Jerrold Nadler

Mr. NADLER

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, the lack of adequate camera systems puts the safety of both incarcerated individuals and correctional officers and staff at risk. The Prison Camera Reform Act of 2021 is bipartisan legislation that takes an important step toward making much-needed improvements. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Connecticut (Mrs. Hayes), a sponsor of the bill.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 5230.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Every year in this country over 600,000 Americans go missing. While many of the missing are fortunate to be found alive and well, tens of thousands of individuals remain missing for more than 1 year, what many agencies consider to be cold cases. It is also estimated that 4,400 unidentified bodies are recovered each year, with approximately 1,000 of those remaining unidentified, also becoming cold cases. The families of those who go missing are forced to endure crushing uncertainty, not knowing what happened to their loved ones or if they will ever return. But they also face systemic challenges in helping law enforcement locate the missing or match them to unidentified remains so that they can at least have some semblance of closure. The Help Find the Missing Act, or Billy's Law, is bipartisan legislation that will help address this crisis by closing loopholes in our Nation's missing person databases by streamlining the reporting process and ensuring that law enforcement databases are more comprehensive and accessible. The bill is named after Billy Smolinski of Waterbury, Connecticut, who went missing in 2004 at the age of 31, and whose family ran into countless obstacles as they attempted to help law enforcement in the search, including that Federal law does not mandate the reporting of missing adults or unidentified bodies. This problem is compounded by the fact that local law enforcement agencies, medical examiners, and coroners often lack the resources and training to report these cases to the appropriate national authorities. When cases of missing persons or unidentified remains are reported, the number of separate and uncoordinated Federal, State, and local databases makes it extremely difficult to find the missing or match them with recovered remains. Billy's Law will address these challenges by authorizing and ensuring funding for the Department of Justice to continue to maintain the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System, or NamUs, which is the national clearinghouse and resource center for missing, unidentified, and unclaimed persons. It provides an online database that is accessible to law enforcement and the public, and to which the public can contribute. NamUs also provides free forensic services to aid in the identification of missing persons and unidentified remains; investigative support to law enforcement agencies; technical assistance to families of missing persons; and its subject matter experts train State and local service providers to support individuals and families impacted by the disappearance of a loved one. Critically, Billy's Law would require data sharing between NamUs and the FBI's National Crime Information Center, or NCIC, in order to create more comprehensive databases of missing persons and unidentified remains and streamline the reporting process for State, local, and Tribal law enforcement. It would also amend current law to require that missing children be reported to NamUs as well as to NCIC, and it would require the reporting of information on every unidentified deceased person, regardless of age. In addition, the bill would require the Attorney General to issue guidelines and best practices to law enforcement, medical examiners, and coroners on handling cases involving missing persons or unidentified remains. We must do everything possible to ensure that we have a comprehensive and coordinated missing persons reporting and investigation system that works so that we can provide resolution to the families of those whose loved ones disappear. I thank Senator Chris Murphy for his yearslong effort to pass Billy's Law, and I thank Representative Jahana Hayes for introducing the House companion bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, the families and loved ones of those who have gone missing spend every day desperately searching for answers and for help. Billy's Law provides critical tools to help them find answers, coordinating our Nation's multiple missing persons databases, increasing reporting requirements, and providing training and resources to the myriad agencies that investigate these cases, while supporting the victims' families. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in support of this crucial bipartisan legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 4003.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, S. 4003, the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022, is bipartisan legislation that would improve training for law enforcement officers, including training on using alternatives to force and de-escalation tactics. This bill was previously brought to the floor under suspension of the rules, but it failed to garner the necessary two-thirds majority support. I was disappointed to see some of my Republican colleagues continue to lead efforts to withhold desperately needed training resources from law enforcement officers. I am hopeful that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle may have had more time to consider the significance and importance of passing this critical legislation to not only improve policing practices through increased training, but also to make our communities safer by ensuring individuals in crisis receive the help they need. Law enforcement officers are often the first responders to individuals in crisis. While we have worked to develop and implement non-law enforcement crisis response services, there continues to be a need to train and equip law enforcement officers to de-escalate interactions and divert individuals to appropriate mental and behavioral health services. Additionally, there is a need to provide officers and crisis response teams the tools they need to understand and respond to individuals with disabilities. One study found that disabled individuals make up one- third to one-half of all people killed by law enforcement officers. Reforms to law enforcement, including de-escalation training, both improve public safety and reduce crime. A study of the Louisville, Kentucky, police department found that de-escalation training reduced use-of-force incidents by 28 percent and community member injuries by 26 percent. Officer injuries were reduced by an even larger margin of 36 percent. S. 4003 would require the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to consult with a broad range of stakeholders in developing the training curriculum, including law enforcement and behavioral health groups, as well as civil rights and civil liberties groups and associations that represent individuals with disabilities. This bill also requires the National Institute of Justice and the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the implementation of the program and the effect of the training to ensure that the curricula have a tangible impact on law enforcement encounters with people in crisis and to identify possible changes that would further improve outcomes. This bipartisan bill has broad support from law enforcement, mental health, and community advocacy groups, and would improve public safety by developing and implementing evidence-based de-escalation training for law enforcement officers. I thank Senator Cornyn for introducing this bill and former Congresswoman Karen Bass for leading the House version of this important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa), a distinguished member of the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record letters in support of this legislation from the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the National Fraternal Order of Police, the American Conservative Union, the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, the American Association for Psychoanalysis and Clinical Social Work, the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, the American Association of Health and Disability, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, the American Group Psychotherapy Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Psychological Association, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, the Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare, the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the National Alliance to Advance Adolescent Health, the National Association for Children's Behavioral Health, the National Board for Certified Counselors, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, the National Eating Disorders Association, the National Federation of Families, and National Network of Depression Centers, Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Prison Ministry Coalition, the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Center for Public Justice, the Jesuit Conference Office of Justice and Ecology, the National Association of Evangelicals, the National Latino Evangelical Coalition, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Coalition, and the Prison Fellowship. Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, October 19, 2022. Hon. Steve Scalise, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Honorable Steve Scalise: On behalf of Louisiana's 64 sheriffs and the over 14,000 deputies they serve, I am writing you today to express our strong support for the bi- partisan Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act which passed the Senate by Unanimous Consent on August 1, 2022. This legislation seeks to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide for training on alternatives to use of force, including de-escalation and mental and behavioral health and suicidal crises training. As you know, Louisiana currently has a population of approximately 4.52 million people. According to the most recent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Behavioral Health Barometer, close to 5.6 percent of adults (253,120) in our state live with serious mental health conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression. During 2017-2019, the annual average prevalence of past-year serious thoughts of suicide was 4.4 percent. Yet, only 39.5 percent of adults with mental illness in Louisiana receive any form of treatment from either the public system or private providers. The remaining 60.5 percent receive no mental health treatment. Furthermore, according to Mental Health America, Louisiana is ranked 35th out of the 50 states and Washington D.C. for providing access to mental health services. Despite our sheriffs best efforts to train our deputies in incident response that includes deescalation, problem solving, and mental health awareness, we are asking Louisiana's law enforcement community to compensate for an overworked mental and behavioral health system. If we are going to ensure more citizens who are in need of mental healthcare receive such care when they encounter a deputy, we need to ensure our deputies have the tools and training to help facilitate this transition to care. This is why the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act is so important. For the first time, the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act would provide federal support for Louisiana's sheriff offices to adopt de-escalation training to respond more effectively to people suffering with a mental or behavioral crises. It would require the Attorney General to develop de-escalation training curricula, authorize annual grant funding for training, evaluate implementation to improve trainings and outcomes and foster greater collaboration with community mental and behavioral support centers. The legislation also enjoys the support ofthe National Sheriffs' Association, the Major Country Sheriff's Association, the National Criminal Justice Association along with the National Association for Rural Mental Health, The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Senator John Cornyn, one of the lead sponsors of the Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act put it best when he stated ``We ask law enforcement in our communities to wear too many hats, including that of mental health provider, and they often do not have enough resources or training to provide the level of care individuals in crisis need.'' With your support, the House of Representatives has an opportunity to fix this, and we hope it can do so before the end of the year. Thank you for your continued efforts in support of Louisiana's law enforcement community. We look forward to working with you to ensure this critical legislation's enactment. Sincerely, Michael Ranatza, Executive Director.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Trone), the sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, S. 4003 is bipartisan legislation that would improve training for law enforcement officers, including training using alternatives to force and de-escalation tactics. This training will reduce use-of-force incidents and improve officer and community safety. It passed the Senate unanimously. The most conservative Republican Senators all voted for it. I read a long list of organizations supporting it. The American Conservative Union is not a group noted for profligate Federal spending. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to have some perspective on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Senate amendment to H.R. 8404, the Respect for Marriage Act. I first introduced a version of this legislation in 2009, and I am very proud that after a long journey it will soon be headed to the President's desk and marriage equality will be enshrined in law. The House took an important step in July when it passed the bill with the support of 47 Republican Members. Now that the Senate has passed an amended version, also with bipartisan support, it is up to us to finish the job. I find it deeply poignant that as we prepare to bring the 117th Congress to a close, we are on the cusp of a great bipartisan moral victory in defense of a fundamental right of all Americans, a victory that will provide stability and reassurance to the millions of LGBTQ and interracial families that have come to rely on the constitutional right to marry. The Respect for Marriage Act does three things: First, it repeals the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, which blatantly discriminates against same-sex couples, and which still officially remains on the books. Second, it enshrines marriage equality for Federal law purposes, requiring the Federal Government to consider a person to be married if the marriage is valid in the State where it was performed. Finally, it prohibits anyone acting under color of State law from denying full legal effect to a valid out-of-state marriage based on the sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin of the two individuals in the marriage. The Senate amendment does not change any of these substantive provisions. Rather, it adds language that explicitly affirms that existing constitutional and other legal protections for religious liberty remain in effect. The Senate amendment does not create any new substantive legal rights, but rather, it clarifies that the bill does not affect the existing legal rights or benefits of religious persons or entities. It also explicitly clarifies that the bill does not require or authorize the Federal Government to recognize polygamous marriages. It is because of this compromise--the result of the hard work of Senators Tammy Baldwin and Susan Collins--that the amended bill passed the Senate by a vote of 61-36 with 12 Republican Senators voting in support. While marriage equality remains constitutionally protected today, we have learned in recent months that rights once thought to be fundamental and forever secure can, in fact, be taken away. Indeed, in the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization--a decision overturning nearly 50 years of precedent recognizing a constitutional right to abortion--Justice Clarence Thomas went out of his way to write a separate concurrence calling on the Court to reconsider all of its substantive due process decisions, including Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision recognizing a right to marriage equality. In light of this concurrence, even if one accepts the Dobbs majority's assurances that the constitutional right to marriage equality is settled law, Congress must use this opportunity to provide additional reassurance to the many American families who have come to rely on this guarantee. After all, we were told that the right to abortion was settled law. The Respect for Marriage Act cements respect for married couples, which all Americans--including those in this Congress--should support and value. I thank the co-chairs of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus, the chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus, and incoming House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries for joining me in introducing this legislation. I also thank my chief of staff, Amy Rutkin, who helped to do so much to guide this legislation through the House. I urge all Members to support this Senate amendment to H.R. 8404, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline).

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan).

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on H.R. 8404.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1510, I call up the bill (H.R. 8404) to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act and ensure respect for State regulation of marriage, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendment thereto, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Allred).

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Craig).

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), a member of the committee.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Chu).

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Garcia), a member of the committee.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Torres).