Mary Scanlon

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Rules Committee met and reported a rule, House Resolution 577, providing for consideration of H.R. 2203, the Homeland Security Improvement Act; H.R. 3525, the U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screening Standards Act; and H. Res. 576, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to the whistleblower complaint of August 12, 2019, made to the Inspector General of the Intelligence Community, under closed rules. For H.R. 2203 and H.R. 3525, the rule provides 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Homeland Security for each bill. The rule provides H. Res. 576 1 hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The rule also provides blanket suspension authority for the legislative day of Thursday, September 26, 2019, and standard recess instructions for the district work period from September 30 to October 14. At the end of this debate, I will be offering an amendment to the rule to replace the text of H. Res. 576 with the text of S. Res. 325, a bipartisan resolution that passed the Senate unanimously yesterday. Both of these resolutions urge that the complaint be transmitted immediately to the Intelligence Committees, as required by law. In our Rules Committee meeting last night, several of my Republican colleagues suggested that they would prefer that we take up the Senate- passed language. To ensure that this Congress speaks with one voice clearly and unequivocally on this urgent matter, we will be amending the rule to do just that. Mr. Speaker, we are here today to debate the rule for three important pieces of legislative business, which I will address serially: H. Res. 576, with the text of S. Res. 325; H.R. 3525; and H.R. 2203. By now, every Member of this body is well aware of the whistleblower complaint that was filed to the intelligence community inspector general following a call President Trump had with the President of Ukraine. These types of complaints are far from unheard of, and the law states that the complaint must be turned over to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. However, the inspector general has testified that the Acting Director of National Intelligence blocked the complaint, after consulting with the Department of Justice, from being turned over to Congress, despite the complaint fitting the requirements for being turned over under the law. The way this complaint was handled by the Trump administration was a stark violation of that whistleblower law, which states that the Director of National Intelligence shall provide Congress with the full whistleblower complaint. In addition to breaking the law, this corruption sends a strong and chilling message to would-be whistleblowers that their courage and sacrifice in speaking out against impropriety and corruption will not be valued if it is not politically expedient. Yesterday, the Senate voted by unanimous consent to pass a nonbinding resolution directing the Trump administration to hand over the whistleblower report filed against President Trump, reportedly, to House and Senate Intelligence Committees. The fact that Senator McConnell allowed this resolution to go to the floor should show House Republicans that there is a point where you must stop turning a blind eye to this administration's betrayal of our Constitution, our country, and our national security. It is a sad day when Congress needs to pass a resolution to obtain documents that we have an absolute right to see, but this type of conduct is part of a pattern of obstruction by this administration that we have seen time and time again. Allowing the Intelligence Committees to see the complaints and interview the whistleblower is essential to our national security. Furthermore, this resolution serves as a show of support and solidarity with whistleblowers. If we allow partisanship to deter whistleblowers from acting, we risk undermining a necessary check on an unrestrained administration. It is imperative that these brave Americans are protected and that their concerns are heard. It is also worth noting that these whistleblower protections were negotiated and implemented with bipartisan support over multiple administrations. Protecting the integrity of our national security is vitally important. I urge my Republican colleagues to follow the lead of their Senate counterparts and join us in passing this resolution so that Congress can properly meet its constitutional oversight duties. Also subject to this rule are two homeland security measures. First, H.R. 2203, the Homeland Security Improvement Act, is a timely and necessary bill to address our Nation's immigration and security challenges at the southern border in a responsible and humane way. This legislation will ensure accountability, transparency, and oversight in the agency responsible for monitoring and securing our Nation's borders. Further, the bill establishes an ombudsman for border- and immigration-related concerns within the Department of Homeland Security. This additional oversight in the Department of Homeland Security will bring a much-needed level of independent accountability to DHS and ensure that the agents and employees working at our border are performing their duties to the highest possible standard. There is no doubt that these border security jobs are demanding and intense, and the creation of an independent, neutral, and confidential process to address complaints will help both the agents and employees working at the border, as well as the individuals they process. This bill also creates a border communities liaison, appointed by the ombudsman in conjunction with the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties at DHS, to operate in each Border Patrol sector along the northern and southern borders. The liaison will be charged with fostering cooperation between ICE, CBP, and surrounding border communities, relationships that have become increasingly strained and distrustful in recent months. In addition, the ombudsman will be required to conduct annual evaluations of all training given to ICE and CBP agents and officers. One of the many concerns that I heard from ICE and CBP agents during my trips to the border is that they are not given adequate training and resources to properly do their jobs under current conditions. It is clear that this administration is creating chaos at the southern border by instituting policies that prioritize political fearmongering over addressing the humanitarian crisis in Central America. This is unacceptable given the complex challenges border agents face every day, and an annual assessment of their training will serve to better equip these men and women for their very difficult jobs. Another area where DHS is lacking is utilizing advancements in technology that could improve outcomes for both border agents and migrants. This bill mandates that the ombudsman, in coordination with the CBP Commissioner, ICE Director, and ORR, develop recommendations for an electronic tracking number system to keep track of children in U.S. custody. The wholly inhumane practice of separating children from their parents is preventable, and tracking the location of a child who has been separated from his or her parents or guardians will help ensure that no child is ever again in custody alone and unaccounted for at our southern border. Finally, this bill requires the ombudsman to submit to Congress a plan for requiring the use of body-worn cameras by U.S. Border Patrol agents and ICE officers when they are engaged in border security and immigration enforcement activities. This is a long-overdue step. Body cameras are already used by State and local police departments around the country and have served to improve justice outcomes for the individuals who come into contact with the police and provide a level of oversight that is greatly needed at the border. Mr. Speaker, House Democrats are committed to passing legislation that will improve conditions at the border and better ensure the safety of agents and employees who work there, as well as the safety of migrants they come into contact with. Increased accountability is necessary to improving the situation at the border, a situation, I might add, that my Republican counterparts continuously say needs addressing. This bill is the chance for that added accountability. I commend my colleague Representative Escobar from El Paso for her hard work and dedication on this issue and Chairman Thompson and the Homeland Security Committee for their thoughtful consideration of H.R. 2203. The second Homeland Security bill in today's rule is H.R. 3525, the U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screening Standards Act. In December 2018, Jakelin, aged 7, and Felipe, aged 8, both passed away in the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol. Following their deaths, CBP announced new medical screening procedures for children. Despite this, four more children have since passed away in Federal custody. Let us be clear that we are addressing an issue that has emerged with the implementation of the Trump administration's inhumane border policies. No child died in CBP custody for the entire decade preceding 2018, but we have seen six in the last 10 months. CBP facilities must be better equipped to provide medical attention for individuals in U.S. custody, particularly children. One critical component of addressing the new reality is an initial health screening to identify acute or pressing medical issues that need immediate or follow-up attention. H.R. 3525 builds upon legislation passed by the House in July of this year by directing DHS to research innovative approaches to address capability gaps for providing medical screening at the border and mandates the implementation of an electronic health record system. DHS medical professionals and other medical caregivers at the border have spoken of how much they need an electronic health system for CBP. In fact, this was the genesis of the bill following Representative Underwood's visits to the border. This bill requires DHS to make concerted process improvements, including research done in consultation with national medical professional associations that have expertise in emergency medicine, nursing, pediatric care, and other relevant medical skills. Upon completion of this research, DHS must submit a report to Congress on its recommendations for improving medical screening, access to emergency care, and steps the Department plans to take in response. Within 90 days of this enactment, DHS must establish an electronic health record system that can be accessed by all DHS components operating on our borders. ICE already has its own electronic health record system in place, and it is time CBP upgraded its capabilities, as well. The deaths that have occurred on our borders are a stain on our Nation, and current medical screening processes are clearly not enough. An inspector general report, released a few weeks ago, highlighted the challenges that ORR is having in addressing the mental health needs of those children released by CBP to ORR. Though this bill deals with CBP, many of the issues transfer from agency to agency with the children. The trauma for these children begins when they are forced to flee their birth countries and is exacerbated by the journey to the U.S., which, for many, is marked by violence, sexual abuse, hunger, and sleep deprivation. Once they finally arrive in the U.S., they then may be separated from their parents, if that didn't happen along the original journey, causing further trauma. Medical professionals are clear that these children are going to have lifelong trauma. They need a detailed medical record of the care they receive or do not receive while in U.S. custody so that they can receive adequate follow-up care. The IG report noted, as well, that the facilities where we house these children have not employed sufficient numbers of essential mental health clinicians. This results in higher caseloads for staff and worse outcomes for these afflicted children. The electronic health record system required by this bill will ensure that medical information does not get lost, help track when follow-up appointments are necessary, and prevent duplication of medical services due to lost or incomplete records once children are transferred to ORR custody. This bill is the result of Representative Underwood's leadership and engagement with the treatment of migrants at our border, and I commend her for her efforts. These two Homeland Security bills provided for in this rule will modernize the Department of Homeland Security and support better outcomes for border agents, employees, and migrants who come into U.S. custody. House Democrats understand the need to provide the Department of Homeland Security with the resources it needs to effectively do its job, and I urge my Republican colleagues to vote for this legislation to support all those who work and live by the border. Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this rule, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 577 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Mrs. Lesko), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, last week, students across my district, PA- 5, and across the country celebrated the start of the 2019-2020 school year. Students returned mostly eager to learn and teachers ready to teach; but in my district and others, too many desks had empty chairs. As we were high-fiving students at a Chester elementary school, a school administrator turned to me and mentioned that one of the second graders wasn't there. She was lying in a bed at Philadelphia's Children's Hospital recovering from a gunshot wound that she suffered while sitting in her grandfather's car outside a grocery store the week before. ``I don't know how much more of this I can take,'' he said to me. Like many of us, this dedicated educator was visibly worn down by the daily scourge of gun violence, the funerals he has attended for children, for children whose lives have been cut short before they could even begin or who have been forever scarred and limited by the trauma they have experienced or witnessed. We do not have time for excuses. We need our colleagues in the Senate to act. There is no one solution to ending gun violence in our country. We need to implement an array of commonsense, research-based solutions, but the first step must be a will to act.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, a few months ago, my office launched a Congressional Youth Cabinet, a yearlong opportunity for students in Pennsylvania's Fifth District to share their ideas on how to solve the most pressing issues facing young Americans while learning more about the policymaking process and how Congress works. I want to take a moment to acknowledge the students who applied and will be participating in our PA-5 Youth Cabinet this year. Those students are: Augustin Aliaga, Maayan Barsade, Jade Bennett, Lucas Bennett, Lauren Block, Harry Cotter, Kieran DiasLalcaca, Annelise DiClemente, Jack DiPrimo, Gabriel Donahue, Ethan Donnelly, Christian Dormer, Grace Dougherty, Atreya Ghosh, Gwen Greene, Wali Hamid, Jahmiel Jackson, Channing Jackson, Paige Kieft, Kathleen Lac, Katherine Lanzalotto, Ryan Lynch, Luke Mandel, Aidan McGahey, Mya McKeown, Grace McNelis, Brenna Montgomery, Johanna Murphy, June Park, Mira Patel, Gwendolyn Pfister, Richard Quiah, Fiona Rae, Sarah Rossi, Joseph Shapiro, and Vince Vento. I look forward to working with and learning from these incredible young people.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Massachusetts for yielding, and I rise today in strong support of the rule and underlying bill. I also want to thank Chairman Smith for his leadership on the bill and all the members of the Armed Services Committee for the work they put in to ensure that we have an NDAA that fully addresses the modern challenges facing our country. This bill takes steps to address the threat of climate change, long identified by the DOD as a threat to national security, by requiring the Department to plan around climate vulnerabilities in future projects. This bill also protects military families. In addition to the widow's tax issue, it protects low-income servicemembers by bridging the gap for those who need SNAP assistance. It upgrades military housing and provides support for childcare and education for military families. It also promotes diversity in our Armed Forces by requiring DOD to issue a new diversity and inclusion strategy and address existing inequities. This NDAA goes further to ensure that our Armed Forces are fully ready for the threats we face today and prepared for the threats we will face in the future. Of particular concern to my district is the CH-47 aircraft, better known as the Chinook. Like the residents of my district who proudly build these machines, the Chinook is a workhorse that can always be relied upon to get the job done, even in the toughest and most unforgiving of conditions. This bill makes it clear that Congress has no intention of abandoning this vital program. On top of being one of the most versatile and crucial aircraft in our Armed Forces, the Chinook program supports more than 20,000 jobs and 200 suppliers in 38 States. I am pleased that this program is in the bill, and I look forward to supporting its passage.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I am so glad that our colleagues across the aisle agree that the conditions at the border are intolerable, because they are. A few months ago, I had the opportunity to go to the southern border, meet with Border Patrol agents and advocates on the ground, including a woman who had been separated from her children, and we toured detention facilities. The humanitarian crisis then, in February, was undeniable, and it has only gotten worse. But the cause of this crisis has raised serious questions, particularly as to why it has escalated. In addition to suspending critical aid designed to relieve conditions causing desperate families to flee their homes, the Trump administration is failing to use longstanding lawful processes and available resources to provide relief to children and refugees at the southern border. The Trump administration's policies are not making our border safer, but they are worsening the situation, at the expense of the health and well-being of desperate children and families. There are unused beds at facilities in my home State of Pennsylvania and in Texas, and many refugee children have sponsors, family members available here, but they are being denied access. Prior to coming to Congress, I represented immigrants and asylum seekers who, by definition, lawfully enter this country seeking refuge. I can confidently say that international law is being violated on a daily basis by this administration, and it has abandoned longstanding legal norms for processing asylees, with the apparent purpose of exacerbating the crisis for political gain. I agree that we need to send additional resources to relieve the inhumane conditions affecting refugees at our border. But we also have a responsibility to make sure that those resources are not misused to worsen rather than relieve this crisis. Therefore, I urge that we support the border relief bill that is before us, which will provide resources to relieve the crisis and improve the health and well-being of innocent children, while allowing transparency and oversight.

Ms. SCANLON. It is important that we allow transparency and oversight on how those funds are used. To our Republican colleagues in the Senate, especially Majority Leader McConnell, if you fail to work with us to address this humanitarian crisis, not only will your legacy be your legislative graveyard in the Senate, but the deaths of these children and families.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, while I would love to rise in celebration of the first day of summer, the cold, hard fact is that, as temperatures soar, so does urban gun violence. During a graduation party last weekend in my district in southwest Philadelphia, a gunman opened fire, claiming one life and injuring five other people. Last weekend, 23 separate shootings claimed 32 victims and caused five deaths in just 2 days in Philadelphia--23 shootings and five deaths in one weekend. What is infuriating is that there are proven, commonsense measures that will reduce gun violence in our cities, and the number one strategy is background checks. 115 days have passed since the House sent two bipartisan, commonsense gun safety bills to the Senate. They would have strengthened our background checks. And what has the Senate done? Nothing. During those 115 days, 11,400 people have died from gun violence in the United States. Senator McConnell likes to joke about his legislative graveyard, but countless families are actually burying their loved ones while he does nothing. The American people deserve better. Our children deserve better.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment in the en bloc. Mr. Chairman, my district is home to Chester, an economically distressed, majority Black city that has struggled for generations. As a result, major polluting industries have set up shop in Chester next to schools, hospitals, homes, and businesses. One of these polluters, a large municipal waste incinerator, was featured on a CNN report that aired just this week. All day every day my constituents are breathing in carcinogens released by the incinerator like mercury, cadmium, and particulate matter that prevent them from working, learning, and leading healthy lives. At the same time, the Trump administration has failed to enforce Clean Air Act standards that could protect these citizens. Fortunately, our Interior appropriations bill ensures that Clean Air Act enforcement is a priority, but this amendment makes clear that the administration cannot take these underserved communities like Chester for granted. This Congress will not allow environmental injustice to go unchecked. We will fight for our constituents, and we will take meaningful steps to address the public health and environmental justice crises that lack of EPA enforcement has fostered.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Chair, thank you for allowing me to speak in support of this amendment. My amendment would increase funding for juvenile justice programs authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The JJDPA, which was recently reauthorized under the leadership of my colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee, has been so successful, that 47 States and six U.S. territories voluntarily participate in its programs. The JJDPA provides Federal funds to the States to decrease the incidence of juvenile delinquency and invest funds in diversionary programs to break the school-to-prison pipeline. These programs have provided critical support to Pennsylvania's efforts to reform the juvenile justice system and advance evidence- based programs at the local level. Too often, our most vulnerable youth have been caught in a vicious cycle of poverty and oppression, which can land them in the juvenile justice system, but well-funded, thoughtful juvenile justice programs can divert youth away from the justice system, ensure fair and equitable treatment, and protect incarcerated youth while keeping our communities safe. In Pennsylvania, projects funded by the JJDPA have been used to train 425 officers in 67 counties in evidence-based, effective, and cutting- edge approaches to working with delinquent youth in ways that are equitable, fair, and targeted to their risks and needs. Increased funding will allow Pennsylvania and other States to expand and enhance these important programs and help ensure that they are in compliance with updates to the law. Madam Chair, I am grateful to my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for increasing funding for these critical programs, but there is still much work to be done. My amendment would increase the total funding for these programs by $2 million, representing a modest step in the right direction, and affirming the important partnerships created by the JJDPA to protect children, keep youth out of trouble, and keep our communities safe. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and could not vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 305.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, we all know that elections matter, so I would like to congratulate the students of Haverford High School for receiving the Governor's Civic Engagement Award. This award is given to Pennsylvania high schools that register over 85 percent of their eligible students to vote. Haverford High was 1 of 4 Philadelphia area schools and 1 of 23 schools in our Commonwealth to receive this noteworthy award. At a time when some States are imposing restrictions on voting, we should all follow the lead set by the students at Haverford High. They worked to educate their peers and bring them into the electoral process. This Congress should do the same. We need to ensure that our schools give students a thorough civics education so that they have the knowledge and tools necessary to fully participate in our democracy. We need to expand voting rights and access to the ballot, as we are doing with passage of bills like H.R. 1 and H.R. 4. Again, Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate the students of Haverford High School for their outstanding achievement and for being an example for all of us to follow.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chairman, I would just, again, urge Members from both sides of the aisle to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of an amendment to require greater accountability from the Department of Health and Human Services with respect to the Affordable Care Act. Time and time again, we have seen Republicans and the administration attempt to undermine the important work of the Affordable Care Act. In addition to attempting to strip away protections for preexisting conditions or reducing coverage for Medicaid recipients, the administration is trying to depress coverage by cutting consumer outreach and marketing for the ACA. Not only does sabotaging the enrollment process make it harder for the American people to get health coverage, but it also drives up costs. Unfortunately, this strategy has been working. We are currently at our highest uninsured rate in 4 years, with Affordable Care Act enrollment rates declining every year this President has been in office. Everyday Americans, like the folks in my district in southeastern Pennsylvania, can't afford more barriers to healthcare. When their choice is often between putting food on their table or going to the doctor, it is important that people have more information and access to the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, not less. My amendment would require greater transparency from the administration by requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide vital statistics on plan enrollment, outreach, and advertising, and the overall performance of the programs within the ACA. This information will allow Congress to perform better, quicker oversight on Health and Human Services' attempts to roll back information and outreach for potential Affordable Care Act enrollees. No longer will the administration be able to hide its lack of investment in ACA outreach and education or refuse to turn over data on how its say-nothing sabotage is hurting Americans. Mr. Chair, I encourage Members on both sides of the aisle to support this commonsense amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCANLON

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Cartwright).

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, today we will move forward on three pieces of legislation whose timely consideration is long overdue. We will move to protect Americans' access to health insurance; provide much-needed relief on prescription drug prices; provide Federal recognition to a Native American community; and at long last, pass the Equality Act, to remove the burden of discrimination and move us closer to a country where members of the LGBTQ community have an equal opportunity to achieve the American Dream. The Equality Act will not be the end of our long journey towards full LGBTQ equality, but it will finally get our laws in line with the values our country was founded upon. As was recognized in our founding documents, we must continually take steps to make our country more perfect. Acknowledging in law the challenges facing LGBTQ people, and taking concrete action to correct them, brings us one step closer to that perfect union. Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a list of 364 organizations endorsing the Equality Act, as well as a list of companies supporting H.R. 5 who employ over 9.8 million workers in the United States.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record four letters, first, a letter from the National Partnership for Women & Families urging support; second, a letter from the Human Rights Campaign, also urging support for H.R. 5; third, a letter from the American Federation of Government Employees; and finally, a letter from several civil rights groups, all urging support for H.R. 5. National Partnership for Women & Families, Washington, DC, May 14, 2019. Dear Representative: The National Partnership for Women & Families is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that has fought for decades to advance the rights and well-being of America's women and families. We work to foster a society in which workplaces are fair, equitable and family friendly; where everyone has access to quality, affordable health care, including reproductive health care; and where every person has the opportunity to achieve economic security and live with dignity. We write to voice our strong support for the Equality Act (H.R. 5) and to urge you to vote YES on this groundbreaking legislation. We also urge you to vote NO on any motion to recommit that may be offered to undermine or alter the Equality Act or otherwise harm civil liberties. Despite significant progress, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people still face considerable discrimination and lack necessary protections across the country. While some states have enacted laws that protect against discrimination, the patchwork nature of these protections means that millions of people continue to face harassment, exclusion and uncertainty that negatively impact their safety, their day-to-day lives, their families and their ability to participate fully in society. Part of achieving our nation's promise of equality, dignity and fairness is ensuring that all people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, have equal opportunity to succeed. No one should have access to services or doors to opportunity closed because of outdated gender stereotypes about how people should act, look or behave. This requires stronger national nondiscrimination protections based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity. The Equality Act is historic civil rights legislation that would amend and supplement the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other key federal nondiscrimination laws that provide protection from discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin or religion. This legislation would strengthen protections from discrimination on the basis of sex, and add critical new protections from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Specifically, it would provide clear, explicit protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in education, employment, housing, credit, federally funded programs and federal jury services. These protections are essential in ensuring that LGBTQ people have the right to live with dignity and equality. While the primary focus of the Equality Act is on LGBTQ people, the Act would also close longstanding gaps in federal law and provide important new legal protections for all women by, for the first time, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in public spaces and services and in all federally-funded activities. This means that, for example, when women experience harassment as customers in restaurants, stores, hotels, taxis or airports, there will now be a remedy. The law will also ensure that breastfeeding parents aren't excluded from or treated less favorably in public places just for feeding their children, and it will make clear that pharmacies can't refuse to fill a woman's birth control prescription. The bill's provisions that would ensure that sex does not stand as a barrier to full participation in federally funded programs or activities will mean, for example, that a developer with a federal grant couldn't discriminate against women-owned businesses in its contracting. Women would also have new tools to challenge a police department's systematically inadequate response to sexual violence and intimate partner violence, if the police department received federal funds; and would be able to challenge denials of reproductive health care where a federally-funded entity otherwise provides comparable or comprehensive health care. These protections against sex discrimination are a critical step forward in advancing women's equality in this country. As a leading national women's rights organization we also feel compelled to state emphatically that the Equality Act's protections for transgender and gender nonconforming people in no way undermine the rights or protections afforded to women and do not jeopardize women's safety or their ability to participate fully or equally in sport or in any other aspect of our society. Transgender women are women, and any attempt to mischaracterize their gender identity or suggest that they are trying to ``take advantage'' of protected class status fundamentally misunderstands the reality of transgender people's lives and experiences. Furthermore, it causes real harm to the more than one million Americans who identify as transgender, a population already subject to high rates of violence and abuse, negative mental and physical health outcomes, and experiences with discrimination and stigmatization. The Equality Act is a long-overdue step forward in extending civil rights protections to millions of women and LGBTQ people. Establishing clear protections is critical at a time when vulnerable communities are under attack. The Equality Act would provide a consistent, national standard and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live safely and with dignity, to advance at work, to provide for one's family and to thrive economically. Sincerely, National Partnership for Women & Families.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan).

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Massachusetts an additional 1 minute.

Ms. SCANLON. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern), the distinguished chairman of the Committee on Rules.