacy technology systems that do not adequately deliver citizen services and allow agencies to achieve their legally mandated missions. For example, the Government Accountability Office has reported that, between 2010 and 2017, the Federal Government spent over $450 billion just maintaining outdated legacy IT systems. That is over 70 percent of the government's entire IT budget. There is increasingly less and less Federal IT funding available for new agency modernization projects. The government needs to take advantage of the cutting-edge technology solutions already being used by the private sector. Recognizing the need for a different approach to transition large Federal agency technology projects, the Centers of Excellence were established by the Trump administration at the General Services Administration to help agencies overcome persistent modernization challenges. These challenges include identifying the best new technology solutions, purchasing that technology, and then integrating that technology into an agency's unique operations and workflows. The GSA Centers of Excellence teams serve as change management consultants that bring private-sector best practices to Federal agency technology challenges. By adopting commercially available solutions, in conjunction with deliberate enterprise-wide transformation planning, agencies can effectively transition into modern operating environments. By improving the operational efficiency of our Federal agency programs and mission, we can save taxpayer dollars. While modernizing government is good for the taxpayer, the Centers of Excellence also deliver an additional benefit to Americans by bringing a central focus to improving agency delivery on constituent services. H.R. 5901 promises to make the citizens' engagement with our government programs more intuitive and straightforward, like an engagement with a modern business. I am well aware of the challenges faced by veterans, senior citizens, and businesses when interacting with the Federal Government. I am sure that my colleagues are as well. The current pandemic has shown how critical it is for all Americans to be able to effectively and reliably interact with government agencies. It is time the Federal Government leveraged modern cloud computing systems, data-driven analytic capabilities, artificial intelligence, and modern customer experience tools to offer the highest level of service possible. H.R. 5901 will give congressional backing and ensure regular oversight of the existing GSA program in order to accomplish these goals. By giving legal authority to the program, we are also ensuring the program's stability through the next two Presidential administrations, which is critical to gaining agency buy-in and having the time to realize the benefits of this new modernization approach. The Congressional Budget Office's review of this bill found that it will have no budgetary impact, which shows that there are still legislative opportunities to modernize the government without spending additional taxpayer funds. I hope the House Oversight and Reform Committee and this Congress can continue to work together on similar legislative reforms to bring our government into the 21st century. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for their bipartisan work on this bill. I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 5901, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. Mr. Speaker, I have no further comments on this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on H.R. 7496, the COVID PREPARE Act of 2020. The bill requires every Federal agency to report COVID-19 resurgent action plans to Congress. These plans will cover agency pandemic resurgence preparations to assure agency mission continuity. The bill also requires agencies to outline their communication plans to necessary stakeholders, including Congress, States, and localities, and entities in the agency's jurisdiction. Finally, the bill requires quarterly updates on these plans through the end of the pandemic. This, of course, presumes a resurgence of the pandemic, which we hope will not happen. In discussing this bill, we would be remiss if we did not commend the work the Federal agencies and their workforce have already done and continue to do combating COVID-19 across our Nation. We should recognize the progress we have made as a nation in fighting this global pandemic. Thanks to this administration's leadership, we are seeing continual progress in the coronavirus fight. The President's Cabinet and agency leaders have been constantly evaluating the pandemic and making decisions in real time, with the safety of the Federal workforce and the American public as their primary goal. As our collective knowledge of COVID-19 evolves, Congress needs to ensure that the legislation we advance empowers Federal agencies to make these critical real-time decisions. Congress needs to be careful about continually laying on new reporting requirements to already- strained Federal agencies. These agencies are currently responsible to congressional oversight, and new, broadly defined reporting requirements can have the unintended consequences of redirecting scarce agency resources during a national emergency. H.R. 7496 requires, within 30 days of the legislation's enactment, that every Federal agency communicates plans to Congress for how they will handle the unthinkable; this pandemic worsening. The bill's language is broad, and we didn't have the opportunity to fully engage in debate on what it means and what metrics we are using. Legislation like this could have benefited from additional work in our committee to clarify its intentions. Fortunately, the agencies already have plans in place, and we hope the resurgence action plans envisioned by this bill won't be needed. Thanks to the administration's Operation Warp Speed, the American people are optimistic that the Food and Drug Administration will shortly announce a safe and effective vaccine. In the meantime, we need to work in Congress to assure that Federal agencies are able to remain fully focused on handling their present work and challenges so that we can stop this virus. Our constituents sent us here to work together, put partisanship aside, and ensure our Nation's government has the resources that it needs. I look forward to working with my colleagues on legislation that helps our government remain effective at fighting this pandemic. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act is well- intentioned legislation. First, let me send my deepest condolences to Chai's family. He sounds like such a beloved person. I am sure Chai is greatly missed. Each and every COVID-19-related tragedy is a stark reminder of the preciousness of life. America has faced astonishing challenges over the last 6 months with this global struggle. As the Nation's largest employer, the Federal Government has offices and employees across the Nation in every State and territory. There are unprecedented challenges facing our Federal workforce and the management of our government's many facilities. Every single State and territory is working overtime to operate under a disruptive emergency declaration. The work of our Federal agencies' diverse workforce is more critical than ever, and they are working around the clock. It is critical that the Federal agencies have stepped up to the plate to answer the calls for help. President Trump and his team at the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Personnel Management should be commended for issuing timely directives that gave agencies the necessary guidance and flexibility to accomplish their missions. The requirements of this bill may duplicate planned administration and agency actions. Therefore, the bill could have benefited from further committee work to avoid potential duplication. However, H.R. 7340 is well intentioned, and I support governmentwide transparency. I have heard my colleague, Mr. Connolly, speak passionately about Mr. Chai, about his character and his passion for working with children, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and colleagues that knew him so well. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further comments on this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor our Nation's brave law enforcement officials who protect our communities from violent crime. Just weeks ago, in West Virginia, a Fayette County deputy, Levi Garretson, was attacked during a traffic stop. Thankfully, volunteer firefighter, Calvin Endicott, was nearby to help fight off the attacker. Because of Mr. Endicott's actions, Deputy Garretson was able to go home that night. Sadly, this is not the case for many officers in our country. This growing hatred is appalling. Incredibly, some of my colleagues across the aisle call to defund the police. Our country was founded on ideals that promote civility and security for all Americans. We need to unify around a shared goal of law and order, to stop the rioters and anarchists who burn our cities and threaten our law enforcement. I will always stand with our brothers and sisters in uniform.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on my amendment to fund the border wall. Our country has suffered this year. We have all experienced hardship as a pandemic rapidly made its way onto our shores. Americans are resilient. We are rebuilding our economy, and we will persevere. However, we must not forget about the ongoing crisis on our southern border. In their bill, my colleagues across the aisle want to strike all funding for border wall construction. This is not the time. We need to focus. It was just months ago when nearly every Member of Congress joined together to ban deadly fentanyl from our country. This was such a strong statement to showcase our commitment to combating the opioid epidemic. Thanks to our strong border wall and the heroic efforts of the men and women who guard it, our border is currently more secure than it has ever been. Defunding the wall will weaken enforcement efforts and hurt our communities. During the pandemic, overdoses in West Virginia alone have risen by 50 percent compared to a year ago. Now is not the time to turn a blind eye toward the drug smugglers who are looking to capitalize on our hardship. We cannot abandon our vulnerable populations. We cannot stop construction. We need to finish the wall. We need a strong and stable border to show our commitment to stop crime and make sure that security is available to every single American. For these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of my amendment and the entire Republican en bloc.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously recognize, Mr. William Paul Cole, Jr. Paul was born to William Paul Cole, Sr. and Harriet Foote Cole on December 21, 1931, in New York City, New York. However, Bluefield, West Virginia, is where the Cole Family planted its roots and where Paul grew up. Paul started serving the Bluefield Community in his adolescence and teenage years by working alongside his father and grandfather at the Cole family-owned West Virginia Hotel. Entrepreneus and Community leaders themselves--Paul's father and grandfather taught him the beginnings of business management, entrepreneurship, and public service; skills he would cultivate throughout young adulthood, which lead to many successes later in life. After Paul graduated from Beaver High School in 1949, he left Bluefield to further his education at Davidson College. He returned home in 1954 with his degree in-hand. That same year, he married the love of his life, Carol Ann McHugh. To provide for his wife and future children, Paul joined the United States Army. He served our country fearlessly in active duty for two years and continued his service in the Reserves until reaching the rank of Captain. He would later attend Harvard School of Business, earning a Master's in Business Administration. Thereafter, he was hired by IBM to work at their Headquarters in New York City as a Systems Engineer. He pursued this role and lived in New York City until his father's unexpected death in 1965. He quickly took a one-year ``leave of absence'' from IBM--which he never came back from--and returned to Bluefield to take over the Cole family estate. Paul took up his father's mantle as the Head of Operations over the Cole Motor Company. At that time, the Company was internationally known as a Harvester Dealership. Through his up-bringing and education, Paul was a natural Captain at the Helm. His leadership brought forth many opportunities for the Company. The two most prominent were the formation of Truck City Parts in 1975 and the purchase of Evans Chevrolet in 1982 (Later to become Cole Chevrolet). As his father and grandfather did, Paul continuously sought ways to give back to the community. He was elected to Bluefield's Mayoral office in 1981. He was consecutively reelected between the years of 1981 and 1993. He served one nonconsecutive term from 2000 to 2001. Paul is known as Bluefield's longest serving Mayor. Pulling from his business experiences, Paul brought integrity, honesty, and fiscal responsibility to the office. The city truly thrived under his leadership. A list of Paul's other accomplishments includes--Chairman of the American Truck Dealers Association from 1978 to 1980, lifelong member of the West Virginia Auto Dealers Association and was elected for a period of time as their President, the first West Virginian to be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, lifelong member of the Bluefield Chamber of Commerce and was elected for a period of time as their President, lifelong member of the Bluefield Rotary Club and was elected for a period of times as their President, received an honorary Doctorate Degree from Northwood University for his leadership in helping to establish a Truck Marketing Curriculum, traveled with Bluefield State College's delegation to Taiwan to help establish a partnership between Bluefield State College and three higher education institutions within the People's Republic of China, lifelong member of Mesa, inducted into Bluefield High School's High of Fame in 2003, Bluefield State College named their School of Business after Paul's namesake in 2010, husband, father of three, grandfather to thirteen, and great-grandfather to fourteen. Today, Paul's legacy can be seen all throughout Appalachia. The Cole Automotive Group, formally known as the Cole Motor Company, is now operated by generations of Coles--all striving to uphold the precedent of excellence achieved by Paul, his father, and grandfather. With many locations in Bluefield and in the surrounding areas, the Coles continue to provide an exceptional service to my constituents in West Virginia's Third Congressional District. May God bless William Cole, Jr. I wish I could thank him for all he did for the great State of West Virginia. He will always be remembered by his family, friends, and the countless people he impacted throughout his life. I send my sincerest condolences to the Cole family, especially his wife, Carol Ann, and children, Bill, Tom, and Charles.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my friend and former colleague Mr. Shirley Love, who passed away on July 17, 2020. Born in May 1933 to Earl and Winona Love, Shirley was named after the popular West Virginia newspaper columnist, Shirley Donnelly. Unbeknownst at the time, he was also destined for media greatness. For 45 years, Shirley worked at WOAY-TV station entertaining and informing many. He is known for becoming one of southern West Virginia's first nightly TV news anchors, and with his terrific voice, Shirley was a welcomed radio presence in households throughout the region, ultimately landing him in the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame. After retiring from WOAY, he selflessly represented Fayette County in the State legislature for 16 years. Appointed by Governor Caperton to the senate, Shirley eventually moved to the house of delegates, where I had the honor to work alongside him. Shirley constantly lived up to his reputation of integrity and honesty. He will always be remembered by his family, friends, and countless people he impacted throughout his life. I send my sincerest condolences to his wife, Audrey, his children, and his grandchildren. May God bless Shirley Love.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman DeFazio and Ranking Member Graves. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this year's bipartisan Water Resources Development Act. Our country was built on an elaborate system of inland waterways, ports, and harbors to facilitate trade and transportation. And nearly every community in our country relies on open waterways to move their products. My district is no exception. We are home to the Port of Huntington Tri-State on the Ohio River. This interconnected water system creates jobs and ensures that Appalachia remains a competitive region of economic growth. As we rethink and reform America's supply chains post-COVID, we must continue to open, update, and modernize key water infrastructure to maintain safety and efficiency. WRDA investments secure this mission. WRDA also delivers protection from hurricanes and flooding. In my district in southern West Virginia, we saw disaster strike in 2016 when our dams overflowed, and our rivers tore through many vibrant communities. As we recover and rebuild, we must also prepare for the future. If we pass this bill, we can double the funding for flood protection in central West Virginia and triple the funding in southern West Virginia. The vast majority of American communities lie along key U.S. waterways. And while I work for my district, countless others will also see increased protections. Mr. Speaker, for the good of our country, I implore my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak in favor of three amendments I have submitted in the Republican en bloc. An amendment to stop my colleagues across the aisle from cutting funding for our border wall. We still have a crisis on our southern border, and we need to stop illegal drugs from entering our country. An amendment to support innovation in the gas industry. American energy is clean, affordable, and efficient. We must capitalize on our American energy dominance to rebuild our economy, expand trade, and create stable jobs. And an amendment to make sure our police remain funded. We cannot let our liberal colleagues defund the police. This overcorrection will lead our country to a dark place. Our police officers protect our communities and keep us safe. I am proud to support our police.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to posthumously recognize, Mr. Shirley Love. Shirley was born to Earl and Winona Love on May 15, 1933. The name ``Shirley'' was suggested by the Love's family nurse, for his resemblance to her husband, Shirley Donnelly. Shirley Donnelley was a popular West Virginia newspaper columnist during the 1930's; unbeknownst to Earl and Winona at the time, their naming of their child not only passed on the uniqueness of the Shirley namesake but also a destiny for media greatness. Shirley Love always had a phenomenal voice. Before he was entertaining countless West Virginians on Radio & TV, he used his voice to serve God every Sunday in Oak Hill United Methodist Church's Choir. The owner of WOAY in the early 1950's was Robert Thomas. He was a member of the church's congregation and always paid close attention to the charm of Shirley's voice. After Shirley graduated Collins High School in 1952, Robert Thomas offered him a once-in-a-life-time- opportunity as an announcer on his Network. Shirley accepted and quickly became the face of WOAY TV & Radio. Shirley served WOAY and entertained the people of West Virginia from 1952 to 1997. He was best known for becoming one of Southern West Virginia's first TV nightly news anchors. He also hosted several programs through WOAY, including Friday Night Barn Dance, West Virginia Band Stand, and Saturday Night Wrestling. Of these, Saturday Night Wrestling was the most popular. Shirley kept audiences watching for decades through the way he handled fan interviews and intense competitor interactions. Shirley was appointed to represent West Virginia's Senate District 11 in 1994 by Governor Caperton. He later retired from WOAY in 1997 and began to focus fully on public service rather than entertainment. Between 1994 and 2008, Shirley was elected and subsequently re-elected to Senate District 11 three times. He was later elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates from 2016 to 2018. Between both Chambers, Shirley selflessly served the people of Fayette County in the West Virginia Legislature for sixteen years. I had the honor of working along side him in the House of Delegates. I witnessed first-hand his integrity, honesty, and straight forwardness in the Legislature. He was truly a man of the people. A list of Shirley's other accomplishments includes--One of West Virginia's Representatives to the National Democratic Convention from 1972 to 2016, Fayette County Democratic Executive Committee Member, West Virginia State Democratic Executive Committee Member, Member of the West Virginia Broadcasting Hall of Fame, one of Saturday Night Live's first guests in America, a lifetime member of the Oak Hill United Methodist Church, husband, and father to three children. May God bless Shirley Dean Love. I wish I could thank him for all he did for the great State of West Virginia. He will always be remembered by his family, friends, and the countless people he impacted throughout his life. I send my sincerest condolences to his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 2 because we need to put an end to the highway robbery before us. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has a long history of bipartisan cooperation, rising above the political games to strengthen the backbone of our country. However, after the Democrats' power grab in this year's highway funding bill, that is sadly no longer the case. When drafting this legislation, my colleagues across the aisle neither asked for nor accepted input from me or any of my Republican colleagues. They steamrolled a bill through the committee with so many irredeemable qualities, you would think they wanted it to fail. After it passed committee, the bill was gutted of bipartisan amendments solely because they were introduced by our party. And it is expensive. At the outset, this legislation cost nearly $500 billion over 5 years, and then they tacked on another trillion in the last week. It cuts money from where we need it and throws taxpayer dollars at problems that don't exist. Our roads and bridges are failing, and projects, many like Corridor H in West Virginia, are underfunded. This bill hamstrings our State government and adds red tape instead of flexibility. Rather than bridging America's urban-rural divide, my Democrat colleagues want to put the big cities first and ignore our rural communities but still stick us with the bill. We need all of America to thrive, from Appalachia to the heartland, the Rockies to the Rust Belt. We need to build up our entire country to create a modern economy that offers success to everyone. But here we are, debating a bill that gives $2 of every $5 to the Green New Deal. This is partisan messaging, not meaningful policy. I am disheartened. I am disappointed. And I am disgusted that politics continue to take precedence over the needs of our country. Our people want and need better roads. For these reasons and many more my time will not allow, I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman DeFazio for yielding. I rise in opposition to amendment No. 124 on both the merits and the process that bring us to the people's House today. I came to Congress to fix issues in southern West Virginia, like our need for strong and stable infrastructure and to bring new opportunity to our State. During the markup on H.R. 2, I introduced a commonsense amendment to solve a problem that has been plaguing rural America for years: the Appalachian Development Highway System. The ADHS is an essential part of America's highway system and has been since 1965. Its goal is to connect rural communities with high-quality roadways, allowing us to transport our goods and people across the country. This system is instrumental in guaranteeing economic success for all of America. Unfortunately, outdated funding mechanisms are bogging down progress by holding taxpayer money hostage in projects that are already completed while other underfunded projects stay unfinished. My legislation would fix this problem by freeing up the States to collaborate on these projects and deliver money in a targeted approach. There is no additional cost to taxpayers, and it would not cut funding for any State. It is good policy that was adopted in the Senate and passed in our committee without objection by one single member. Bipartisan and bicameral, what a rare sight for Washington these days. However, once again, at the eleventh hour, my colleagues across the aisle added this new language that contradicts my amendment and threatens the entire livelihood of the ADHS. Passage of this amendment kills the one I offered. It would cut rural support for more big-city interests, holding back hardworking people from the benefits of quality roadways and the job opportunities that come with it. It is misplaced priorities like these that lead to Congress' low approval rating. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose amendment No. 124 so that we can give Appalachia the respect and service it deserves.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 1425, which should be called the expanding government and killing cures act. With this legislation, my colleagues across the aisle are bending American healthcare to the will of Washington bureaucrats. Any way you look at this, House Democrats took a bipartisan issue, improving healthcare and lowering prices, and botched it. We are now left with bad policy that will stifle innovation for new treatments and therapeutics and do what government does worst: pick winners and losers in the private sector. This absolutely will not fix ObamaCare's failed policies. This bill gives billions in taxpayer-funded bailouts and subsidies, while doing nothing to streamline services, lower costs, or cut taxes. Today, House Democrats are wasting everyone's time pushing a bill with price controls, punitive taxes, blank checks, bailouts, and more red tape and bureaucracy. I want a bill that protects preexisting conditions, lowers drug pricing, incentivizes innovation, fixes our healthcare system, cuts taxes, and actually lets you keep your own doctor--but this is not it. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation so we can get to work and actually pass a bill that improves the lives of our citizens.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley).

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6020, a bill requiring a Government Accountability Office evaluation of the social, economic, and historic contributions that Minor League Baseball has made to American life and culture. This past year, Major League Baseball proposed eliminating at least 40 minor league teams. MLB says their goal is to modernize the minor league system, but communities say the plan is misguided. Minor league teams are often found in smaller cities. I have two in my own district, and I visited with these teams. I know they have a vested interest in our communities, and they have a positive economic impact and contribute to our diversification. I have spoken with the fans, and they tell me how the teams provide a sense of community, pride, and togetherness, and improve livability in the region. Mr. Speaker, there are many other benefits that minor league teams provide. For example, the average cost of a major league ticket is over $30, compared to the under $10 for the minor's, and that cost rises exponentially when you factor in parking, concessions, and souvenirs. Minor League Baseball also offers an affordable alternative to those families that wish to teach their kids about America's pastime. In addition to these individual benefits, Minor League Baseball teams donated over $40 million to local charities in 2018 alone. The minor leagues have also established initiatives providing opportunities to athletes around the world. These initiatives grow the game of baseball. Some of these initiatives include providing training and equipment to Latin-American players and expanding the sport by encouraging young girls to play. Minor League Baseball also creates programs and hosts summer camps for kids in their local communities. These programs and camps promote a healthy lifestyle and teach teamwork and leadership. Mr. Speaker, for these reasons, I support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to make the gentlewoman from New York aware that I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. MILLER

Mrs. MILLER. Madam Speaker, I would first like to thank my colleague from North Carolina (Mr. Budd) for his leadership on this important issue. We still have a crisis on our southern border. While we have made progress, we need to finish the job. We are continuing to construct our border wall, to strengthen our ports of entry, and to keep drugs and crime out of our communities. Yet, while President Trump, the heads of our Federal agencies, and congressional Republicans have joined together to draft good legislation and enforce our country's laws, we, sadly, have areas in our country that harbor criminals under the hypocritical title of sanctuary cities. In defiance of our laws, many places like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and others have publicly pledged to serve as a safe haven for the dangerous criminals living in the shadows of our society. Meaningful immigration reform is crucial, but removing dangerous criminals cannot wait. Crime affects every person in this country-- every citizen, every visitor, every single person, whether of legal status or otherwise. We have seen that anybody can be a victim of crime when our city leaders refuse to remove violent offenders off our streets. These city officials have provided sanctuaries for lawbreakers but not for law followers. We need justice for those victims. While city leaders protect criminals from deportation and frustrate our Federal immigration enforcers, it is well past time to create a pathway to justice for the law-abiding members of our communities. If these sanctuary city officials will not protect their citizens, they must pay a price. They must be held accountable and responsible for their reckless negligence. We need to allow victims and their families to sue these cities that have blocked our Federal agents from enforcing laws and shielded violent criminals from removal. President Trump spoke of this in his eloquent and powerful State of the Union Message. I am proud to cosponsor the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act introduced by Mr. Budd because my fellow West Virginians and many Americans know that this is the right thing for our country. Good governance depends on transparency and accountability for our citizens and cooperation between Federal, State, and local leaders. Sanctuary cities deny these.