Frank Wolf

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chair, I strongly support the gentleman's amendment, and I appreciate him offering it. Have you seen how difficult it is to get sanctions in Syria from Putin? sanctions against the Sudanese with regard to the genocide from China? The gentleman is right. I accept the amendment and urge all Members to accept the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment. Consumer and financial fraud are major crimes in the country, and fraud investigations are a matter of high priority for the FBI. I just think this issue ought to be addressed by the committee of jurisdiction. In this case, the Judiciary Committee, also the Financial Services Committee. We do hear stories of, outside of military bases, veterans being exploited. I am just concerned about what it actually means, and I think it ought to be looked at by the committee of jurisdiction and not by the Appropriations Committee at 11:15 at night. So for that reason I oppose the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I move the Committee do now rise and report the bill back to the House with sundry amendments, with the recommendation that the amendments be agreed to and that the bill, as amended, do pass.

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ms. Ros-Lehtinen for bringing the bill up. I want to thank my partner, Congressman Smith, and I want to thank the Democratic leader, Congresswoman Pelosi, for being there at every time, including the time you stood up to the Chinese Government at Tiananmen Square, when you were almost arrested. So I want to thank the Democratic leader for her help and support every time an issue of human rights in China has come up. Thank you very much. Twenty-five years ago, peaceful pro-democracy demonstrators, many of them students, most of them students, gathered in Tiananmen in a move for greater openness, transparency, and the rule of law. But what could have marked the beginning of a peaceful, political transition in China was brutally, brutally crushed by the People's Liberation Army. A historic moment of opportunity was, quite frankly, lost. By nearly every measure, China is today as intolerant of dissent as it has ever been. Just read today's New York Times where they talk about how they are cracking down, telling people: Do not go to Tiananmen. Like authoritarian governments before it, the Chinese Government remains deeply frightened. They are frightened. They are literally afraid of their own people. They are afraid of the spirit that animated that protest, namely, the yearning for basic human rights and fundamental freedoms. I first went to China in 1991 with my good friend Congressman Chris Smith of New Jersey. It was during this trip we visited Beijing prison number 1. Chinese authorities informed us--and we saw them--that approximately 40 Tiananmen Square protestors were in the prison. Our request was to see the demonstrators. They were denied, but Chinese authorities gave us a tour of the prison's textile and plastic shoe factories. We saw them making socks. These are the socks that they were making. The fact is there are golfers on the side, and in those days they didn't play golf. Tiananmen Square demonstrators were making socks for Americans to wear as they play golf. I took with me some of the socks that prisoners were making because they were coming to our country. That experience captures, in stark terms, the failure of U.S. foreign policy--the failure of U.S. foreign policy toward China over successive demonstrations, both Republican and Democrat alike. The United States has too often pursued a relationship that is fundamentally inconsistent with the most basic national values, marked by trade and unfettered market access at the expense of human rights, religious freedom, and the rule of law. President Reagan said that the words in the Constitution and the words in the Declaration of Independence were a covenant not only with the people in Philadelphia in 1776 and 1787, but with the people of Tiananmen and the people who want freedom all over the world. May this resolution by Congressman Smith and the approaching anniversary of that dark June day serve as a sobering reminder of the unmet yearning for basic human liberty which compels men like Liu Xiaobo, himself an imprisoned Nobel Laureate, won the 2010 Nobel Prize, was in prison, his wife was under house arrest, she couldn't even go to Norway to pick up the prize, and also the thousands of others whose names we do not know, but as Leader Pelosi said: they will be known in the West, someday everyone will know who they are and everyone will know who they are in China and we will know the name of ``tank man,'' because ``tank man'' that Ms. Pelosi talked about has done more to bring about freedom than anybody else, and we will know their names. I pray for the day that the Chinese Government--the party and system responsible for the crackdown in Tiananmen and responsible for the continued repression--will be relegated to the ``ash heap of history.'' They will be relegated to the ash heap of history. I believe that will come very soon. I believe it will come in my lifetime, particularly if the Democratic aspirations of the Chinese people can find a champion-- if they can find a champion in the United States of America. With that, I thank Ms. Ros-Lehtinen for bringing this bill up. I thank Mr. Smith for this resolution and all the effort that he has done. I want to again thank Democratic Leader Pelosi for her leadership in fighting on these issues of human rights and religious freedom.

Mr. WOLF

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill, H.R. 4660, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to begin the consideration of H.R. 4660, making appropriations for fiscal year 2015 for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. This bill has a far-reaching impact, from the safety of people in their homes and communities, to exploring the farthest reaches of space. The bill before the Committee today reflects a delicate balance of needs and requirements. We have drafted what I consider a responsible bill for FY 2015 spending levels for the departments and agencies under the subcommittee's jurisdiction. We have had to carefully prioritize the funding in the bill and make hard choices about how to spend scarce resources. I want to thank Chairman Rogers for supporting us with a very fair allocation and for helping us to move the bill forward. I want to thank the subcommittee ranking member, Mr. Fattah, who has been a valued partner and colleague. I appreciate his commitment and his understanding of the wide variety of programs in this bill, and I thank him for his help. I want to thank all of the members of the subcommittee for their help and assistance and also thank Mrs. Lowey, the ranking member of the full committee. I want to thank the majority staff for their hard work--subcommittee clerk Mike Ringler, Leslie Albright, Jeff Ashford, Diana Simpson, Colin Samples, and Taylor Kelly. I also appreciate the professionalism and cooperation of the minority staff. In particular, I want to thank Bob Bonner and Matt Smith for their help during all of the long hours spent putting this bill and report together. The bill totals $51.2 billion in discretionary spending, a reduction of $398 million, or approximately 1 percent below the current fiscal year. Since the beginning of the 112th Congress, the committee has cut the total amount of the CJS bill by $13.3 billion, or 20 percent, over five fiscal years. We have focused limited resources on the most critical areas-- fighting crime and terrorism, including a focus on preventing and investigating cyber attacks; and boosting U.S. competitiveness and job creation by investing in exports, manufacturing, science, and space exploration. For the Department of Commerce, the bill includes $8.4 billion, $391 million below the President's request. The bill provides funding above the request for the National Weather Service operations, weather research, and NOAA's two flagship weather satellite systems that will result in more timely and accurate warnings and forecasts. Severe weather events often result in the loss of life and economic ruin. We saw this again, recently, with devastating tornadoes in Arkansas, Mississippi, and elsewhere. These investments saved lives in Arkansas and Mississippi, and they will save lives wherever the next severe weather event strikes. The bill makes critical investments in manufacturing, export promotion, and job creation, including a Commerce Department task force to incentivize U.S. companies to bring their manufacturing and services activities back to the United States. The bill includes $856 million for NIST research and standards work that is critical to innovation and competitiveness, including $130 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to help advance job growth in the manufacturing sector. It also funds the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence at NIST to work with companies to bolster cybersecurity in the retail sector and encourages the development of a cyber breach database, especially in light of the attacks on Target and Neiman Marcus, which impacted millions of Americans. A primary area of focus in the bill this year is scientific research, innovation, and competitiveness. Investing in basic research is key to growth and job creation, and it is the foundation for the economic security of future generations, which enables us to stay ahead of China. The bill includes $7.4 billion for the National Science Foundation, an increase of $232 million, or 3.2 percent, above FY14 for basic research and science. Despite the constrained allocation, this is an all-time high watermark for NSF basic research funding that will keep America's economy strong by setting the groundwork for the development of new technologies--again, not to be competitive with, but to stay ahead of the People's Republic of China, a Communist government. With increased funding comes increased responsibility. I respect the NSF to follow through on the commitments it has made to the committee to increase accountability and transparency in its grant decision making. No funny grants is what I am trying to say. The new director must take every necessary step to ensure that research grants are scientifically meritorious, that funding allocations reflect national priorities and that the taxpayer investments in science are being used wisely. Developing a well-educated STEM workforce is also critical to American competitiveness. More than $1 billion is provided throughout the bill for these efforts, including $876 million for NSF programs to improve the quality of science education. For NASA, the bill includes $17.9 billion, including funding above the request to keep the development schedule and flight milestones for the Orion crew vehicle and the Space Launch System, which will provide the capability for the U.S. to return to the Moon and to go to Mars. It is important for the U.S. to end our reliance on Russia for crew access to the International Space Station as soon as possible, which is why Commercial Crew Development is funded at $785 million, with instructions to NASA to find the fastest and safest way to close this gap. The bill includes an increase of $100 million for aeronautics research, a long overdue boost to this part of NASA's research portfolio. Aerospace is a pillar of the American manufacturing sector and is one of our leading exports. This investment will boost our aviation competitiveness and improve airspace safety. The President's request for NASA science programs would have inhibited progress on planetary science goals, including missions to Mars and Europa. This bill includes $5.2 billion for NASA Science, which restores those cuts. The bill also includes important resources to address critical security gaps throughout NASA. As the recent espionage case further demonstrated, countries like China are engaged in an unprecedented effort to steal cutting-edge technology from U.S. labs and companies. This includes the groundbreaking space and aeronautics research done at NASA every day. We need to make sure we are doing everything possible to prevent the theft or unauthorized disclosure of this technology. Last year, at the committee's direction, a National Academy of Public Administration team, led by former Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, conducted an external review that found troubling vulnerabilities in NASA's security controls and practices. They found NASA's systems were compromised, and they found a troubling culture throughout the agency that failed to prioritize or to enforce security. Funding is included in this bill for NASA to protect its cutting-edge technology with improved IT security, export control training, additional counterintelligence staffing, and the operation of a new Foreign National Access Management program. The bill also calls for NASA to submit a followup report by the end of FY15 on NASA's progress in implementing the recommended improvements. The committee will continue to hold NASA accountable for the implementation of these security professions. For the Department of Justice, the bill includes $27.8 billion, $384 million above the current level. The top mission priority of the Justice Department is defending national security from both internal and external threats. The bill includes $8.5 billion, an increase of $125 million, for the FBI--including funds to prevent and combat cyber intrusions, which Director Comey believes may overtake terrorism as the number one threat facing the Nation. Every major company in the United States has now been hit by the Chinese with cyber attacks. Many Members of Congress have had their computers stripped by the Chinese. The FBI continues to build a nationwide capability for cyber investigations. Last week, the Justice Department, for the first time, charged five officers of China's People's Liberation Army with economic cyber espionage, which is the first time foreign state actors have been so charged. I commend the administration, but in having served in the Army and in having been a private--a private never did anything a sergeant didn't tell him to do; the sergeant didn't do anything the lieutenant didn't tell him to do; the lieutenant didn't do anything that the major didn't tell him to do--right up to the Commander in Chief. So this is not just five low-level Chinese officers. This goes to the highest level of the Chinese Government. This case is an example of the great work the men and women of the FBI are doing with these investments in this bill over the last several years to confront cyber attacks, and we thank the FBI. These efforts are necessary to stop the plundering of American innovation, jobs, and trade securities. The FBI is also at the forefront of the effort to combat violent gangs. This bill increases the funding for Safe Streets task forces to check this growing problem and to better support State and local law enforcement efforts to deal with gang networks in their communities. The bill includes $8.5 million for the National Gang Intelligence Center, and it gives the center a new name and an additional mission to provide and coordinate intelligence on human trafficking networks nationwide and to disseminate that intelligence to law enforcement partnerships. The Bureau of Prisons is responsible for the custody and care of more than 215,000 Federal offenders in 119 institutions nationwide. The bill includes $7 billion to ensure the safe and secure operation of the Federal Prison System. The bill continues funding for the Chuck Colson Task Force on Federal Corrections. When he got out of prison, Chuck Colson dedicated his life to reforming the prisons, so we have named this prison reform commission after Chuck Colson, which will recommend reforms to increase public safety, improve offender accountability, reduce recidivism, and control costs in the Federal Prison System. This effort will distill lessons learned from innovations at the State level--many States are farther ahead, Texas is farther ahead, and many others are farther ahead than the Federal Bureau of Prisons--and enable these reforms to take hold in the Federal system and in corrections systems nationwide. The bill directs the Justice Department's Office for Victims of Crime to provide the survivors and families of the victims of the November 2009 terrorist attack at Fort Hood all possible and appropriate assistance. We are going to help the victims of Fort Hood and their families. We are going to require the office to report to Congress what, if any, role the classification of the attack as a workplace violence incident, rather than as a terrorist attack, played in determining what types of assistance would be provided. Awlaki was in touch with the major when he shot them. If you look at emails, this was a terrorist attack. It was not workplace violence. The bill includes a number of important provisions in support of Second Amendment rights, including a new provision prohibiting the implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty, by executive order or otherwise. The bill includes $2.1 billion for Justice grant programs that support States, localities, and nonprofits. This is a reduction of $73 million from the current level. In fact, since 2009, these programs have been reduced by 49 percent. I know we are going to get amendments here, complaining, but we had an allocation, and we had to work within that allocation. Despite the reduction, the bill prioritizes proven, high-priority programs, including Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, State Criminal Alien Assistance, Violence Against Women programs, human trafficking grants, and DNA backlog reduction. This is a significant bill for reducing violence against women and providing services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The bill includes $425.5 million for these programs, more than the current level and more than the President's request. This bill triples the current level for human trafficking task forces and victim services. We are determined to make a difference and bring an end to the heinous crime that is happening not only in other countries, but right here in the United States. So we triple the current level--not just talk, not just rhetoric, words--we triple the amount, and every FBI office is involved, and every U.S. attorney has to have a task force to see if we can actually end this, perhaps, in the same way that William Wilberforce ended the slave trade. It also directs the Attorney General to hold a national conference on sex trafficking with every Governor, with every U.S. attorney, and Federal, State, and local law enforcement to elevate awareness and to share the very best practice. What is going on in Texas can be done in Virginia. What is going on in Pennsylvania can be done somewhere else. At this national conference, they will all be together with the idea of ending this. The unacceptable backlog of DNA tests at crime labs and law enforcement agencies demands action. This bill includes $125 million for existing DNA programs and an additional $36 million to address the backlog of sexual assault kits at law enforcement agencies nationwide. The bill includes funding for prescription drug monitoring grants, thanks to Chairman Rogers. It also includes a significant increase for the DEA's Tactical Diversion Squads to address our Nation's fastest growing drug problem--prescription drug abuse. Finally, after the Virginia Tech shootings in 2007, Congress passed a bill to improve the National Instant Background Check System, NICS, which is a critical tool for keeping firearms out of the hands of prohibited persons, but NICS is only as effective as is the State database on which it relies. The bill, for the second straight year, includes funding above the request for grants to States to improve NICS records. This bill includes $58.8 million, an increase of 6 percent above the President's request, and $40 million above the FY13 level. The bill also includes $2 million for the National Center for Campus Public Safety, which the committee established with the support of the Virginia Tech Family Foundation. This center serves as a clearinghouse for the dissemination of information and best practices. There was no money requested for this, but we wanted to fund it. Additionally, the bill includes $75 million for the Comprehensive School Safety Initiative. The National Institute of Justice will study the role of mental health, as well as exposure to violent media--such as video games and violent movies--in school violence at the K-12 level. The initiative also provides pilot grants to test effective mental health interventions at schools across the Nation. NSF is also active in this area. They are currently seeking proposals that will enable a better understanding of the factors, causes, and consequences of youth violence. That is a summary of the bill before you today. It provides for the increases and cuts that were necessary. It carries on the fight against terrorism, cyberattacks, crime, trafficking in persons, and violence against women, and provides important increases to boost scientific research, innovation, and competitiveness. It provides strong support for all the various NASA missions and continues the effort to improve weather forecasting accuracy. It represents our best take on matching needs with scarce resources. We have tried hard to produce the best bill we possibly could within the resources we had to work with. I urge all Members to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] THMY28.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] THMY28.002 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] THMY28.003 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] THMY28.004 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] THMY28.005

Mr. WOLF. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), chairman of the full committee.

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Culberson).

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

Mr. WOLF. I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Young).

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. WOLF. I accept the amendment. The President's request had proposed eliminating this as a separate program. We rejected that proposal, and instead we funded the program above, as the gentleman from Massachusetts said--and I appreciate it--above the level of $41 million. This takes it to 44. He makes a very powerful case. I think it makes a lot of sense, so I accept the amendment, and I think it is a good amendment.

Mr. WOLF. I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

Mr. WOLF. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the gentlelady's amendment.

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, the recommendation in this bill includes $323 million for the Global Markets program, which includes the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service. This amount is $3 million more than the current operating level. Despite the continued fiscal constraints, the committee has supported increases to the International Trade Administration over the last few fiscal years in order to support deployment of additional commercial service and staff at embassies. But this offset totally takes it from the Bureau of Prisons. It reduces the Bureau of Prisons' salaries and expenses account by $3 million. The prisons are overcrowded. We have had several prison guards killed. With our high- and medium-security institutions exceeding 51 and 41 percent of their rated capacity, the prisons are overpacked. They are maxed out. And so with a population of 215,000 inmates and 2,500 more expected in 2015, the Bureau of Prisons just can't keep up. So this bill helps them recover. We don't want to have another prison guard killed. So I think where they take the money from--I would urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. WOLF. I am going to accept the amendment. My father was a policeman--Philadelphia policeman, badge 3990. I think Mr. Reichert makes a very, very powerful case, and I have great respect for law enforcement. I just want to put it in context. We are going to accept the amendment, but article I, section 2 of the Constitution requires a census every 10 years. This is one of the few areas where the Constitution actually requires this body to do something. Frankly, this body, a lot of times, does nothing. This, we are required to do it. This amendment cuts funding for the periodic census. Without getting into detail, we will try to work this out when we go to conference because I am sympathetic. We are going to start getting a lot more amendments: cut census, it is not for a few more years. But then the time comes. However, I think Mr. Reichert makes a powerful case. We do respect law enforcement, and he makes a powerful case. We cannot solve the issue of sexual trafficking with just Federal officers. We need the sheriffs and the police departments. Having said all that, there will be some pain, and we will have to work this thing out, but I accept the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. WOLF. I rise in opposition to the amendment. The amendment would take away from NASA's Commercial Crew Program. This is a program where we are paying the Russians--Putin, who invaded the Crimea--Putin, we are paying Putin--this takes it away from that, allowing NASA to fund fewer development and testing activities. It would increase the likeliness that we will have to extend our reliance on Russia for access to the space station. The Russians have even said that we are going to have to use a trampoline to get to the space station. They are going to stop cooperating after 2020. I could say more, but I don't think we want to take money from that program. Because of that, I urge a ``no'' vote. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WOLF. Madam Chair, I move to strike the requisite number of words.