Max Rose

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Chair, during rollcall vote No. 365 on H.R. 2740, I mistakenly recorded my vote as ``yes'' when I should have voted ``no.''

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to ask all of my colleagues to join me in honoring two outstanding individuals who share an unquestionable commitment to improving the lives of Staten Islanders and to supporting our borough's LGBTQ community--Z100's Elvis Duran, and his fiance, the Staten Island Zoo's own Alex Carr. If there's one thing Staten Islanders know all too well, it's sitting in traffic in the morning listening to the radio. The work that Elvis Duran does every day to make that commute just a little less grueling deserves recognition all by itself. But Elvis is so much more than a New York City radio legend. Whether he is contributing to the Robin Hood Foundation which fights poverty in New York City, supporting the LGBTQ community through his work with GLAAD and The Trevor Project, or generously supporting local Staten Island causes with his fiance, Alex, Mr. Duran has continually shown a commitment to helping those in need. Our borough is known for its sense of community and through it, the people who make it one of the best places to raise a family. It is that commitment to community and supporting our borough in ways, both big and small, that Alex has exemplified. When there is someone struggling--whether a close friend or stranger--there's a good chance Alex will be there to help in some capacity. It's who he is, and Staten Island has been made better because of his efforts. And so it should be no surprise that when Staten Island's own LGBTQ community needed help with a fundraiser, Elvis and his fiance Alex went above and beyond to help out. They offered to do a dollar for dollar match of donations to the Staten Island Pride Center, raised awareness of the Pride Center's work on social media, and helped raise over $25,000. Their philanthropic efforts have impacted many lives, but there is nothing more powerful than individuals with large platforms sharing their stories and helping others feel accepted. Elvis and Alex have opened their lives to Staten Island, the City, and the country whether it's through the Morning Show, the Staten Island Zoo, or just the extraordinary acts of kindness they have demonstrated time and time again. Staten Island is a place where we look out for each other and where we never hesitate to help those in need. Few people embody that more than Elvis Duran and Alex Carr. For that reason, the Pride Center of Staten Island will be honoring Alex and Elvis at its celebration commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots on June 21, 2019. Madam Speaker, today I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in recognizing Alex as everything a Staten Islander ought to be, Elvis Duran as an honorary Staten Islander and in thanking them for their many years of selfless and compassionate service to Staten Island, and to all of New York City.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today because not nearly enough is being done by our social media companies to take down terrorist content from their platforms. It has been months now since the Christchurch massacre which was streamed on Facebook because its artificial intelligence, or IA, was not able to or capable of taking it down quickly enough. Now that video has been uploaded and re-uploaded hundreds of thousands of times. In fact, instead of preventing terrorist content from spreading on their platform, as reported by the Associated Press, recently, Facebook has been making videos and promoting terrorist content on its own system. For instance, an al-Qaida-linked terrorist group has an auto- generated Facebook that has nearly 4,500 likes. The case was profiled in the AP story and served as yet another glaring example of Facebook's inability to police itself. But what is even more striking, is that before coming to speak on the House floor today, I checked, and this profile is still up there. This profile that the AP reported to Facebook is still up there. Facebook does not care right now about our own safety. They are putting their own profit before the safety or national security of this very country. Madam Speaker, I push for aggressive action here. We need a strong public-private partnership, and Facebook has got to come to its senses today. It is so important.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Speaker, due to a death in my family, I had to miss votes on Thursday, May 16 and Friday, May 17. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``nay'' on rollcall No. 210, McKinley Amendment No. 2 to H.R. 987; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 211 Harder Amendment No. 6 to H.r. 987; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 212 Wexton Amendment No. 21 to H.R. 987; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 213 Motion to Recommit for H.R. 987; ``yea'' on rollcall No. 214 Final Passage for H.R. 987; ``nay'' on rollcall No. 216 Motion to Recommit for H.R. 5; and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 217 Final Passage for H.R. 5. personal explanation

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to expand national domestic violence hotlines.

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Chairman, when you consider hotlines today, we have to think about the fact that text messages are absolutely important, and they are also, all too often, ignored. We need to evolve. We need to fix the new problems of today as well as the problems of the future. As a subcommittee chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and as one of the younger Members of this body, I understand that the advent of social networks and technology has, in many ways, helped us track and identify bad actors. But as we have heard from survivors of domestic violence, it also allows abuse, coercion, stalking, and intimidation in more ways than ever before. Survivors need the necessary tools to keep themselves safe. When a woman is being constantly monitored by her abuser, is unable to hide, and finds herself trapped, a phone call could put her life in even more danger. This is why I implore my colleagues to support this amendment, because we are talking life and death here. This is not only a matter of believing survivors--though, to be clear, we absolutely must. This is about making sure that we empower survivors with the resources they need in the 21st century, no matter what age they are. It breaks my heart to know that those hiding from their abusers could be a young college student or even a teenager in high school. A recent study on intimate partner violence found that 1 in 10 high school students have experienced physical violence from dating a partner in a given year. Nearly one in three women in college have said they have been in an abusive dating relationship. If these statistics do not highlight the need for Congress to provide as much relief as we possibly can, I don't know what does. Making sure women in crisis can quickly and easily get help by texting the crisis hotline should be a no-brainer. The technology exists, and it has been proven to be effective by other organizations helping those in need. This isn't rocket science. If we apply modern-day technology to combat dating violence and sexual assault, we can keep survivors and their families safe while holding the perpetrators accountable. It is our job to make sure that our federally funded hotlines can serve in the most effective way. We need to get this done because, at the end of the day, this amendment will save lives. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to this motion. I rise today as a new Member who ran for office on cleaning up our system. And admittedly, I rise today as someone who has voted for Republican MTRs in the past. In fact, I was eager to hear how my colleagues and friends across the aisle would propose a solution today for how they are going to finally drain the swamp. I was eager to hear how they would protect and enshrine the rights and freedoms and liberties that we all are endowed in the Constitution. But what they have given us today does nothing to drain the swamp, nothing to uphold our freedoms. Only in Washington would we see a group of people actively trying to sabotage anticorruption measures. This is a political stunt meant to divide us, meant to sow hatred. It is a game, nothing less. Nothing less. This right here is why the American people hate politics. Honestly, if this is your strategy to win future elections, we wish you Godspeed because it will never work. It will never work because the question before us today, and the thing that this joke of an MTR that is seeking to distract us from is, whose side are you on? Let's show the American people that this is the people's House, not the House of corporate interests and lobbyists and dark money. Again, I stand in opposition to this motion.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Zeldin for his kind words. The honor is all mine, from one post-9/11 veteran to another post- 9/11 veteran, from Staten Island or Long Island. I truly respect your service as well to our great country and applaud the gentleman for putting the country first ahead of any other political considerations as we try to do what is right here. I would also like to, of course, thank the other original cosponsors of this bill, people who have fought for this incredibly important project and initiative for more than a decade, Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler, and Pete King. I wanted to start off by telling a story of one of my constituents, Rob Serra. Rob graduated from the academy on September 10, 2001. His first day on the job with the New York City Fire Department was 9/11. When he saw the burning towers from the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, he did exactly what first responders across the city and across the country did without hesitation, and that is, he raced to the scene. He raced right to danger. For weeks, he joined so many in digging through the rubble, looking for survivors, looking for their friends, looking for those who were not as fortunate. Dust loaded with cement, asbestos, lead, glass fibers, and other chemicals caked to his face. He knew this would probably kill him, but he served without question because it was the right thing to do. Rob is a young man, but he is now in a wheelchair, retired from the FDNY before he could even truly begin his career. He is not looking for handouts. He is looking for respect, for acknowledgment, and for his government to just do the right damn thing, not just for him and for his family, because he is already covered, but he knows there are thousands of heroic Americans just like him across the country who are getting sick but facing drastic cuts to their benefits. Just about every Member in this body has a constituent like Rob and his family. They all deserve more than our tweets and statements. They need action. They deserve nothing less because we need to do more than just say, ``Never forget.'' We need to do more than just shake somebody's hand and say that we have a picture of the Twin Towers in our office or that we decided to serve in this body because of 9/11. We need to make sure that these heroes are never forgotten and are always taken care of. That means making sure every victim and their families get the benefits and care they deserve, because this wasn't an attack on New York. This was an attack on the United States of America. Keeping our promise to these heroes is not a New York problem. It is an American issue that we have to address and fix as a country. There are VCF claims from all 50 States and 99 percent of congressional districts. In a few years, we may face the tragic fact that more people will have died from 9/11-related injuries and diseases than were lost on the day of the attacks. Each and every person that dies is yet another victim of al-Qaida's attack. Unless Congress acts to fully and permanently fund the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, benefits will be cut and promises will be broken. This isn't due to mismanagement or fraud or any other fact than that more people are getting sick. I applaud this administration for doing the right thing and effectively managing this program. I applaud the President for that. But it is unacceptable that we will not adequately fund it, and I won't stand for it. I am hopeful we can get this done, because we truly have no other choice.

Mr. ROSE of New York. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time for that one.

Mr. ROSE of New York. Absolutely, I thank the gentleman. Go Army.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support the Lobbyist Loophole Closure Act. This bill will close a loophole that lobbyists on both sides of the aisle--and they are lobbyists--have been taking advantage of for far too long. They have been using it to skirt disclosure under the guise of just providing strategic guidance for billion-dollar corporations. You know, when I go back to Staten Island and south Brooklyn, they see right through this. They see it for what it is, people getting over on the system on the backs of hardworking Americans. And they are tired of it. It is time that we do our job here in the Halls of Congress to end this. This is the way our jobs should work, because for far too long we have been allowing lobbyists on both sides of the aisle to undermine this process and keep our constituents in the dark. Just look at this--both sides of the aisle. We have seen this in my own party with former Senate majority leader Tom Daschle: He laid the blueprint for the shadow lobbying industry. He did work that looks, smells, and tastes a lot like lobbying, but the public was in the dark. He earned millions advising healthcare clients and others about how to navigate Congress without registering as a lobbyist. And on the Republican side, the President's former lawyer, the infamous Michael Cohen, getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for providing strategic guidance to corporations when, in truth, it was providing access to the President without ever registering as a lobbyist. Again: Used his ties to the President to land consulting agreements; secretly hired to work on the same issues their lobbyists were already registered to work on; was paid millions of dollars to help influence administration policy without once registering as a lobbyist. Folks, this is corruption. Mr. Speaker, make no mistake, this is corruption. And no matter if you are a Democrat, if you are a Republican, or if you are an independent, we all see it for what it is. Now, this is why H.R. 1 is such an essential step. I applaud my Democratic colleagues for putting a bold anticorruption bill on the floor of the House this week, of which the Lobbyist Loophole Closure Act will be a part. We have got to take this opportunity and push the ball forward because, for the last 4 years, the American people have been voting for change. The Republicans called it draining the swamp. The Democrats called it anticorruption. The American people are united against the American political class. They are united against the D.C. political class. We have got to do something about it, because, if it looks like a lobbyist, if it talks like a lobbyist, if it acts like a lobbyist, then, Mr. Speaker, let's call it a lobbyist. Let's disclose it and regulate it as such.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge all my colleagues to support the Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victims Compensation Fund Act because it is the right thing to do. I would like to thank my fellow New Yorkers Carolyn Maloney, Pete King, and Jerry Nadler, who have led this fight for years, and Lee Zeldin, who will work with me to build bipartisan support amongst the freshman class. Because 9/11 wasn't just an attack on New York City; Washington, D.C.; and a field in western Pennsylvania; 9/11 was an attack on our entire country. This was an attack on the United States of America and everything that we stand for. But what thousands of these 9/11 heroes and their families now face is being forgotten because the Victims Compensation Fund, which supports these families and these heroes in all 50 States, is running out of money and cutting benefits by 50 to 70 percent. That is wrong. And if we fail to make this right, shame on us. Shame on anyone who says ``never forget'' and then turns their backs and pretends this doesn't affect their State or their district or they're suddenly fiscally responsible. Shame on anyone who says that we can't afford to do this while we spend trillions of dollars on bombs in Afghanistan. When it comes to doing what is right, it is about keeping our promises and honoring those who put their lives on the line and didn't ask for anything in return. Now is the chance to put action behind the words ``never forget.''

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say that I was proud to vote for H.J. Res. 37 and to stand in opposition to continued U.S. engagement in hostilities in Yemen as yet undeclared by Congress. However, this is just the first step in addressing just how far astray we have gone when it comes to Yemen and in our foreign policy more broadly. Let's be clear: the crisis unfolding in Yemen right now is a consequence and the responsibility of actions by both Republican and Democratic administrations. We took a low level conflict, and we put it on steroids. We took a regional issue, and we turned it into the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world. For what? We started supporting the anti-Houthi coalition because we didn't want Iran to expand its influence, and here we are, the Houthis are closer than ever to Tehran, and they are launching Iranian-made missiles at Riyadh. I thought we were done doing dumb stuff. On top of all of this, the President compounded this humanitarian crisis by implementing a travel ban which left the families of American citizens stranded in a war zone that we ourselves helped create. Now, I represent one of the largest Yemeni-American communities in the United States. I have hundreds of families in my district, Staten Island and south Brooklyn, who worry about their husbands, their wives, their children, and their parents, who only want to be reunited with them in the United States. Now, many families have told me that they can apply for a waiver which somehow makes this constitutional. But not a single person from the Secretary of State on down can tell me how my constituents can actually get the waivers that their family members so desperately need. We still don't know. Nobody cares about national security more than I do, but this isn't it. We are the most powerful country in the world, and we have trapped my constituents' loved ones in a war zone with no answers for how they can get out of there. How does this make us more safe? It is time we have a clear-eyed look at how we conduct our foreign policy and, more importantly, how we decide to use military force in the first place. This resolution is just one step in the right direction.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, I rise to offer an amendment that would make clear that healthcare related to substance and drug abuse counseling is included in the covered health services in this bill. In addition, Madam Chair, the opioid epidemic has not only affected my home district of Staten Island and south Brooklyn--and to be clear, it very much has--but this has touched constituents in district after district, State after State, and has disproportionately affected our Nation's greatest heroes. As the fathers, wives, husbands, and children of the veterans fighting this disease can attest, combating this addiction is daunting and heartbreakingly difficult. Imagine how excruciating it can be when a mother has to make the choice between receiving the treatment that she so desperately needs and making sure that her own children are cared for. That is the choice veteran parents need to make time and again. It is a disgrace, and on both sides of the aisle, we have not done enough. Make no mistake here, if Congress does not act, these barriers to treatment will absolutely persist. Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, it is our constituents who are suffering, and we need to act now. If we do not address this, this epidemic will continue to wreak havoc on our districts, our communities, and our families. A national survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration showed that 1 in 15 veterans suffer from a substance abuse disorder, but for vets who left Active Duty post-9/11, it was nearly one in eight. These veterans are twice as likely to die from an accidental overdose as a nonveteran. As one of the few post-9/11 combat veterans who is serving right now in this body, I have seen the courage of my fellow former soldiers who seek the help that they so desperately need. I have seen that substance abuse counseling at our VA facilities can really save lives and save families. And I have seen what happens when my brothers and sisters who serve do not get the treatment they need. I am here to tell my colleagues that I refuse to watch that happen again. That is why I offer this amendment here today, so that the veteran mother who I mentioned, and the fathers who are full-time caregivers of their children, are no longer trapped in an impossible choice. They can receive treatment for PTSD, for cancer, and for counseling to combat life-threatening addiction with the peace of mind that their children are safe and cared for. That is the very reason Congress directed this pilot program to start in the first place. When we put party politics aside and put our constituents first, this country really succeeds. We can all agree that this country is battling an opioid epidemic. Let's show our constituents that we are more than just talk and more than just thanking vets for their service and are actually doing something about it. We have to stop treating addiction as anything but the disease and the public health crisis that it actually is. We need to encourage, not punish, those who are taking this fight head on and seeking the care that they so desperately need and deserve. Madam Chair, I thank Ms. Brownley for sponsoring this legislation and commend my colleague, Mr. Norcross from New Jersey, for cosponsoring this amendment. I applaud my colleagues, Ms. Sherrill, Mr. Golden, Ms. Stefanik, and Mr. Delgado, for offering amendments to strengthen this bill. Madam Chair, I urge adoption of this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Chair, in closing, I urge support of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I respectfully ask that you and my other distinguished colleagues join me in honoring Dr. R.A. Gregg for his consistently remarkable dedication to community affairs, community-police relations and his longstanding commitment to improving our community. While Dr. Gregg has a varied professional portfolio ranging from Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of a community affairs nonprofit organization that serves New York State to political campaign committee Chairman to Director of Operations for a family established boutique law firm, his dedication to providing community affairs and improving community-police relations can be seen in all his endeavors. Most recently, Dr. Gregg was appointed the first Commissioner of the New York State Community Affairs Bureau, a nonprofit organization, by its Board of Governors. The NYSCAB is a volunteer organization comprised of community, nonprofit and clergy leaders as well as current, former and retired law enforcement officers and law enforcement and government officials that provides quality community affairs services to New York State, New York City and its residents. Beyond his dedication to ensuring that quality community affairs services are provided to New York State, New York City and its residents, Commissioner Gregg has a passion for community-police relations. He is active in the law enforcement community and serves as a Chaplain or Chaplain (ex-officio) for numerous organizations including the New York City Department of Correction's Correction Officers' Benevolent Association (COBA), the New York State Court Officers Association, the New York City Police Department's Detectives Endowment Association (DEA) and the New York City Police Department's Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA), among others. He also serves as the Chief of the Chaplains Unit for the Law Enforcement Employees Benevolent Association (LEEBA). Upon being appointed Commissioner of NYSCAB, he established the NYSCAB Volunteers in Police Service Unit to oversee and run the VIPS Program which is a locally-driven Citizen Corps program that allows community members to offer their time and talents to NYSCAB and local law enforcement agencies. The VIPS program is managed and implemented by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and has registered the NYSCAB VIPS with the national VIPS program. For many years Dr. Gregg has been active in civic organizations. He serves as a Member of the Board of Directors or as a Member of the following organizations: Archdiocese of New York (Regional Advisory Board Member and School Advisory Board Member), African American Clergy & Elected Officials--Brooklyn (Member), Bronx Clergy Task Force (Member), the Global Alliance of Hispanic Law Enforcement Professionals (Chair, Board of Chaplains), God's Whisper Burial Fund (Vice Chairman), the International Conference of Police Chaplains (Member), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (Member), National Baptist Convention (Member), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE) (Regular Member), Clergy Leaders Council (Member) and Occupy the Block (a Founding Member). Each aspect of Dr. Gregg's service to the community speaks to his complete nature and his dedication to improving the quality of life for the residents of the community as well as for the police community. I am proud to say that we have someone like Dr. R.A. Gregg living in our community and am very grateful for all the work he has done and continues to do to improve our community. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure and admiration that I stand before you today to honor Dr. R.A. Gregg for his many years of selfless and compassionate service to the Staten Island and Brooklyn community, and to all of our community's residents and acknowledge his latest recognition which he shall receive at the 2019 Somos Albany Conference held March 8-10, 2019 as well as recognize Dr. Gregg's milestone birthday which is on March 9th.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Solidarity in Salary Act, which would withhold paychecks from Members of Congress, the President, and the Vice President during a shutdown. Everyone right now is trying to figure out who won the shutdown and who lost it. Well, here is the deal: Nobody won this thing, but the American people lost. We failed them. We turned our back on them, and they suffered. Keeping the government open and running is our most basic responsibility. It is what our constituents ask of us. In just 3 weeks we managed to make them question whether Members of Congress were born without common sense, or whether we just get a frontal lobotomy after we are sworn in. And what did we get out of putting them through this misery? Nothing. All that happened is we arrived at the same basic truth that we knew 5 weeks ago: that we had a deal. In these Halls we love to kiss up to vets, and cops, and firemen. All we do is thank them for their service, and rightfully so, because they put it all on the line each and every day. But it is time that we actually try to emulate their service here. Because what they do, what they have to endure is that when they fail at their job, people die. People get hurt, and they have to live with that for the rest of their lives. All this bill is talking about is us having skin in the game and not getting paid. We, as Members of Congress, should be feeling the same pain that we just inflicted on the American people.

Mr. ROSE of New York

Mr. ROSE of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to announce my introduction of a bill authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to grant an easement of Federal lands for the construction of a seawall on the east shore of Staten Island. This is the first bill I am introducing, because, since Hurricane Sandy, which absolutely devastated my district, New York City, and the region as a whole, residents in my district have lived in fear of devastating flooding. They live in fear of another superstorm. They live in fear of heavy flooding. And they live in fear of the rising cost of flood insurance. That fear is real for my constituents. But the question isn't whether the storm will hit again; it is when. That is why the Army Corps of Engineers, along with Federal, State, and local agencies, have worked to develop a plan to protect the lives and livelihoods of Staten Islanders by building a seawall. Federal, State, and local funding for this project already have been secured. All that remains is for Congress to pass my bill to allow for this critical construction to begin. I made a promise when I was sworn in that if something matters to the folks who live in my district--my constituents--well, then it matters to me. That is why I am here today, and that is why I will fight to pass this bill. I commend my predecessor, Congressman Dan Donovan, who introduced similar legislation in the previous Congress, which passed the House on a bipartisan basis, demonstrating that, when we want to, we can unite in order to enact legislation that saves American lives. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues in Congress to act swiftly on this legislation so that we can allow construction to begin as soon as possible and bring some peace of mind to families worrying about that next storm, worrying that they are going to lose their homes. In this time when government is shut down, it is damn time that we show the people of Staten Island, of South Brooklyn, of New York City, New York State, and the American people as a whole that government can do something positive.