Jerrold Nadler

Mr. NADLER

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1652) to deposit certain funds into the Crime Victims Fund, to waive matching requirements, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1652.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act would support vital victim service programs by preventing future cuts to already diminished Federal victim service grants. Grants under the Victims of Crime Act, or VOCA, are the primary source of Federal funding for thousands of victim service providers around the country, including programs serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, trafficking, and drunk driving. VOCA grants also fund victim compensation, including paying medical bills, covering lost wages, and paying for funeral costs. These critical grants are not taxpayer-funded. Instead, they are paid out of the Crime Victims Fund, or CVF, which is funded, in turn, through Federal criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalties, and special assessments collected by U.S. Attorneys' Offices, Federal U.S. courts, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Over the past several years, however, deposits into the CVF have dropped significantly, leading to corresponding cuts in grants to victim service providers. This is, in part, because the Federal Government has increased its reliance in recent years on deferred prosecution and nonprosecution agreements, the penalties from which are not deposited into the CVF. This legislation would shore up funding for this critical fund by requiring DOJ to deposit penalties from these deferred prosecution and nonprosecution agreements into the CVF, in addition to the funds currently deposited from other sources. Not only does this legislation ensure the CVF is more financially stable, it would also make much-needed improvements to victim compensation and services. For example, it would increase the statutory amount awarded to victim compensation programs, and it expands the range of victims eligible for compensation. It also allows States to request a no-cost extension from the Attorney General, as allowed for other Department of Justice formula grant programs, to ensure that States can thoughtfully and effectively distribute victim service grants without being penalized. Other improvements include waiving matching requirements for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis, plus 1 additional year, and additional discretion for the States which administer VOCA funds to further waive matching requirements once this initial waiver period expires. All of these provisions would substantially improve the program's effectiveness and would enable it to offer more services to more people. I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), and the other bipartisan cosponsors of this important legislation for their support. I also want to thank our colleagues in the Senate, including Senator Durbin, the lead sponsor, and Senator Graham, for their efforts to pass this bill in that Chamber as well. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation ensures that programs and services assisting victims of crime are fully funded and are better- supported, with no new taxpayer dollars. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for the purpose of closing. Last year, all 56 State and territorial attorneys general sent a letter to Congress warning us that the balance and financial health of the Crime Victims Fund is in jeopardy and urging that we act swiftly to address the problem. They explained any decrease in the funds available for distribution results in a decrease in the number of victims and survivors that are served, as well as potential loss of essential staff in victim service programs. The VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act heeds their call and would ensure that this fund has the resources it needs to continue delivering essential services to victims of crime. This important legislation is supported by more than 1,670 national, regional, State, territorial, and local organizations. I thank all of my colleagues who have supported this bill. I am aware of no opposition to this bill at all, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 1651.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, H.R. 1651, the COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act of 2021, is bipartisan legislation to temporarily extend, until March 27, 2022, the COVID-19 bankruptcy relief provisions enacted as part of the CARES Act in the December 2020 omnibus appropriations bill. Since the bankruptcy provisions of the CARES Act will expire next week, it is urgent for Congress to ensure that families and small businesses do not lose access to these economic lifelines. These provisions were enacted last year to provide critical relief to families and small businesses forced into bankruptcy because of the ongoing pandemic. For example, they help ensure that Federal COVID- related relief payments are used by families to get through this pandemic instead of being seized by creditors. They also help people stay in their homes and ensure that their utilities are not shut off. In addition, these provisions protect individuals and creditors alike from the effects of the pandemic derailing the court-ordered repayment plans that promise a way out of chapter 13 bankruptcy. They will also allow more small businesses to take advantage of the streamlined process established by the Small Business Reorganization Act. Extending these necessary protections until March of next year will provide much-needed certainty that the bankruptcy system will remain responsive to debtors and creditors alike during this extraordinarily disruptive crisis. I thank Mr. Cline for his work with me on this bill, and for his work to ensure that small businesses have meaningful access to the bankruptcy process. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this urgently needed bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers.

Mr. NADLER

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time remains.

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

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. 8.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, gun violence impacts all of our communities, and no place is immune from its reach, including our homes, our streets, our schools, and even our places of worship. That is why we must take swift and decisive action to reduce the daily toll of gun violence that afflicts our Nation. H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 is sensible and effective legislation to do just that. Under current law, gun sales conducted by licensed firearms dealers may only be completed if the buyers clear background checks. This bill would simply extend that requirement, with limited exceptions, to guns transferred by unlicensed individuals as well. That simple change to close a gaping loophole in the law is one of the most effective steps we can take to address the scourge of gun violence in this country. According to one study, 22 percent of gun owners in the U.S. acquired their most recent firearm without a background check. We do not know if they were felons, fugitives, domestic abusers, or otherwise prohibited under the law from possessing firearms. A huge volume of guns was sold with no questions asked. It is time to close this dangerous loophole. There is no reason to continue to make it easy for people who are legally prohibited from possessing firearms to acquire them. The evidence clearly shows that background checks work and significantly curb gun violence. One study found that a Connecticut law requiring background checks was associated with a 40 percent decline in gun homicides and a 15 percent drop in suicides. On the other hand, when Missouri repealed its background check law, the State's gun homicides increased by 23 percent and suicides increased by 16 percent. Gun violence of this magnitude is a distinctly American problem. A recent study in the American Journal of Medicine found that compared to 29 other high-income countries, the gun-related murder rate in the United States is 25 times higher. Even when you adjust for population differences, Americans are disproportionately killed by gun violence. This is a disparity that we can remedy by passing this bill. With the exception of certain limited transfers, such as gifts to family members and transfers for hunting, target shooting, and self- defense, H.R. 8 would extend the current Federal background check requirement--which applies now only to licensed gun dealers--and would require virtually all transactions to undergo a background check to help ensure that firearms do not end up in the wrong hands. I thank Representative Mike Thompson of California for drafting this important legislation and for being a champion of gun violence prevention in Congress. Simply put, H.R. 8 will save lives. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and to support safer streets, safer schools, and safer communities. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished majority leader of the House.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 188, I call up the bill (H.R. 8) to require a background check for every firearm sale, and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, the fact is that 160 families every day buy guns. All this bill does is to say that people who obtain guns from unlicensed dealers, as well as licensed dealers, must be subject to the background check, and that will save a heck of a lot of lives. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

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

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

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

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

Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentlewoman from Georgia (Mrs. McBath).

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

Mr. NADLER

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