Bennie Thompson

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a tenacious and ambitious woman, Deborah Wright, who has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication and a desire to serve others. Deborah was born to the late Mr. Lee Grant Bridges and Mrs. Lutishia Bridges on November 6, 1961 in Rosedale, MS. She attended Marshall Elementary, Brinkley Jr. High and Hinds A.H.S. then crossed over to Hinds Jr. College in Utica, MS. Deborah Wright married in 1981 and two loving children, Laquita Shonta Sampson and Lawrence Douglas Sampson Jr., were born. In 1995, Mrs. Wright received her Real Estate Degree from the Mississippi Realtors Institute in Jackson MS. With an unwavering passion to improve her community, create balanced mental health care regimes, and to encourage others to excel past adversity, Deborah became the epitome of women in business leadership. She has established herself as a trailblazer in the business industry for over 30 years with entrepreneurial experience in the state of Mississippi. After college in 1981 Deborah Wright was employed by Milwaukee Electric Tools as a repair person. In 1992, she incorporated her first business, Teen's World Activity and Community Center, which is a non-profit organization. In 1992, Deborah worked as the Public Relations Officer for Operation Shoestring, Inc. and later Deborah partnered with her mother, Lutishia Bridges and opened ``Linda's Florist and Gift Shop'' in Jackson in 1996 and she also worked in transportation for Jackson Public School District. Mrs. Wright rose against adversity by becoming the first African American woman in the world and sole proprietor of Mississippi Truck Driving Training, Inc., located in Jackson, Mississippi. After closing the truck driving school Deborah started Sincere Trucking. She wittingly coined its name from her late grandson, Master Sincere Rachele Christian. This Bolivar County native has always exhibited visionary strength, while achieving a ripple effect of empowerment for future endeavors within the Health Care Industries. She later started Sincere Home Care, LLC in June 2013, certified and licensed with MS Department of Mental Health and MS Health Department to provide a complement of services to the community. She patterned her mission statement after her non-profit organization: Helping Other People Excel (H. O. P. E.). She developed her companies to offer a solution for the need of a permanent mediator between mental health and health care. Deborah is not a stranger to blazing paths; she is motivated by the belief to insure a healthy standard of care for every client. She has vowed to ensure that Sincere Home Care LLC would become a pillar of major change for the impoverished and unhealthy in every county in Mississippi. Her goal is to provide first-rate employment opportunities as well as outstanding health care services for all social classes. Some of her services include: Assisted Living; Supervised Living; Sincere Home Care, LLC: a Mental Health Headquarter which includes: Community Mental Health & Substance Abuse and Recovery, Supported Living, Community Respite, Peer Support, Disabled & Developmental Disabled Community Support, Home Nursing Respite, Private Duty Nursing and Physical, Occupational and Speech Therapy; three Adult Day Service Centers: in Jackson, Louisville and Morton, MS. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Mrs. Deborah Wright for her passion and dedication to serving many people and having the desire to make a difference in the communities.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I include in the Record the following letter in support of the creation on the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis: Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, April 13, 2020. Hon. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. James E. Clyburn, Majority Whip, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Speaker Pelosi, Leader Hoyer, and Whip Clyburn: I write today to express my strong support for the creation of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis, and to thank you for your leadership of the House of Representatives' ongoing work in response to the unprecedented public health and economic crises we are facing. I also thank you for your continued focus on ensuring effective oversight of the trillions of taxpayer dollars that are being directed to support our nation's recovery. As work continues on the establishment of the Select Committee, I write to recommend specific cross-cutting issues regarding implementation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and other legislation addressing the coronavirus pandemic that require sustained oversight from the Select Committee. My comments encompass three broad areas, as described in more detail below. I appreciate your consideration of these recommendations and look forward to working closely with you and the Select Committee to address these urgent issues. Structure, Operations, and First Priorities To be most effective, the Select Committee must be capable of producing hard-hitting findings and concrete recommendations in near real-time to help shape the course of the Federal response. The Select Committee must be organized quickly, and it must be allocated the robust budget necessary to ensure it is staffed by experts in such fields as public health, economics, public finance, and the operations of Federal programs. As there may be sustained efforts to impede oversight of the Federal response to the pandemic, the Committee must quickly establish effective working relationships with the oversight entities created in CARES and other legislation and with agency Inspectors General. However, the Committee must also be prepared on day one to seek relevant documents and information, particularly regarding those programs deemed to be at high risk, and it must be agile in responding to the information it receives. I strongly agree the Committee must work to eliminate ``waste, fraud, and abuse'' and ``price gouging and profiteering.'' The Select Committee must also be the central mechanism the House uses to measure Federal expenditures against two critical, over-arching benchmarks: their effectiveness in supporting recovery among those most affected by COVID-19 and their effectiveness in preventing and preparing for future waves of infection. In addition to examining specific expenditures, the Committee must also closely examine the responsibilities, authorities, and capacities of both Federal and state agencies charged with implementing the CARES Act and other legislation related to the pandemic, and hold senior agency leadership accountable for managing programs in ways that will achieve national recovery and preparedness objectives while effectively stewarding taxpayer resources. There are two key priorities that require immediate attention. First, the Select Committee must conduct comprehensive oversight of the supply chains through which personal protective equipment (PPE) and essential medical supplies and equipment are distributed to states. The Committee on Homeland Security has written to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) seeking basic information on distributions of PPE and essential medical supplies and equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile, as well as the subsequent Federal role in acquiring PPE and medical supplies and equipment, supporting private supply chains, and actively managing the sale of PPE and essential medical supplies and equipment to states and counties. To date, DHS, HHS, and FEMA have failed to provide the documents and information sought by the Committee. Ensuring that all health care workers have the PPE and medical supplies and equipment they need to test and treat patients with COVID-19 is one of the most urgent issues facing the nation at this time, and yet Congress has little visibility into the opaque and evolving roles of DHS, HHS, and FEMA in the acquisition and distribution processes. The Select Committee must quickly initiate oversight over this issue. Similarly, the Select Committee must conduct thorough oversight of testing processes, particularly as the country prepares to begin relaxing social distancing protocols. The availability of testing kits and effective contact tracing procedures when new cases of COVID-19 are diagnosed will be essential to enabling the nation to safely resume near-normal economic activity, and oversight of these processes must be a key priority for the Select Committee. Focus on Minority Communities Disproportionately Affected by COVID-19 Although additional data are clearly needed, emerging evidence indicates that communities of color are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, and that mortality may be much higher among minorities than among other groups. For example, in my state of Mississippi, approximately 38% of residents are African Americans. However, the State Department of Health has reported that, as of April 9, 2020, 54% of those diagnosed with COVID-19 are African American while 35% are white. Further, 67% of those who had died from COVID-19 in the state as of April 9 were African American, while 33% were white. African Americans who died from COVID- 19 were also far more likely to have had underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. These infection, morbidity, and mortality statistics demonstrate the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on communities of color. Unfortunately, the trends observed in Mississippi appear to be prevalent across the nation. For example, according to the New York Times, ``The coronavirus is killing black and Latino people in New York City at twice the rate that it is killing white people'' according to preliminary date released last week by the City of New York. And an analysis by the Washington Post found that ``counties that are majority-black have three times the rate of infections and almost six times the rate of deaths as counties where white residents are in the majority. Keeping in mind that minority communities may have more limited access to testing for COVID-19, it is also possible that rates of infection, morbidity, and even mortality among minorities are being under-reported. The Select Committee must document the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color. All aspects of the Committee's work must be informed by this data so that the Committee can maintain a laser-focus on detailing how Federal policies are responding to this disproportionate impact by addressing the many factors that leave minority communities so vulnerable to this disease. The Select Committee must review public health strategies to ensure that they address the heightened risks of infection and death from COVID-19 in minority communities. The Committee must also rigorously assess the extent to which under CARES and other legislation, Federal expenditures in the healthcare, education, social welfare, and industry rescue sectors address the pandemic's disproportionate effects on minority communities, including the extent to which expenditures narrow or exacerbate the inequality prevalent before the crisis, and whether expenditures improve resilience among at-risk communities. Similarly, as part of its review of small business lending, the Select Committee must carefully review lending patterns to disadvantaged business enterprises. Finally, it is likely that highly vulnerable populations-- such as children, individuals with special needs, and the elderly--may face unique and especially difficult long-term consequences as a result of the pandemic and the economic displacement it causes. Of particular concern is addressing the impact of the crisis on children. Just over 16% of children in the U.S. lived in poverty in 2018--and, sadly, that figure is likely to spike as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Science is also clear that adverse childhood events (ACES) can ``have lasting, negative effects on health, well- being, and opportunity.'' While poverty is not itself an ACE, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identifies it as an associated condition and warns that together, ``ACES and associated conditions, such as living in under-resourced or racially segregated neighborhoods'' and ``experiencing food insecurity'' can lead to ``toxic stress,'' which ``can change brain development'' in ways that have life-time consequences. At a time when millions of families are losing employment and struggling to make ends meet--and children may be unable to attend school for as long as half a year--the Select Committee must examine the unique needs of children during this crisis and assess how Federal aid efforts are meeting these needs. Prioritizing the Protection of Workers Obviously, the Select Committee must carefully review the loans, loan guarantees, and other investments made in eligible businesses in distressed economic sectors under CARES and other legislation, including the covenants, representations, warranties, and other requirements imposed as conditions of aid. However, because of the Senate's unwillingness to impose stricter worker-protection criteria, the CARES Act has only limited protections to ensure that businesses receiving aid prioritize the retention of workers ``to the extent practicable.'' The Committee must therefore document the full impact of Federal aid to industry on job retention, workers' wages and benefits, and economic recovery among low-income and middle-class Americans, including assessing the trajectory of recovery among different income brackets and the long-term consequences of potentially uneven recovery on economic inequality among Americans. The Committee must also closely assess whether Federal aid is comprehensively addressing what may be the profound cascade of economic harms that the prolonged shutdown of economic activity needed to slow the spread of coronavirus will impose on low-income and even middle-class families. According to the Federal Reserve, even before the pandemic hit, approximately 40% of Americans reported that they would have ``difficulty'' covering an extra expense of $400, and minorities were more likely than other groups to report they would face such difficulty. The harms suffered by those who were already living on the margins as a result of this crisis are likely to be severe and multi-faceted. The direct payments and expanded unemployment benefits provided by CARES and other legislation will provide essential support in the short-term, but the disruptions workers and their families face will likely lead to unforeseen conditions that may continue to destroy household wealth. Newly unemployed Americans will also be facing challenges unique to this moment, including the need to seek new work at a time when the national economy will likely be contracting. The Select Committee must assess whether Federal expenditures address in a comprehensive manner the full spectrum of harms families may face. Finally, many of those who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic will also lose their employer-sponsored healthcare. While newly unemployed individuals and families could seek insurance on the exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act or may even qualify for Medicaid, as you well know, the ``Trump administration in recent years has also added more red tape and obstacles for people looking to sign up for those programs and hasn't shown any signs it will waive those requirements because of the pandemic. It is imperative that the Select Committee examine how the hurdles intentionally placed in the way of accessing health care under the Affordable Care Act are affecting those who lose health insurance when they become unemployed as a result of the coronavirus. Conclusion I truly appreciate your leadership in these unprecedented times. A Select Committee is urgently needed to conduct oversight of the issues of greatest concern to the American public during our ongoing effort to combat COVID-19 and restore our economy, and I thank you for the opportunity to share these observations and recommendations regarding that Committee's work. Please do not hesitate to contact me whenever I may be of any assistance. Sincerely, Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable public servant, Ms. Patricia Ransom, who is a lifelong resident of Jackson. Ms. Patricia Ransom grew up in the Georgetown area and graduated from Lanier High School. She holds an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from Hinds Community College. Her first position after graduating was in Human Resources at Jackson Public Schools, where she was responsible for assigning substitute teachers. Eight years later, she moved to the Property Accounting Department, where she has served as a data clerk for the last 20 years. Ms. Ransom has three children that attended JPS schools. She believes you cannot educate a child's mind without also educating the heart and that everybody in the District plays a role in this, from the cafeteria worker to the custodian, to the bus driver, to the teachers and administrators. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Patricia Ransom.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a generous and brave man Captain Clarence McGee. Captain McGee has shown what can be done through hard work, dedication and a desire to serve others. Captain McGee, a Yazoo City Firefighter, is known for his generous spirit and for making a positive impact in the lives of local children. Captain Clarence McGee, a native of Holly Bluff, has been a member of the Yazoo City Fire Department for over six years. He is the son of Eddie Ma McGee of Holly Bluff and is the loving husband of Cheris McGee. He is the father of six children: Codarrius, Terryianna, Demarrious, Dontarrius, D'Rihya, and Cla'Zarreria. McGee graduated from Yazoo County High School in 2001. He attended Holmes Junior College for almost two years before accepting a job at the Nissan Plant, where he worked in stamping as a dye setter. McGee started at the Fire Academy in 2011. He failed the academy twice and refused to give up. Third time's a charm, he passed the academy. In 2013 he started working full-time for the Yazoo City Fire Department, where he fell in love with the interacting with various children attending local schools. Captain McGee is actively involved in his church, New Foundation M.B. Church in Holly Bluff, where he was raised. Aside from his work as a fireman, McGee also operates a side business renting outdoor recreation equipment, and is known throughout the community as the ``Space Jump Man''. In the past he has been known to rent out his space jumps to local community events or fundraisers free of charge so that local children can have a place to play and enjoy themselves. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Captain Clarence McGee for his passion and dedication to serving Yazoo County and desire to make a difference in the community

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Margie Brown Pulley. Dr. Margie Brown Pulley is a lifelong resident of Greenwood and Leflore County. She is a 1971 honor graduate of Amanda Elzy High School. At Amanda Elzy, Dr. Pulley excelled both academically and athletically. She was captain of the 1970 Amanda Elzy girl's state championship basketball team. In September 1971, she entered Jackson State University, and three years later in May 1974, she graduated with honors with a B.S. degree in Social Science. She later received her Master's, Specialist, and Doctorate degrees in School Administration from Delta State University. Dr. Pulley spent thirty-eight (38) years working with the Greenwood Public School District. Her professional career began in 1974 as a teacher of Social Studies at Greenwood High School. During the next fifteen (15) years, Dr. Pulley taught Mississippi History, World History, U.S. History, and Government and Economics. She also later served as Assistant Principal at Greenwood High School. From 1990 until 1999, she served as the Principal of Threadgill School. According to Dr. Pulley, that experience as principal was both challenging and rewarding. At Threadgill, Dr. Pulley set high expectations for herself, her faculty and her students. Under Dr. Pulley's administration as principal of Threadgill, the culture, climate and academic achievement improved significantly. She is proud to say that her tenure as Principal at Threadgill was a major highlight in her career. In 1999, Dr. Pulley became Assistant Superintendent of the Greenwood Public School District. In this capacity Dr. Pulley worked passionately with principals to ensure that faculty, staff, and students' needs were met. She specifically directed Federal Programs, Personnel, Curriculum and Technology. In July 2008, Dr. Pulley was appointed Interim Superintendent of the Greenwood Public School District. In January 2009, she was named Superintendent of the Greenwood Public School District. Under Dr. Pulley's leadership, the school district received district-wide SACS accreditation, implemented a dress code, modified the grading system to a 10 point scale, brought dual enrollment from Mississippi Valley State University to Greenwood High School, restructured the athletic program and significantly improved student achievement by placing academics first. Ultimately, according to the State Department of Education, the Greenwood Public School District was rated as a `Successful School District for Three Years in a Row': 2009- 2010, 2010-2011, and 2011-2012'. The school district was also presented The TORCH Award by the Mississippi School Boards Association. Further, under her leadership, the Mississippi Teacher of the Year was selected from Greenwood High School, and Bankston Elementary School was named as a National Blue-Ribbon School. Dr. Pulley retired in 2012 and was later named as Conservator of the Oktibbeha County School District. Dr. Pulley successfully cleared all accreditation violations and successfully led the consolidation efforts of the Oktibbeha County School District with the Starkville School District. Oktibbeha County Schools was rated a ``C'' school district. In July 2015, Dr. Pulley was named as Conservator in the Tunica County School District. Under her leadership, academic achievement has improved, and the Tunica County School District has been recognized by the Mississippi Department of Education for having the highest achievement in the state for math growth among the lowest 25 percent of high school students. Additionally, Dundee Elementary has been recognized as having the highest achievement in the state for math growth among the lowest 25 percent of elementary students. Recently, the principals at Dundee Elementary and Rosa Fort High School received recognition as finalists for the MS principal of the year. Presently, Rosa Fort ranks No. 8 in the state for its graduation rate (93.1 percent). Dr. Pulley has received numerous awards and recognitions which includes but are not limited to: National Association of Federal Programs Administrators Service Award; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Service Award; Certificate of Achievement from the Yale Child Study Center; Administrator of the Year for the Greenwood Public School District; Friendship Baptist Church: Badge of Courage Ward (2010); Greenwood Voters' League: Lady of the Year (2010); Superintendent of the Year: Delta Area Association for the Improvement of Schools (2010); Delta's Best in Education Award: 2011; and Shiloh 7th Day Adventist: Educator of the Year: 2011. Dr. Pulley is a lifelong member of Springhill Baptist Church in the Browning Community where she serves as a trustee and church secretary. In Dr. Pulley's spare time she loves to attend and watch basketball and football games, read, and cook for her entire family every Sunday and all holidays. She also takes care of her eighty-eight (88) year old mother who lives with her. Dr. Pulley, a widow, was married to the former Superintendent of the Leflore County School District, Mr. Cedell Pulley. She has three adult sons: Bill, a recreation center director; Kelvin, an attorney; and Kenneth, deputy superintendent of schools. She also has three beautiful grandchildren: William, Rhaegan, and Morgan, and a daughter-in-law, Jessica. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Dr. Margie Brown Pulley for her dedication to serving her community and this great state.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a remarkable leader and civil rights activist, Mr. Joseph Lowery. Mr. Joseph Echols Lowery was born to Leroy and Dora Lowery on October 6, 1921, in Huntsville, Alabama. At age 11, Lowery was abused by a white police officer for not stepping off the sidewalk as a white man passed by. From there, his parents sent him to Chicago, Illinois, to stay with family and attend junior high. He later returned to his hometown to complete his secondary education at William Hooper Council High School. Lowery attended Knoxville College, Alabama A&M College, and concluded at Paine College. He also attended ministerial training at Payne Theological Seminary and completed a Doctor of Divinity degree at the Chicago Ecumenical Institute. From 1952 to 1961, Lowery pastored Mobile's Warren Street Methodist Church. His Civil Rights career started in the early 1950's. He helped lead the Montgomery bus boycott--headed the Alabama Civic Affairs Association. He founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference along with Martin Luther King, Jr., Fred Shuttlesworth, and a few others--leading the organization as President from 1977 to 1997. Also, he was co-founder and President of the Black Leadership Forum. He served as the pastor of Cascade United Methodist Church in Atlanta from 1986 through 1992. In 1950, Lowery married Evelyn Gibson. They had three daughters together: Yvonne Kennedy, Karen Lowery, and Cheryl Lowery-Osborne. He also had two sons from an earlier marriage with Agnes Moore: Joseph Jr. and LeRoy III. In 1965, Lowery participated in the Selma-to-Montgomery march. Atlanta's city government renamed Ashby Street to Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard which travels past Atlanta's prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Morris Brown College. As a member of the esteemed brotherhood of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Lowery received the NAACP Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997, the inaugural Walter P. Reuther Humanitarian Award from Wayne State University in 2003, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center Peace Award, and the National Urban League's Whitney M. Young, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004. Ebony named him one of the 15 greatest black preachers. He received several honorary doctorates from colleges and universities, including Dillard University, Morehouse College, Alabama State University, University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Emory University. Lowery was honored at the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2004. On January 20, 2009, Lowery delivered the benediction at the inauguration of Senator Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. On July 30, 2009, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama. He was also given the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award by the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. Joseph Lowery died on March 27, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia, at 98 years old. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the late Mr. Joseph Echols Lowery for his passion and dedication to ministry and civil rights.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Energy and Commerce be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 6160) to extend the chemical facility anti-terrorism standards program of the Department of Homeland Security, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the instructions of the House in the motion to recommit, I report the bill, H.R. 1140, back to the House with an amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I am happy to rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Kim). Federal air marshals are an essential component of the layered aviation security system that was created in the wake of the September 11 attacks. Every day, these quiet heroes keep the flying public safe. As Representative Kim's amendment recognizes, there are some major personnel changes within FAMS that need timely attention. I commend the gentleman from New Jersey for introducing this amendment to direct TSA to aggressively take on the mental health and morale challenges within this subset of the TSA workforce. Again, I compliment the gentleman for his amendment and urge support.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentleman yielding me the time. Let me be clear. This bill enhances opportunities for TSOs. It increases the possibility of them getting employment by putting them on the GS schedule for Federal employees, so I am somewhat mystified that a bill that is designed to bring a group of employees into a system that all other Federal employees are in is somehow penalizing those employees. The very intent of this bill is to level the playing field for TSOs, who, everybody agrees, are doing a wonderful job, so I continue to be somewhat baffled by the arguments against it. I support the gentleman from Maryland's amendment. This amendment adds additional language to the bill to reiterate Congress' intent that TSA employees should have the same protections and benefits as the rest of the Federal workforce. This current system that we have is not working for TSA employees. All you have to do is talk to them. When you go through the airports, just ask them: ``Are you happy with how you are being treated and paid right now?'' Without a doubt, they will tell you: ``No.'' So this is to fix it. I compliment the gentleman from Maryland's strengthening of the intent of this legislation. But, more importantly, the bargaining unit that represents the employees, the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents all the TSOs, all 46,000, they are in support of it. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Cisneros). Let me be clear. We want to do all we can for our veterans. They have done a tremendous job defending us all over the world. The least we can do is when they return, or, unfortunately, when they don't return through tragedy, we take care of the families by offering them employment. This is a simple, commonsense amendment that I would hope there would be no disagreement on. All this does is provide the same language that we use for all other title 5 employees, which the intent of the overall bill is to bring everybody under the same system. So, I rise in support of the gentleman from California's amendment and ask for its approval.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I compliment the gentlewoman from Virginia in offering this amendment. Recently, the intelligence community raised national security concerns about the TikTok app and its ties to China. As we always and have been continuously informed, the Chinese are trying to get information on what we are doing every day of the week, every month, all the year. In response to this, TSA banned the use of TikTok by TSA employees on government-provided devices. Representative Spanberger's amendment is to be commended for recognizing that national security concerns about this app and successor apps will not go away over time and for authorizing this amendment to be codified in law. With that, Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding time. Mr. Chair, we have worked long and hard on crafting a bill that I am convinced would be in the best interests of those TSO employees who work diligently to keep us safe, making sure that all is well when we fly in and out of Washington as Members of Congress, as well as the 450 airports all around the United States. They do a good job, but they are not treated fairly. We want to make sure, in this instance, with the amendment, that we improve on the bill. So I rise in support of the amendment offered by my colleague, Mr. Peters from California. TSA takes pride in hiring veterans and reports that a quarter of its workforce is comprised of veterans. That is a good thing. Still, there are questions about the way TSA uses its personnel flexibilities when it comes to recruiting and hiring veterans. The Peters amendment would require the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study of TSA's recruitment process, including its recruitment of veterans. This amendment will improve the underlying bill by ensuring that, as TSA moves forward under title 5, it does so in a way that recruits and retains veterans. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Correa), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close after the gentleman from Alabama closes.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the arguments my colleagues have made in favor of this bill as well as the amendments offered to improve it. This is ultimately a simple bill with a simple but critical goal. Following the September 11 attack, Congress determined that the need to ensure the security of our Nation's transportation systems required the creation of a new Federal agency, the TSA. Yet, in standing up this critical national security agency, Congress mistakenly gave TSA broad personnel authority that has resulted in the workforce lagging far behind other Federal workers with respect to pay, benefits, and rights. By passing this bill, we will finish the job we started and make TSA a Federal agency that follows the laws Congress had constructed over many decades to govern treatment of Federal employees. This is the right thing to do for the frontline workers, the right thing to do for the traveling public, and the right thing to do for our national security. Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues for their support, I urge passage of H.R. 1140, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, just for the record, nothing in H.R. 1140 restricts the workforce's ability to elect union representation. I want to be very clear on that. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume to say that I appreciate my colleague next door to me citing the section about Federal Labor Relations Authority because that is my reference. It says, ``or successor labor organization.'' And it says in the ``Sunset Provision--The provisions of this section shall cease to be effective as of the conversion date.'' So there are options available. It is not a closed-door process, and we wouldn't have it that way anyway. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Chairman, I think, for the record, we want our TSOs to be treated just like all other Federal employees. If it is good enough for everybody else except TSA, then it should be good for TSA too. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a remarkable community servant, Senior Master Sergeant Diana M. Carey. Sergeant Carey attended Jackson State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary and special education. She also earned a Masters in English to teach secondary level education. Sergeant Carey retired from the United States Air Force with twenty years of service. She actively served in Texas, Japan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. In addition, she has held administrative, contracting and intelligence positions within the United States Air Force. Sergeant Carey also supported the Military Airlift Command in deployments. Since July of 1997, she has served as the Air Force Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (AFJROTC) instructor for Raymond High School in Raymond, Mississippi. Effective June 30, 2020, she will be retiring from the Hinds County School District with 23 years of service. During her time, she has trained over 1,500 cadets. Sergeant Carey has been named Teacher of the Year and Outstanding Air Force Junior ROTC instructor twice during her tenure. Not to mention, she is one of the 25 percent qualified as an advanced instructor. Sergeant Carey has also been instrumental in training new instructors at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama. Her overall mission has been to ``develop citizens of character dedicated to serving the nation and community.'' Aside from her military duties, Sergeant Carey is a member of the Illinois American Legion and the Brandon Quilters Guild. She attends Jackson Revival Center where she has taught Sunday school, sang in the choir and managed vacation Bible school activities. Her hobbies include quilting, gardening and spending time with her son and three grandchildren. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Senior Master Sergeant Diana M. Carey for her dedication and tenacity to serving the community and the desire to be an example for all.