Jan Schakowsky

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Abbey Eusebio, an incredible woman and dedicated public servant who has served on my staff as a Constituent Advocate for over 14 years. While I will soon lose Abbey as a staff member, she will always be part of my Team. I wish her continued success in her future endeavors but look forward to seeing her in the community as we continue to fight for inclusion and representation for all. Abbey has devoted her professional life to helping the most vulnerable members of our community. In her role as a Constituent Advocate, she assisted anyone who came in the door or called my office, helping them find resources and navigate government agencies that are all too often complex and unresponsive. Abbey has a well-earned reputation as an effective, compassionate and diligent member of my staff. She is thoughtful and tenacious as she pursues matters on behalf of constituents of the 9th Congressional District of Illinois. Over 14 years of service, Abbey provided extensive casework support to individual reaching out for help with immigration, housing, taxes, veterans' benefits, and a wide range of other issues. Her depth of knowledge and dogged persistence in tracking down necessary information from federal agencies has helped hundreds of residents who may have otherwise fallen through the cracks. Over her many years of service, Abbey collected ``regulars'' who would keep in touch and stop in to see her, and she would often receive word-of-mouth referrals from the community because of her amazing work and reputation. Abbey worked with other members of my staff to organize and run numerous events throughout the 9th Congressional District, and my staff and I could always trust that her work would be done in a complete and capable manner. She was often seen at several local libraries where she and other staff held weekly office hours, and she was always happy to converse with constituents. Abbey frequently spoke on my behalf when I was unable to attend community events, and she never failed to represent the office with gravitas and eloquence. She is a familiar and trusted face at many events in our vibrant Filipino community, where she is one of their strongest advocates. My staff and I will feel a distinct void when Abbey moves on to conduct outreach for the Illinois Attorney General's Office, but I know that she will continue to use her skills and many talents to assist residents throughout Illinois in the months and years ahead. I will miss Abbey, but I know that she will continue to do tremendous work in our community. I love her very much.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, today I pay tribute to Garry Brydges, PhD, DNP, MBA, ACNP-BC, CRNA, FAAN. Dr. Brydges will soon complete his year as national president of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA). I am proud that Dr. Brydges was elected as the 2018-2019 president of this prestigious national organization. Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are advanced practice registered nurses who administer approximately 43 million anesthetics to patients each year. They work in every setting in which anesthesia is delivered including hospital surgical suites, obstetrical delivery rooms, ambulatory surgical centers, and the offices of dentists, podiatrists, and specialty surgeons. They also provide acute and chronic pain management services to patients in need of such care. CRNAs provide anesthesia for all types of surgical cases and are the sole anesthesia providers in many rural hospitals. As a CRNA for over 15 years, Dr. Brydges has contributed greatly to the healthcare community in the Houston area and nationwide. Having served in many capacities on professional associations, including on boards of directors at the state and national levels, Dr. Brydges has long been active in nurse anesthesia. He is a former president of the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists and has had extensive success in leading large organizations through healthcare policy development, strategic planning, evidence-based practice, outcome research, and education. In addition, Dr. Brydges has mentored students across all nursing disciplines through professional development and clinical nursing excellence. Dr. Brydges earned his executive Master of Business Administration degree from Texas Women's University in Houston. He earned his Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Texas Christian College in Fort Worth, Texas. In addition, he graduated with a Master of Nursing in nurse anesthesia, and a Master of Nursing in Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from the University of Texas at Houston. During his AANA presidency, Dr. Brydges has been a prominent advocate for the patients and practice of nurse anesthesia before federal agencies and members of Congress. He has worked tirelessly to promote anesthesia patient safety and the value of CRNAs to our healthcare system, especially when it comes to dealing with chronic pain and the opioid crisis. Dr. Brydges has worked to have CRNAs recognized as Full Practice Providers in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), to maintain provider non-discrimination, and to achieve full scope of practice for CRNAs, including chronic pain management and related services in the Medicare system. I extend my sincere congratulations to Dr. Brydges today on a job well done. His service to the AANA and to his patients, and his commitment to safe, quality anesthesia care nationwide, are highly commendable. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Brydges' notable career and outstanding achievements.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 693, the U.S. Senator Joseph D. Tydings Memorial Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2019 or the ``PAST'' Act. Put simply, soring is the cruel practice of intentionally inflicting pain on a horse's legs or hooves to alter the horse's gait. This is done by applying caustic chemicals such as diesel fuel, and mustard oil to the skin, and inserting sharp painful objects into horses' hooves to achieve an artificial high-stepping gait. It is all too commonly inflicted on horses that participate in Tennessee Walking Horse competitions. As a former horse owner myself, I am deeply disturbed about the pain and suffering these majestic animals are put through. Soring is already prohibited by the laws of the United States. Congress passed the Horse Protection Act in 1970 to address the problem. What we are doing today is identifying gaps in the original law and fixing them. No other category of horse show has federal oversight because no other group of trainers and horse show enthusiasts intentionally injure horses as a way to enhance performance. This practice belongs in the same category as dogfighting and cockfighting in that people hurt animals in severe ways just for entertainment. Ending this despicable practice is long overdue. Since the PAST Act was first introduced in the 113th Congress it has never had fewer than 272 cosponsors and has always been a firmly bipartisan bill with co-sponsors representing districts across the country. The PAST Act is also supported by hundreds of veterinary and equine groups--including the veterinary medical associations from all 50 states. I would like to recognize the hard work of the individuals within these outside animal rights advocates--particularly Marty Irby, Executive Director of Animal Wellness Action, who has dedicated so many years to this purpose. As the chair of the subcommittee where this bill is assigned, I am proud to stand in favor of this anti-cruelty legislation. Let's send the bill to the Senate with a strong vote that shows how Americans will not stand for animal abuse.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I am really so proud and grateful to join you, Congressman Garcia. We are both from Illinois, and we see some of the same examples of the fear that is plaguing our communities wherever there are immigrants. And I want to tell you, I take this issue very personally. Neither of my parents were born in the United States of America, but they came here as small children with their parents, who made a really good life. My grandfather had a horse and wagon and actually sold vegetables in Humboldt Park, part of your district right now, carrying heavy bags of potatoes up and down the stairs. Four children, and they all went to college. They made a good life, and now his granddaughter is in the United States Congress. Well, I will tell you, my grandparents, my parents did not live with the fear that this President has brought to millions and millions of people and, of course, people in our district. I want to just tell you that exactly 1 week ago today, I flew home, landed at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, and heard that something was happening over at the international terminal, that there was now a crowd of people and there were children ages, I think it was 16, 10, and 9, minors, who were being held at the airport. These were citizen children. Why were they being held there? They came from Mexico. They had been there on vacation. They came with an adult relative of theirs who had a valid passport, but for some reason Customs and Border Protection sent that adult back to Mexico--we are investigating exactly why--and now said only the mother could pick up these minor children. Well, I get that, except that their brother, who is a DACA recipient older than them, an adult, came to pick them up, and they were not released. A lawyer was there with a signed affidavit witnessed by members of the consulate, the Mexican consulate. They would not release the children to her. By now, there was a crowd of people holding signs ``Release the children.'' They had arrived at about 3 in the morning. They were given two cots during the night, meaning one of those girls had to sleep on the floor. This is what is happening at the border, of course--mistreating children. So, finally, there was an agreement that was made: Okay, Mom will come. Guess what? Mom is undocumented. She was afraid to come, but she came, surrounded by the Mexican consulate, by the lawyer, by me, to make sure that she was able to take her children home. We heard that members of Customs and Border Protection said--and we are investigating this, too--that, if these were normal circumstances, that mother would have been detained. Understand, they would have detained the mother of citizen children who just wanted to travel to Mexico, come home, and go be with their parents. What is going on in the United States of America? We fear that children like that are being used to lure undocumented parents to the airport. That is what we fear. And this is just one example of one family, of one problem that had to be resolved. I am telling you, I am so heartbroken. I am going to the border on Wednesday, and I want to go see again for myself what is going on down there. But we have to say, no, this cannot happen. We are the country of the Statue of Liberty, the Statue of Liberty that welcomed my father and his family to this country, not the family of walls and fear and mistreatment and children dying in custody. No, Mr. President, this is not the America that we all deserve. And thank you, Congressman, for leading this discussion.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my deep gratitude and appreciation to someone who has played an inspirational and indispensable role in Congress for more than 4 decades, my great friend, my guide, Judy Schneider. After a legendary career as a Specialist on Congress at the Congressional Research Service--really, the specialist, ultimate specialist, on Congress--Judy is retiring; and I want to let her know how much she will be missed. I was fortunate to meet Judy even before I was sworn into the Congress. And as soon as I met her, I realized that I need Judy Schneider to be my mentor, and I was fortunate that she agreed to do that. Judy has won many well-deserved accolades; but I think that her greatest reward is knowing that she has mentored and trained and inspired so many that have gone on to use her lessons about how Congress works, how it really works, how it should work, and then how it really works. That has been the lesson that has improved people's lives and the Members of Congress' lives and well-being. So, Judy, I thank you. I love you, and I wish you everything good.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to offer my deep gratitude and appreciation to someone who has played an indispensable role in Congress for more than four decades--my guide and my great friend, Judy Schneider. After a legendary career as a Specialist on Congress at the Congressional Research Service--really the specialist on Congress--Judy is retiring. Judy will be missed. Judy Schneider is a recognized institution on Capitol Hill--not just because of her unparalleled knowledge of procedure, but because of her belief in how those of us fortunate enough to work here can use those procedures to move effective policy solutions. She has never failed to recognize the enormous possibilities we have been given to represent our constituents and our nation, and she has never failed to help anyone--on either side of the aisle--who sought her guidance. Like many of my colleagues and their staffs, I have relied on Judy to help me navigate Congress--not just how the House and Senate are supposed to work according to precedent, but how these bodies actually work in today's world. Along with her colleague Michael Koempel, she literally wrote the book--The Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress--to help explain the rules under which we operate. My staff and I have turned to the Deskbook countless times, and we are far from alone. Whether you work on the Hill or simply want to understand how Congress operates, you can rely on Judy Schneider's writings for clear, concise and accurate information. That includes not just the Deskbook but hundreds of reports and guidance documents, including one that each of my staffers receives on how to prepare a legislative plan. But Judy is not just an author. She is available to talk with Members of Congress, their staffs, and others to answer questions and share her vast expertise. I was fortunate to meet Judy at the new member retreat during my first weeks in Congress, and Immediately recognized her many talents. It was clear to me that if I wanted to learn how the House really works, I needed to know Judy. I am so thankful that Judy agreed to serve as my mentor and guide. Whenever my staff or I have a question about procedural or legislative options, we turn to not just to Judy's books and reports, but to Judy in person. She is not just on our speed- dial, she is the ``go-to'' person for offices throughout the House and Senate. Her influence goes beyond the walls of Congress. Judy has been generous in sharing her understanding of Congress with a wide range of groups off the Hill, speaking to countless associations and organizations while also mentoring many individuals--especially women-- who are interested in policymaking careers. Using her trademark Socratic style to challenge her countless students, Judy has taught a generation of thinkers how to use policy and procedures creatively. Judy Schneider has received many awards and accolades--all of which are richly deserved. The Judy Schneider Fellowship, created by Women in Government in 2015 to recognize Judy's accomplishments, guarantees that her impact will continue to be felt. Last year, she won the inaugural Democracy Awards Lifetime Achievement award for Congressional staff from the Congressional Management Foundation, a truly fitting honor. And yet, I believe her greatest reward is knowing that she has mentored, trained and inspired so many who have gone on to use her lessons to improve people's lives and well-being. I thank Judy, I love her and I wish her everything good. I know that she will spend time on the Jersey shore, with family and friends, and enjoy some well-deserved downtime. But I also hope that, even in retirement, she will continue to serve as a resource for all of us who have relied on her for her wisdom. I hope to be able to turn to her for her counsel and friendship in the future, as I have so frequently over the past years.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University as it celebrates its 50th anniversary. The Institute was founded in 1968-1969 as the Center for Urban Affairs by twelve faculty and was renamed the Institute for Policy Research in 1996. Over its 50 years, the Institute for Policy Research has earned national recognition and respect as a premier social science research center and has produced valuable and actionable research about social and political issues facing the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the country, and the world. The Institute for Policy Research's mission is to stimulate and support excellent social science research on significant public policy issues and to disseminate the findings widely--to students, scholars, policymakers, and the public. The Institute is a dynamic hub for rigorous social science research that maintains a strong community of 150 interdisciplinary scholars across the Northwestern community investigating health-related social disparities, education policy, crime, race, poverty, community development, and more. Institute for Policy Research faculty fellows and associates have received high honors from distinguished bodies such as the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Education, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Educational Research Foundation, and the Yidan Prize Foundation. I congratulate the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University on this milestone and applaud the Institute's contribution to the improvement of people's lives through research and policy development.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, the real political grandstanding that we are hearing today is from the Republican side of the aisle, which for nearly 10 years has been fighting against the Affordable Care Act. Over 60 times, they voted against the Affordable Care Act. Maybe it is because some people call it ObamaCare. We know that millions and millions of people have gotten healthcare because of it. It is time to stop and to say let's work together to make the Affordable Care Act even better and extend access. The fact is that the Affordable Care Act and affordable prescription drugs are two pillars of healthcare access. They really cannot be separated. I am proud that we have an opportunity today to do what was impossible while the Republicans were in charge of the Congress. Today, we are voting on making impactful, lasting change in lowering the cost of healthcare, including prescription drugs, for Americans nationwide. Democrats are at the table and ready to pass this legislation. We are ready to improve all aspects of healthcare from healthcare affordability, to prescription drug affordability. Instead of offering amendments in bad faith, we need to pass this bill. Mr. Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to reject the amendment by Mr. Bucshon and support the passage of H.R. 987 in its entirety.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to lead a reading of parts of the Mueller report, otherwise called the ``Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election.'' As I said, it is more commonly known as the Mueller report. It documents widespread and effective foreign intervention to target voters and influence the outcome of the 2016 election. This operation, led by Russian agents, was a direct attack on our democracy. The report has not been taken seriously by the administration. Even worse, it has been ignored for fear it would somehow minimize President Trump's electoral college victory and bruise his ego. It is critical that we set the record straight and work to address an ongoing threat that Russia poses to our future elections. My fellow Members and I will be reading excerpts taken directly from the report, documenting the Russian campaign to secure a Trump Presidency.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Heck), to read his quote.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for coming. I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore) to read a quote from the Mueller report.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for reading. Madam Speaker, I am going to read a quote from the Mueller reporter dealing with Russian interference. ``The first form of Russian election influence came principally from the Internet Research Agency''--and you will hear this evening, over and over again, the name IRA, and that is what it is--``the Internet Research Agency, LLC (IRA), a Russian organization, funded by Yevgeniy Viktorovich Prigozhin and companies he controlled, including Concord Management and Consulting LLC and Concord Catering, (collectively `Concord'). The IRA conducted social media operations targeted at large U.S. audiences with the goal of sowing discord in the U.S. political system. These operations constituted `active measures'''--and it is translated into Russian--``a term that typically refers to operations conducted by Russian security services aimed at influencing the course of international affairs.'' That is volume I, page 14. I am going the read one more, and this is from volume I, pages 14 and 15. ``By the end of the 2016 U.S. election, the IRA''--that is that Russian organization that has influenced the media in the United States of America in our elections--``the IRA had the ability to reach millions of U.S. persons through their social media accounts. Multiple IRA-controlled Facebook groups and Instagram accounts had hundreds of thousands of U.S. participants. IRA-controlled Twitter accounts separately had tens of thousands of followers, including multiple U.S. political figures who retweeted IRA-created content. In November 2017, a Facebook representative testified that Facebook had identified 470 IRA-controlled Facebook accounts that collectively made 80,000 posts between January 2015 and August 2017. Facebook estimated the IRA reached as many as 126 million persons through its Facebook accounts. In January 2018, Twitter announced that it had identified 3,814 IRA-controlled Twitter accounts and notified approximately 1.4 million people Twitter believed may have been in contact with an IRA- controlled account.'' Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, let me just remind everyone that the IRA stands for the organization that coordinated all of the online activities dealing with interference in the U.S. election. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier) to read a quote.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Reading from volume I, page 33. ``The investigation identified two different forms of connections between the IRA and members of the Trump campaign. (The investigation identified no similar connections between the IRA and the Clinton campaign.) First, on multiple occasions, members and surrogates of the Trump campaign promoted--typically by linking, retweeting, or similar methods of reposting--pro-Trump or anti-Clinton content published by the IRA through IRA-controlled social media accounts. Additionally, in a few instances, IRA employees represented themselves as U.S. persons to communicate with members of the Trump campaign in an effort to seek assistance and coordination on IRA-organized political rallies inside the United States.'' Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the great State of Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Volume I, page 35. ``Starting in June 2016, the IRA contacted different U.S. persons affiliated with the Trump campaign in an effort to coordinate pro-Trump IRA-organized rallies inside the United States. In all cases, the IRA contacted the campaign while claiming to be U.S. political activists working on behalf of a conservative grassroots organization. The IRA's contacts included requests for signs and other materials to use at rallies, as well as requests to promote the rallies and help coordinate logistics. ``While certain campaign volunteers agreed to provide the requested support (for example, agreeing to set aside a number of signs), the investigation has not identified evidence that any Trump campaign official understood the requests were coming from foreign nationals.'' Volume I, page 35. ``In sum, the investigation established that Russia interfered in the 2016 Presidential election through the `active measures' social media campaign carried out by the IRA, an organization funded by Prigozhin and companies that he controlled. As explained further . . . the office concluded (and a grand jury has alleged) that Prigozhin, his companies, and IRA employees violated U.S. law through these operations, principally by undermining through deceptive acts the work of Federal agencies charged with regulating foreign influence in the U.S. elections.'' That is also volume I, page 35. Volume I, pages 42 and 43. ``On June 14, 2016, the DNC and its cyber-response team announced the breach of the DNC network and suspected theft of DNC documents. In the statements, the cyber-response team alleged that Russian state- sponsored actors (which they referred to as `Fancy Bear') were responsible for the breach. ``Apparently in response to that announcement, on June 15, 2016, GRU officers,'' that is, the Russian spy agency officers, ``using the persona Guccifer 2.0 created a WordPress blog. In the hours leading up to the launch of that WordPress blog, GRU officers logged into a Moscow-based server used and managed by Unit 74455 and searched for a number of specific words and phrases in English, including `some hundred sheets,' `illuminati,' and `worldwide known.' Approximately 2 hours after the last of those searches, Guccifer 2.0 published its first post, attributing the DNC server hack to a lone Romanian hacker and using several of the unique English words and phrases that the GRU officers had searched for that day. ``That same day, June 15, 2016, the GRU also used the Guccifer 2.0 WordPress blog to begin releasing to the public documents stolen from the DNC and DCCC computer networks. The Guccifer 2.0 persona ultimately released thousands of documents stolen from the DNC and DCCC in a series of blog posts between June 15, 2016, and October 18, 2016. ``Released documents included opposition research performed by the DNC (including a memorandum analyzing potential criticisms of candidate Trump), internal policy documents (such as recommendations on how to address politically sensitive issues), analyses of specific congressional races, and fundraising documents. Releases were organized around thematic issues, such as specific States (e.g., Florida and Pennsylvania) that were perceived as competitive in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.'' That is volume I, pages 42 and 43. This is now volume I, pages 49 and 50. ``Unit 26165 officers also hacked into a DNC account hosted on a cloud-computing service--redacted. On September 20, 2016, the GRU began to generate copies of the DNC data using--redacted--function designed to allow users to produce backups of databases (referred to--redacted-- as `snapshots'). The GRU then stole those snapshots by moving them to-- redacted--account that they controlled; from there, the copies were moved to GRU-controlled computers. The GRU stole approximately 300 gigabytes of data from the DNC cloud-based account.'' That was volume I, pages 49 and 50. This is volume I, page 50. ``In addition to targeting individuals involved in the Clinton campaign, GRU officers also targeted individuals and entities involved in the administration of the elections. Victims included U.S. State and local entities, such as State boards of elections (SBOEs), secretaries of state, and county governments, as well as individuals who worked for those entities. The GRU also targeted private technology firms responsible for manufacturing and administering election-related software and hardware, such as voter registration software and electronic polling stations.'' ``The GRU continued to target these victims through the elections in November 2016. While the investigation identified evidence that the GRU targeted these individuals and entities, the office did not investigate further. The office did not, for instance, obtain or examine servers or other relevant items belonging to these victims. The office understands that the FBI, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the States have separately investigated that activity.'' This is volume I, pages 51 and 52. ``The Trump campaign showed interest in WikiLeaks' releases of hacked materials throughout the summer and fall of 2016--redacted. ``On June 12, 2016, Assange claimed in a televised interview to `have emails relating to Hillary Clinton which are pending publication,' but provided no additional context. ``In debriefings with the office, former Deputy Campaign Chairman Rick Gates said that,--redacted. Gates recalled candidate Trump being generally frustrated that the Clinton emails had not been found.'' ``Gates recalled candidate Trump being generally frustrated''--again it says--``that the Clinton emails had not been found.'' Again, that is volume I, pages 51 and 52. I am hoping that some more Members come down, but if not, I am going to read just a couple more things. ``Many IRA operations used Facebook accounts created and operated by its specialists--redacted. ``IRA Facebook groups active during the 2016 campaign covered a range of political issues and included purported conservative groups (with names such as `Being Patriotic,' `Stop All Immigrants,' `Secured Borders,' and `Tea Party News,'), purported Black social justice groups ('Black Matters,' `Blacktivist,' and `Don't Shoot Us'), LGBTQ groups ('LGBT United'), and religious groups ('United Muslims of America.') ``Throughout 2016, IRA accounts published an increasing number of materials supporting the Trump campaign and opposing the Clinton campaign. For example, on May 31, 2016, the operational account `Matt Skiber' began to privately message dozens of pro-Trump Facebook groups asking them to help plan a `pro-Trump rally near Trump Tower.' ``To reach larger U.S. audiences, the IRA purchased advertisements from Facebook that promoted the IRA groups on the news feeds of U.S. audience members. According to Facebook, the IRA purchased over 3,500 advertisements and the expenditures totaled approximately $100,000. ``During the U.S. Presidential campaign, many IRA-purchased advertisements explicitly supported or opposed a Presidential candidate or promoted U.S. rallies organized by the IRA (discussed below). As early as March 2016, the IRA purchased advertisements that overtly opposed the Clinton campaign. For example, on March 18, 2016, the IRA purchased an advertisement depicting candidate Clinton and a caption that read in part, `If one day God lets this liar enter the White House as a President--that day would be a real national tragedy.' '' That was a quote from the ad that they paid for. ``Similarly, on April 6, 2016, the IRA purchased advertisements for its account `Black Matters' calling for a `flash mob' of U.S. persons to `take a photo with #HillaryClintonForPrison2016 or #noHillary2016.' IRA-purchased advertisements featuring Clinton were, with very few exceptions, negative.'' Again, this is a Russian agency, Russian corporation. ``IRA-purchased advertisements referencing candidate Trump largely supported his campaign. The first known IRA advertisement explicitly endorsing the Trump campaign was purchased on April 19, 2016. The IRA bought an advertisement for its Instagram account `Tea Party News' asking U.S. persons to help them `make a patriotic team of young Trump supporters' ''--I will say that again: ``make a patriotic team of young Trump supporters''--``by uploading photos with the hashtag #KIDS4TRUMP. In subsequent months, the IRA purchased dozens of advertisements supporting the Trump campaign, predominantly through the Facebook groups `Being Patriotic', `Stop All Invaders' and `Secured Borders.' ``Collectively, the IRA's social media accounts reached tens of millions of U.S. persons. Individual IRA social media accounts attracted hundreds of thousands of followers. For example, at the time they were deactivated by Facebook in mid-2017, the IRA's `United Muslims of America' Facebook group had over 300,000 followers, the `Don't Shoot Us' Facebook group had over 250,000 followers, the `Being Patriotic' Facebook group had over 200,000 followers, and the `Secured Borders' Facebook group had over 130,000 followers. According to Facebook, in total the IRA-controlled accounts made over 80,000 posts before their deactivation in August 2017, and these posts reached at least 29 million U.S. persons and `may have reached an estimated 126 million people.' '' That is Volume I, pages 24 to 26. Madam Speaker, I am going to yield back my time. I think it is worth people taking a look at the Mueller report. You can get it in book form. You can also download it for free. It can be downloaded for free from--I think it is the Justice Department, isn't it? The Justice Department website. I think, seeing the extent and reading the words that talk about the extent of Russian interference in our elections is really important, especially as we head into a new election cycle where Americans want to have confidence that their vote really matters, that the messages that they are getting are legitimate ones from inside the United States of America, and that Russian or any other foreign influence is not using the internet, using names that are supposed to sound like they are American organizations and American websites and American Facebook pages. I think it is very important for people to learn about that. It is worth the read. Actually, if you consider all the redactions, it is not as long a read as you might think. And then all of us would be informed. About 3 percent of Americans have read the Mueller report, and I would certainly encourage more. One of our colleagues, Mary Gay Scanlon, I know, is going to begin at noon tomorrow with a full reading. It is going to be done in one of the House rooms here, upstairs in the Rules Committee, a reading of the Mueller report. Otherwise, I think people have misguided information about what is in it and the idea that there is really nothing at all that is important. Those Americans who are interested in the sanctity of our elections, I would very much encourage. You could even watch the reading that is going on starting at noon tomorrow of the full Mueller report. And consider the threat to our elections and that we have to do everything we can to make sure that there is no outside interference. Madam Speaker, with that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to condemn the Trump administration's dangerous final rule that allows healthcare workers to discriminate against patients based on their personal beliefs. Too often, healthcare in this country is riddled with inequality, and while Democrats in the House are working to address this, the administration is trying to make it worse. This policy will be most harmful to our sisters of color who often live in areas with hospitals that may refuse comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including abortion and birth control. Refusals have already threatened the life of women with pregnancy complications. This rule could make the maternal mortality crisis among African American women even worse. This is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to impose their beliefs and take away our healthcare and our rights, and I will continue to fight to ensure that healthcare is equal for all Americans. Dr. Lawren, from my home state of Illinois, wrote to the Trump Administration in response to this rule. She said, ``As a physician, it is absolutely crucial that I provide the same level of care for every patient no matter how my own beliefs differ from theirs. I often have patients with whom I disagree about a wide spectrum of political and social causes. It would be so outrageously inappropriate for me to use that as grounds to change my medical care or to alter the level of respect and compassion I show for these patients.''

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation for the outstanding journalistic career of Robert Pear and to join so many who share a deep sadness over his untimely loss. Those of us who had the chance to pitch a story to Robert or faced the challenge of responding to his questions knew he was deeply knowledgeable about health care. For 40 years, he reported on every major health care story and raised many issues that became major stories based on his reporting. He knew the laws that were in place, studied the policies being proposed to change those laws, and combed proposed legislation to get the details right. I knew that I had to know my stuff when Robert Pear called, because he would ask smart questions that demanded serious and thoughtful answers. What always impressed me about Robert was his interest in looking at how the Congressional debate would affect real people. Health care wasn't just an inside-the-Beltway political conflict in Robert's reporting, it was a debate that had real-life consequences for everyone in every part of our nation. He would read the footnotes of GAO reports but would be even more interested in talking with my constituents about how high cost-sharing or lifetime limits affected their family budgets. He was masterful in being able to translate arcane policy into understandable language--informing both policymakers and the public. We all paid attention to a Robert Pear article. Robert was a great reporter and he was a great and kind person. Robert always made you feel that he respected your views and was grateful for the time you gave him. He was interested in all perspectives and viewpoints. He would regularly check in with my long time Chief of Staff and health policy expert, Cathy Hurwit. He always said thank you--and you know he meant it. He would often send follow-up emails to share something that he thought might be of interest. He was the nation's preeminent health care reporter, but he was never a self- promoter. His goal was always to get the story and to get it right. We have lost an important and astute chronicler of health care. After four decades of relying on his reporting, it is hard to imagine that we will never again read another Robert Pear article in The New York Times. My deep condolences go to his brother Douglas, his friends, and all those who got to know Robert Pear the reporter and the person.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chairman, I believe that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are standing up and saying what they would like to see, and that is to protect people with preexisting conditions. The problem with what they are telling the American people is that what they are proposing does not protect people with preexisting conditions. I know when I first came to Congress as a woman, being a woman was a preexisting condition. There were a lot of things that weren't covered because we are women, until we passed the Affordable Care Act. While the Republicans are talking about protecting such people, they are supporting a lawsuit, right now, that, once again, would undo all of the Affordable Care Act, sweeping out with them protections for preexisting conditions. But the other key word to listen to is flexibility. They are talking about allowing up to 4 years of policies that States could enact that do not cover the whole panoply of things that the Affordable Care Act covers and could exclude even protection for preexisting conditions. That is not flexibility. That is taking away benefits from people. You can sign up for one of these, what we call, junk policies and you are perfectly well, and then all of a sudden you have some kind of an illness that, guess what, is not covered, and won't be covered, because then you will have a preexisting condition. The legislation Democrats have for you today would protect preexisting conditions, no questions, period, end of story.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, the report on the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, more commonly known as the Mueller report, outlines efforts by the Russian Government to manipulate the United States election system and directly attack American democracy. It outlines alleged coordination between individuals associated with one camp and Russia to influence our election. It also documents multiple instances of potential obstruction of justice. The report has been mischaracterized and spun in inappropriate ways in the Halls of Congress and within the media. In reality, the report documents widespread activities undertaken by many in positions of power that were at best unethical and at worst illegal. But you don't have to take my word for it. Instead, listen to the following examples taken directly from the report and judge for yourself. I am going to begin with a quote from the Mueller report and then invite my colleagues to also simply read from the document, which the American people should know can be downloaded for free from the Department of Justice website. ``The evidence we obtained about the President's actions and intent present difficult issues that would need to be resolved if we were making a traditional prosecutorial judgment. At the same time, if we had confidence after a thorough investigation of the facts that the President clearly did not commit obstruction of justice, we would so state. Based on the facts and the applicable legal standards, we are unable to reach that judgment. Accordingly, while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him.'' Volume II, page 8.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) to quote from the Mueller report.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Casten).

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. Omar).