Dina Titus

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. I am opposed in its current form.

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the Republican's tax scam that has been jammed through this Chamber without normal order, without public debate, and without consideration for our Nation's future. I represent the heart of Las Vegas, a city that was one of the hardest hit during the financial crisis. Many of my constituents are just beginning to recover from the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression, and this tax bill will greatly hinder their progress. Some 20 percent of my constituents itemize their deductions, the vast majority of whom earn under $75,000 per year. These families will all see a tax hike if this bill becomes law because the deductions for student loans, medical expenses, sales tax, and some mortgages will all disappear. The sad reality is, they won't just feel the hit on April 15, tax day. They will feel it every single day. The deficit that this bill will create will lead to State and local governments missing out on needed Federal funding, and they will either have to slash vital programs or raise taxes at that level. If the Senate has its way, they will cut Medicare by $25 billion and repeal the ACA. This is not a tax reform. It is a system that will be rigged.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise, once again, to honor, mourn, and demand action for victims of gun violence. On October 1, a gunman armed with semiautomatic weapons equipped with bump stocks fired hundreds of rounds in a matter of minutes at concert goers in my Las Vegas congressional district, killing 58 and injuring 489 others in attendance. During my tenure in Congress, I have stood for too many moments of silence on this House floor to remember lives lost to senseless gun violence. Many of my colleagues and I know all too well about the senseless loss of life in our streets, movie theaters, schools, and, now, concert venues. We have pleaded, we have watched, we have mourned as more and more victims suffer, and we have seen nothing from congressional Republicans. This just can't go on. We can't ignore the lives lost due to gun violence in my district or in any other for any longer, and if we don't act soon, we will just be here doing it again. So I want to call the names, say the names, remember the names of the 58 casualties who lost their lives in my district. Let us honor their memory, and let these 58 names give the Republicans 58 more reasons why we must take action now. Hannah Ahlers; Heather Alvarado; Dorene Anderson; Carrie Barnette; Jack Beaton; Steve Berger; Candice Bowers; Denise Burditus; Sandy Casey; Andrea Castilla; Denise Cohen; Austin Davis; Thomas Day, Jr.; Christiana Duarte; Stacee Etcheber; Brian Fraser; Keri Galvan; Dana Gardner; Angela Gomez; Rocio Guillen Rocha; Charleston Hartfield, a police officer off duty; Chris Hazencomb; Jennifer Topaz Irvine; Teresa Nicol Kimura; Jessica Klymchuk; Carly Kreibaum; Rhonda LeRocque; Victor Link; Jordan McIldoon; Kelsey Meadows; Calla-Marie Medig; James ``Sonny'' Melton; Patricia Mestas; Austin Meyer; Adrian Murfitt; Rachael Parker; Jenny Parks; Carrie Parsons; Lisa Patterson; John Phippen; Melissa Ramirez; Jordyn Rivera; Quinton Robbins; Cameron Robinson; Tara Roe; Lisa Romero-Muniz; Chris Roybal; Brett Schwanbeck; Bailey Schweitzer; Laura Shipp; Erick Silva; Susan Smith; Brennan Stewart; Derrick ``Bo'' Taylor; Neysa Tonks; Michelle Vo; Kurt von Tillow; and Bill Wolfe. These are the 58 people who lost their lives from gun violence in my district in Nevada; 58 more reasons why we shouldn't stand silent, but we need to take action now.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the on-call and off- duty first responders whose training, instincts, and valor saved lives and prevented further tragedy on October 1st in Las Vegas. Southern Nevada's police, firefighters, and medical professionals rushed into gunfire, suppressed an active shooter, and prepared the community for its recovery. As bullets rained down and innocent victims lay in need of assistance, crews from Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, and Clark County entered a situation without hesitation, despite knowing few details about the scope of the attack. Off-duty officials who attended the concert went from enjoying a night of music to selflessly acting under fire. Amid the report of firearms, the whiz of bullets, and the screams of horror, first responders risked their lives to shield the helpless, provide medical assistance, and secure an area that was the target of an unspeakable event. Their service did not stop after the shooting. Many went home for a few minutes to change their blood-soaked clothes and hug their family members. Then they returned to a grieving community. Not all of Las Vegas' heroes were lucky enough to go back to their families. Some, like Las Vegas Metro Police Officer Charles Hartfield, lost their lives. Others left the scene with gunshot wounds and various injuries. They were all Nevada's Guardian Angels that night. Those heroes and their family members cannot be thanked enough for their service and sacrifices. Likewise, our ambulance services, American Medical Response and Community Ambulance, not only assisted the injured on the scene but rapidly transported hundreds to local hospitals. Our two trauma centers, designed to accommodate a fraction of the patients they received in the hours after the shooting, were able to treat a nonstop flow of victims. Our charities immediately set up blood drives and other donation centers to meet the needs of victims. On their own accord, good Samaritans opened their car doors to fleeing concertgoers, turned their belts into tourniquets, and imparted countless acts of kindness in the hours and days following the tragedy. Through it all we were guided by the leadership of LVMPD Sheriff Joe Lombardo, LVMPD Undersheriff Kevin McMahill, Clark County Fire Chief Greg Cassell, University Medical Center CEO Mason VanHouweling, Sunrise Hospital CEO Todd Sklamberg, and Special Agent Aaron Rouse of the Las Vegas FBI. These were among the first Nevadans to take action on October 1st. They have had sleepless nights, skipped meals, and borne the weight of the world on their shoulders. Thanks to their guidance and sacrifice, the community has been able to mourn and recuperate in peace. On behalf of Nevada's First Congressional District, I want to thank these leaders and all the local heroes who jeopardized their own lives to make sure that so many in Southern Nevada would be able to face a new day. They made Las Vegas Strong.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of my dear friend and colleague, Dr Andrew C. Tuttle. I met Andy upon my arrival at UNLV where he served as member and chair of the Political Science Department from 1968 until his retirement in 2008. Dr. Tuttle was a beloved teacher, a respected scholar, and a valued colleague. He was a specialist in national security policy and was often sought out by policy makers and the press alike for his analysis of world events. He had a great Irish sense of humor and was a loyal and loving family man, who put his wife Helen and sons Mark and Matt above all else. I will miss his wise counsel and that twinkle in his eye.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect DREAMers like Victor, who arrived when he was 7 years old and now works as an IT support analyst.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Will the gentleman yield?

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chairman, I, too, rise in support of this bipartisan amendment. I thank my colleagues, Mr. Brat, Mr. Poe, and Mr. Khanna, for introducing it. We want to prohibit funds from being used by the Department of the VA on studies that cause significant pain and distress to dogs. As a former member of the House Veterans Affairs' Committee and a longtime advocate of animal protection, I firmly believe we should not be using taxpayer dollars to fund painful and unnecessary experimental procedures when we have technological advances that can move us toward alternative methods. We have seen the NIH in their chimpanzee research, and they said that available technologies are more accurate, faster, and less expensive than animal testing. The U.S. military is moving away from using live animals in trauma medical testing. We have seen that when the Coast Guard gave up their live tissue training program. The Los Angeles VA just recently announced it is suspending controversial and gruesome experiments on a colony of narcoleptic Dobermans. It is now time for the rest of the VA to do the same thing. This amendment is supported by the Humane Society, the Animal Welfare Institute, and the White Coat Waste Project. It is estimated that 44 percent of all households--and you heard my colleagues mention this--in the United States have a dog. In our culture, they are considered cherished pets, and they are a member of the family. They are not to be used for experiments. Even veterans themselves depend on dogs on the battlefield and at home for therapy. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and that is just the way it is.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, today, Energy and Commerce's Environment Subcommittee advanced a bill that would ram Yucca Mountain down the throats of Nevadans. Among its many faults, the bill usurps the State's water rights. Now, this is unethical, it is certainly intellectually dishonest, and it is probably unconstitutional. Republican lawmakers have long touted states' rights as a basic tenet of our democracy. What they must really mean is states' rights apply to their States but not to Nevada. They also took great pride in opposing the waters of the U.S. regulations, saying it was Federal overreach and outrageous power grab. Well, so much for principle. Now it is a different story. Taking a state's water rights sets a dangerous precedent. If they can do it to Nevada, they can do it to you. If they can take our water, they can take your water. In the West, we say that water is worth fighting for. Whiskey is for drinking. Well, we are not giving up this fight.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Walz for his leadership, for bringing this bill, and for allowing me to stay involved even though I am no longer on the committee. Likewise, I thank Dr. Roe for all that he has done for veterans. Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support of H.R. 2288, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act. Fixing this outdated system was one of my top priorities while I served as ranking member of the VA Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee. When I assumed that position, much of the focus was on the VA disability claims backlog, which had ballooned, causing many veterans to wait almost 2 years just for their initial claim decision. After that backlog was addressed and reduced, the problem shifted to the appeals process, where today, as you have heard, almost 470,000 veterans are currently waiting in an overburdened and overcomplicated system that was first developed in the 1930s and last updated in the 1980s. I regularly hear from my veteran constituents who are stuck in this appeals process about the need for reform. One veteran we are helping in Las Vegas has been working since August of 2013 to have his appeal adjudicated; and another Nevada veteran who, out of desperation, came to my office, took 4 years to complete his process. So, obviously, the current system is just unacceptable. If we don't act, it is only going to get worse. We have heard statistics that soon veterans may be waiting for more than a decade just to have their appeals adjudicated. Last year, working closely with the VA, with the committee, and with many of our partners in the VSO community, I introduced legislation to address this outdated process. I am very proud that my proposal is the basis for the legislation we are considering today. The changes that were made to that legislation are positive additions, and I appreciate the work that Chairman Bost and Ranking Member Esty have done to improve the bill and bring it to the floor. I encourage all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together to recognize, to help, to assist our veterans, and support this bill. I want us to tell our friends in the Senate: You have got to act quickly, too. We have got to get this done.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to say goodbye and Godspeed to a longtime friend, John Mitchell Cobeaga. Mitch, his wife Sylvia, and their children have lived next door to us for some thirty years. We often hid the ``presents from Santa'' in our garage until Christmas morning when the children could be surprised by shiny new bikes. His law office was also next to my congressional office in downtown Las Vegas and I often visited with him there. Mitch was well respected for his advocacy work for fellow veterans. Mitch graduated from the U.S. Airforce Academy and was a proud member of the 20th Cadet Squadron, ``Tough Twenty Trolls.'' He became a Wild Weasel fighter pilot and flew over 100 combat missions in Vietnam. After his military service, he founded the Veterans Ask-a-Lawyer program, a free legal program to help vets in need. Mitch also had a reputation as a hero for the little guy in the courtroom where he had a commanding presence. He contributed to many of Nevada's largest cases, including the one involving the 1988 perchlorate explosion at the Pacific Engineering and Production Company which killed two people and caused billions of dollars in damage throughout the Henderson area. His colleague Robert Murdock noted that ``he had a hand in mentoring most of the lawyers in Southern Nevada at one point or another'' and should be honored by having a courtroom named for him. Sylvia said that Mitch will be remembered for his intelligence, sense of morality, and the importance he placed on family. And he never took himself seriously, she said. He always had time for everyone he passed in the courtroom, office, and around town. We will all miss his warm laughter, his kind words, and his sage counsel very much.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, tomorrow marks 100 days of the Trump administration. So let's take a look. What does that 100 days mean? It means hundreds of vacancies still left in important agencies like State and Defense, hundreds of hours wasted on meaningless executive orders, hundreds of miles flown back and forth to Mar-a-Lago to play golf, hundreds of educational and cultural programs on the chopping block, hundreds of acres of public lands under threat, and hundreds of programs that benefit millionaires while causing hundreds and thousands of seniors to worry about losing Meals on Wheels, working families losing their health care, DREAMers losing their protection, women losing Planned Parenthood, and ordinary folks losing money out of their pocket to pay higher tax bills because of the new proposal. That is not much of a record, if you ask me. But what it also means is there are hundreds and thousands of voices rising up saying: We will resist, and we will persist.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend votes in the House on March 8, 2017. If I had been present, I would have voted ``Yea'' on Roll Call No. 136, making appropriations for the Department of Defense for Fiscal Year 2017.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, the GOP's disastrous healthcare proposal is really just the largest transfer of wealth to the superrich in this Nation's entire history. In fact, it gives the top 1 percent of earners a windfall of tax breaks and subsidies. The superrich are going to be able to buy a lot of things with this new money. It has been estimated they could buy: one Lamborghini, 26 Rolex watches, or 44 sets of Super Bowl tickets. Thanks to this tax cut, in effect, you are shifting wealth from Main Street to Mar-a-Lago, from middle America to Mar-a-Lago, from my district to Mar-a-Lago. Forty-four thousand people in my district in southern Nevada will lose their health insurance according to the Center for American Progress. Our President said, well, he didn't know--not our President. He is not my President. Anyway, he said he didn't know health care could be so complicated. Well, if you look at this bill, it is really not very complicated. It is quite simple: Premiums go up, benefits go down; deductibles go up, coverage goes down; prices go up, healthcare for women goes down. Vote ``no'' on this bill.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, Attorney General Sessions stated we won't be a better, healthier Nation if marijuana is sold at every corner grocery store. His Justice Department also signaled that it would raid a marijuana industry convention being held on tribal lands in my State of Nevada. While it is pretty clear that the Attorney General has some other problems to worry about now, I would note that his statement and his department's actions demonstrate a complete lack of understanding of the legal marijuana industry. The industry, which is highly regulated in States that have chosen to legalize marijuana, does, indeed, face challenges in banking, taxes, advertising, security, and working with veterans. These need to be addressed by Congress. But in the meantime, I invite Mr. Sessions: Come to Nevada. Meet with members of the industry. Find out how it really works before you make rash decisions about enforcement that will counter the votes of many people across this country.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, so far, in 2017, Donald Trump and the Republicans have targeted women, immigrants, and health care. Now they are setting their sights on bear cubs, wolves, and coyotes. Republicans, in cahoots with the gun lobby and with trophy hunters, want to eliminate a rule that currently prohibits hunters from using brutal means to kill our majestic animals in Alaska's 16 wildlife refuges. This rule prevents snaring and trapping bears, including cubs, hunting wolves in their dens, and shooting bears from helicopters, among other methods. Now, those opposed to the rule say that it hurts Alaska's economy, but there is no evidence of that. In fact, big game hunting represents only 2 percent of wildlife-related recreation on our national wildlife refuges. Meanwhile, the National Park Service has estimated that wildlife watchers, those who go to see wildlife, not to shoot them, contribute $1 billion to the State's economy. I ask you: Is a trophy on the wall really worth it? So please vote ``no'' on H.J. Res. 69 introduced by our colleague, Mr. Young.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to include in the Record some inadequate yet heartfelt words to celebrate the life and mourn the loss of James J. Spinello. Jim was my dear friend, respected colleague, and trusted confidant. We met in 1988 when he was a Young Turk in the Nevada Assembly. Along with his friends, Matt Callister, Gene Porter, and Wendell Williams, he was a legislator with a mission. As members of the Marvin Sedway/Gary Gray posse of talented young idealists, they set out to change the world--and indeed they have made Nevada a better place, each in his own way. As an Assemblyman, Jim served as Chair of the Education Committee where he led the fight for class size reduction and as Vice Chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee where he championed more funding for mental health. He was the serious, scholarly one of the bunch who had the compassion, knowledge, and work ethic to get things done. After two terms he went on to manage Nevada's state workers compensation system. He joined the administrative team at Clark County in 1997 for several years before becoming an integral player at R&R. Partners where he served as director of local government affairs. He loved his R&R family, especially Billy Vassiliadis, who was there for him in the most generous ways until the very end. Meanwhile, he taught classes part time at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He was a natural teacher and role model who entertained, educated, and inspired. He brought his practical experience as well as his academic training and a vast wealth of information to the classroom. Throughout all this time, Jim remained a wonderful friend, a man I trusted totally, which is a rare thing in politics today. We shared a Mediterranean temperament--mine Greek and his Sicilian. Boy, was he Sicilian. He had black curly hair and a beautiful singing voice (we called him Spinatra). He loved red wine and pasta, and loyalty was very important to him. Jim enjoyed traveling, especially with his beloved daughters, Lilly and Chessa. He traveled to Sicily with his girls to visit his mother's village and found some slightly suspect cousins along the way. Everything he did, he did with their futures in mind. He was very proud of them and spoke of them often. At the Sicilian wake following his service, there was consensus among those who had known Jim for a long time that he was, simply put, a really good guy--in the very best sense of the words. Billy V. noted that his legacy is in his girls and the many young people he taught in class and in the work place. Dick Cooper commented on how ethical he was: He just couldn't not tell the truth. Another legislative colleague, Ernie Alder, said Jim was polite enough to laugh at his jokes. And Tom Warden and Marc Hechter, who had been with Jim every day those last weeks, recalled when Jim had selflessly been there for them in trying times. Matt called him a true friend and Chris Giunchigliani remarked on his amazing strength of character and spirit. Tears were shed. Stories were told. Memories were bittersweet. He was a wonderful person to work with, to have a martini with, to stay out of or be in trouble with. He was loyal to me and I will always try to be loyal, in words and deeds, to his memory. The Spinner set a high bar. His passing is Nevada's loss.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, the Republicans just voted to begin the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Their misguided and heartless effort will not just affect thousands of insurance policies in Nevada, but it will cost the State jobs, it will diminish access to health care, and it will jeopardize lives. Nevada had one of the highest uninsured rates in the country before the ACA. Since then, we have cut the rate by almost 50 percent, and we have created a system that now provides 400,000 children and adults with coverage. But Trump and the congressional Republicans don't want to hear about that. Make no mistake, when they voted to repeal the ACA, they are revoking vital programs that offer cancer screenings and mental health assistance. They are rescinding provisions that prevent insurance companies from charging women more than men, or from denying benefits because of preexisting conditions. This is unconscionable. Instead of repeal and replace, the Republicans should just call their proposal ``destroy and delay,'' or perhaps just simply ``scam and sham.''

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ronald L. Lynn and commend him on 35 years of service to the State of Nevada as Director and Chief Building and Fire Official of the Clark County Department of Building and Fire Prevention. Mr. Lynn retired from his post on August 5, 2016, after serving the greater Las Vegas area since 1981. Mr. Lynn's professional accomplishments range from local to international. He has served in multiple roles at the International Code Council (ICC), including President of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Major Jurisdiction Committee which represents the interests of cities and enforcement agencies throughout the country. Mr. Lynn also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Accreditation Service and is currently on the Board of Managers for the International Evaluation Services, both subsidiaries of the ICC. In addition, he serves as chairman of multiple organizations: the McCarran Airport Hazards Area Board of Adjustment; the Nevada Earthquake Safety Council; and the Western States Seismic Policy Council's Architecture, Engineering and Construction Committee. He is a member of the Nevada Hazard Mitigation Planning Committee and the Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology Advisory Committee. Mr. Lynn was also appointed to the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction (ACEHR) by the National Institute of Standards & Technology. The congressionally authorized National Institute of Building Sciences has also appointed him to the Building Seismic Safety Council. In 2009, Mr. Lynn was recognized by the United States Congress for his contributions to the building safety community; and in 2010, he received a U.S. Senate commendation for his commitment to building safety, energy conservation, and emergency response. Additionally, Governor Brian Sandoval of Nevada declared December 9, 2010, as Ronald L. Lynn Day. In 2012, Mr. Lynn received the Ron H. Brown Standards Leadership Award, named after the late Secretary of Commerce, in recognition of his commitment to the U.S. standardization system and conformity assessment community. He was the first code official to receive this award. As an active contributor to the development of national voluntary consensus codes and systems and as a leader in the construction industry, Mr. Lynn helped promote the important role of standardization in international trade agreements. In 2014, Mr. Lynn received the Community Achievement Award from the Asian American Group (AAG), the Government Person of the Year Award from the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), and the Western States Seismic Policy Council Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2015 he received the International Code Council's highest award, the prestigious Bobby J. Fowler Award, for his career spent leading the building safety industry. I am proud to recognize this exceptional Nevadan and thank him for his commitment to the people of Nevada and the entire United States. I first met Ron through my father Joe Titus who was Director of Building and Safety for the City of Henderson, Nevada, and often heard him testify on important safety issues during my time in the State Senate. I wish him and his wife, Denise, all the best in their future endeavors.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, many people around the country like to say ``what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,'' but I am here to tell you that is not accurate. What happens in Vegas comes to the Washington Beltway. In fact, tonight, MGM Resorts International, the largest employer in the State of Nevada, will bring a little bit of Las Vegas right here to the banks of the Potomac. The company's newest property, National Harbor, will officially open its doors tonight, creating a new standard for hospitality and tourism here on the East Coast. National Harbor is already contributing to the local economy. MGM has received over 40,000 applicants for positions at the $1.4 billion, 308-room property, and they have hired over 400,000 people in jobs that cover 100 different categories. So, in the new year, I want to invite Members to come out and enjoy all of the food, the entertainment, and the shopping that MGM has to offer here in the area. Maybe it will inspire Members to come to see me in District One in Las Vegas. Mr. Speaker, happy holidays.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the acting ranking member for yielding and for all the important work he has done on this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6416, which includes a number of provisions offered by my colleagues on the committee and beyond to help our veterans. It actually includes two measures that I authored: one requires the GAO to conduct a study to find out the causes of underperforming VBA regional offices; the other extends the authorization for GME slots at the VA. This is a provision that will be especially valuable to UNLV's brand-new medical school, which is hosting its inaugural class this fall. Unfortunately, however, the bill fails to address a major priority of both the VA and veterans themselves, and that is reforming the broken appeals process. Right now, there are 470,000 appeals languishing somewhere in the VA system. Veterans have to wait 2 to 3 years for them to be resolved as these cases churn through the process that Congress hasn't updated since the 1980s. If we don't act now, we will soon be telling our veteran constituents that they are going to have to wait 10 years before their appeals can be resolved, and it will be the fault of this Congress. Despite having a solution that is ready to go that is widely supported by the administration and the VSOs, the Republican leadership refuses to bring the bill I sponsored on appeals reform to the floor without tying it to an accountability bill that strips VA employees of necessary civil rights protections. We are told that passing appeals reform without accountability just won't work. Using that specious argument, we shouldn't pass any VA reform bill without accountability because it just won't work. So while I support this measure, I would urge my colleagues to address the appeals reform process before it is too late and we do further disservice to our Nation's heroes.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, my office was overwhelmed with phone calls in the days following the election. DACA recipients, their friends, and their family were afraid: Will I be deported, they asked. Will my cousin be deported? Will my friends be deported? I know these questions were not just being uttered in Southern Nevada. People were asking them in living rooms, kitchens, restaurants, schools, and countless other places across the country. For our DREAMers and their loved ones, the fear and anxiety will continue if we don't responsibly act to reform our broken immigration system. Since the election we've heard very little from the incoming administration about what's actually going to happen once President Obama leaves office. That is why I recently held an immigration advocacy roundtable with local community leaders like The Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, UNLV, the Latin Chamber of Commerce, and other local officials. We wanted to let families know that despite the uncertainty, we are here to help them. Together, we want to change the tone that we heard from Donald Trump during the election. After months of disgraceful speeches about walls and deportations, Trump and his administration must now deal with the gravity of the situation. It's time they acquaint themselves with the young men and women who have been able to work, go to school, contribute to the tax base, and live life without fear of being thrown out of the country they call home.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman O'Rourke for yielding. You are too kind in your compliments. I give them right back to you. We have worked together on many things, including veterans and public lands, and now this very pressing issue of what we can do to protect our DREAMers. Since the election, my office has just been deluged by phone calls from the DACA recipients, those we call DREAMers, from their friends, and from their family. They are afraid. You can just hear the fear in their voice. They are just calling to ask questions: Will I be deported? Will my friends be deported? Will my family be separated? Will I lose my house? Will I lose my job? Will I lose my scholarship? Should I apply for DACA? Should I apply to renew DACA? Or should I just keep my head down and hope that they don't notice that I am here? It just tears your heart out. That is one of the reasons that in my district, in Las Vegas, we held a round table, not a town hall. We started with those organizations who help DREAMers. We had Catholic charities; we had the university, UNLV; we had other institutions of higher education; we had the Latin Chamber; and we had the Mexican and the Salvadoran Consulate all gathered around the table because we don't know how to answer those questions. We wanted to be sure we were all on the same page, giving people the same advice, and reassuring them that whatever happens, we will be there for them. That helps a little, but still you want to be able to say: This is what you are facing. I know I am not the only one getting these calls. They are coming from kitchens and living rooms and restaurants and stores and families all across this country, as you have heard from some of the other speakers here tonight. For our DREAMers and their families, this fear and anxiety will continue to grow. I am afraid they are just going to return to the shadows if we don't act soon to responsibly reform our immigration system. Now, as yet, we have heard very little from the Trump transition team about what is actually going to happen to the DREAMers once President Obama leaves office. Will they round up people and send them back? Will they build that wall? We don't know. But what we do know is that Mr. Sessions has been appointed as Attorney General, who has a very long record of opposing comprehensive immigration reform, actually railing against it; and that is not a very good sign. After months of just disgraceful campaign rhetoric speeches that denigrate immigrants, Trump and his team now have to really deal with the gravity of the situation. I would suggest, to begin with, they should acquaint themselves with some of the young men and women who have been able to go to work, go to school, contribute to the tax base, contribute to society and our culture, like those that Mr. O'Rourke mentioned, because they had that protection of DACA. Instead of demoralizing and degrading them, they should take the time to learn about people like Brenda Romero. Brenda is a young DREAMer who interned in my office this past summer. She is one of 12,000 DREAMers in Nevada. She is not a rapist and she is not a drug dealer. She is a high school graduate and the first immigrant to be the student body president of a small college in my home State. She is now pursuing a law degree. Brenda was brought to the United States from Mexico when she was just 2 years old. Like so many of the over 700,000 DREAMers, she didn't really have any choice in that decision. She has had a choice about her life, and she has made the most of it, like so, so many DREAMers, including another dreamer from Las Vegas who many of you have seen on television, an amazing national spokeswoman for this campaign for DREAMers, Astrid Silva. They have contributed, and they inspire me. That is the reason I am joining the gentleman here tonight to talk about their stories, and they are the reason that I will continue to be on the front line--to fight to make this country a better place for them so they, in turn, can make it a better place for all of us. I want you to go out and meet these people. I want you to sit down with them eye to eye. I call on all of my colleagues to do that. Hear their stories, and you will understand just how remarkable they are. They will make you feel very proud, and you will find that you have more in common with them and their families than you have apart. We are not a country that should alienate immigrants. We are a country that is characterized by the Statue of Liberty: give me your tired, your poor, your hungry, those yearning to be free. Surely, we can't forget that kind of history and heritage that we have of welcoming immigrants with open arms. We are not a country that should be tearing families apart. As we stand here tonight on the floor of the House, I would just ask you to make that effort to get to know the DREAMers in your community. Hear their stories, and I think you will agree with me just how remarkable they are. So I thank the gentleman for letting me speak. Count on me to continue this fight. I think, if we can't get comprehensive immigration reform done in the short term, let's at least protect those DREAMers who already have that status so that they don't have to live in fear.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably absent in the House Chamber for votes on Tuesday, November 29, 2016. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on roll call votes 588 and 589.