Chris Smith

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say, I appreciate and respect the eloquent remarks of the Speaker just a few moments ago. We are united on Hong Kong. I think that is very clear, and we have been working together, along with a number of other Members, including some former Members, like Frank Wolf from Virginia, who are united in believing that freedom, and democracy, and respect for human rights is everybody's business, and everybody is entitled to it. These are God- given rights. So, again, I want to thank the Speaker for her wonderful remarks. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4270, the PROTECT Hong Kong Act, sponsored by Chairman Jim McGovern, and I am very proud to be a cosponsor on it. The PROTECT Hong Kong Act mandates export restrictions on defense articles and munitions to the Hong Kong police. As the largest protest movement Hong Kong has ever seen continues into its fifth month, major concerns have arisen about the Hong Kong police's independence and professionalism. The people of Hong Kong are rightfully furious about well-documented cases of excessive force, brutal tactics, and the tolerance of violence against protesters and journalists by the government. The Hong Kong police's actions are now a cause in and of themselves of protest. There has been widespread police misuse of crowd control equipment and less lethal weaponry, including incidents that have seriously injured journalists. Police have used teargas, rubber bullets, water cannons, sponge grenades, pepper spray, and batons against demonstrators, some of which, indeed, are American-made equipment. In recent weeks two protesters have been shot with live rounds. Meanwhile, while we discuss a move to ban the sale of such offensive equipment, the Hong Kong Government, via executive fiat, has simultaneously moved to ban the use by demonstrators of defensive equipment used to protect themselves against police attacks; namely, gas masks and face masks. The PROTECT Hong Kong Act will prohibit the issuing of licenses for the export of munitions and crowd control equipment to the Hong Kong police. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and other relevant Federal agencies, will also be required to issue a report on what has been sold to the Hong Kong police over the past several years. These prohibitions will remain in effect until these incidents are independently examined and the Hong Kong police have demonstrated truly professional conduct. In sum, the U.S. should not be complicit in any way, shape, or form in violence being used to squash the legitimate demands guaranteed to the Hong Kong people by international treaty. That is unacceptable, and it is contrary to U.S. interests, and it is contrary to U.S. law. I strongly support unanimous support for this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing--I was here in Washington chairing a Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing--when a group of cowards hijacked 4 airliners in order to perpetrate the worst act of terrorism in American history. Nearly 700 New Jerseyans lost their lives that day. No-one remembers the shock, horror and numbing sorrow more, however, than the families and close friends of the victims. Because it was a surprise attack, there was no chance to fight back that day although when Todd Beamer and other passengers learned what happened to the Twin Towers, Todd famously said ``let's roll'' and they attacked the terrorists on board the flight that crashed in a Pennsylvania field. Who can forget the courageous first responders running up the stairs of the burning buildings--with total disregard for their own safety-- saving some at the expense of their own lives. On the morning of 9/11, I got a mere glimpse--I say again, a mere glimpse--into the sense of horror suffered by the victim's families when I couldn't reach my own brother Tom--an American Airlines 757 Captain who often piloted Flight 11 from Logan to LA, the flight that crashed into the North Tower. Evacuated from the Capitol and stuck in traffic within sight of the burning Pentagon, cell phones were all but gridlocked. About noon I got through. He and his flight attendant wife Sandy were safe but were in anguish because they knew the pilots and crew on board Flight 11. For 18 years, the families and friends of those who died that day and since have had to endure their loss and a broken heart. Both then--and now eighteen years later--words are inadequate to convey our empathy for those who died and for the victims' families. For many, their faith in God has helped them survive and overcome.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Levin-Beyer-Smith-Van Drew amendment to H.R. 1941, the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act. This amendment, which I'm proud to cosponsor, would ensure that H.R. 1941 not only proscribes future oil and gas leases of the Outer Continental Shelf in the Atlantic and Pacific planning areas but also prohibits any seismic activities in the Atlantic Ocean planning areas. Seismic activities are performed to first test for the possibility of oil and gas but in and of themselves, these activities pose countless risks to marine life and, by extension, our fishing industries and the health of our coastal ecosystems. Seismic airgun blasting in particular can deafen or seriously maim marine wildlife which rely upon sonar power for movement and can significantly affect local fish populations, which in turn harms New Jersey's fisheries as well as the fishing industry--a vital contributor to the economic well-being of my district on the Jersey Shore. I have continuously stated my strong opposition to offshore drilling and have made it clear that the people of New Jersey do not want oil rigs offshore, and we do not want our pristine beaches and waters at risk from oil spills. I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment to H.R. 1941 and to support the underlying bill.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, as a result of legislation I introduced (H.R. 3655) which was signed into law (P.L. 115-151), more than 200 people gathered outside the U.S. Post Office located on Main Street in Belmar, NJ at a ceremony to rename the building in honor of Dr. Walter S. McAfee--an extraordinary scientist, educator, and innovator. Attending the event were many family members, friends and coworkers of Dr. McAfee's, including his sister, Velma McAfee-Williams, who turned 90 last week, and his daughters Marsha McAfee Bera-Morris and Diane Mercedes McAfee. Also present to pay tribute to Dr. McAfee was: Belmar Mayor Mark Walsifer; USPS South Jersey District Manager James Drummer; Belmar Postmaster John Mutchler, III; Mike Ruane, the CEO of InfoAge Science & History Center; and elected officials from Monmouth County, neighboring Lake Como and Wall Township. Dr. McAfee was a brilliant scientist. His breakthrough research and mathematical theories led to bouncing radio signals off the moon's surface. His unique work served as the forerunner for satellite communications, entry into the space age, moonshots and moonwalks. Dr. McAfee is also known for his many innovations and successful projects including sensors he pioneered to assist the military in keeping tabs on aggressive actors--tools that saved the lives of many Americans and our allies. And we remembered and honored Dr. McAfee for his lifelong commitment to learning--including his tenure as a professor at Monmouth College and service as Chairman of the Board at Brookdale Community College. As an African-American, Dr. McAfee overcame adversity and prejudice with courage, tenacity and faith. His amazing life inspires. He challenges us to strive for excellence. He is truly a role model. In closing, I would like to include in the Record, the moving and heart-warming remarks given by Dr. McAfee's daughter, Marsha McAfee Bera-Morris, and nephew, Dr. Leo Cecil McAfee, Jr. Remarks by Marsha McAfee Bera-Morris Good morning. Congressman Smith, Mayor Walsifer, District Manager Drummer, Postmaster Mutchler, family and friends. I am Marsha McAfee Bera-Morris, the younger (or second) daughter of Walter Samuel and Viola Winston McAfee. On behalf of the entire McAfee family, I would like to thank Congressman Smith and his staff and ``the leaders of the Information Age Learning Center (or InfoAge)'' for their efforts and persistence in the honoring of our father/ brother/uncle/granduncle/etc. by renaming the Belmar Post Office as the ``Dr. Walter S. McAfee Post Office Building.'' We all greatly appreciate this honor and the opportunity that this renaming ceremony affords us to celebrate his memory and share our thoughts about his lifelong effort to contribute to science and its service to the nation. My father was deeply interested in education throughout his entire lifetime. He taught briefly at a Champion Junior High School in Columbus, Ohio. He also taught part-time at a couple of New Jersey colleges, including Monmouth College, while employed by the Army. I would like to share with you just a bit of my personal perspective on his love of astrophysics. I can remember him waking me up, along with my sister Diane--at our request [a request that he probably encouraged]--to see meteor showers or lunar eclipses. Space physics was one of his true loves. The summer I turned 12, a significant age for air fares, the 4 of us traveled to Europe. Three (3) of us were on vacation; he was doing research on what, I think, were large radar installations. At home, he would often help with homework. But he would never seem to just answer a question. Rather, he would ask questions, backtracking until he found something that I or my sister Diane had mastered. He would then bring us forward to the subject matter about which we had inquired. Sometimes this was interesting; more often, it was quite exasperating. But he instilled in his two daughters a desire to master their selected fields of endeavor. And finally, it was almost impossible to argue with my father; logic and reason had to govern any discussion. About 15 years ago, I got my hands on a copy of a speech my father had given. His speech concerned his own education and the almost unbelievable hardships he had endured and against which he had struggled. My father was born in 1914 in Ore City, Texas. One of nine children to survive beyond age five (5), he grew up in Marshall, Texas. His parents were both educated and ``had strong middle-class values.'' All but one of his siblings earned college degrees. He pointed out in his speech that his parents owned a parcel of land. If they had been sharecroppers, then he might not have continued his education, since, in those days, the landowner could ``determine the fate'' of a sharecropper's children in the educational sphere. My father graduated from Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, with a bachelors (B.S.) in mathematics, magna cum laude. I think all or most of his siblings also attended Wiley. Second oldest, he assisted with the expenses of some of his younger siblings. He earned an M.S. in Physics from Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University (under Hans Bethe). It is from his speech that I gather that his most trying time was at Ohio State. Black people were not allowed to be teaching assistants at Ohio State at that time, nor could they stay in the dormitories on campus. At times, my father was working three or four jobs simultaneously to cover the cost of tuition and housing and educational expenses. His department chairman actively discouraged pursuit of a Ph.D. and, according to my father, hollered at him for not taking an Industrial Arts course. He was, after all, only going to be able to go back South to teach in a black school. Walter McAfee persevered. His family background, his stay at Wiley, his continued communication with one or more of his teachers from Wiley, plus his own awareness of what he had mastered seem to me to be the chief support for this perseverance. My father maintained a lifelong correspondence with his first physics teacher, Professor McCane of Wiley College, and, so far as I can tell, relied heavily on his advice and support while at Ohio State. In his own speech, my father stressed two things: (1) mastery of your subject matter; and (2) perseverance. Before he went on to Cornell University, but after he left Ohio State, my father worked his way through several physics books. He was determined to master the subject matter whether or not his dream of a Ph.D. was achieved. My father went to work as a civilian employee of the Army in 1942 or so. He retired in 1985. He died in February of 1995. He is best known, I guess, for his mathematical calculations for Project Diana, which involved bouncing radar off the moon. This success has been said to mark the beginning of the Space Age. As you can see, he had a l-o-n-g career with the Army. I will not try to summarize that career. For one thing, while he could and would talk about physics in general, he couldn't and didn't talk about most of the specifics of his job. I do know that, late in his career with the Army, he did some traveling to NATO, and once he mentioned ``night vision.'' In the 1950s, my father was recognized by President Eisenhower for his work on Project Diana. In 1997, about two and a half years after my father's death, the Army named a building, actually a complex of buildings, ``McAfee Center.'' McAfee Center was located at Fort Monmouth, N.J., and, we are told, the designation was a first at Fort Monmouth for a civilian employee of the Army. After the Fort was scheduled for closure, a cluster of buildings at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland, was named in his honor. Still, to have his name here in this Post Office, a central public building, in the place he called home, raised his family, honed his scientific skills and contributed to major space exploration--this moment provides a singular pride and satisfaction for so many of his family and friends and colleagues. I thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts. Excerpts of Remarks by Dr. Leo Cecil McAfee, Jr. Good Morning, My name is Leo McAfee. I am a nephew of Dr. Walter McAfee. My role today is to represent the non-immediate family of Uncle Walter. In this role, first I would like to acknowledge the birth family of Uncle Walter, including his mother Susie McAfee and father Luther McAfee. Uncle Walter was born into a family of 9 children to become youth and adults. There were 6 sons and 3 daughters, each attended college. Seven or 8 of the siblings earned bachelor's degrees in the Mathematics and Science fields. One of the mathematically oriented siblings is with us today, Aunt Velma, the youngest daughter, who was blessed to just celebrate her 90th birthday in Houston, Texas on Saturday, August 10th, 2019. Please recognize Aunt Velma, the only surviving sibling of Uncle Walter. Now for some impact of Uncle Walter in the lives of our family. First, Uncle Walter impacted me personally. I knew Uncle Walter's Family because of their visits to Grandmother Susie McAfee in Marshall, Texas. We would travel to Marshall to visit with Aunt Vi, Mercedes, Marsha and Uncle Walter. Since I was under age 10, Uncle Walter was only slightly known to me. Vividly I remember a day at my elementary school; I was a fifth/sixth grade student at the time. My father, school Principal of my elementary school, proudly showed us a newspaper article reporting that Uncle Walter was a recipient of a Secretary of the Army Presidential Fellowship. This event is vivid in my memory because I decided I wanted to earn a Ph.D. and be a scientist, though I did not know the career of a scientist or of an engineer or for any other professional career other than educator/teacher. That event and day has remained etched and stored in the forefront in my memory for perhaps 63 years now. Well I did not become a scientist, but I did earn a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 1970 at the University of Michigan and became the first American of African heritage to become a faculty member in the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan. Now, I will tell you a bit of my journey as mentored by Uncle Walter. Jump ahead nine or ten years to summer 1965. As a student in the middle of my junior level in college, I accepted a summer job in Poughkeepsie, NY at IBM semiconductor development/manufacturing facility. Being in New York, I was encouraged to contact my nearby relative, Uncle Walter. To visit, Uncle Walter tried to get me to catch a train or a bus to visit Aunt Vi and him in South Belmar. He quickly realized that this ``country boy'' was hopeless to use public transportation in the NY/NJ region. He arranged to drive to Poughkeepsie to pick me up to stay a weekend at their home; and then take me back to Poughkeepsie at the end of that weekend. During that weekend, we discussed my academic record and educational ventures and education goals. Also, we discussed areas of electrical engineering I Preferred (circuits, electronics, semiconductors). Well, semiconductor physics was one of the classes Uncle Walter taught, a class I looked forward to taking. That connection engaged conversations. Also, he knew much about electronics, he being in the Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) at Fort Monmouth. Either that weekend or during another weekend visit, Uncle Walter decided that I was a serious student. He encouraged me to transfer to Monmouth College. He offered that Aunt Vi and he would pay for my education expenses, so my education would be more fundamentally sound based in physics and semiconductor devices. My viewpoint was that in another 14 months, I would be able to start graduate study at a top university in the United States, and would be able to strengthen my fundamentals. After further discussion, Uncle Walter seemed to accept my viewpoint. During summers 1968, 1969, 1971, I had summer positions at Bell Labs in Murray Hill, NJ and IBM in Yorktown Heights, NY twice, the two superior industry research labs in the United States. Again, for each summer, I was near Uncle Walter and Aunt Vi. Uncle Walter and I had numerous mentoring contacts during those three summers. After I started my 40-year faculty career at the University of Michigan, in the early 1970's, Uncle Walter visited researchers at the University of Michigan, including managing a project at the Willow Run Laboratories that was the site for highly confidential research. During his visit, we had some serious career decisions discussions. Though I liked circuits and electronics, many top electrical engineers thought those fields were past their hey-day. I clearly remember Uncle Walter telling me to stick to the areas that I liked, and that my work would find more than enough rich areas to study and to make contributions. Again, he was correct. I was part of the pioneering field of numerical mathematical computer modeling of circuits and semiconductor electronic devices. Next, Uncle Walter impacted three generations in the McAfee (and Lester) family. He impacted the first generation--the nieces and nephews of Uncle Walter--which included me, my siblings, McAfee first cousins, and the Lester first cousins. He impacted the second generation--the grand-nieces and grand-nephews of Uncle Walter. Each of my three children did a report on Uncle Walter several years in elementary, middle, and high school. Children of my siblings did reports on Uncle Walter. And children of first cousins did reports on Uncle Walter, even children of first cousins on my mother's side (Lester) did reports. He impacted the third generation--the great-grand-nieces and great-grand-nephews of Uncle Walter. Children of grand- nieces & grand-nephews are still doing reports on Uncle Walter. Uncle Walter had major notoriety regarding the moon with his contributions in Project Diana. Just last month, NASA, the USA, and the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of first landing on the moon by humans, partially made possible by the work of Uncle Walter in Project Diana. In closing, a bit of Big Ten conference razzing, hopefully humor for sports fans. As a family, my children and I are die-heart University of Michigan alumni; we bleed U-M maize and blue. The one strike/ complaint against Uncle Walter is his attending Ohio State University, U-M's arch Big Ten rival in all collegiate sports, especially football. In baseball terminology, attending Ohio State was initially a called strike against Uncle Walter. However, Uncle Walter ``hit a home-run out the park'' with his spectacular technical and personal family successes. Thank you.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend, Dr. Burgess. Mr. Speaker, the Autism CARES Act of 2019, I say to my colleagues, is a comprehensive reauthorization and strengthening of America's whole- of-government autism spectrum disorder initiative. As the prime author of the bill, let me extend very special thanks to cosponsor Mike Doyle from Pennsylvania for his extraordinary leadership, his partnership, and his friendship over these many years; to Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna Eshoo for expertly shepherding this bill through her subcommittee with Ranking Member Dr. Burgess; and my deep gratitude to the full committee Chair Frank Pallone and Ranking Member Greg Walden. Mr. Speaker, I also thank staff, including Kelsey Griswold, Kate Werley, Rachel Fybel, Dr. Kristen Shatynski, and Stephen Holland, for their tremendous help and assistance on this legislation. Frankly, we couldn't have done this without so many autism advocates, including and especially Stuart Spielman of Autism Speaks and Scott Badesch of the Autism Society. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan legislation powerfully supports and pursues durable remedies and effective interventions for the approximately 1.5 million children with ASD. That is an estimated 1 in 59 children in the U.S. In my home State of New Jersey, that is 1 in 34. We do have the highest rate, according to the CDC. This bill also helps adults with autism who were and are today often misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed, and overlooked. Language throughout the bill emphasizes that causes, diagnosis, detection, prevention, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder must be throughout the lifespan of that person. According to Drexel University's autism center--and this is a very important number--in our last bill that the gentleman, Mike Doyle, and I did just 5 years ago, it pointed out that the number of young people who become adults is increasing every year. Now, it is about 50,000 to 60,000 children who age out every year, creating challenges for education, housing, employment, and access to healthcare. This legislation also assists parents, families, and caregivers who deeply love and cherish their children and want the brightest future for them. In addition to its groundbreaking prevalence studies and crafting a whole myriad of intervention work, CDC's ``Learn the Signs. Act Early.'' program is just one more amazing tool for parents. At its core, the bill authorizes a little over $1.8 billion over 5 years for NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and HRSA. Looking back, Mr. Speaker, it was two dedicated parents from New Jersey who helped launch the comprehensive Federal policy we are now reauthorizing. In September 1997, Bobbi and Billy Gallagher of Brick, New Jersey, my constituents, parents of two constituent autistic children, walked into my Ocean County office looking for help. They believed that Brick had a disproportionate number of students with autism and wanted action, especially for their son Austin and daughter Alana. I invited the CDC, the ATSDR, and other Federal agencies to Brick for an investigation, only to learn when they did the study that prevalence rates were high in other communities as well. Believing we had a serious spike in prevalence everywhere, I introduced the ASSURE Act, cosponsored by 199 Members, which was incorporated as title I of the Children's Health Act of 2000. Progress, Mr. Speaker, has been made over the many years, particularly in the area of looking at risk factors, but also the overwhelming importance of early intervention. Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues have pointed out, this legislation reauthorizes and expands the interagency coordinating committee, or IACC, managed so effectively and professionally by Dr. Susan Daniels, the director of the Office of Autism Research Coordination. Speaking to this, the Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, Dr. Joshua Gordon, said yesterday: The National Institutes of Health is proud to work hand-in- hand with the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee to ensure the coordination of research efforts focusing on critical topics related to autism, such as developing early detection and screening tools, understanding the genetic and biological underpinnings of autism, and developing and testing the effectiveness of services and supports to improve functional and health outcomes of individuals with autism. As my colleague, Mr. Doyle, said a moment ago, we have expanded IACC. The Departments of Labor, Justice, Veterans Affairs, and HUD are now part of it, and there has been an expansion from two to three members for self-advocates, parents, legal guardians, and advocates. Let me remind Members, and I encourage them even to go online and check this out.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, IACC has a strategic plan that is updated every year, so there is no duplication of efforts. They ask several essential questions, and all the research revolves around trying to find answers to those seven questions. HRSA is all about helping the geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable. There are 52 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities, or LEND, training programs and 10 developmental-behavioral pediatric training programs. They are reauthorized, and we have one at Rutgers right in my home State. They are doing an amazing job. There are 38 organizations that support this, and I hope all Members will support it as well. Mr. Speaker, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is ``a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent impairments in social communication and social interaction, as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior, leading to difficulty in developing, maintaining and understanding relationships with others.'' As Autism Speaks notes ``it is often accompanied by sensory sensitivities and medical issues such as gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures or sleep disorders, as well as mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression and attention issues.'' The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act--or simply the Autism CARES Act of 2019--is a comprehensive reauthorization and strengthening of America's whole-of-government Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) initiative. As prime author of the bill let me extend special thanks to cosponsor Mike Doyle of Pennsylvania for his extraordinary leadership, partnership and friendship and to the Chairwoman of the Health subcommittee Anna Eshoo for expertly shepherding this through the committee with ranking member Dr. Michael Burgess and my deep gratitude to full committee chair Frank Pallone and ranking member Greg Walden. I also want to thank staff including Kelsey Griswold, Kate Werley, Rachel Fybel, Dr. Kristen Shatynski, and Stephen Holland for their tremendous help and assistance. And frankly, we couldn't have done this without so many autism advocates especially Stuart Spielman of Autism Speaks and Scott Badesch of Autism Society. Mr. Speaker, this bipartisan, bicameral legislation powerfully supports and pursues durable remedies and effective interventions for the approximately 1.5 million children with ASD,--that is an estimated 1 in 59 children in the United States, in my home State of New Jersey, 1 in 34 children, the highest rate in the CDC study. This bill also helps adults with autism who were and are today often misdiagnosed, underdiagnosed and overlooked. Language throughout the bill emphasizes that causes, diagnosis, detection, prevention and treatment of autism spectrum disorder must be throughout the lifespan of a person. According to Drexel University's AJ Drexel Autism Center, about fifty to sixty thousand children ``age out'' to adulthood each year creating challenges for education, housing, employment and access to health care. Autism CARES of 2019 continues the work on aging out begun under the Autism CARES Act of 2014. The Autism CARES Act of 2019 assists the parents, families and caregivers who deeply love and cherish children with ASD and want the brightest future possible for them. In addition to its groundbreaking prevalence studies and early intervention work, CDC's Learn the Signs. Act Early is an amazing tool for parents. The legislation also robustly supports the dedicated physicians, scientists and support teams who daily strive to treat, research and provide meaningful answers. The Autism CARES Act of 2019 authorizes a little over $1.8 billion over five years for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Looking back, Mr. Speaker, it was two dedicated parents from New Jersey who helped launch the comprehensive Federal policy we seek to reauthorize today. In September of 1997, Bobbie and Billy Gallagher of Brick, New Jersey--parents of two small autistic children--walked into my Ocean County office looking for help. They believed Brick had a disproportionate number of students with autism and wanted action, especially for their son Austin and daughter Alana, so I invited the CDC, ATSDR and other Federal agencies to Brick for an investigation, only to learn that prevalence rates were high not only in Brick, but in nearby communities as well. Believing we had a serious spike in prevalence, I introduced the ASSURE Act, cosponsored by 199 members, which was incorporated as title I of the Children's Health Act of 2000. Mr. Speaker, much progress has been made since. Today, the evidence suggests there is no single cause of autism or type. Genetic risk, coupled with environmental factors, including advanced parental age, low birth weight, and prematurity--among other factors--may be triggers. Other studies have identified ASD risk factors including pesticides, air pollutants, dietary factors. Early intervention is making a major positive impact in the lives of children with ASD but parents need more support. In 2016, Bobbi Gallagher wrote a book: A Brick Wall--How a Boy with No Words Spoke to the World. In this highly personal, extraordinarily moving must read account of raising two children with autism, Bobbi writes: ``This mom thing is hard.'' Mr. Speaker, Autism CARES Act of 2019 ensures that the federal government continues to help hundreds of thousands of parents like the Gallaghers--funding research and support programs and sharing best practices. The bill reauthorizes and expands the lnteragency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) managed so effectively and professionally by Dr. Susan Daniels, Director of the Office of Autism Research Coordination (OARC). Coordination is key to maximizing outcomes. The Director of the National Institutes of Mental Health (NIMH) Dr. Joshua Gordon--who also serves as IACC chair said yesterday: ``The National Institutes of Health is proud to work hand-in-hand with the lnteragency Autism Coordinating Committee to ensure the coordination of research efforts focusing on critical topics related to autism, such as developing early detection and screening tools, understanding the genetic and biological underpinnings of autism, and developing and testing the effectiveness of services and supports to improve functional and health outcomes of individuals with autism.'' New members of IACC added by our new bill are representatives from the Departments of Labor, Justice, Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development as well as raising from two to three members who are self-advocates, parents or legal guardians and advocacy/service organizations. IACC not only includes a cross section of knowledgeable stakeholders, but periodically develops the IACC Strategic Plan for ASD and most recently the 2018 update. The IACC strategic plan asks the seven most essential questions and helps steer research projects and resources to find answers including: How can I recognize the signs of ASD, and why is early detection so important?; What is the biology underlying ASD?; What causes ASD, and can disabling aspects of ASD be prevented or preempted?; Which treatments and interventions will help?; What kinds of services and supports are needed to maximize quality of life for people on the Autism spectrum?; How can we meet the needs of people with ASD as they progress into and through adulthood?; and How do we continue to build, expand, and enhance the infrastructure system to meet the needs of the ASD community? Also, each year since 2007, IACC has published a Summary of Advances in Autism Spectrum Disorder Research. Dr. Ann Wagner does an extraordinary job as National Autism Coordinator--created by Autism CARES Act of 2014--ensuring the implementation of national autism spectrum disorder (ASD) research, services, and support activities across federal agencies. As my colleagues know, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the ``primary federal agency for improving healthcare to people who are geographically isolated, economically or medically vulnerable.'' The work begun under Autism CARES Act of 2014 continues and is expanded with this legislation including the training of health care professionals ``to provide screening, diagnostic and early, evidence-based intervention services . . . ''. This includes the 52 Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and other Related Disabilities (LEND) training programs like the one at Rutgers in my state and 10 Developmental-Behavior Pediatric (DBP) training programs. The HHS Secretary is empowered by the new legislation to prioritize DBP grants to ``rural and underserved areas.'' According to the April 2019 Report to Congress, most children who have autism are not diagnosed until after they reach age 4 years--or later--even though many children can be identified before age 2 years. Recent studies supported by NIH have uncovered distinct differences in the brain development of children with ASD, as early as 6 months. The earlier ASD is found, the earlier interventions can begin. Finally, not later than 2 years after enactment, the Autism CARES Act requires a comprehensive report on the demographic factors associated with the health and well-being of individuals with ASD, recommendations on establishing best practices to ensure interdisciplinary coordination, improvements for health outcomes, community based behavioral support and interventions, nutrition and recreational and social activities, personal safety and more. Mr. Speaker, more than three dozen major organizations have helped shape this legislation and strongly support passage including: Autism Society of America, Autism Speaks, Autism New Jersey, American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association on Health and Disability, American Psychological Association, American Therapeutic Recreation Association, Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs, Association of Special Children and Families, Association of University Centers on Disability, Autism Science Foundation, Children's Hospital Association, Council on Exceptional Children, Easterseals, EveryLife Foundation, Family Voices, Family Voices New Jersey, Family Voices North Dakota, Lakeshore Foundation, Madison House Autism Foundation, Maine Parent Federation, Marcus Autism Center, National Alliance on Mental Illness, National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities, National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Council on Severe Autism, National Down Syndrome Congress, National Down Syndrome Society, National Fragile X Foundation, Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, SPAN Parent Advocacy Network, TASH, The Independence Center, The Jewish Federations of North America, Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. I applaud Mr. Schneider and Mr. Zeldin for sponsoring this important resolution. I especially thank Chairman Eliot Engel for his very eloquent comments a moment ago. Not wishing to be redundant, I will just say this because I associate myself with their strong and persuasive remarks: The great former Soviet refusenik and religious prisoner Natan Sharansky, who testified at two of about a dozen hearings that I have chaired on combating anti- Semitism, proposed what he called a simple test to help us distinguish legitimate criticism of Israel from anti-Semitism. Sharansky called it the three Ds, demonization, double standard, and delegitimization. When the three Ds are advanced, we know that anti-Semitism is the issue. The BDS movement demonizes Israel and, by extension, Jews, who are always cast in the role of oppressors, who are always in the wrong. In so doing, it applies a double standard, whereby Israel is always wrong and the oppressed Palestinians are always in the right, regardless of whether groups such as Hamas are engaging in terroristic acts upon Israeli citizens. The objective of this is to delegitimize the State of Israel, to deny its very right to exist. Mr. Speaker, I applaud them on this bill, and I hope this vote is unanimous.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for yielding. I yield myself 2 minutes. Mr. Speaker, I rise to offer my strong support for H.R. 1837, the U.S.-Israel Cooperation Enhancement and Regional Security Act, supported and introduced by Mr. Deutch and Mr. Wilson. I thank them for their leadership, as well as Eliot Engel and Michael McCaul, our ranking member. Israel is by far our closest ally in the Middle East with which we share common values, including a commitment to democracy and to the rule of law. Sadly, Israel often comes under attack, at the United Nations and in the region, both by words and by bullets. Israel is judged by a double standard by which real or imagined flaws are magnified, while Israel's virtues as a robust democracy are ignored. Mr. Speaker, we must stand with Israel, and this bill is a means to achieve that. Among other things, it would authorize--and this is the core of the bill--it would authorize military financing for Israel at $3.3 billion per year, over 10 years, and enhanced cooperation with our key ally in a host of other areas from cybersecurity, to agriculture, to assisting veterans. It is mutually beneficial, allowing us to access Israel's knowledge and to benefit from its leadership in sectors such as desalinization technology, which has helped make the desert bloom, one of the most visually-evident ways Israel has positively impacted the land. The bill encourages energy cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean which, presumably, includes ongoing ventures with friendly countries, such as Greece and Cyprus. In short, the bill greatly enhances the mutually-beneficial ties which exist between our two great nations. This is a good piece of legislation. It is bipartisan, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to close. I want to, first of all, thank the gentlewoman from Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon) for her very eloquent statement and for her deep concern for the State of Israel. I thank her for that leadership. I would also like to thank, in closing, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Wilson, Chairman Engel, Ranking Member McCaul, and the Foreign Affairs Committee membership for their bipartisan work, and the staff, to ensure that the United States and Israel can work together to respond to shared challenges. Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1850, the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act of 2019. In so doing, I first want to note Congressman Brian Mast's great personal sacrifice in the war against terror and how inspirational it is for each and every one of us to see him raise his voice time and again in this great battle of our age. I also want to thank my good friend from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer) for his lead cosponsorship of this legislation. H.R. 1850 would require the President to report to Congress on those who knowingly provide financial and material support to terror groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and then apply sanctions. These groups in particular have vowed to wipe out our ally Israel, and their support of terror is well known. Beyond that, the legislation would require a listing of foreign countries where Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad engage in fundraising, financing, or money laundering, as well as list those countries which fail to take adequate measures to freeze the assets of these known terror groups. Mr. Speaker, Hamas, a designated foreign terrorist organization, has killed over 400 Israelis and 25 Americans, rules the Gaza Strip with an iron fist, and uses its proximity to threaten Israel with impunity. As a result, the Israelis live in constant fear of Hamas rockets, tunnels, and other means of bringing violence to Israeli citizens. Earlier this year, in a single weekend, Hamas fired over 600 rockets into Israel, killing four civilians, including an American. As part of our close partnership with Israel, the United States has long sought to help Israel counter that threat. We have worked together on development of the Iron Dome aerial defense system. We continue to work together on counter-tunnelling technology. And again, now, with this bill, we will help Israel to counter Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad by denying these groups the use of funds for their terror operations. For over a decade, Mr. Speaker, the executive branch, across multiple administrations, has sanctioned many individuals as well as a select number of foreign entities that are associated with Hamas, all under the general authority of broad executive order. This bill will codify and standardize those sanctions in statute and require the administration to comprehensively assess whether other supporters of Hamas should be sanctioned who have thus far remained unaffected by their support of this terrorist group. The bill also requires the President to report on whether foreign governments are supporting Hamas or the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Mr. Speaker, we know well that Iran is the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, and Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are among Iran's many terrorist beneficiaries. In fact, it was reported just a few days ago a senior Hamas delegation was in Tehran. This legislation will ensure that the Iranian regime is held to account for its maligned activity undermining peace and security in the Middle East. Bahrain's Foreign Minister said, last week, were it not for Iran's support for Hamas, there would be a better chance of achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians. The goal of this legislation is to cut off Iran's support for terrorism and, therefore, make peace more probable. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 358, calling on the Government of Cameroon and armed groups to respect fundamental human rights and pursue dialogue to resolve the crisis in the anglophone region of that country. Mr. Speaker, I especially want to thank Congresswoman Karen Bass, the chairwoman of the Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee, of which I serve as the ranking member, for this resolution. It is a bipartisan resolution, and, again, I thank her for her leadership. Mr. Speaker, I would note that in the last Congress, I chaired a hearing on this Cameroon crisis as it was festering, seeking a way forward for peace. Sadly, that effort and all efforts made by the international community have been elusive thus far. The conflict in Cameroon has its roots in long-simmering tensions between that country's francophone majority and the anglophone minority, concentrated in the northwest and southwest regions. In 2016, protests by anglophone teachers and lawyers over marginalization and the lack of government services were met with a heavy-handed response. The government failed to genuinely address those legitimate grievances, which further inflamed tensions. Brutal fighting between government security forces and local armed groups who called for separatism continues. Today, there are over 500,000 displaced persons in the anglophone region. Mr. Speaker, entire communities have been burned to the ground. Humanitarian convoys struggle to reach local populations or are even blocked and attacked by armed groups. Over half of the health facilities and hospitals have been damaged and forced to close. Children have been out of school for over 2 years. According to the U.S. Department of State's Human Rights Report on Cameroon from 2018: ``Government security forces were widely believed to be responsible for disappearances of suspected anglophone separatists, with reports of bodies dumped far from the site of the killings to make identification difficult.'' This, in turn, is fueling resentment and separatist violence. This resolution reiterates the U.S. position that all parties must immediately cease fighting and come to the negotiating table without preconditions. The Swiss-led mediation process is a hopeful step in that direction, which deserves support. I would also note the critical role that has been played by the Catholic church, in particular Cardinal Tumi, in trying to reach common ground, and the need to support such efforts. Hopefully, by weighing in, Congress can help promote the cause of peace and justice in the Republic of Cameroon. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Chair, for over 25 years, I have made multiple oral and written requests to federal contracting authorities including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to explain why our labor unions have been systematically excluded from contract awards-- especially at military installations like the Joint Base in New Jersey. Over the years, everyone we've met in meeting after meeting on the federal side have always been polite and courteous, but the bottom line--the highly trained unionized women and men don't get the jobs. Most recently, I brought labor leaders including Mike Maloney-- Business Manager for the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9, Mike Ricca-- Business Agent of IBEW Local 400, and others to meet with the Corps of Engineers regarding contracting processes that make it near impossible for union members to get work on the base. I--we--raised deep concerns that nonunion contractors may purposely be misclassifying workers in order to low bid, which if true could be a serious violation of federal law and contrary to Davis Bacon. We are concerned that irresponsible contractors and subcontractors may be engaging in two different types of misclassification: craft misclassification and independent contractor misclassification. Craft misclassification occurs when dishonest contractors misclassify high- skilled workers as general laborers or lower wage classifications in order to avoid paying the higher prevailing wage rate applicable to the high-skilled work actually performed. Independent contractor misclassification occurs when contractors misclassify employees as independent contractors to avoid paying prevailing wages in order to reduce labor costs and avoid state and federal taxes. Today, I am offering an amendment, joined by my good friend and colleague Donald Norcross, to task the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate the contracting practices of the Corps of Engineers, with a specific focus on how the Corps complies with and enforces the requirement to pay prevailing wages on federally financed construction jobs, and its probe will include: Any programs or protocols the Corps of Engineers has in place for the purpose of carrying out its Davis-Bacon Act enforcement obligations as set forth in the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Any programs or protocols the Corps of Engineers has in place for the purpose of identifying and addressing independent contractor misclassification on projects subject to the Davis-Bacon Act. The frequency with which the Corps of Engineers conducts site visits on each covered project to monitor Davis-Bacon Act compliance. The frequency with which the Corps of Engineers monitors certified payroll reports submitted by contractors and subcontractors on each covered project. Whether the Corps of Engineers accepts and investigates complaints of Davis-Bacon Act violations submitted by third parties, such as contractors and workers' rights organizations. Whether the Corps of Engineers maintains a database listing all contractors and subcontractors who have, in one way or another, violated the Davis-Bacon Act and whether the Corps consults this database as part of its contract award process. The frequency, over the last five years, with which the Corps of Engineers penalized, disqualified, terminated, or moved for debarment of a contractor for Davis-Bacon violations. How the Corps of Engineers verifies that the contractors it hires for its projects are properly licensed. This amendment will require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report to Congress summarizing the results of their findings, in addition to any recommendations for legislative or regulatory action that would improve the efforts of enforcing the requirement to pay prevailing wages on federally financed construction jobs. Our military installations deserve quality workmanship, not substandard facilities that could create potential hazards and diminish readiness. The bill, to which I am adding this amendment, authorizes $11.5 billion for military construction projects for fiscal year 2020. Madam Chair, we need to ensure that taxpayer dollars--and critical investment in military infrastructure--are being spent in accordance with the law, including Davis Bacon.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Speaker, I am very proud to be a Never Forgot the Heroes: James Zadroga, Ray Pfeifer, and Luis Alvarez Permanent Authorization cosponsor, along with another very strong group of bipartisan Members who will not let this opportunity to enact this legislation pass. Tragically, Mr. Alvarez just passed away last month of after providing heroic testifying in support of this bill. Everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing. I was actually chairing a Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing when a group of cowards hijacked four airliners in order to perpetrate the worst act of terrorism in American history. Nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives that day, including 700 from my State. Who can forget the courageous first responders running up the stairs of the burning buildings with total disregard for their own safety, saving others at the expense of their own lives. No one remembers the shock, horror, and numbing sorrow of this day, however, more than the families and the close friends of the victims. I have worked with and befriended many family members of 9/11 victims, and I can state unequivocally that there would not have been a 9/11 Commission and other historic policy initiatives without their extraordinary tenacity, commitment, and courage. That includes what was known as the four Jersey girls, widows who simply would not take ``no'' for an answer. They were a driving force behind the establishment of that very important historic commission. I got to know a lot of the others. I actually hired a school principal who lost her husband, Alan, in 9/11, and I am reminded every time I am in the district office, and other days as well, what she has lost and how painful and how sorrowful that was on that day. For more than 17 years, the families and the friends of those who died have had to endure their loss and a broken heart. Now we know the carnage, the consequences, the ongoing loss of life, and the health crisis attributable to 9/11 are even worse than anyone could have imagined. New cases of 9/11-caused conditions are being diagnosed by the doctors at the World Trade Center Health Program every day, with close to 12,000 cases of 9/11-caused cancers diagnosed so far, including 700 cases of breast cancer, 2,500 of prostate cancer, 600 of thyroid cancer, 500 of lung cancer, and 500 of kidney cancer. There have also been other kinds of catastrophic consequences, with people who are suffering from PTSD, some 9,500 so far and counting. Congress enacted the World Trade Health Center Program Fund and September 11th Victim Compensation Fund to provide health services for responders at the three crash sites, and others in the vicinity of the World Trade Center site for health conditions related to toxic exposures from the attacks. There are over 6,800 New Jerseyans receiving healthcare services from the World Trade Center Health Program, 1,200 of whom are from my district, constituents of mine. In February of this year--and this was shocking, frankly--the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund special master announced that, due to a lack of funding, the Justice Department will have to cut awards on pending cases by 50 percent and any new claims that are filed by 70 percent. These cuts will devastate the first responders, our firemen, police, and emergency personnel. They will also represent a gross injustice for survivors and their families who spent countless hours and days in search of their loved ones. I remember going to the site a couple of days after. I went with Tony Principi, who was then the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Unfortunately, there was a sense, a falsely conveyed sense, that maybe you didn't have to wear the mask, so many of those guys and those ladies on the ground were breathing in a toxic mix of chemicals that now have manifested into very serious disease. This is an important bill. It is bipartisan, and I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle; Congresswoman Maloney for her leadership; and of course, all the others who are cosponsors of this bill. I urge the Senate to move swiftly in passing this bill so that these heroes can secure the health care benefits they deserve.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. I thank my good friend, the distinguished ranking member, for yielding. Mr. Chairman, for years, books and articles have been written suggesting that significant research had been done at U.S. Government facilities, including Fort Detrick and Plum Island, to turn ticks and other insects into bioweapons. Now, a new book, ``Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons,'' by Kris Newby, includes interviews with Dr. Willy Burgdorfer, the researcher who is credited with discovering Lyme disease. It turns out Dr. Burgdorfer was also a bioweapons specialist. The interviews combined with access to Dr. Burgdorfer's lab files reveal that he and other bioweapons specialists stuffed ticks with pathogens to cause severe disability, disease, even death to potential enemies. With Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases exploding in the United States, with an estimated 300,000 to 427,000 new cases each year and 10 to 20 percent of all patients suffering from chronic Lyme disease, I believe Americans have a right to know whether any of this is true. If true, what were the parameters of the program? Who ordered it? Was there any accidental release anywhere or at any time of any of the diseased ticks? Were any ticks released by design? In the book, there is some talk of that happening at or near Richmond, Virginia. Can any of this information help current-day researchers--and this is most important of all--help current-day researchers find a way to mitigate and maybe even cure these diseases? It should be noted for the record that it was President Richard Nixon in 1969 who ordered the end to all bioweapons research, but we know that there were tick farms at Plum Island and Fort Detrick, like I said earlier, and other places where this research was done. We need to know. I encourage Members to read this book if they get the time, ``Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons.'' Again, it may offer some clues as to how we combat this terrible epidemic of Lyme disease in the United States. My amendment tasks the DoD Inspector General to ask the hard questions and report back. The millions of people suffering from Lyme and other tick-borne diseases deserve to know the truth.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Chair, current law requires servicemembers to participate in Transition Assistance Program (TAP) before their anticipated separation date, and more than 20,000 service members will transition into civilian life per month over the next 5 years. As the former Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, I have seen how vital TAP is in preparing all eligible members of the armed forces for transition to civilian life. Servicemembers currently undergo 4 hours of pre-separation counseling, 5 days of classroom-based instruction, and an optional 2-day Transition Goals, Plans, Success program. Yet, the abundant information provided in these multiple sessions can become an organizational challenge especially for servicemembers who are relocating and starting new lives. While access and advancement in mobile technology has grown, TAP has yet to provide servicemembers with a comprehensive online application accessible through mobile application technology to assist with their transition needs after separation including a personalized profile for employment, education, benefits, mentorship, resume building, and career training. Additionally, there is currently no avenue for TAP officials to follow servicemembers' progress in completing their TAP requirements and ensure that immediate and accurate reports are kept. My amendment calls for a three-year pilot program through the interagency partners of the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Labor to develop an online application that would address the current shortfalls in the TAP program, consolidate online resources given to them upon separation, and provide support for the transitioning needs of servicemembers as they become veterans. The online application that would be available as an app for smartphones or tablets and accessible through laptops or desktop computers, would create a transition data dashboard personalized to the veteran. This application would provide a resume generator, job search portal, access to career training, and mentorship and do it all based on the individual military experiences and current geographic location of the veteran. This pilot program will ensure the valuable information provided at TAP is always at veterans' fingertips in order to help our nation's heroes seamlessly transition into civilian life. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Chair, En Bloc amendment No. 14 includes my amendment--cosponsored by Donald Norcross (D-NJ)--to require the GAO to investigate the contracting practices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, specifically on how the agency complies with and enforces the Davis-Bacon Act to pay locally prevailing wages on federally-financed construction jobs. Under Davis-Bacon, the government may terminate a contract if locally prevailing wages have not been paid to employees working on the project. Contracting agencies, such as the Army Corps, however, have the primary day-to-day responsibility for enforcement of the Davis- Bacon Act and its labor standards requirements. Unfortunately, I have heard persistent and credible reports that the Army Corps' enforcement efforts are lacking, specifically at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, which is located in my district. Irresponsible contractors and subcontractors often times avoid their prevailing wage obligations by engaging in two different types of misclassification: craft misclassification and independent contractor misclassification. Craft misclassification occurs when dishonest contractors misclassify highskilled workers as general laborers or lower wage classifications in order to avoid paying the higher prevailing wage rate applicable to the high-skilled work actually performed. Independent contractor misclassification occurs when contractors misclassify employees as independent contractors to avoid paying prevailing wages in order to reduce labor costs and avoid state and federal taxes. These practices deny workers access to critical benefits and protections, including prevailing wages, workers' compensation and unemployment insurance, and communities suffer because misclassification results in lower tax revenues for federal, state, and local governments. To top it off, the work is often substandard as it has been performed by people not properly trained for the job. Our military installations deserve quality workmanship, not substandard facilities that could create potential hazards and diminish readiness. In light of the intended federal investment of $11.5 billion for military construction projects included in this underlying bill for fiscal year 2020, we need to be sure that our taxpayer dollars--and critical investment in military infrastructure--are being spent in accordance with the law and on qualified workmanship. The GAO investigation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will help quantify the problem and hopefully usher in reform.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Madam Chair, Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States today, and members of the U.S. Armed Forces are not immune to its debilitating effects, as they train and complete exercises out in grassy and wooded areas. According to the February 2018 Medical Surveillance Monthly Report, published by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch, tick-borne diseases accounted for more than half of the confirmed cases of vector- borne diseases among service members--active duty and reserve--recorded over seven years, from 2010-2016. Lyme disease alone had the largest number of confirmed cases. In its inaugural report to Congress, the federal Tick-Borne Disease Working Group stated that ``Tick-Borne Diseases have rapidly become a serious and growing threat to public health in the United States. Despite many scientific unknowns, experts agree that the incidence and distribution of tick-borne diseases are increasing.'' The Working Group also stated that ``Federal funding for tick-borne diseases is less per new surveillance case than that of any other disease.'' While the tick-borne disease research at CDMRP has been continuously funded at $5 million since Fiscal Year 2016, the Working Group's report is a sign that there is still much more to be done. The amendment I offer today will increase funding by $2 million for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) for the purposes of tick-borne disease research. The added funding will enable the CDMRP to support more innovative research to address gaps in knowledge and information on tick-borne diseases. Military and civilian personnel and their dependents who are at risk will be better informed and prepared with enhanced awareness, education, and research programs. I urge support for this amendment--we cannot shortchange our federal responsibility. We owe it to the countless patients, including our men and women in uniform suffering from tick-borne diseases and their families.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, the bill under consideration today reverses several--at least nine--life-affirming, pro-life policies, including conscience protection, Title X reform, the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance, and more. This is a pro-abortion piece of legislation on steroids. But passage won't be the last word. Trump will veto it and we will sustain that veto. No one, including doctors, nurses, and LPNs, Mr. Speaker, and no entity, like hospitals or health insurance plans, should ever be compelled against their will into performing, facilitating, or subsidizing abortion. This bill eviscerates the administration's conscience protection rule. In late February, HHS promulgated the Protect Life rule to reassert portions of President Reagan's original Title X regulation to end colocation of abortion clinics with family planning clinics under Title X. It also requires financial separation. That, too, is reversed by this piece of legislation. Among its provisions, the Protect Life rule also seeks to protect against child abuse, child molestation, sexual abuse, and human trafficking. H.R. 2740 also guts the Protecting Life in Global Health Assistance policy, which ensures that our foreign aid holds harmless unborn children. It, again, is a Ronald Reagan policy expanded and reiterated, and it prevents taxpayer funds from going to--and this is grant money-- foreign NGOs that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning. Mr. Speaker, the shocking number of unborn children killed in America is unconscionable--approximately 61 million dead babies since 1973--a death toll that equates to the entire population of Italy. All of this when our knowledge about unborn children and the breathtaking miracle of life before birth is unparalleled. Mr. Speaker, anyone here, parent or grandparent, knows that the first baby pictures today are of the child in the womb, the ultrasound pictures that go up on our refrigerators, so proud of the new baby. It is not that you are going to be a parent; you are a parent during those 9 months. Yet the pro-abortion movement, like a modern day Flat Earth Society, continues to cling to outdated, indefensible arguments cloaked in euphemism. Even the seemingly benign word ``choice'' withers under scrutiny. Choice to do what? Dismember an unborn child piece by piece. Anyone who watched the movie ``Unplanned'' saw an ultrasound-guided abortion where the child was decimated right on the screen for all to see. Then there is, of course, RU-486, which first starves the baby to death, and then the baby is expelled from the womb. Then there are injections of chemical poisons--all of it violence against children. That is what the choice is all about: the choice of killing an innocent, defenseless, unborn child.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman very much for his amendment and for yielding. Mr. Chair, in 2009, Nurse Cathy DeCarlo was ordered at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York, to assist in the abortion of a 22-week-old unborn child. Under threat of being fired, she said the hospital ordered her to assist in the ``bloody dismemberment of a baby,'' her words, ``and accounting for the body parts afterward,'' which must be done during these abortions. She said this coercion caused her intense emotional pain and she has had ``nightmares about babies crying in the dark . . .'' ever since. She appealed to the HHS Office for Civil Rights, but her pleas to enforce her civil rights fell on deaf ears. No one, Mr. Chair, should ever be pressured or threatened or coerced to perform or facilitate in the killing of a baby. Abortion is not healthcare. HHS recently promulgated an essential new regulation to enforce 25 congressionally-enacted conscience laws and provisions to protect individuals, healthcare entities, and providers from discrimination. H.R. 2740 stops this regulation by not allowing funds to be used to implement it. Let me point out that HHS points out that the rule will robustly enforce investigations, supervising compliance, making enforcement referrals when necessary to Justice, and remediate the effects of discrimination in coordination with other funding components in HHS, which may include withholding Federal funds as appropriate. We need to be serious about conscience rights. We cannot coerce and tell someone like Cathy DeCarlo or nurses in my State of New Jersey who are told, under condition of losing their jobs, they had to assist in abortions. Abortion takes the life of a baby. It includes dismemberment and chemical poisoning. And just think about this: my friends on the other side of the aisle just simply refuse to acknowledge that there is a baby. And that baby deserves respect and protection. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote for the Cole amendment.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chair, Lyme disease is the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States today. If not diagnosed and treated properly, Lyme can lead to disseminated infection that can affect every system in the body, including the central nervous system. Later symptoms of Lyme include neurological problems, memory loss, brain fog, and heart systems such as heart block and inflammation of the heart muscle. Lyme has been reported in every State in the United States. My State, for example, has a particularly high incidence of new cases and old, about 50,000 new infections each year. While grossly undercounted for decades, new scientific evidence shows that the number of new cases of Lyme is now estimated to be between 291,000 to 437,000. Remember, these are new cases of Lyme disease. Since 1998, Mr. Chair, I have introduced comprehensive legislation on tick-borne diseases, including Lyme. At the core of it was the creation of a working group or a blue-ribbon commission to try to figure out what is going on and to have Lyme-literate participants because there has been a culture of denial about Lyme disease, particularly chronic Lyme, for decades. With the support and strategic help of Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, we succeeded in our goal and added the Tick-Borne Disease Working Group to the 21st Century Cures Act. I am thankful to Fred Upton, as well, for his leadership on this important initiative. I would point out that that Working Group was dead over in the Senate, and again, it was Kevin McCarthy who said the 21st Century Cures Act doesn't come back unless that is in it. That made it happen. The Working Group is charged with reviewing current research efforts and identifying the gaps in the study, education, prevention, and access to care for patients with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. In their inaugural report to Congress, the Working Group said, ``Americans need help, yet progress has been hampered by a lack of attention at the Federal level and by divisions within the field.'' I include the executive summary of the Working Group's report in the Record. [Tick-Borne Disease Working Group, 2018 Report to Congress] Executive Summary Tick-Borne Diseases have rapidly become a serious and growing threat to public health in the United States. Despite many scientific unknowns, experts agree that the incidence and distribution of tick-borne diseases are increasing. Over the past 25 years, reports of Lyme disease have increased steadily with estimated annual cases approximating 300,000 (Hinckley et al., 2014; Nelson et al., 2015 ). The number of U.S. counties now considered to be of high incidence for Lyme disease has increased by more than 300% in the Northeastern states and by approximately 250% in the North-Central states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) currently recognizes 18 tick-borne pathogens in the United States. However, researchers and health care practitioners continue to discover emerging disease agents and new medical conditions associated with tick bites. While most Lyme disease patients who are diagnosed and treated early can fully recover, 10 to 20% of patients suffer from persistent symptoms, which for some are chronic and disabling. Studies indicate that Lyme disease costs approximately $1.3 billion each year in direct medical costs alone in the United States. A comprehensive understanding of the full economic and societal cost remains unknown. It is likely orders of magnitude higher and potentially a $50- to $100-billion-dollar problem for the United States, although more research is needed (Vanderhoof & Vanderhoof-Forschner, 1993; Zhang et al., 2006). Prompt diagnosis and treatment of tick-borne diseases are crucial to prevent long-term complications. Today, available diagnostic tests can be inaccurate and complex to interpret, especially during the earliest stage of infection when treatment is most effective. Unlike in other infectious disease settings, tests to directly measure the presence of the infecting organism, such as cultures or tissue biopsies, are not available for some tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease. This leaves physicians without the tools needed to diagnose; and without an accurate diagnosis, it is challenging for physicians to provide early treatment. Persistent symptoms after treatment of Lyme disease can be severe, yet their cause(s) remains unknown and debated. There are currently no uniformly accepted or validated treatment options for patients with these chronic symptoms. As a result, uncertainty surrounding appropriate clinical care has led to polarization within the medical community, and patients are often left suffering in limbo without a clear path to illness resolution or even symptom management (Rebman et al., 2017). The lack of a clear path for treatment of persistent symptoms in some patients with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases not only amplifies patient suffering but also significantly increases health care costs. This report outlines an integrated, multipronged approach to the growing public health challenges posed by tick-borne diseases in the United States. It contains nine main chapters, including Background; Methods; Epidemiology and Ecology; Prevention; Diagnosis; Treatment; Access to Care, Patient Outcomes; Looking Forward; and Conclusion. The Background and Methods chapters explain how the report was developed. The other chapters present the main challenges, key issues, and recommendations specific to the broader topics. To understand tick-borne diseases, we need to first understand tick ecology and how ticks transmit diseases. Due to the lack of a coordinated national surveillance program, currently there are significant gaps in information on local distribution of infection-causing ticks, especially in regions beyond the Northeast and Upper Midwest. Nationwide, standardized approaches for tick, animal, and human surveillance are needed to understand the geographic distribution of infectious ticks in order to understand the spread of disease and predict where people are at risk. Advanced technologies and systematic studies are also needed to rapidly identify new disease agents that pose emergent risks to public health, including to the blood supply. Given that seven new tick-borne pathogens have been shown to infect people in the United States since 2004,this is a priority. Effective prevention relies on multi-pronged strategies. To reduce exposure to ticks, we need a comprehensive understanding of the biological drivers behind the continued spread of tick-borne diseases, so that effective tick- and infection control methods can be identified and validated. Need also exists for the transparent development of a safe, effective human vaccine to prevent Lyme disease, the most common of these illnesses. In the absence of effective strategies for controlling ticks and blocking the transmission of tick-borne pathogens, it is crucial to educate health care leadership are needed to reverse the alarming professionals and the public about tick-borne disease prevention, especially best practices for protection from tick bites. Outreach efforts to promote prevention and raise awareness among physicians and the public must be expanded at both the Federal and state level to ensure accurate, effective, and consistent messaging. Clinical research priorities must include the development of new technologies and approaches to improve diagnosis of tick-borne diseases and monitor response to treatment. There is a critical need for sensitive and specific direct-pathogen detection strategies that are broad enough to cover multiple potential tickborne pathogens. Understanding the etiology and pathogenesis of ongoing symptoms after initial treatment should be a clinical research priority. Investigations are also needed into the potential roles of immunologic responses, bacterial persistence, and coinfecting pathogens in order to design and test new therapies and, ultimately, improve outcomes and care for patients with ongoing symptoms. Americans need help, yet progress has been hampered by a lack of attention at the Federal level and by divisions within the field. The recommendations in this 2018 report of the TickBorne Disease Working Group represent a longterm investment in tackling the rise of tick-borne diseases in this country. However, immediate changes are also required to help patients already suffering from tick-borne diseases; to protect them from discrimination; and to address the inflexible, inconsistent, and often unaffordable care that patients frequently encounter in the current health care system. Increaseed Federal funding, prioritzation, and leadership are needed to reverse the alarming trends associated with tick-borne diseases. Despite several decades of research, prevention, and educational activities, Federal funding for tick-borne diseases is less per new surveillance case than that of other diseases. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and CDC spend $77,355 and $20,293, respectively, per new surveillance case of HIV/AIDS, and $36,063 and $11,459 per new case of hepatitis C virus, yet only $768 and $302 for each new case of Lyme disease. Federal funding for tick-borne diseases today is orders of magnitude lower, compared to other public health threats, and it has failed to increase as the problem has grown. It is also essential that funding and resources be allocated to support a comprehensive, interagency program to address the mounting challenges identified in this report. All research, prevention, and education initiatives should be inclusive of special populations such as children, who suffer disproportionately from tick-borne diseases. Patients whose lives continue to be disrupted by the lasting effects of these illnesses are counting on emerging scientific research, evidence-based policy, and the health care establishment-- including the Federal Government with Congressional and Executive leadership--to provide solutions. We must act now.'

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Chair, much of what we have argued about for a quarter of a century has now been scientifically validated by the Working Group, including the fact that massive numbers of people are getting seriously ill from ticks and that the Federal response has been woefully inadequate. Let me point out to my colleagues that this amendment very simply boosts the amount of money that CDC will have to spend. Again, it was the Working Group that pointed out that in terms of prevalence, the number of diseases that are charted, no other disease, no other disability gets less funding for CDC or for NIH. I would say that is because there has been such a culture of denial by certain organizations about the prevalence of Lyme over the years, and that has really prevented the necessary work from happening. We are talking about, in 2017, $11 million for CDC and $28 million for the National Institutes of Health. That is a drop in the bucket for this infectious disease. CDC has recognized that there are 18 tick-borne pathogens in the U.S., and researchers and healthcare practitioners continue to discover emerging agents. The Working Group's report was able to underscore a fact many of us have believed to be true, and now it is further validated, that 10 to 20 percent of patients suffer from persistent symptoms, which are chronic and disabling--in other words, chronic Lyme. The diagnostic tests--and this is, again, where the research dollars can make a difference--are also often inaccurate. The report points out that in about 50 percent or more of the cases, when people do blood tests they are told they don't have it. Those are false negatives. They do have it. There are other tests that go deeper into the bands to discover this. It is very expensive. We need a world-class diagnostic tool. Mr. Chair, I would point out to my colleagues that the disproportionate number of people who are infected--mal infected, to be more accurate--are children who are out in the backyard. This report points out that most people get Lyme in their own backyards. Of course, if people play sports, are hikers, or are out in the wilderness, they are also further at risk. So this amendment increases CDC's funding it by $1 million for Lyme. It is a modest amount but a step in the right direction. I have also introduced legislation with Collin Peterson, and I would ask my colleagues to take a look at it. It is called the TICK Act, H.R. 3073, and it would create a national strategy like we have done with Alzheimer's and like we have done with other diseases to bring the needed Federal resources to the fight against Lyme. Mr. Chairman, I do ask Members to support the amendment and take a look at the TICK Act. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.