Kathleen Rice

Miss RICE of New York

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill, which will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. Like many of you, especially my fellow freshman Members, I told my constituents of New York City's Fourth Congressional District that I wanted to come to Washington to offer commonsense solutions. As you heard, the amendment does important things that my friends on the other side of the aisle also find important, such as saving tax dollars and providing regulatory relief for small businesses. The amendment also ensures that H.R. 185 would not stymie protections of workers' wages, especially those of women, or weaken protections against workplace discrimination. But the most important provision in this amendment, in light of current events, would ensure that H.R. 185 won't apply to actions that prevent terrorism and crime. As the former District Attorney of Nassau County, just outside of New York City, terrorism is not abstract for me and my constituents. It is very real and it is very personal. Thousands of Long Island residents commute to the city every single day. We all remember too clearly the September 11 attacks, and we all live with the reality that such a day could come again if we are not vigilant in our efforts to prevent terrorism. The horrendous attacks in France last week serve as a tragic and chilling reminder that we must be on high alert here at home, and the best way to do that is to ensure that those who protect us have the resources they need to do their jobs. That is our job--to make sure they have the resources they need to do theirs. Mr. Speaker, I will make one final point. A number of freshman Members, myself included, came to Congress with a mandate to find compromise and to govern. Passing H.R. 185 will not demonstrate such priorities. We should be working together to actually solve problems. We should be working to find new ideas and new solutions to our Nation's problems and creating legislation that will make our government work more effectively. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.