Louise Slaughter

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee). (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney). (Mrs. MALONEY of New York asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer). (Mr. ROEMER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, this resolution waives all points of order against the conference report on H.R. 3244 and against its consideration. Mr. Speaker, in June 1994, I first introduced legislation addressing the growing problem of Burmese women and children being sold to work in the thriving sex industry in Thailand. This legislation responded to reports indicating that thousands of Burmese women and girls were being trafficked into Thailand with false promises of good-paying jobs in restaurants or factories and then forced to work in brothels under slavery-like conditions. Some of the victims were as young as 5 years old. As I learned more about this issue, it became clear that it was not limited to one particular region of the world. In fact, in the wake of the discovery of a prostitution ring of trafficked women in Florida and the Carolinas, as well as a group of Thai garment workers held captive in California, I soon realized that this was an issue that must be dealt with in our own backyard as well. Six years later I am proud to be standing here today to support this important legislation. H.R. 3244 sets forth policies not only to monitor but to eliminate trafficking here in the United States and abroad. More importantly, it does so in a way that punishes the true perpetrators, the traffickers themselves, while at the same time taking the necessary steps to protect the victims of this heinous crime. Finally, it uses our Nation's considerable influence throughout the world to put pressure on other nations to adopt policies that will hopefully lead to an end this abhorrent practice. The bill recognizes the fact that trafficking is not exclusively a crime of sexual exploitation. Taken independently, this action is an egregious practice in and of itself. It is also important, however, to be aware that people are being illegally smuggled across borders to work in sweatshops, domestic servitude or other slavery-like conditions. Mr. Speaker, developing this initiative has been a long and arduous process. At the beginning of this endeavor many of the groups involved had different approaches to defining and dealing with this issue. In addition, we also had to deal with a State Department that was less than cooperative when dealing with the Congress. Nevertheless, we are here today because this is an issue that is important enough to cross both partisan and personality divides. Mr. Speaker, the conference report also reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act. I am proud to have a long history of activism on domestic violence issues. Fifteen years ago our greatest challenge was convincing Americans that domestic violence was a real problem. Many women knew only too well that we were in the midst of a deadly epidemic, but the culture of silence that surrounded the issue made it difficult for them to speak out or to get help. Being a victim of domestic violence was a source of fear and shame. Many women were trapped in these situations without any means of escape. Furthermore, domestic violence tended to be trivialized by law enforcement, by the judicial system, by health care providers and sometimes even by friends, family or neighbors. We have come a long way in the 15 years since I began working on these issues. The single most important thing that Congress did to effect a change was pass the Violence Against Women Act. The Violence Against Women Act catapulted domestic violence onto the national agenda, providing Federal support for programs like shelters for battered women and their children, education for law enforcement officers and judges, and resources mostly for prevention and education. I am proud to have been the author of provisions of VAWA that protected battered immigrant women who were often trapped in abusive relationships by the threat of deportation. VAWA transformed the national landscape for victims of domestic violence. Today, a woman in an abusive relationship has options, a place to live, help with court proceedings, assistance for herself and her children, and protection from her batterer. Nevertheless, we still have a long way to go. Too many women still die at the hands of an abusive spouse or boyfriend. Protective orders can be ineffective. Going on welfare is far from an ideal choice even as a temporary step. Convictions against batterers remain infrequent and penalties can be extremely light. It is imperative that Congress reauthorize these vital programs. Also included in this conference report are miscellaneous provisions relating to Aimee's Law, assistance to victims of terrorism and the Twenty-First Amendment Act regarding Internet alcohol sales. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Nadler).

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this open rule, and urge my colleagues to pass it. The underlying bill comes after extensive negotiations between the bill's supporters and the administration, and would establish the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area located in Arizona. This land is important for a diverse cross-section of plants and wildlife. The bill creates the 137,000-acre Sonoita Valley Conservation Planning District, which includes the 42,000 acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area. Moreover, the bill would provide an important first step to creating a biological corridor that extends from north of Tucson to Mexico for animal movements that are necessary for the long-term viability of some species. In addition, two of southern Arizona's perennial streams, the Cienega Creek and the Babocomari River, would be protected, ensuring a long- term, sustainable riparian area. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. (Ms. SLAUGHTER asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 10 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall). (Mr. RAHALL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks). (Mr. DICKS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such as time as I may consume and I thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Mr. Speaker, the conference report has come after extensive negotiations to produce a bill that the President can sign. The underlying bill will provide $18.8 billion for fiscal year 2001, $3.9 billion more than the current fiscal year. The measure will establish a new land legacy trust program which will provide $12 billion over 6 years for land conservation, preservation and maintenance and provides $1.8 billion for efforts to fight forest fires. Moreover, $8 million is slated for the Northeast for the heating oil reserve, a program of critical importance to the Northeast. I am especially pleased that the conferees provided $105 million for the National Endowment for the Arts, a $7 million increase over fiscal year 2000 and the first increase since fiscal year 1992. We still lack the funding levels that truly reflect the importance of arts to the American people. My colleagues may recall, Mr. Speaker, our earlier efforts to secure the funding increase. I was proud to lead the fight on the House floor and hope that this modest increase sparks a trend for increased funding in the years ahead. Mr. Speaker, the arts enhance so many facets of our lives from the educational development of our children to the economic growth of our towns and cities. We learn more every day about the ways in which the arts contribute to our children's learning. One recent study showed that children with 4 years of instruction in the arts scored 59 points higher on the verbal portion and 44 points higher on the math portion of the SATs than did students with no art classes. New research in the area of human brain development shows a strong link between the arts and early childhood development. Obviously, arts education pays great dividends in a wide range of fields, and no other Federal program yields such great rewards on such a small investment. The investment that we make contributes to a return of $3.4 billion to the Federal Treasury. The arts support 1.3 million jobs all over the country and has revitalized small cities such as Providence, Rhode Island; Rock Hill, South Carolina; and Peekskill, New York. The conference report also funds the new Women's Progress Commemoration Commission, the provision that I strongly endorse. I sponsored the legislation, established a commission, and was recently elected commission chair. The funding will allow us to fulfill our mandate to identify national sites significant to women's history that we may be in danger of losing due to lack of privatization or other factors. We will make recommendations to the Secretary of Interior for action to preserve endangered sites. The long-term goal is to further educate the public regarding significant contributions of women in America. Mr. Speaker, there are still other things that are important in this bill, but I was disappointed to see that the conference report contains language that will undermine the passage of the CARA act, a measure I long supported. The CARA would provide more than $3 billion each year for important conservation and recommend recreation projects. But the conference report contemplates less than half of the funding and at levels similar to recent years. Moreover, CARA would dedicate funds for specific programs each year while the conference report provides no such guarantees. For more than 30 years, the Committee on Appropriations has failed to provide funds and live up to the promise of existing conservation and recreation programs. Unfortunately, this report provides more of the same. With those reservations, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues on the conference committee for their hard work, particularly for their efforts in regards to the NEA. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Obey).

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller). (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell). (Mr. DINGELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. John).

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4049, the Privacy Commission Act. As my colleagues know, this legislation would establish a commission to study various aspects of privacy--financial, medical, electronic, and so on--and make recommendations to Congress. The 15 commission members would have 18 months to complete their work. My objections to this bill have little to do with its actual substance. If the majority prefers to study an issue rather than act upon it, they are welcome to do so. I am deeply disturbed, however, that they would deny those of us who wish to act the opportunity to offer amendments. In many cases, we know privacy does not exist, and we know how to provide the protections that American consumers are demanding. Just last week, the Institute for Health Freedom released a Gallup survey finding that 78 percent of those polled considered it very important that their medical records be kept confidential. Individuals are particularly concerned about their genetic privacy. Genetic information is perhaps the most personal information that can be learned about an individual, and can have enormous ramifications for their future. As a result, Americans are especially worried that their genetic information could fall into the wrong hands and be used to undermine, rather than advance, their best interests. I am proud to sponsor H.R. 2457, the Genetic Nondiscrimination in Health Insurance and Employment Act. As its title states, this legislation would prevent insurers and employers from using genetic information to discriminate against individuals. The bill has the support of dozens of organizations, as well as over 130 bipartisan cosponsors. It was developed with the review and input of all the stakeholders, including consumers, health care professionals, and providers. H.R. 2457 has been enthusiastically endorsed by the administration, and the President has called repeatedly for its passage. Nevertheless, this legislation languishes in committee without so much as a hearing. The majority has buried this reasonable, responsible, timely legislation in favor of establishing a commission that will, in this case, simply tell us what we already know. I have traveled all over the nation to discuss genetic discrimination issues. At every turn, I am approached by individuals who tell me that they would like to take a genetic test, but have decided not to do so because they are afraid the results will be obtained by their insurer or employer. I am contacted by doctors who say that their relationships with their patients are being damaged because patients are afraid to have notes about a genetic disorder in their medical records. I receive calls and letters from researchers who tell me that it is getting more difficult every year to recruit participants in genetic research. Congress has already waited too long to act on this issue. We cannot waste any more time by deferring to a commission that will not report for a year and a half. I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 4049, and to call for its consideration under regular order.

Ms. SLAUGHTER

Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago, our greatest challenge was convincing Americans that domestic violence was a real problem. Many women knew too well that we were in the midst of a deadly epidemic, but the culture of silence that surrounded the issue made it difficult for them to speak out or get help. Being a victim of domestic violence was a source of fear and shame. Many women were trapped in these situations without any means of escape. Furthermore, it was trivialized by law enforcement, by the judicial system, by health care providers, and even sometimes by friends, family, and neighbors. I am proud to have been an original coauthor of this bill and a leader among the Members who fought for its passage. But I must remind everybody, it was enormously controversial. Many Members objected to its passage strenuously. My colleagues and I worked long and hard to convince them otherwise and finally secured its inclusion in the omnibus crime passage. VAWA, which catapulted domestic violence onto the national agenda, provided Federal support for programs like shelters for battered women and their children, education for law enforcement officers and judges, and resources for prevention and education. I was also the author on that bill to protect immigrant spouses. I urge passage of the bill, and I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) for saving it from extinction.