Norma Torres

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. There are laws on the books that stand in the way of true tribal self-determination and self-governance. One of those laws is Public Law 80-846, known commonly as the 1948 Act. The 1948 Act targeted only one tribe, the Sac and Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa, also known as the Meskwaki Nation, and gave the State of Iowa criminal jurisdiction over their tribal lands. In 1948, the Nation did not have a formal mechanism for law enforcement and was not in a financial position to create one. This was used as the rationale for the stripping of these jurisdictional rights. But this has not been the case for many years. The Tribe has a full- time police department as well as a fully functioning court system. The continued existence of the 1948 Act has resulted in an unfair system of crimes committed on Meskwaki land, whereby a Native-American defendant must face the possibility of two prosecutions, State and Tribal, but a non-Native defendant faces only State prosecution. That is why I join my colleagues in supporting H.R. 1074. By passing this bill and repealing the 1948 Act, we will remove the inequity it has created, and bring the Meskwaki Nation in line with how criminal jurisdiction issues are addressed on other Native lands. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the adoption of H.R. 1074, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 3279 would correct a problem in our Federal oil and gas leasing laws that makes it more difficult for companies to commercially produce helium from Federal lands. Helium is a critical element for high-tech research and modern medicine, and because of its unique properties, there are simply no substitutes. On the Natural Resources Committee, we have spent many years overseeing the Federal Helium Program, culminating in the bipartisan Helium Stewardship Act signed into law 4 years ago. While the Helium Stewardship Act improved the management and sale of Federal helium, it didn't do much to promote the development of new sources of helium, which are in high demand. By allowing companies to hold onto Federal oil and gas leases if they are producing commercial quantities of helium and only helium, then the problem that kept potentially valuable helium resources under lock and key is resolved. This is only one small step, but it is a very useful one. Mr. Speaker, I thank the sponsor of this legislation for introducing it. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3279, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on H.R. 1488, the Indiana Dunes National Park Act. This act seeks to rename the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore to the Indiana Dunes National Park, one of the over 400 units of the National Park System. Upon successful redesignation, the Indiana Dunes National Park would become the 60th national park, areas which are known for their variety of resources, for encompassing large land and water areas, and for providing protection of resources within their boundaries. Designated in 1966, Indiana Dunes protects over 15,000 acres, 50 miles of trails, and provides both summer and winter recreational activities for over 2 million visitors who trek to the lakeshore each year. When the lakeshore was admitted into the National Park System in 1966, it was through the hard work of President Kennedy in 1963-64 to create a compromise for the national lakeshore and a port to promote the industrial needs of the area. Sponsors of this bill, including our esteemed colleague Representative Visclosky, believe that renaming the lakeshore as the Indiana Dunes National Park will capture the spirit and intent of the first National Park Service Director Stephen Mather. Director Mather visited the area in 1916 and recommended the area be included as a national park within the newly designated National Park System. Sadly, the United States' entry into World War I precluded that addition. Now, 101 years later, this bill seeks to redesignate 15,000 acres of the Indiana Dunes National Park. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, it has been almost 1 month since the mass shooting in Las Vegas occurred; 58 dead, more than 500 injured, many from California--the deadliest shooting in our history. And here we are, 1 month later, and I am ashamed to say that this Congress has not taken a single action to prevent the next shooting. After the shooting, 64 Republicans signed a letter to ATF, asking ATF to regulate bump stocks. ATF just notified us that it could not act. It could not act. The ball is back in our court. Will those Members act now? Representative Cicilline has introduced a commonsense bill to ban bump stocks. If you signed the letter, you should cosponsor the bill. It is that simple. What are you waiting for? Mr. Speaker, there are some problems that we cannot solve, but this one is not one of those.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank the chairman and also Ranking Member Thompson and Ranking Member Vela and all of their committee staff for their great work and support of this very important legislation. We would not be here today without their commitment to keeping our ports safe. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, you can't turn on the television or visit your favorite website without seeing cyber threats dominating the news. All industries, including our own Federal agencies, have been targets, costing our economy dearly and exposing the personal information of hundreds of millions of employees. This is a growing problem that is not going away. Rather, these threats are becoming more common and more severe. From the interference in our elections to attacks on government workers, email hacks, and the theft of credit card information, cyber threats are everywhere, and it is time that we modernize the Federal Government's planning and response to these threats. In June, a Danish shipping company was infected with malware that affected 17 of its shipping container terminals worldwide. The virus spread to 2 million computers within a 2-hour period. As a result, the largest terminal at the Port of Los Angeles shut down for 4 days from the cyber attack. A recent study estimated the cost of a shutdown of the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach at $1 billion per day to the local economy. More than $1.3 trillion in cargo moves, annually, through our Nation's 360 commercial ports, and many of the goods that enter through the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach come to my district before being shipped to the rest of the country. With this much economic activity and the increased use of cyber technology to manage port operations ranging from communications and navigation to engineering, safety, and cargo, it is critical to protect our maritime cyber infrastructure. It is time that Congress modernize our Federal agencies. This is why I am proud to bring the Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act to the floor today. This legislation would improve information sharing and cooperation in addressing cybersecurity risks at our Nation's ports through several measures: setting standards for reporting, providing guidance to ports, bringing port representatives to the table for future planning, and modernizing how the Coast Guard addresses cyber threats. Mr. Speaker, these are commonsense measures. This bill has bipartisan support. The Strengthening Cybersecurity Information Sharing and Coordination in Our Ports Act passed the House unanimously last year, and I am confident that passage today will push the Senate into action. This legislation is supported by the Port of Los Angeles, Congressional PORTS Caucus chairs, and it is endorsed by the Maritime & Port Security Information Sharing and Analysis Organization. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation because we simply can't afford not to. Ports are too critical to our economy and our Nation.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, this is a country that was built on dreams. Our country was founded to protect not just the right to life and liberty but also to pursuit of happiness. Sadly, the dreams of the thousands of young DREAMers who were brought here as children have been put on hold by President Trump's decision to end the DACA program and Congress' inaction to pass the Dream Act. These young DREAMers have created a life for themselves here in the U.S., and many know no other home other than the U.S. Today, I want to tell you about one special DREAMer from my district. Jose is an extremely intelligent young man. He works 6 days a week and still finds time to volunteer in his community. His parents, unfortunately, did not tell him that he was undocumented, in an effort to protect him. He didn't find out about his status until it was time to apply for college. He was extremely upset, but he didn't give up. His dream is to go to college and study business. He has so much to contribute to our country. These young people have become part of the American quilt, a quilt that reflects the diversity of our history, our culture, and heritage of this great country. We can't just throw them and toss them out of our Nation.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand with the DREAMers, and I urge the passage of H.R. 3440, the Dream Act of 2017. I know what it is like to leave your country of birth as a child through no choice of your own, and I know that those kids have grown up to become just as American as each and every one of us here. Despite what their immigration status might say, this is their country; this is their home. We cannot stand by and allow their lives and well-being to be put in jeopardy. The country is on their side. Don't let petty politics get in the way of good policy. The DREAMers are courageous young men and women who came forward to register in the DACA program, and now they are more vulnerable than ever. Mr. Speaker, I urge every one of my colleagues to support H.R. 3440. The clock is ticking. We must act to protect the DREAMers.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a long-time resident of my district, Dorothy Shelton, as she celebrates 100 years of love, life and dedicated service to her community. On Thursday, October 5th, 2017, Pomona resident Dorothy Shelton will celebrate her 100th birthday. Ms Shelton has resided in my home district for the last 13 years where she lives with her daughter Sonya Muhammad We are lucky to have someone like Ms. Shelton in California's 35th district. Ms. Shelton was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, where in 1942 she began what would begin a lifelong career in public service by working for the Internal Revenue Service. During her time there, she worked in the Special Procedures section of the Collection Department. Ms. Shelton oversaw liens, levies, and the acquisition of personal property. After 24 years of dedicated service in the IRS, Ms. Shelton went on to perform the same level of service for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms in 1966. Once there, she worked with a team of investigators who confiscated illegal firearms and enforced federal laws regarding the illegal possession and sales of alcohol and tobacco. Mr. Speaker, Dorothy's dedication extends far beyond her government service. Ms Shelton has always been a community advocate and has belonged to numerous community organizations and social service agencies. She once supervised a housing program funded by the City of Chicago, where she helped secure housing for low-income families in the region. Ms. Shelton was also the first African American president for the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 94, from 1966 to her retirement in 1981. She retired with 38 years of service to the government. She is loved by her daughter, two grandsons and their wives, and six great- grandchildren. Dorothy Shelton is indeed Pomona's national treasure. For her endless dedication to her family and her community, and for being an example of love and kindness, I would like to recognize Ms. Shelton for such a monumental feat, and wish her a very Happy Birthday on the House floor today.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Serrano), the ranking member of the subcommittee.

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. Mr. Chairman, this is a $5 million investment for manufacturers in the U.S., and I strongly ask for the support of my colleagues in passing this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer my amendment to this appropriations bill. Mr. Chairman, since I have been in Congress, I have been working with manufacturers in my congressional district to ensure that we are doing all we can in Congress to support them in creating good-paying, high- skilled jobs right here at home. Last month, I took a ``Made in the 35th'' tour and traveled across my district, meeting with manufacturers who are creating jobs here in the U.S. They told me about how they are competing with importers from Asia and an unfair playing field created by how our trading partners support their manufacturers. I continued my tour to the Port of Los Angeles, where it became clearer where this unfair playing field has left us. Ships from Asia come in full and leave empty. Mr. Chairman, the ships that leave Los Angeles should be full of American-made goods. This is the goal of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, or MEP: supporting American businesses through expanding markets and supporting innovation. Two of the nine MEP success stories in California have happened in my congressional district. Insulfoam in Chino used the MEP to increase production by 20 percent, while reducing their energy costs by more than 5 percent. Diamond Wipes, a very impressive company that I visited on my Made in the 35th tour, used the MEP to expand their wet wipes business to markets around the world. A small investment in MEP meant real wins and expansions for these real American businesses. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is common sense. For every dollar of MEP investment, we can generate nearly $20 million in new sales growth and $20 in new client investment. That is a $100 million return on my amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment because that investment could end up in one of our communities. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the congresswoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty).

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer my amendment to this appropriations bill. This amendment would strengthen the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala, CICIG, and the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras. Specifically, it would exempt both institutions from the conditions that Congress has placed on U.S. assistance to Central America. I am strongly supportive of conditions on aid to Central America, but the conditions must not interfere with the work of CICIG and MACCIH, which have been valuable allies in the fight against corruption and have helped the people of Honduras and Guatemala work toward a more secure and prosperous future. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer my amendment to Division E of the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act. Immigrant families in my district and across this country are terrified. They are afraid because of the things that President Trump has said and because of the policies that he has proposed. President Trump has been clear about who he thinks immigrants are. He thinks immigrants are lazy. He thinks immigrants are unskilled. He thinks immigrants are dangerous criminals. Just yesterday, he ended the DACA program, crushing the dreams of 800,000 talented and courageous young Americans. He has promised to triple the number of ICE agents to build a deportation force to go into immigrant communities. Under President Obama, ICE was told to focus on detaining and deporting dangerous criminals. But President Trump has told ICE they should go after whomever they can find. Now, every immigrant without papers is a target, young and old. This is why immigrants are so afraid. Democrats in Congress have been united in standing up against President Trump in his war on American immigrants. We have blocked money for the wall and for his deportation force. But we also need to put some healthy constraints on President Trump's Department of Homeland Security. My amendment will strike section 209 of Division E, which grants the Secretary of Homeland Security authority to reprogram or transfer funds for the purpose of detaining immigrants prioritized for removal. President Trump has made his intentions very clear. He wants to deport every one of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in this country no matter what those consequences may be. With this bill as it is currently written, there is almost no limit how far he can go. Congress must stand up and make clear where we stand. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer my amendment to this appropriations bill. Section 235(b) of the INA requires that any individual who arrives at a U.S. port of entry and asks to apply for asylum must be granted an interview with an asylum officer. That is the law. It does not say our borders are open, but it does say that we do not turn away asylum seekers at our borders. However, in recent months, NGOs have documented many cases where Customs and Border Protection officials have turned away asylum seekers at ports of entry. These actions are clearly prohibited by section 235(b). My amendment would simply prevent any use of funds to violate section 235(b). Our taxpayer dollars should not be used to break the law.

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

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the gentleman's concern for public safety. The reality is that this administration has kept Congress in the dark about immigration policy.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect DREAMers like my former intern, Luis, who came to this country when he was 6 years old.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer two amendments in this en bloc package to this appropriations bill. These two amendments will finally provide the authorized funding levels of $12 million for the regional infrastructure accelerator demonstration program, section 1441 of the FAST Act; and $10 million for the transit-oriented development pilot program, section 1036 of the FAST Act. This funding will finally allow these two important programs to move forward, improving infrastructure projects and transportation options in my district in the Inland Empire and throughout our country. I appreciate the chairman's and the ranking member's support.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a long-time resident of my district, Mrs. Helen Liu, as she celebrates her 100th birthday surrounded by family and friends. Mrs. Liu spends her days embodying the qualities of kindness, generosity, and selflessness, all of which have been gained after many years spent as a mother and a woman of faith. She was born August 19, 1917 in a small village outside the city of Tangshan, China. The youngest of six children--three older brothers and two older sisters-- Helen found a passion in pursuing higher education in an environment that discouraged it. After completing her exams at Shen Hung Girl's High School, Helen was accepted to two prestigious universities: Yanjing University in Beijing and Nankai University in Tianjin. In order to remain close to her family, Helen attended school in Tianjin. It was here where she later met and married her husband, Yung Kwei Lui, on April 7, 1941. Helen and her husband raised a beautiful family of four, two sons and two daughter, one of which she currently spends her days with in the City of Montclair. In her spare time, Helen teaches bible study and the lessons she has learned throughout her long, but fulfilling life. Many of these lessons are well documented in her autobiography. When asked her opinion of such a monumental celebration, Helen said she finds it difficult to believe that she has lived to see 100 years. She only hopes to see many more. For her endless dedication to her family and her community, and for being an example of love and kindness, I would like to recognize Mrs. Helen Liu, proud American citizen, and wish her a very Happy Birthday.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Madam Speaker, I rise to express my disappointment that Republican leadership has added something as controversial as funding for the border wall to a critical bill funding our Nation's defense. There is a reason those who live on the border and know the region best don't want this wall. They know this wall won't keep us safe, and they know it won't stop illegal immigration. Instead of wasting $1.6 billion in taxpayer dollars on a piece of security theater, DHS should focus its limited resources on its declared mission, which is ``to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.'' This wall does none of that. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stop playing politics with our security and bring a clean bill to the floor.

Mrs. TORRES

Mrs. TORRES. Mr. Chairman, I want to begin by thanking also my friend, Representative Pearce from New Mexico, for offering this amendment with me. Mr. Chair, during our committee work on portions of this bill, I raised this issue and offered a similar amendment. So I appreciate Representative Pearce for working with me to improve the bill for Indian Country. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment because it will provide some limited, though not complete, legal protection for Indian Tribes and their water rights. That said, I continue to have grave concerns with the underlying bill and the impact it will have on Indian Country. Even if this amendment is adopted, the underlying bill will cause significant harm to Indian Country. For example, in title 4 of this bill, it blocks emergency water releases that prevent disease outbreaks for Tribal fisheries in California's Klamath River. The provision will significantly increase the risk of widespread fish kills and lead to tragic losses for Tribal communities. While this amendment doesn't mitigate all of the negative impacts of this bill, it will improve the bill somewhat by including an additional legal protection for Tribal rights that will preserve past, pending, or future Tribal water rights settlements. Mr. Chair, I urge support for this amendment.