Norma Torres

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, the joint select committee held five hearings. Enough with the talk. These hardworking American retirees are demanding action. They want Congress to act. We are here because of failed IRS regulations in the eighties and nineties that deterred employers from increasing contributions in times of surplus. We are here because when a contributing employer went bankrupt, the remaining employers got saddled with the unfunded liabilities. Most importantly, we are not here because of the millions of Americans participating in these plans. They did nothing wrong. I want to point to one plan in Wisconsin's First District. There are 3,285 retirees. And, to them, I want to repeat and say: Democrats in Congress have your back. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, at the core, how we choose to vote on these bills reflects our values. This morning, I read a report that a school district in Pennsylvania tried to create a family separation program in order to collect school lunch debts. Imagine that. Family separation because children are too poor to pay for their lunch. This maltreatment at our southern border is spreading across our Nation, dehumanizing people because they are poor. This is how we want to treat the weakest among us? Will we lock children in cages and allow babies to sit in dirty diapers for days, give asylees toothbrushes but no toothpaste, and deny children regular showers and proper medical care? Will we turn a blind eye when children are dying at the hands of the CBP officers? Will we watch as retirees are forced to choose between paying for rent, paying for groceries, or paying for their medication? Will we stand by and watch as our neighbors, our parents are forced to stretch their medication because they are being denied the pension that they were promised, that they worked for? We are a country where migrants and asylees can come for a better life. We are a nation where you can work hard and retire with the peace of mind that you have earned your keep. Democrats are fighting to protect the promise of the American Dream for everyone. Mr. Speaker, I can only speak for myself when I say this, but I refuse to be a party to breaking that promise, because it means that much to me. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and to pass these critical pieces of legislation.

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. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Robert B. Elwell, Jr. of the City of Pomona, and his tireless dedication to serving the Inland Empire community. Robert Elwell graduated from the Crafton Hills College Paramedic Program and proceeded to work as a paramedic for a local ambulance company. He was then hired by the Ontario Fire Department in October 1985, where he worked for over 34 years in a variety of assignments including Fire Captain and Battalion Chief. In this role, he also helped develop the department's active shooter response program and assisted several Southern California cities with creating similar programs. Former Chief Elwell graduated from several fire service state and federal programs and was both a state certified Fire Officer and Chief Officer. He also served on a number of fire service committees and advisory boards that focused on leadership, mentoring and, training. In April 2016, he was promoted to Fire Chief, a position he held until his retirement in December 2018. Chief Elwell was a dedicated husband, loyal friend, and patriotic public servant. He enjoyed RV'ing with his wife Anne, off-roading, recreational shooting, and spending time with his close friends. He will be fondly remembered by his loved ones, friends, colleagues, and extended fire family. For his remarkable accomplishments, it is my honor to recognize Chief Robert B. Elwell, Jr. today. His decades of commitment and contributions to the city he loved are worthy of admiration, and his memory will live on through the countless lives he has impacted. May he rest in peace.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, on July 12, 2019, my vote for Roll Call 462, Turner of Ohio Part B Amendment No. 386, was recorded incorrectly. I intended to vote NO on Roll Call No. 462, but I was recorded as voting AYE.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Chair, for 17\1/2\ years, I worked as a 911 dispatcher. My average day consisted of handling incidents, such as coordinating police vehicle and foot pursuits, talking to suicide callers, negotiating with barricaded suspects, and talking to their victims. One call that has stayed with me and threw me into a political world that I never wanted to be a part of, I answered a call from a little girl who was murdered at the hands of her uncle. I was her only witness. I heard her scream. I heard her head being bashed against the wall. I heard the five shots that ultimately took her life. Her last words: ``Uncle, please don't kill me. It's not my fault.'' This work requires a lot of training and tough attitude to deal with critical emergencies. Unfortunately, the Federal Government currently classifies 911 dispatchers as clerical workers--secretaries. My amendment would finally recognize the critical work they do by reclassifying them as protective service occupations. This provision costs nothing, zero, but it would bring 911 professionals, civilian workers--primarily single moms--the dignity that they deserve. Mr. Chairman, I urge its passage.

Mrs. TORRES of California

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

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, my amendment would maintain congressional oversight over certain weapons sales and ensure that dangerous weapons do not end up in the wrong hands. Whatever our views on firearm policy may be, we should all be able to agree that putting more firearms in the wrong hands would make the world a lot more dangerous. Since the passage of the Arms Export Control Act in 1976, the State Department has overseen licensing authority for exporting deadly weapons, supported by congressional oversight authority. Under Republican Presidents and Democratic Presidents alike, this has been the system in place, so the experts who spend their lives monitoring hotspots around the world can put U.S. national security interests first, and not profits for weapons manufacturers. That is why many Members have expressed concern about the Trump administration's plan to change our firearm export licensing system. Under the administration's plan, firearms and other items in categories 1, 2, and 3 of the United States Munitions List would move from the Commerce Control List. That may sound like a technical change, but it would have real world consequences. Congress would lose oversight over sales, preventing this body from objecting to sales that could harm national security or lead to human rights violations. We would also be taking licensing authority for exporting deadly weapons away from the State Department and giving it to the Commerce Department, without any clear evidence that Commerce has the expertise or capacity to handle this new responsibility. This amendment would stop that plan from going forward. To be clear, this amendment would not prevent the export of firearms. This amendment would not create any new restrictions on firearms exports. This amendment would simply keep the status quo in place so we can focus our efforts on strengthening the current system. When it comes to keeping firearms out of the hands of terrorists and drug cartels, we should err on the side of caution. That is what this amendment does. Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Chair, it is true that parts and components for military equipment have been moved to the CCL. However, none of the items previously transferred from the USML to the CCL were complete weapons that would allow a soldier to aim and fire on a target. The Obama administration did not move, or even propose to move, firearms and ammunition. They saw what happened at Newtown and knew that we needed to be cautious about these weapons. If the administration's proposal goes through, it would be the first time that the Commerce Department was put in charge of licensing for lethal weapons designed to kill people. This is not business as usual. Voting ``yes'' on this amendment will prevent this administration from going beyond what the Obama administration chose to do by ensuring that exports of firearms and ammunition remain under the jurisdiction of the State Department, with congressional oversight. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Chair, no one here is arguing against firearm exports, and no one here is trying to place new restrictions on manufacturers. What we are asking is to keep the system we have so that Congress can continue to do its job and make sure that deadly weapons don't end up in the wrong hands. Madam Chair, I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the rule. Yes, indeed, we have a responsibility to act. As Speaker Pelosi has said, we must do this for the sake of the children, and I thank her for not capitulating to the Senate demands for a blank check. When I reflect on the number of deaths that we have seen at the border, when I reflect on the horrific conditions in facilities where children are being held in ice-cold cells with no one to care for them but a child stranger--conditions in these facilities are horrific--I ask myself: Is this the America that I came to as a young child? Is this the America that my son swore to protect when he joined the U.S. Air Force? This surely isn't the country that welcomed me as a young child from Guatemala. But we must work toward that American ideal that we all share. We cannot simply allocate funds to agencies where we have seen numerous children die in their custody. No blank checks. No more torturing of babies. No more separating infants from their mothers. This legislation brings funds to the children that are urgently needed.

Mrs. TORRES of California. It brings more transparency to CBP and ICE and HHS, and it contains important provisions to protect children. It ensures that the emergency funding that Congress provides is spent on what it is intended for and not the President's deportation force. So I look forward to supporting this rule, and I urge all of my colleagues to join me in doing so.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Quigley and Ranking Member Graves for their hard work on the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill. This legislation prioritizes public safety and invests in underserved communities like the ones that I represent. I am especially grateful to the chairman for increasing funding to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program at its highest possible level. Drug trafficking is a major challenge for my district. It brings violence and crime to our streets. It is flooding our communities and schools with harmful, illegal drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and opioids. Our local law enforcement is the first line of defense. They understand what is going on in our neighborhoods, in our schools, and in our families. What I appreciate so much about HIDTA is that it creates a real partnership, a partnership between local law enforcement, State agencies, and Federal enforcement agencies. It provides them with important resources to bring to the fight against illegal drugs. It also supports prevention and education campaigns to ensure that our children do not suffer from addiction and deadly overdoses. On the subject of public safety, I am encouraged that this bill prevents the administration from raiding funds from the Treasury Department's asset forfeiture funds. These are funds that our local police departments can use to purchase better equipment and keep our communities safe. Another way to strengthen public safety is by financially investing in our local communities. I am pleased that the bill rejects President Trump's proposal to cut funding for community development financial institutions by 94 percent. Mr. Chairman, I look forward to the swift passage of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill.

Mrs. TORRES of California

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 436 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Woodall), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, the Rules Committee met and reported the rule, House Resolution 436, providing for consideration of H.R. 2740, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2020. The rule provides for further consideration of H.R. 2740 under a structured rule and makes in order 115 amendments. The rule provides no further general debate. The chair of the Appropriations Committee may also offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments made in order by the rule and not earlier disposed of. Finally, the rule includes one motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, it was only a few months ago that we were standing here voting to end the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States, a shutdown that hurt so many of our constituents, constituents like David Pesko, an FAA air traffic controller at Ontario Airport. He was in escrow to purchase a home, and, without a paycheck coming in, he had to rely on his family and friends' generosity in order to make ends meet. We owe David and the American people much more, and that is why I am especially proud of the timely introduction of these appropriations bills. It exemplifies the hard work of my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee and this majority's commitment to good governance. Mr. Speaker, in years past, we have relied strongly on omnibus spending bills to fund the government. But now, with the hard work done by Members on both sides of the aisle, this majority is leading us in a return to regular order. As has often been said on this very floor, the primary job of Congress is to fund the American government and keep it open and operating. Our constituents deserve no less. With this package under consideration today, the House will do just that with respect to 4 of the 12 spending bills. In passing this bill, we will provide crucial funding for services across broad areas of the government and fulfill our promises to the American people. That funding includes historic investments in programs that provide opportunities for millions of people, including my constituents in the Inland Empire. Perhaps more important than what is included in this bill is what is not included. This minibus rejects the President's draconian budget cuts that would have hurt every American, but especially women and children. Instead, we have won increased funding for a number of important priorities. This bill boosts biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health, expands opioid abuse treatment and prevention programs, and launches new initiatives for maternal and child health. I recently visited three health clinics in my district that provide 30,000 families with lifesaving care. This bill provides $400 million for the Title X Family Planning Program so that everyone in the Inland Empire and across America can continue to have access to cancer screenings, STI tests, reproductive care, and other lifesaving services. It also protects against the administration's policies that prevent a woman from making choices about her future, like when to have a child. When women do decide to become mothers, this bill supports them by investing in working families and our children with $7.8 billion for the Childcare and Development Block Grant program. Passing this bill will demonstrate our commitment to the ideal that all students deserve a quality, safe, and affordable education, and that commitment is realized in over $24 billion in funding for Federal Student Aid programs, almost $2 billion more than the President's insufficient request. Just as important is this bill's acknowledgement of how far we have to go in helping underserved communities, the bill provides $917 million to assist minority-serving institutions, including $150 million for Hispanic-serving institutions like Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State San Bernardino, and UC Riverside, which prepare thousands of students in my district to be tomorrow's leaders. Mr. Speaker, I am also happy to report that this legislation provides the funding necessary for a 3.1 percent pay raise for our servicemembers, who continue to serve our Nation around the world. As the mother of an Air Force veteran, it is wonderful news to hear that our servicemembers are being acknowledged for the hard work that they do keeping our Nation safe, at home and abroad. In addition to paying our servicemembers more, this bill will protect our men and women in uniform from one of the most common harms that they encounter: sexual assault. The $38 million in additional funding for DOD'S sexual assault prevention and response programs will ensure that survivors have representation while navigating the complicated military justice process, that they will not have to wait years for a resolution--years, Mr. Speaker--as one of my constituents had to do. This bill not only invests in our priorities at home; it advances our priorities abroad. I am particularly pleased with increased investments in certain areas, including global reproductive health and aid to Central American countries. This bill empowers countless women who are the backbone of their families around the world by increasing funding for family planning programs, reversing the President's disastrous global gag rule, and contributing $55.5 million to the United Nations Population Fund. Robust funding is included for counter-narcotics and law enforcement efforts in Colombia, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. This bill also ensures that the funding provided goes to the right people--the right people, Mr. Speaker--instead of the corrupt officials that undermine democracy and misuse U.S. aid. This is especially important given the recent report regarding corruption in the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala and Honduras. And, finally, the last part of this bill that I would like to highlight is what we are doing to invest in our energy and water infrastructure. The bill rejects the President's shortsighted proposed cuts to key energy and water programs and, instead, invests $46.6 billion to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, build the next generation of clean energy technologies, and combat the urgent threat that is climate change. This is a good bill. This is a bill that should be signed into law, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this rule so that we can get back to regular order and avoid another costly shutdown. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would like to remind my colleague that I also serve on the Appropriations Committee, and we had a very open and transparent process. Every subcommittee invited all Members to come before us to present their ideas or their requests to the subcommittees of the Appropriations Committee. We have also supported 95 percent of the written requests from all Members. So to say that it was not transparent and that Members did not have an opportunity to come before and present their ideas is incorrect. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel).

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, it is tiring to hear from so many * * * males on this floor talk about a woman's right to choose.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, if it pleases my colleague on the other side, I will withdraw my statement about sex-starved males on the floor.

Mrs. TORRES of California. Mr. Speaker, I will agree to withdraw my statement regarding----