Norma Torres

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my statement.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I will put it in different terms. It is tiring to be here on this floor or in committee as a woman and to continue to be counseled about what types of affordable planning, whether it is family planning, conversations that rightfully I deserve to have with my own doctor. Choosing when women want to have a family and to avoid pregnancies before they become pregnancies, it is unfortunate that that is something that continues to be denied to American women day in and day out on this floor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, contraception for women is not something that should be debated here. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Roybal- Allard) for a unanimous consent request. (Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I will not. I will not yield for that purpose, and all time yielded is for the purpose of debate and debate only.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I will not yield.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to remind my colleagues why we are here today. We are considering a bill that provides $7.97 billion in humanitarian assistance, a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops, $1.9 billion for the Job Corps, $41.1 billion for mental health, for Alzheimer's research, HIV/AIDS, cancer research, and others. I agree that we need to address the humanitarian situation at the border, and Democrats have been saying this for a very long time. We said so when crying toddlers were being torn apart from their mother's arms. We said so when children were being put in cages. We said so when children were being drugged. We said so when children were being sexually abused. I visited those facilities. I saw the tragedy with my own eyes. HHS needs an influx of funds, and we cannot wait until this bill is enacted. In the coming weeks, we will consider the administration's request for a supplemental appropriations bill. That supplemental, not the fiscal year 2020 appropriations bill, is the appropriate place to deal with this year's ORR funding. That is not just because we can't wait for the annual appropriations process to be completed; it is also because we have concerns about how ORR is managing some of those shelters. With all the abuses that have come to light, I know that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle agree with us that we need to have more oversight, additional oversight over these facilities. Most importantly, this amendment increases and decreases the same account. It is not an actual effect. The children deserve more than a messaging amendment. They deserve better than that. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire if the gentleman has any remaining speakers.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, while we may not agree on everything, I do want to thank my colleague from Georgia for his participation in this process. I hope we can agree that getting back to regular order is the right thing to do, not for Democrats and not for Republicans, but for the American people. Congress cannot write a blank check and allow children on our southern border to continue to be abused while they are in our custody. We need transparency, we need accountability. Members of Congress need to be able to go and inspect these facilities without being denied entry. On the issue of participation among Members of Congress through this process of appropriations, I want to state once again that ideas are absolutely welcome. However, the Appropriations Committee chairwoman cannot order Members to participate in the process. We can set up meetings and we can invite them to come and participate, and many did. They presented their ideas, they presented their requests for funding for their districts, and, guess what, 95 percent of those requests were agreed upon through a process of mitigating. Now, if I was writing this appropriations bill myself, it would look very different. If my colleague from Georgia was writing this appropriations bill himself, it would look very different. He and I both know that. But our commitment is not to our personal agendas. Our commitment is to the rule of law, is to democracy, and is to the American people, our constituents, who sent us here to represent them. The underlying legislation is a strong bill that is the result of good, hard work by Members of both sides of the aisle. It is about time that the House of Representatives got back to doing the business of the people in a timely manner. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the previous question.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Chief Karen Comstock of the Chino Police Department. After almost 35 years of public service and dedication to the Chino community, she is finally retiring and will be sorely missed. Chief Comstock honorably rose through the ranks of the Chino Police Department. Beginning her career in 1985, she served as a cadet and reserve officer for five years before being brought on as an official police officer. Comstock held many other positions including field training officer, patrol supervisor, and detective bureau supervisor, as well as serving at the Criminal Investigations Bureau as a detective and as a member of the Crisis Negotiations Team. In recognition of her excellent leadership, Comstock was promoted to Chief in 2014. She served as Chino Police Department's first female police chief and is now retiring as one of only 22 female police chiefs in California. Chief Comstock not only established standards of excellence, but also carved out new pathways for future female leaders in the Chino Police Department. Chief Comstock was not only a leader within the Chino Police Department, but also served a mentor in the community, committing more than 14 years to Chino Police Department's Explorer Program to assist young adults with entering law enforcement careers. She has left a lasting mark on the Chino Police Department. As a lifelong citizen of Chino, she has demonstrated bravery, dedication and loyalty to her hometown and profession--earning her the esteem of the men and women of the Chino Police Department and the community at large. For her remarkable accomplishments, it is my honor to recognize Chief Karen Comstock on the House floor today. Her decades of commitment and contributions to the City of Chino are worthy of admiration.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I rise also in strong support of H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act. I recently met with a young Dreamer from my district who asked me a simple question: Have you ever thought about doing something to change someone else's life? Passing the American Dream and Promise Act is that moment in history. This is a historic day for the millions of hardworking young people who, like me, were brought to the U.S. as children. And not just me, but many other members of the new American caucus who are serving in Congress today. They built lives here. They own businesses, homes, and cars. Many have U.S. citizen children. They are not a national security concern. These are our neighbors and our friends who have done everything that they could possibly do to be on the right side of the law and on the right side of our communities. Immigrants make America great. I urge passage.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, while on a fact-finding mission to South America to conduct oversight of U.S. assistance and assess the situation at the Venezuelan border, I was unavoidably detained. As a result, I missed roll call votes No. 170 and No. 171. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 170, and YEA on Roll Call No. 171.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, while on a fact-finding mission to South America to conduct oversight of U.S. assistance and assess the situation at the Venezuelan border, I encountered unforeseen problems leaving the country. As a result, I missed roll call votes No. 171 and No. 172. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 171, and YEA on Roll Call No. 172.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act. My grandsons' generation will remember President Trump's decision to leave the Paris Agreement as the day that he condemned them to a world of manmade devastation. Today, we have a chance to change that. Which side do we want to be on, the side of future generations or the side of those who would profit at their expense? H.R. 9 mandates that the United States Government honor the commitments we made in the Paris Agreement. We also need to protect the rights of cities and States to go above and beyond to meet the unique strains climate change puts on their regions. For example, California has committed to source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2045. This is necessary, considering the toll climate change has taken on California, including historic droughts, deadly fires, and terrible flooding. Despite this, President Trump has tried to make it harder for California to regulate its own greenhouse emissions. I have offered an amendment to H.R. 9 that would stop President Trump from using the plan mandated in this act to limit cities and States like California from taking more ambitious action to reduce greenhouse emissions. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Gomez).

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rouda).

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Chair, if we don't take an aggressive step to deal with this problem, our grandchildren and their grandchildren will pay the price. A United States Government report found that our economy will lose over $1 trillion dollars by the end of this century due to climate change. Clean energy is an investment, not only for our communities, but for future generations. California has over 500,000 jobs created within the clean energy sector. That is about 10 times the number of coal jobs nationwide. This amendment ensures that California's progress and commitment will not be sabotaged. I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor) for offering this critical legislation. Mr. Chair, I urge passage of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor my constituent, Deputy Chief Hector Rodriguez of the Pomona Police Department. After almost 30 years of dedicated public service to the people and communities of the City of Pomona, Deputy Chief Rodriguez is finally retiring and will be sorely missed. Before officially working for the department, Rodriguez formed part of the Pomona Police Explorer program in 1982. His remarkable career with Pomona Police Department began on January 2, 1990 as a Patrol Officer. Four years later, Rodriguez was promoted to the rank of Police Investigator to the Gang Unit and the Homicide Unit. Then, in 2005, he was promoted to Sergeant. During his time in law enforcement, Rodriguez joined the Neighborhood Enforcement Team and LA Impact Task Force. These teams focused on quality of life issues. LA Impact specifically focused on uniting federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County to investigate major crimes and the dismantling of major drug trafficking organizations. Additionally, Rodriguez served on the Pomona Police Department's SWAT Team for 18 years. In recognition of his excellent service, Rodriguez was promoted to Lieutenant as he returned to the Investigative Services Division. Then, he was Captain for the Operations Division. Two years later, Rodriguez became the Deputy Police Chief, which he served as for the rest of his distinguished career. His admirable character and confident approach left an indelible mark at the Pomona Police Department. His dedication to the profession, the community, the Department and the City of Pomona is highly commendable and has earned him the esteem of the men and women of the Pomona Police Department. For his remarkable accomplishments, it is my honor to recognize Deputy Chief Hector Rodriguez. His decades of commitment and contributions to the City of Pomona are worthy of commending and admiration.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment to H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019. Madam Chair, rape is a crisis in this country. In the United States, one in five women will be raped in their lifetime--one in five. Men can be rape victims, too. As a matter of fact, 1 in 71 men will be raped. The LGBTQ community suffers from even higher rates of sexual violence and rape. Forty-six percent of bisexual women have been raped, and 47 percent of transgender individuals have been assaulted at some point in their lives. These statistics are more severe for people of color in the LGBTQ community. What is worse is that many LGBTQ victims are denied services simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Whether we know it or not, everyone in this room knows a rape survivor. Maybe she or he is the barista who makes your morning coffee. Maybe she or he is a security officer who smiles at you on your way to work. Maybe he or she is your coworker, your sibling, your partner, or your child. Many people don't realize that they know a rape survivor. Too often, rape isn't reported because victims fear the consequences. Often survivors fear that no one will believe them or that they will be blamed or stigmatized. In the #MeToo era, the pervasiveness of sexual assault has come to the forefront. However, the public is still grappling with our understanding of rape, the myth versus reality. Many people still think that rape is only an act committed by a stranger in a dark alley. Instances like this do happen. In 2016, Brock Turner raped an unconscious young woman behind a dumpster. His punishment? Three months in jail. This sentencing alone reflects the failure to understand rape and a tendency to blame the victim. Our comprehension of rape has changed dramatically in the past decade. Instances of rape being perpetrated by strangers do happen, but eight out of ten rape survivors knew their rapist. The majority of female survivors were raped by an intimate partner. While there is plenty of data on VAWA grants administered by the Office of Violence Against Women, an analysis by the Congressional Research Service found that there is insufficient information on RPE formula grants run by the CDC. To prevent rape and create innovative trauma-informed policies and programs, we need to improve our understanding of which initiatives are effective. My amendment will bridge this information gap and help better inform our rape prevention efforts. My amendment requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide a report to Congress on the activity of grant awardees funded through the Rape Prevention and Education Grant Program as well as on emerging and best practices relating to rape prevention and education. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Chair, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass), the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), and Chairman Nadler for introducing H.R. 1585, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2019, and I urge its swift passage. Lastly, Madam Chair, I would ask that this amendment be made in order, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 252 and ask for its immediate consideration.