Joseph Morelle

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, it pains me to stand before you today and recognize Gun Violence Survivors Week. As a Nation, we grieve for all the lives lost senselessly and all those who must live in the wake of these acts of horror. This week alone, we have seen another school devastated by gun violence, another community uncertain how to move forward. Our country is faced with a growing epidemic, and it is our responsibility as lawmakers to take action to protect our communities. That is why I am proud to have joined Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congressman Hank Johnson, and a group of colleagues to introduce the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act. This bold reform includes my bill to strengthen gun shop regulations and prevent the theft of legal firearms. Over 30 percent of guns used in a crime are identified as stolen, and every one we keep out of the hands of the wrong people is a step closer to a safer reality for our Nation. The time to act is now.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, in addition to marking the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, this year also marks the 200th birthday of Susan B. Anthony, a pioneer of the women's rights movement who made her home in my district in Rochester, New York. As a Nation, we have come so far in the fight for equality, but we continue to face new barriers that threaten to roll back the progress we have made. That is why at next week's State of the Union Address, I am so proud that I will be joined by Deborah Hughes, president and CEO of the National Susan B. Anthony House & Museum in Rochester, and a passionate advocate for women everywhere. Deborah's work reminds us that the words of Susan B. Anthony still ring true today; we must ``organize, agitate, educate'' until every American has full equality. I am so grateful that Deborah will be joining me next week, and I will continue to stand alongside her and work together to support and empower women everywhere.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, this weekend I will join hundreds of activists and supporters for the Women's March in Seneca Falls, New York, home of the historic 1848 Women's Rights Convention that sparked the suffrage movement. We will celebrate the incredible strides we have made in the fight for women's rights and the many strong, courageous women who have shattered glass ceilings to achieve progress. The year 2020 marks the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment, guaranteeing and protecting women's constitutional right to vote. Now more than ever as we face new barriers threatening to roll back the rights of women, we must take up the mantle of Susan B. Anthony and the suffragists who came before us to continue to fight for the full equality that all women deserve. Together we will keep persisting.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I thank the distinguished chair and my colleague from the Rules Committee, Mr. McGovern, for yielding me this minute. We begin the new year in turbulent and uncertain times, particularly with regard to Iran and the Middle East. Protecting our national interests and securing the safety and security of the American people must be the highest priorities of our government. I am gravely concerned the recent actions of the Trump administration have destabilized the region and undermined those priorities. Article I of the United States Constitution vests in the House and Senate the responsibility to declare war, to appropriate money for the national defense, and, in doing so, to ensure no President employs military action without careful consultation of and authorization by Congress. That is why it is so important that we take action to reaffirm these responsibilities by passing the resolution before us, which I am proud to cosponsor. The use of United States Armed Forces to engage in hostilities against Iran must come only after thoughtful deliberation and approval by Congress. As we move forward, we must all seek to achieve a peaceful resolution that protects American interests at home and abroad. I join with all Americans in praying for the safety of our courageous servicemembers and urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying resolution.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, there is a saying in Albany when things go on for a while that everything has been said but not by everybody. Apparently, maybe everything has been said, and apparently, everybody doesn't feel the need to weigh in. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 765 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. Mr. Speaker, I would just take a moment, if I may, to thank the gentleman from Oklahoma, the distinguished Mr. Cole. When I came to Washington, I hoped to meet people who were professional, thoughtful, dedicated, not only to this institution but to this country, and I am grateful for his leadership and for his friendship. General Leave

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, on Monday the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 765, providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 1158, and the Senate amendment to H.R. 1865, which will fund the Federal Government through the fiscal year 2020. For each measure, the rule provides for 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Appropriations. The rule also self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairwoman Lowey to H.R. 1865. The rule provides the chair of the Appropriations Committee with the authority to insert into the Congressional Record such material as she may deem explanatory of both Senate amendments not later than December 17, 2019. Lastly, the rule adopts H. Res. 761, a bipartisan resolution that permits individuals to be admitted to the Hall of the House in order to obtain footage of the House in session for inclusion in the orientation film to be shown to visitors at the Capitol Visitor Center. Mr. Speaker, these two spending bills provide funding for the entirety of government operations through the remainder of fiscal year 2020. I am proud that Members of Congress from across the Nation have come together to reach this bipartisan consensus, even in areas where we disagree. This deal provides certainty for millions of American families and businesses that are all fearful of a government shutdown. It also represents a tremendous investment in working families, our economy, and our national security. These bills provide protections for our representative democracy with $425 million in support for election security to the various States and $7.6 billion for the approaching 2020 census. These appropriations also invest in our children's future, with record funding for Head Start and Child Care & Development Block Grants, as well as strong investments in nutrition assistance for children and those in need. We are also investing billions of dollars in renewable energy alternatives, environmental protection, and conservation to work toward a healthier planet for our children and our grandchildren. We are providing a record level of investment in the health of every American, including more than $41 billion for the National Institutes of Health. And, for the first time in more than 20 years, we have provided research funding to address a major threat to public health: the gun violence epidemic. This package includes $25 million for our public health experts at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health for firearm injury and mortality prevention research. It also provides $1.5 billion in investment in State-level response to the opioid epidemic. These measures fund community health centers through May 22 of next year, ensuring they can continue their vital work across the Nation while Congress works toward a long-term extension. In addition to all this, these bills also include bipartisan measures to provide additional mental health services, low-income home energy assistance, increase the age to buy tobacco to 21 nationwide, increase competition in the prescription drug market, and more. As the representative for Rochester, New York, I am grateful for Congress' ongoing, strong bipartisan support of $565 million for the Inertial Confinement Fusion program, including at least $80 million for the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics, or LLE, which is located in my district. This funding will allow the LLE to continue to cement its place as a world-class institution and leader in cutting-edge scientific research. Mr. Speaker, with these successes in mind, I am proud to speak in support of this legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, my friend, the late, great Governor of New York, Mario Cuomo, once said, ``We campaign in poetry and govern in prose,'' and I think he foresaw days like today when we come together in the spirit of compromise to accomplish great things for our communities and for the country. I want to thank my colleagues for their support and Mr. Cole's support of both Consolidated Appropriations Acts, and I especially thank Chairwoman Lowey, Ranking Member Granger, and all of the Members on the Appropriations Committee, including the distinguished gentleman from Oklahoma, for their tireless work in reaching this bipartisan compromise. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and a ``yes'' vote on the previous question.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, the next devastating flood or natural disaster is not if, but when, and we have a choice to make here today: We can either help our communities prepare and prosper for years to come or continue to drag our feet and face the dire consequences. We owe it to ourselves, to our constituents, and to future generations to get this right, and I, personally, want to be on the right side of history when we look back on this climate crisis. The work we are doing here is not duplicative or onerous; it is smart, meaningful, and bipartisan, and I look forward to its passage. I would like to thank all my colleagues for their support of H.R. 729, the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act. I especially would like to thank Chairman Grijalva for his leadership and the commitment of his committee on this effort. I applaud and thank the sponsor, Mr. Kilmer, for his leadership on this important legislation and Chairman McGovern for his work to move this legislation to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and a ``yes'' vote on the previous question.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the previous question and to move on to a vote on the rule. Even if the previous question was defeated, the amendment would not be able to move as the gentlewoman suggests. The amendment is not germane to the bill on natural resources. Obviously, this is an attempt to obscure what we are attempting to do, which is, we can either help coastal communities plan and prosper for a resilient future, or we can continue to delay and pay. Forty-two percent of Americans live in coastal communities. Working waterfronts employ more than 2 million people. Great Lakes fisheries alone support more than 75,000 jobs, and healthy fish habitats support a recreational fishing industry that provides more than 800,000 jobs to American citizens. Coastal communities around the country are experiencing intense climate impacts, including severe weather events, sea level rise, chronic flooding, coastal erosion, and changing ocean conditions. Coastal communities and economies need to adapt for climate change, and H.R. 729 will help communities do just that. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and friend. We serve on the Rules Committee together, and I always appreciate hearing her thoughts. But I do want to make a couple of points that I think bear being said. This is not a duplicative effort, and the need does exist. For instance, while NOAA may have the flexibility to create a program like the working waterfronts program, they are not currently supporting working waterfronts in the way that the bill envisions and continue to propose the elimination of coastal zone management grants. The amount of need for coastal zone management grants far exceeds the amount made available for grants each year, so this bill would direct NOAA to create a grant program and a loan program to support working waterfront activities and would also authorize extra funding to make that happen. Also, I wanted to make a point as it relates to the District of Columbia, which sits at the confluence of the Potomac and the Anacostia Rivers and lies mostly in the coastal plain. It is also bordered by the coastal States of Virginia and Maryland, whose adjoining waterways are included in their States' coastal zones. The shorelines of Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, and Prince George's County, Maryland, are included in their States' coastal zones programs. To clarify, the Virginia side of the Potomac is eligible, while the District of Columbia side is not. Inclusion of the District of Columbia would simply connect this gap and subject it to submission and approval of the coastal zone management plan. Coastal floods do not recognize State borders, and the District of Columbia is at risk of continued and increasing flooding. Since 1950, NOAA reports a 343 percent increase in nuisance flooding in the District of Columbia, and a single 100-year flood event could cost over $1.2 billion in damages, including damages to Federal property. I also want to note that in addition to consolidating 10 bipartisan bills, the legislation also includes a range of bipartisan amendments. I am proud that my own amendment will be included. It ensures 5 percent of funds for the working waterfronts grant program will be used for technical assistance, and this will help States and local governments with early-stage resources, planning assistance, and additional expertise. Additionally, I would like to highlight two other amendments led by my friend and colleague Representative John Katko, who represents Syracuse, New York, just to the east of my district. Both of those amendments I am pleased to cosponsor. These amendments make meaningful improvements that will advance research on harmful algal bloom development and open opportunities to assess the impact of water level regulating practices on the Great Lakes. These amendments further demonstrate the bipartisan work that went into this legislative package, and I thank my colleagues on the other side who contributed to this bill. Policy is always better when we work together, and I look forward to ensuring our constituents get access to the key provisions included in this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 748, providing for consideration of H.R. 729, the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act, under a structured rule. This rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking member of the Committee on Natural Resources. The rule makes in order 29 amendments and provides en bloc authority. Finally, the rule provides one motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act brings together ten meaningful and bipartisan bills that have comprehensive and necessary benefits for the American people, and I am proud to add my voice in support of this much needed legislation. Increased climate instability is an undeniable reality. All around us, we see spikes in severe weather patterns, rising sea levels, and destroyed ecosystems. As natural disasters increase in frequency and devastation, our communities pay the price through destroyed infrastructure, economic instability, and even loss of life. Coastal communities in particular are experiencing intense climate impacts, including severe weather events, sea level rise, chronic flooding, coastal erosion, and changing oceanic conditions. Coastal communities and economies need to adapt for climate change. My own district knows all too well the devastation that flood waters can cause, as many of my neighbors are still rebuilding from the severe flooding that we experienced in 2017 and again just this past spring. Within 100 miles of shoreline that fronts directly on Lake Ontario or nearby bays, rivers, and streams, my district is directly impacted by lake fluctuations, and we are experiencing unprecedented flood waters that erode beaches, devastate family homes, and cripple lakeside businesses. As a Member of this Congress, I know I am not alone in worrying about whether my constituents are adequately prepared for the next natural disaster, which is not a matter of if, but when. So many of us in this body, in fact most of us, have communities that are struggling to deal with climate impacts. Whether it is wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, droughts, red tide in our oceans, harmful blue- green algae in our lakes, the list seems to never end, but one thing is clear: the situation is not going to get better on its own. We need to act now. H.R. 729 is an opportunity to help our constituents prepare and adapt to our climate crisis. This coastal resiliency legislative package not only tells the American people that we care about preserving coastal communities and natural habitat, but proves we are willing to take the necessary actions to protect coastal ecosystems and local economies. The bill also sets in place mechanisms to improve ocean monitoring and research and provides necessary tools and resources for coastal communities to protect themselves from climate impacts. It is critical that we support proactive initiatives to prepare for and respond to our climate crisis, and this legislation takes those necessary steps. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to speak in support of this significant piece of legislation, and I urge all my colleagues to join me in supporting its passage. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko), my friend, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 748 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, our Nation faces an alarming crisis: The cost of prescription drugs continues to rise, placing a dangerous burden on American families, especially our older citizens. That is why, this week, the House is taking action to lower the cost of lifesaving medication individuals need to survive by passing H.R. 3, the Elijah Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act. I am especially proud this landmark legislation will include a provision I authored with my colleagues, Congressman Rose and Congressman Veasey, to help reduce Medicare part D costs for low-income seniors. H.R. 3 will finally allow Medicare to negotiate drug costs, and our provision will ensure the cost savings go right back to supporting Medicare recipients by expanding access to programs that lower out-of- pocket expenses for vulnerable adults and individuals with disabilities. We must continue working to improve our healthcare system, and this marks an important step forward in ensuring medication is accessible and affordable for everyday Americans.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, in January, House Democrats pledged to get to work for the people and take action to uplift the lives of everyday Americans. I am so proud of the progress we have made and the proposals we have advanced that would have real, meaningful impacts on our communities. Unfortunately, our partners in the United States Senate have abdicated their responsibility to do the same. We have sent over 300 bipartisan bills to the Senate so far this year, and not one has been taken up for a vote. This includes legislation to keep our communities safer by enacting universal background checks on all gun sales, legislation that would raise the minimum wage, safeguard our elections, protect people with preexisting conditions, and ensure equal pay for equal work. We were elected to serve the American people, and I will keep fighting alongside my colleagues in the House to advance legislation that improves the lives of everyone who calls our Nation home. I call upon the United States Senate to do the very same.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I regrettably missed the vote on H.R. 5084 Improving Corporate Governance through Diversity Act of 2019 on November 19, 2019. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on rollcall No. 630.

Mr. MORELLE

Mr. MORELLE. Madam Speaker, I regrettably missed the vote on H.R. 4634 Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization of 2019 on November 18, 2019. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 626.