Dina Titus

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1076, the bipartisan no fly, no buy legislation, to honor the memory of Megan, Liana, Mark Jr., and Willow Short, who never received a moment of action on this House floor.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. I am opposed to the bill in its current form.

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, this is the final amendment to the bill. It will not kill the bill or send it back to committee. If adopted, the bill will immediately proceed to final passage, as amended. The motion to recommit that I offer today is simple, straightforward, and long overdue. The amendment is a technical correction to update our Nation's laws to reflect the realities of the day by eliminating outdated, discriminatory language that is currently found in the U.S. Code. Over a year ago, the Supreme Court ruled definitively on the question of equal protection for all citizens under the law. Their decision in Obergefell v. Hodges struck down discriminatory laws that defined marriage and made marriage equality the law of the land. Following that decision, the Veterans Administration issued guidance to ensure that all legally married veterans and their spouses would have access to the full range of Federal benefits that they earned through their military service. Yet, title 38 of the U.S. Code, which governs the VA, still reflects decades-old language that does not meet the constitutional reality of today. This is why I am offering the motion to remove the sex-specific definition of ``spouse'' found in the VA Code. Now, updating the U.S. Code is nothing new to this body. In 1986, Congress updated our Nation's laws to reflect the fact that not all veterans are men and not all veteran spouses are wives. Earlier this year, I would remind the House that we passed, by unanimous vote, a measure offered by my friend and colleague from New York, Congresswoman Meng, to remove discriminatory language on race found in the Code. By passing this MTR, we can take yet another step to clean up our laws and recognize that all American veterans and their families are equal. Indeed, we owe it to those who have worn the uniform and to their loved ones to respect their service and their sacrifice in both word and in deed. So let's remove this discriminatory language and ensure that all veterans are provided the respect, the benefits, and the equal protection they deserve. Accordingly, I would urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to have just a fraction of the courage that these brave American heroes have and vote for this motion to recommit. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding, and I thank the chairman. Even though we may disagree on this piece of legislation, I believe he has been a fair chairman to work with all members of the committee. When I became a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and the ranking member of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee back in 2013, much of the focus was on the disability claims backlog. It had ballooned, and it was causing some veterans to wait almost 2 years just for their initial claim decision. After that backlog was reduced, after considerable work by Congress and the administration, the problem shifted to the appeals process, where 450,000 veterans are currently waiting in an overburdened and overcomplicated system. The average claim takes more than 3 years to adjudicate, and claims that progress to the Board of Veterans Appeals can languish for more than 2,000 days. Both of these figures are also rising. So, if we miss this historic opportunity to reform the outdated and overcomplicated appeals system, the wait for our Nation's heroes will continue to lengthen. By 2027, we will be telling our veteran constituents that they will likely have to wait a decade for their appeal to be resolved. That is just unacceptable. It is important to keep in mind that the appeals process was first developed back in 1933, and it was last updated in the late 1980s; so, surely, true reform is long overdue. Accordingly, this has become a top priority for the VA and for veterans service organizations, and it should be a priority for Congress as well. Over the past months, the VA has been working closely with experts from the VSOs and other veterans advocacy groups to reform this broken system and replace it with a streamlined process designed to provide quicker outcomes for veterans while also preserving their due process rights. Before you in this bill is the result of that effort. The new plan creates three lanes from which veterans can choose to appeal their claim. The first is a high-level de novo review for veterans who want to have a fresh set of well-trained eyes review their claim. The second is a lane for veterans who wish to add additional information or evidence to their claim. The third is for veterans who choose to have a full review done by the board, either with new evidence or as an expedited review without new supporting documents. Veterans will be able to choose their own lane, depending on the specifics of their particular case. As part of this new system, the VA will provide more details to veterans when their initial claim decisions are delivered. This enhanced claims decision will better help veterans decide if they want to appeal and which lane will best suit their needs. I appreciate that so many veterans organizations, including Disabled American Veterans, The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, AMVETS, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and others have all endorsed this appeals reform legislation. It is unfortunate that my bill has been attached to controversial legislation regarding accountability at the VA. While we all agree that accountability for employees at the VA is critical for ensuring that our veterans receive the services and the care that they have earned and deserved, we should separate the two issues, pass appeals reform, and then work in a bipartisan manner on the accountability proceedings. Last summer, this House passed an accountability bill; so, rather than passing another one that is very similar and which we know the administration opposes and feels is unconstitutional, let's get the appeals reform process done instead of playing politics that could hurt our Nation's heroes.

Ms. TITUS. I thank my friend from Minnesota (Mr. Walz) for yielding to me and for helping me with this amendment. Mr. Chair, this is very simple. It would just remove all of the accountability provisions from the bill and give the House an opportunity to send a clean reform bill to the Senate. While we all agree that accountability for employees at the VA is critical, we should separate these two issues, pass appeals reform, and then work in a bipartisan manner on the accountability issues. Rather than send another accountability bill to the Senate, which is opposed by the administration, we should pass this amendment and send to the President a clean bill that can be signed right away and fix this deeply flawed, old, outdated appeals process. I am proud to have worked with various VSOs and the VA to develop the overhaul of appealing VA benefits claims. As I said earlier, the current system is broken, and every day it gets worse. More appeals are added to the backlog. It has ballooned to 450,000 claims. If we don't act now, veterans will soon have to wait a decade before their appeals can be adjudicated. Passing this amendment will allow us to address this growing problem now instead of subjecting our veterans not to good policy, but to bad politics.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, well, as the House Republicans flee town, let's just take a minute to review their record: no budget; no vote on gun violence measures; no Zika funding; no Flint, Michigan, fix; no VA appeals overhaul; no long-term FAA reauthorization; no Voting Rights Act. But, wait, they did do a few things. They voted to make our air and water dirtier, to degrade our environment, to interfere with a woman's healthcare choices, to roll back ObamaCare, to reinstitute discrimination in our laws. They even voted to screw elephants and polar bears. They also voted to waste millions of taxpayer dollars on hours of meaningless hearings. So I say, Mr. Speaker, don't underestimate the American public. You can run, but you cannot hide.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Mr. Grijalva's amendment. I represent the heart of the Las Vegas Valley, which attracts more than 42 million visitors from around the globe every year to the world famous Strip to visit our first-class casinos, restaurants, shopping, and shows. But that is not the only reason people come to Nevada. They come to see the West as it was hundreds, even thousands, of years ago. They come to see the iconic bighorn sheep, the Joshua tree, the petroglyphs that tell the history of the first people who called southern Nevada home. Congress rightfully entrusted in the President the authority to designate such special places for protection, but this bill would eliminate his or her ability to do that, to protect those places that tell America's stories. I urge my colleagues to support Mr. Grijalva's amendment to strip out this section from the bill.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 1217, the bipartisan expanded background checks legislation, in honor of the memory of Jones Pidcock, a victim of gun violence who never received a moment of silence on this House floor.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival which begins on June 29 and focuses this year on the Basques. Their history, contributions, and culture will be highlighted through music, storytelling, artifacts, and food. Since the late 1800s, the Basques have been an integral part of Nevada's story. Well known and highly respected Basque families in Nevada include the Laxalts, Ascuaguas, Etcheverrias, Juaristis, and Goicoecheas, among others, who have left a legacy at all levels of government, business, academia, and the legal profession. Their history has been recorded in the sheep camps of the Northern Nevada mountains and in the boarding houses of small towns like Elko, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, and Ely. Their strength of character and perseverance inspire us all. I look forward to seeing some of Nevada's Basque dancers on the National Mall, and I invite you to join me in celebrating this amazing community and its heritage.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I, too, have no further speakers. I just want to say that I support this legislation. I urge my colleagues to do the same, and I also admonish them to show the same degree of urgency when it comes to reauthorizing the FAA. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4369, as you heard, is a bipartisan, narrowly tailored bill to address a time-sensitive issue in southern California that impacts the Ontario and Los Angeles International Airports, both of which serve my district in southern Nevada. This bill has the support of my colleagues from southern California, and I appreciate them coming to the floor today to speak about its importance to their districts. Mr. Speaker, when one airport authority takes ownership of an airport from another authority, there needs to be a process by which that new authority can repay the passenger facility charges that were collected up to that point. This bill would provide such a mechanism. There is urgency in addressing this issue, as the current transfer authority between these two airports is set to expire at the end of this year. I support that, but I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the fact that, while we stand on the floor today discussing this urgent matter affecting our aviation system, we are mere weeks away from the expiration of the third extension of the current FAA authorization bill. Months ago, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed legislation which includes numerous time-sensitive and important provisions. Yet, because of a proposal to privatize our air traffic control system, I, along with my fellow Democrats on the committee, were forced to oppose the bill. Meanwhile, our Senate colleagues have passed a bipartisan FAA bill with overwhelming support. Mr. Speaker, again, I am in favor of this legislation that we are considering today, but it is my sincere hope that we will see a similar urgency in addressing other aviation needs, like the needs of large airports like McCarran International Airport, in my district; the need to extend the authorization for the unmanned aerial test ranges; the need to develop a low-altitude air traffic management system for UAS operations; and the need to address a number of the important issues that are facing our Nation's airspace that are in the FAA reauthorization bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Torres), who is a cosponsor of this bill.

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), another cosponsor of the bill.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. Since 1966, the ACLU of Nevada has continuously worked to defend the civil rights and civil liberties of all Nevadans through public advocacy, litigation, and education. The many dedicated board members, directors, volunteers, and staff over the years have made it an exceptional organization of critical importance to our state. I would like to thank current Executive Director Tod Story for his leadership and tireless work on behalf of the ACLU and people of Nevada. I would also like to recognize the 50th anniversary celebration honorees: Jan Jones Blackhurst, Paula Francis, Colin Seale, Sheila Leslie, and Richard Siegel. Thank you for being champions of democracy and for your years of service to Nevada promoting justice, free speech, individual rights, and progressive leadership. Congratulations on 50 years of great work. Thank you for your contributions to our community, and here's to 50 more years defending the rights and liberties of Nevadans. Count on me to be your friend and advocate in Washington.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, as a longtime friend of Taiwan, I rise to congratulate the country's people on their recent presidential elections and President-elect Tsai Ing-wen on her victory. A respected leader in trade and national security, the country's first-ever female president, Tsai Ing-wen, is setting a great example for governments around the globe. The people of Taiwan should be proud of their strong democratic institutions, freedom of expression, and open elections. This joint appreciation and application of democracy have brought our two countries together. We have been fortunate to work hand-in-hand on many critical issues. One example is Congress' recent effort to expand the Visa Waiver Program so citizens of Taiwan and the United States can travel freely between both countries. These visits allow for increased economic cooperation between our governments, the exchange of ideas and culture, and the development of long-lasting relationships. I am proud to represent a large and thriving Taiwanese-American population living in Las Vegas and my congressional district, where they have made valuable contributions to our culture, economy, and society. Again, I send my best wishes to President-elect Tsai and the people of Taiwan as you celebrate her history-making inauguration and look forward to working with you all as we grow our democratic partnership. I hope you will visit us soon, either in Las Vegas or Washington, D.C.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Nevadans to demand an apology from presumptive Republican Presidential nominee, Donald Trump. Last week, news reports revealed that Donald Trump actually bragged about being able to make a lot of money from a housing market that was about to burst. He rooted for that bubble to burst. Well, the crash of the housing market devastated my hometown of Las Vegas, which was one of the hardest hit in the country. Thousands lost their homes, and 71 percent of homes were underwater, some by over 50 percent. Bank foreclosures put families on the street who had already lost their jobs and their savings. Slowly we are coming back, though. We have reformed lending policies, demanded accountability, and worked to ensure that families can keep a roof over their heads, but we remember how awful it was. So we say to Mr. Trump: Keep your short fingers out of the Nevada housing market.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I am here to discuss provisions in the underlying bill that relate to the State of Nevada--provisions that are identical to language in last year's bill to try and restart the failed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump just outside my Congressional District. First, with all due respect, let me correct my friend across the aisle. Yucca Mountain is not a defense repository. It is a commercial nuclear power plant repository. Let's be clear about that. Second, a recent Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement by the NRC confirmed what we in Nevada have known for decades: Yucca Mountain is not a secure repository that would seal dangerous waste safely for a million years. It is, instead, a proposal based on bad science and faulty assumptions. Specifically, the NRC confirmed that the site is not secure, that it will leak, and that radiation will travel for miles through underground water sources to farming communities in the Amargosa Valley on its way to Death Valley National Park. But before the radioactive material can leak out of the ground, it first has to be shipped, using untested procedures by truck and by rail through nearly every State and every Congressional District in the lower 48. These shipments will occur for decades, passing homes and schools, parks and hospitals, churches and farms. They will pass through the heart of my Congressional District, along the famed Las Vegas strip where 42 million people come every year to work and play. We need to stop the Yucca Mountain boondoggle once and for all, and turn, instead, to recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Nuclear Waste, including my legislation, the Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act. Congress must either accept this reality and work towards actual solutions, or we can continue this charade every appropriations season, whereby language to fund Yucca shows up in bills so politicians can continue to collect checks from the nuclear energy industry.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, today the House did do one good thing, and that was to take a major step forward with the historic passage of an amendment that removes the barriers for our Veterans Administration health professionals to discuss alternative treatments--specifically, medical marijuana--with their patients in States like Nevada, where it is legal. This comes on the heels of action last week addressing the opioid epidemic that is plaguing our Nation, and it is especially heartbreaking in our veteran community where these drugs are being overprescribed for pain treatment and PTSD. The amendment passed today, which I was pleased to offer and to support, will provide additional tools for our medical professionals in the treatment of our veterans so they won't have to resort to opioids. I am proud that this amendment did have bipartisan support; but moving forward, we must continue to reform our outdated policies and laws and bring Congress into step with the State legislatures in over half of the States in the country that have moved forward on this issue.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I was absent on May 12, 2016, and May 13, 2016. If I were present, I would have voted on the following: Thursday, May 12, 2016 Roll no. 186--H.R. 5046--On agreeing to the Lynch amendment: YEA. Roll no. 187--H.R. 5046--On passage: YEA. Roll no. 188--H.R. 1818--On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended: YEA. Roll no. 189--H.R. 4586--On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended: YEA. Friday, May 13, 2016 Roll no. 190--H. Res. 725--On ordering the previous question: NAY. Roll no. 191--H. Res. 725--On agreeing to the resolution: NAY. Roll no. 192--On approving the Journal: YEA. Roll no. 193--S. 524--On passage: YEA.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, the Las Vegas Review Journal, Nevada's largest newspaper, lost another standard bearer this week. John L. Smith, who resigned after citing difficulties with management, spent nearly three decades enlightening, emboldening, and entertaining the Las Vegas community. In his resignation letter, John L. Smith said that he learned to never punch down in his weight class, an approach that is rare in journalism today. He wrote: ``You don't hit little people. You defend them.'' Those principles, reflected in his columns that appeared four times a week, made him a beloved figure, a respected wordsmith, and a community leader. It is no surprise that during the week when he resigned, he received the Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism. It wasn't the first time his work had been recognized, and I am sure it will not be the last.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and memory of late State Senator Debbie Smith, who passed away on Sunday. Debbie was a fighter and a powerful advocate for improving Nevada's public schools. From her days with the State PTA to her work as a legislative leader, she served the community in countless ways for over 20 years, constantly advocating for Nevada to invest in what matters most: our children. After having a brain tumor removed early last year, she returned to the legislature to work on the front lines for major education reform. Cancer couldn't stop her from making sure that her vision came to fruition. In her last political battle, she was able to claim a victory that will long benefit Nevada's students. Debbie was a true friend and a real inspiration. She was a hero who never asked for recognition for herself. The angels are fortunate to now have her on their side.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon, the House passed H.R. 677, the American Heroes COLA Act, legislation I introduced with Dr. Abraham from Louisiana. This legislation will ensure that veterans receive automatic cost-of-living increases annually based on the consumer price index. Unlike with Social Security, Congress must act each year to provide veterans with the COLA increases they need and deserve. Now, by permanently adjusting benefits to include cost-of-living increases, we are providing critical peace of mind to those who have so heroically served our country. Furthermore, this legislation includes two provisions to address the VA appeals problem, which currently has 440,000 claims backlogged. The first, authored by Congressman O'Rourke, creates a fully developed appeals pilot program. The second I introduced with Chairman Miller to create a task force to examine the appeals process and make recommendations for improvements before the situation gets worse. H.R. 677 and some of the other bills that we passed today take important steps towards ensuring that our veterans are able to get the benefits they have earned and deserve.

Ms. TITUS

Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, human trafficking, which affects more than 21 million people worldwide, is an insidious crime that we must rout out wherever it exists. That is why today I am joining with my Republican colleague, Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, to introduce the Secure Our Skies Act, a bipartisan bill that will give our airline employees the tools that they need to combat human trafficking and close off the airways to perpetrators of this heinous crime. The Secure Our Skies, or SOS, Act ensures that all airlines develop training for their frontline employees on the best ways to recognize and report the often subtle signs of human trafficking. This legislation builds on the work of the Blue Lightning campaign, a voluntary program developed by the Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation with the assistance of the Association of Flight Attendants, who are real champions for this training. Sadly, reported cases of human trafficking are growing here at home and around the globe. We all have to play a role in stopping human trafficking, and this legislation will ensure our airline personnel can spot the signs and stop the crimes.