Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, due to my attendance at the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government's hearing and the delay in recessing the hearing for votes, I missed the first 2 votes on Thursday, July 20, 2023. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 361 and NAY on Roll Call No. 362.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join with people across America who marked June 28, 2023 as Community Is Stronger Than Cancer Day. For those whose lives have been impacted by cancer, the community that is found in this shared experience is an opportunity for hope, for comfort, and even joy. Toward this end, I want to recognize the Cancer Support Community, a global non-profit network of 190 locations, including Gilda's Clubs, hospital and clinic partnerships, and satellite locations that deliver more than $50 million in free support and navigation services to patients and families. They also provide a compassionate and engaged community for people who experienced a cancer diagnosis themselves or who support a loved one. The Cancer Support Community reaches more than one million people each year, providing both in-person and virtual services as well as educational and digital resources. My district is home to those who can seek support and programming at one of two Cancer Support Community locations in Florida, and I ask all my colleagues to review where there currently are locations in or near their districts and to learn more about the important services being provided in their communities. The Cancer Support Community also maintains a toll-free national Cancer Support Helpline. It is crucial to note that all their services are led by licensed healthcare professionals and resource experts. Additionally, their headquarter staff conducts cutting-edge research that sheds light on the realities of coping with a cancer diagnosis, including the emotional, psychological, and financial impact. so I encourage all my colleagues to learn more about them. There are more than 18 million cancer patients and survivors in the United States, and for every one cancer patient, there are at least three others impacted by the diagnosis--spouse, partner, child, caregiver, and employer. A cancer diagnosis is life changing and, for some, can be overwhelming and distressing. I applaud the Cancer Support Community and its network partners for the extraordinary work they do every day easing the burdens of cancer and eliminating barriers to care. I commend their unwavering commitment to ensuring that all people impacted by cancer know that there are individuals and organizations that are ready to support them as they cope with the challenges that come with this complex diagnosis. As the Cancer Support Community emphasizes: ``While we have witnessed many significant advances in treating this devastating disease, nothing takes the place of the power, inspiration, companionship, and connection that comes from community. We are here to provide relevant and highly personalized support when and where it is needed most because Community Is Stronger Than Cancer.''

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, with a heavy heart, I rise to honor the remarkable life of recently departed Florida AFL-CIO President Mike Williams. Starting as an apprentice, he became an electrician, working temporary service and construction jobs and living paycheck to paycheck, like so many workers do. Seeing the critical value of job protections and livable wages, he devoted his life to the labor movement, first as a rank-and-file member for 15 years before becoming business manager of his local, IBEW 177. Later, he became president of the Florida Building Trades Council, and in 2009, Mike was elected president of the Florida AFL-CIO, where he served distinctively until his death. A natural-born leader, Mike revitalized Florida labor by fostering new alliances with community, immigrant, and faith-based groups. Tall and with a contagious smile, he was a straight-shooter and always brought a worthy cause and compelling case for workers to the Capitol. Direct and trustworthy, he was a man of standards whose shoes will be hard to fill. Mike's empathy, dedication, and compassion will be sorely missed, but his legacy and impact must never be forgotten. I will miss my dear friend. May his memory be for a blessing.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to recognize the remarkable life of Evelyn Dixon Williams, who sadly left us at 107 years old. As a woman of faith, Evelyn Williams was a leader and lifelong member of New Jerusalem First Missionary Baptist Church where she served as a Deaconess and Sunday School teacher. Mrs. Williams was a compassionate and generous person, regularly visiting homebound and nursing home residents in the Dania/Liberia community; sharing food, gifts and spiritual encouragement. Mrs. Williams was active in community organizations such as the Broward Civic Improvement Association, which focused on improved housing and roadways, black business and employment opportunities, and equity in public accommodations. She served in the Order of the Eastern Star--devoted to religious, charitable and educational work. An ardent supporter of education, Mrs. Williams financially assisted area youth in pursuing their higher education and professional goals. She and her husband Alonzo were business owners with rental property and gas stations including a station in Dania. The Broward County Historical Society and the City of Dania Beach have recognized Mrs. Williams for her many years of community service and activism, which included registering voters and serving as a dedicated elections poll worker for more than 50 years. Truly an inspiration, Mrs. Williams is remembered for her quiet dignity, kind and generous spirit, and legacy of service to family, church and community. My heart is with her family in mourning the loss of this kind, generous, and compassionate soul. We were forever privileged to have shared this time with her. May her memory be for a blessing.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to recognize the remarkable life of Judy Gilbert-Gould. Judy Gilbert-Gould, a lifelong resident of Miami, passed away on April 21, 2023, at the age of 88. She was the daughter of the late Stanley C. and Martha M. Myers and sister to the late Kenneth M. Myers. As a young woman, Judy became involved in the National Council of Jewish Women, eventually serving as president of the Miami chapter. In recognition of her service, Judy was awarded NCJW's highest honor, the Hannah G. Solomon Award, for her commitment to the advancement of human welfare. Judy later served in several other important professional and leadership capacities. Working under then-Dade County State's attorney Janet Reno, Judy was the director of victim-witness services in the State's Attorney's Office to help prepare rape victims to testify in court. Later on, Judy's professional career concentrated on working for the Jewish people. In 1983, Judy joined the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, where she served for many years as director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, the JCRC. As the JCRC's executive director, Judy adroitly mobilized and engaged Miami's Jewish community on many levels. She led our citizen activists in building relationships with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, was pivotal in the pro-Israel movement here at home, and successfully advocated for the national agenda supported by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. On a personal note, we worked closely together to address a multitude of issues facing our community, from the scourge of anti-Semitism to ensuring we maintain our strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Shortly after I was first elected to Congress, under Judy's leadership role at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, she approached me with the idea to sponsor legislation that would create a month during which we honor the contributions American Jews have made to the fabric of our Nation. I introduced a resolution, and since 2006 our Nation has celebrated Jewish American Heritage Month each May to educate Americans about the contributions Jewish Americans have made and continue to make to our country, helping to reduce hate, anti-Semitism, and bigotry. Judy's commitment to Miami's Jewish community and the State of Israel was exemplary, and I will miss her guidance and wisdom. My heart is with her family in mourning the loss of this kind, generous, and compassionate soul. We were forever privileged to have shared this time with Judy. May her memory be a blessing.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for yielding and his support of the resolution, along with his decades of work supporting the Jewish-American community. Before I speak on this resolution, Mr. Speaker, I am compelled to mention the tragic shooting that took place in my district last night in Hollywood Beach. My heart goes out to the victims, their families, and everyone affected by this tragic act of gun violence. I thank Mayor Josh Levy, the first responders, dispatchers, hospital staff, and local leaders that are working around the clock to take care of their community. We wish the speediest of recoveries to all of those injured. Tonight, I rise in strong support of my resolution to properly recognize Jewish American Heritage Month and condemn the rising scourge of anti-Semitism that Jewish Americans face. It is also not lost on me that today marks the first day of the trial for the domestic terrorist alleged to have carried out the Tree of Life synagogue shooting. Our hearts are with the victims, their families, and the entire Pittsburgh community today. I am not sure there are words that could encapsulate the pride that I have for this year's historic Jewish American Heritage Month. For the first time, the House and the Senate will both mark Jewish American Heritage Month, or by its nickname JAHM, by considering and passing bipartisan resolutions with the support of House Members and Senators from across the country. In 2005, during my first term in office, I introduced the legislation that passed the House, and with the assistance of the late Arlen Specter in the Senate, urging then-President Bush to proclaim the national observation of a month recognizing Jewish Americans' contributions to the rich tapestry that comprises diversity that makes our Nation truly great. Since 2006, each May, every President, including Presidents Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden, have issued JAHM proclamations. While this month is a time of celebration, we must also never forget that JAHM is a critical tool in countering anti-Semitism. The FBI reports that even though Jewish Americans account for only a little over 2 percent of the population in the United States, they are victims of 63 percent of reported religiously motivated hate crimes. In addition, the Anti-Defamation League's Audit of Antisemitic Incidents in 2022 tracked 3,697 anti-Semitic incidents in the United States, representing a 36 percent increase from 2021 and the largest number on record since the ADL began tracking anti-Semitic incidents in 1979. However, one of the most effective ways to combat anti-Semitism is through education and awareness, which is a paramount reason why JAHM is so important; so much so that the Biden administration recently released the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, which specifically directs Federal agencies to organize and participate in Jewish American Heritage Month events and calls on State and local leaders to use JAHM to raise awareness of anti-Semitism while celebrating the contributions and impact of Jewish Americans on our society. We need Jews and non-Jews alike to learn about all the remarkable Jewish Americans who served in government or the military, or those who won Nobel Prizes, led universities and corporations, or made lifesaving medical discoveries. Unfortunately, it is not widely known that so many significant contributions to American success were led by Jewish Americans. In fact, due to our small numbers, there are still pockets of this country where some Americans have never met a Jewish person. I have witnessed that here in this building with some of our colleagues representing districts with either no or few Jewish Americans. That is why I have encouraged my colleagues and community leaders at large to embrace JAHM as a chance to share stories and host events or conversations in your own districts and communities. I hope that each year, JAHM continues to grow to become a widely celebrated heritage month, joining the ranks of the other rightfully important heritage months that highlight our strengths and diversity. America would not be what it is today, or what it someday can be, without such a rich mosaic of people. No other nation has that. While this resolution will not stop hate or anti-Semitism in its tracks, it uses the full voice of Congress to say that there is more that unites us than divides us. It says that whether your culture or religion makes up 20 percent or 2 percent of the population, you belong and should be safe here. It says hate will have no space here, no matter who it targets. I know that the concept of JAHM and the anti-hate messages it represents are worthy of this House's support. In closing, I would be remiss if I did not thank my co-leads on this resolution, Congressman Kustoff of Tennessee, the distinguished Democratic leader, Mr. Jeffries of New York, and Congressman Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania. I also thank Majority Leader Scalise, Democratic Whip Clark, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jordan, and Ranking Member Nadler, as well as their staff, and especially my staff, for their work to bring this timely resolution to the floor during Jewish American Heritage Month. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this important resolution.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, let's shed light on the Republicans' broken promises to our veterans. I have the privilege of serving as the ranking member of the normally bipartisan Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee. However, this year, my Republican colleagues plan to slash medical care for toxic-exposed veterans, rolling back a promise this body made just last year when we passed the bipartisan PACT Act into law. The PACT Act created the Toxic Exposures Fund, which is a pledge in law to provide a dedicated funding source to ensure the care related to toxic exposures will always be set aside and not have to compete with other veterans' priorities at VA and other agencies. As you can see in this chart from the Republicans' VA budget report, President Biden honored this promise by carefully calculating the need and proposing $20.3 billion for the TEF in his fiscal year 2024 budget. The Republicans' bill only provides $5.5 billion, a quarter of the request. Not only do they shortchange the TEF by $14.7 in 2024, but Republicans completely eliminate it, they zeroed it out in 2025. Republicans can protest all they want, but their broken promise to our veterans is right here in black and white. We must keep our promise to our veterans, just like Joe Biden and the Democrats do.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to recognize the remarkable life of Judy Gilbert-Gould. Judy Gilbert-Gould, a lifelong resident of Miami, passed away on April 21, 2023, at the age of 88. She was the daughter of the late Stanley C. and Martha M. Myers and sister to the late Kenneth M. Myers. As a young woman, Judy became involved in the National Council of Jewish Women, eventually serving as president of the Miami chapter. In recognition of her service, Judy was awarded NCJW's highest honor, the Hannah G. Solomon Award, for her commitment to the advancement of human welfare. Judy later served in several other important professional and leadership capacities. Working under then-Dade County State's attorney Janet Reno, Judy was the director of victim-witness services in the State's Attorney's Office to help prepare rape victims to testify in court. Later on, Judy's professional career concentrated on working for the Jewish people. In 1983, Judy joined the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, where she served for many years as director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, the JCRC. As the JCRC's executive director, Judy adroitly mobilized and engaged Miami's Jewish community on many levels. She led our citizen activists in building relationships with Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, was pivotal in the pro-Israel movement here at home, and successfully advocated for the national agenda supported by the Jewish Council for Public Affairs. On a personal note, we worked closely together to address a multitude of issues facing our community, from the scourge of anti-Semitism to ensuring we maintain our strong U.S.-Israel relationship. Shortly after I was first elected to Congress, under Judy's leadership role at the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, she approached me with the idea to sponsor legislation that would create a month during which we honor the contributions American Jews have made to the fabric of our Nation. I introduced a resolution, and since 2006 our Nation has celebrated Jewish American Heritage Month each May to educate Americans about the contributions Jewish Americans have made and continue to make to our country, helping to reduce hate, anti-Semitism, and bigotry. Judy's commitment to Miami's Jewish community and the State of Israel was exemplary, and I will miss her guidance and wisdom. My heart is with her family in mourning the loss of this kind, generous, and compassionate soul. We were forever privileged to have shared this time with Judy. May her memory be for a blessing.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in strong opposition to the child deportation act. This effort will rip apart families, dismantle due process, and expose children to abuse and trafficking. This bill goes further than simply demolishing legal pathways that the President has put in place. It strips back critical safeguards that protect the safety and well-being of unaccompanied minors. Instead of getting their day in court, this bill would imprison kids for up to 30 days. Instead of reunifying children with family who are here legally, this bill would deliver them to traffickers and other bad actors. Instead of providing care and counsel to children, this bill would weaken child welfare standards and reduce vetting of sponsors, leaving children vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. This legislation makes a mockery of our Nation's values to appeal to our Nation's worst impulses. Mr. Speaker, this effort to block access to asylum will fuel criminal traffickers that extort desperate migrants. To make it all very simple, this bill will plunge our border into chaos, and that is exactly what my Republican colleagues want. They demonize immigrants, lock up kids, and defund border security just so they can blame Democrats for the crisis that they manufactured. Let me give you an example of the Homestead migrant children detention center that existed in Homestead, Florida, back in 2019, in the previous administration. This was a facility that warehoused unaccompanied minors. The conditions were so challenging and the kids crammed so tightly together under conditions where they were forced to literally have very little space between one another and be imprisoned, essentially, in this detention center that, eventually, it was forced to shut down. When President Biden took action to allow Venezuelan, Cuban, and Haitian migrants to apply for humanitarian parole, reducing border encounters from these countries by over 90 percent, Republican attorneys general filed a lawsuit to stop him. My Republican colleagues trumpet the need for oversight, but when I introduced legislation to prohibit child detention centers from refusing access to Members to conduct that oversight, deafening silence. They scold Democrats on enforcement yet promise to slash border funding to prepandemic levels, leaving border officers without vital resources to combat fentanyl and human trafficking. The only thing this bill will actually secure is the choke-hold grip that MAGA extremists have on the Republican Party. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject this legislation. It would brutally harm children for the sake of cheap political points. Our border should be governed by laws upholding our humanity, not by demagogues promoting bigotry.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, due to extreme weather and the subsequent travel delays in South Florida, I missed the first vote of the series today. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 183.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 5, which we should really call the politics over parents act. As a mom of three, let me be clear about what this legislation would do. It opens the door to gagging educators, parents, and students, and turns classrooms into archaic tools for a vocal extremist minority. Worse, it undermines what any mother wants for her child, a supportive classroom space that provides a fact-based education and practical life skills and critical-thinking skills. Just look at the colossal education nightmare unfolding in my home State of Florida right now. Governor DeSantis and his stooge Florida lawmakers propose prohibiting girls from discussing their menstrual periods with one another while in school. They are already banning books, and they are barring certain elements of African-American history from being taught in school. Governor DeSantis and his radical allies are also waging a cruel campaign to marginalize Florida's LGBTQ+ community, and suppress the histories of others they deem unworthy. The Republican revival of the Lavender Scare includes shutting down businesses and passing a ``Don't Say Gay'' law that bans classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity, even in high school. Like a cancer, this hateful law has spread, with Republicans now censoring educators on a wide variety of topics, so it is no surprise my colleagues across the aisle want to export these same dangerous policies across America. Make no mistake, H.R. 5 undermines teachers, and instead of offering students more support, it effectively denies it. The result of this law in Florida has cleared bookshelves and canceled coursework and an AP exam on African-American history. As a mother whose children attended public schools, I speak for millions of moms when I say all we want for our children is a safe learning environment that ensures they discover the wider world, and not force them to grow into narrow-minded, ignorant adults. This legislation just hands a vocal and extreme minority of parents the power to dictate what every American child learns. To all my business-friendly Republicans, every classroom move to censor and ban leaves our children even less competitive on the global stage. Mark my words. Take it from this mom: We should reject this misguided legislation and, instead, unite to build classrooms where every child gets the resources and support they need to succeed in the 21st century. Mr. Chairman, I include in the Record a letter from the First Focus Campaign for Children. March 20, 2023. Hon. Julia Letlow, Member, Committee on Education & the Workforce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Kevin McCarthy, Speaker, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Virginia Foxx, Chair, Committee on Education & the Workforce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Hon. Bobby Scott, Ranking Member, Committee on Education & the Workforce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Congresswoman Letlow, Speaker McCarthy, Leader Jeffries, Chairwoman Foxx, and Ranking Member Scott: I am writing on behalf of First Focus Campaign for Children, a bipartisan children's advocacy organization dedicated to making children and families a priority in federal budget and policy decisions, to express opposition to H.R. 5, the Parents Bill of Rights Act. We do not believe this bill strikes the right balance between the duties of schools, the rights and responsibilities of parents, and the oft-ignored but important rights of children. Parental Engagement Is Critical First, let's be clear: Parents are fundamental to the upbringing of children and absolutely should be engaged and involved in the education of their children. In fact, children have better outcomes when their parents are involved. As a parent of four children myself, I have engaged with my children's schools by voting in school board elections, attending all parent-teacher conferences, volunteering in my children's classrooms, scheduling time to meet with teachers and administrators when important issues arise, serving on the PTAs at my children's schools, serving on athletic booster clubs, and volunteering as an assistant boys and girls basketball coach for two county schools. In addition to my personal experiences, I have learned a great deal over the years from both of my parents, my step- mother, step-brother, my uncle, and several cousins, who are all educators. Consequently, I have immense respect for the work, talent, dedication, and concern that the vast majority of teachers and educators bring to their profession on a daily basis--all with the goal of educating our nation's children to best achieve their hopes and dreams while also trying to provide a place of safety and compassion for each and every one of their students. Again, we strongly support parental engagement in education, but parents should not control all curriculum and educational decisions. Doing so is unworkable. For example, imagine an elementary school of 500 students where 12 parents oppose the teaching of evolution, 8 parents believe the early is flat, 21 are Holocaust deniers, 14 oppose learning about slavery, 7 believe in racial segregation, 17 believe in the concept of schools without walls, 27 believe in corporal punishment, 12 want Harry Potter books to be banned, 25 want books banned that mention the Trail of Tears, 31 believe parents should be allowed to overrule a physician's decision that a child with a concussion should refrain from participating in sports, 39 oppose keeping kids out of school when they have the flu, 4 believe that a child with cancer might be contagious, 34 believe students should be ``tracked'' in all subject areas, 12 believe students should not be taught how to spell the words ``sinal tap'', ``quarantine'', or ``isolation'' because they are too ``scary of words''. 41 don't like the bus routes, 45 want a vegan-only lunchroom, 4 demand same-sex classrooms, etc. Even though most parents oppose these demands by some parents and many of them are completely false, undermine the purpose of education, threaten the safety of children, or promote discrimination, H.R. 5 would seek to push their accommodation in some form. The Real Parents Agenda for Children We must all do better by our kids. By an overwhelming 77-11 percent margin, a May 2022 poll by Lake Research Partners found that parents believe ``policy involving children should always be governed by a `best interest of the child' standard.'' By a 60-19 percent margin, the American people believe we are spending too little as opposed to too much on public education. And when it comes in investing in children, 9-in-10 voters (90-7 percent) agreed with the statement that ``investing in children helps improve their lives, development, and outcomes.'' When it comes to children's policy overall, a nationwide survey by Global Strategy Group in February 2023 found that American voters have strong priorities in favor of ``creating more effective childcare options for all families'' (87-8 percent), ``expanding family and medical leave'' (82-12 percent), bringing back the improved Child Tax Credit (76-13 percent), and ``expanding universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds'' (73-16 percent). The support for this agenda stands in sharp contrast to the opposition that American voters express to an agenda that would call for ``passing legislation banning transgender-focused health care options for young Americans'' (41-47 percent), ``banning books that some parents find to have questionable content'' (32-57 percent), and ``banning high school classes like AP African- American history'' (21-68 percent). Children Have Fundamental Rights Too Before diving into the details of H.R. 5, it is important to acknowledge that children need the support BY parents and government to be successful, and that they also sometimes need protection FROM parents and government. The fact is that children have unique and fundamental human rights that should not be ignored or dismissed. These include the right to an education, the right to health care, the right to be protected from abuse and violence at home and in schools, the right to be protected from gun violence and school shootings, the right to not be discriminated against because of their race, ethnicity, gender (including gender identity and sexual orientation), economic status, disability, religion, immigration status, or age. As for parental rights and H.R. 5's attempts to modify the Protection of Pupil Rights Act (PPRA) and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), it is important to highlight that PPRA was originally enacted nearly 50 years ago (in 1974) and has been modified several times, including in 1978, 1994, and 2002, in order to broaden access and consent requirements. H.R. 5 Adds New Bureaucracy to Schools and Detracts from the Time, Attention, and Funding Dedicated to Students While the impetus for aspects of H.R. 5 are well- intentioned, our first concern is that the language is duplicative of language already in federal law, policies in state law, and general practice by school districts all across this country in many respects but also potentially adds new bureaucracy and red tape to schools and school districts all across this for no apparent benefit. Unfortunately, these proposed changes may potentially harm children. Any funding, time, and attention that is shifted away from students and their learning toward added bureaucracy and red tape can be detrimental to students. But H.R. 5 provides no funding to address the many newly imposed bureaucratic requirements upon schools. For example, H.R. 5 proposes new reporting requirements for schools to include in their ``local educational agency report card'' a budget that is detailed ``for each elementary school and secondary school served by the local educational agency.'' Requiring detailed accounting of costs, some of which are shared across school campuses (e.g., school nurses, bus drivers, etc.), for the more than 90,000 public schools across this country will likely greatly increase the employment of accountants. However, H.R. 5 does not provide funding to pay for such a mandate. Before proceeding, we should acknowledge that this newly-imposed mandate detracts from the funding, time, and attention school districts and educators have for improving the education and well-being of children. First Focus Campaign for Children supports tracking funding that is allocated for children's programs as a share of government spending, and thus, annually produce a Children's Budget that analyzes the funding of more than 250 federal programs. We share this report with Congress to raise the awareness and transparency of funding for children. However, we would urge Congress to focus as many of those dollars as possible on the children themselves and not on excessive accounting and reporting measures that consume much of the attention and focus of H.R. 5. H.R. 5 Promotes Book Bans Rather Than Access to Books and Reading Another important concern is language from Sec. 104 and Sec. 202 that would require schools to share with all parents of students at every school ``a list of books and other reading materials available to the students of such school in the school library.'' Again, compiling, cataloging, and sharing such information to all parents would come at great time and expense that is not paid for by H.R. 5. That money and time would come at the expense of librarians and other educators focused on the education of children. Parents already have the right to visit their child's school and its library, to request such information, and to ask their own children what they are learning and reading in school. Rather than adding the burdens of more bureaucracy and red tape to schools and creating a chilling effect through increasing incidences of censorship and book bans, we should be working together to pass legislation to encourage students to read and learn through greater access to books, such as Reach Out and Read, First Book, Reading Is Fundamental, and other literacy programs. An individual parent should not solely be allowed to object to a book and cause its censorship for all of the children in a school or school district. This violates the parental rights of the vast majority of parents who do not support book bans or censorship. Even more importantly, it violates the fundamental rights of children. As Justice Abe Fortas wrote in his majority opinion in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent School District (1969): Students in school as well as out of school are ``persons'' under our Constitution. They are possessed of fundamental rights which the State must respect, just as they themselves must respect their obligations to the State . . . In the absence of a specific showing of constitutionally valid reasons to regulate their speech, students are entitled to freedom of expression of their views. Justice Fortas adds: It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. In the Supreme Court case Island Trees School District v. Pico (1982), the Court ruled that children have a fundamental right to an education and access to learning that is not limited by the censorship of books based on ``narrowly partisan or political'' grounds. As Justice William Brennan writes: Our Constitution does not permit the official suppression of ideas. Thus, whether petitioners' removal of books from their school libraries denied respondents their First Amendment rights depends upon the motivation behind petitioners' actions. If petitioners intended by their removal decision to deny respondents access to ideas with which petitioners disagreed, and if this intent was the decisive factor in petitioners' decisions, then petitioners have exercised their discretion in violation of the Constitution. H.R. 5 Threatens Access to Health Care, Privacy, and Confidentiality of Students Concern about access to health care for our children leads us to oppose the language in H.R. 5 with respect to school health. There were more than 4 million children in this country that were uninsured in 2020. In 2016, the Children's Health Fund estimated that over 20 million children lacked ``sufficient access to essential health care.'' Therefore, the role of school based health clinics, school nurses, school counselors, coaches, social workers, and physical trainers in schools is critically important to the health, education, and well-being of children. The language in H.R. 5 appears to dramatically expands the potential incidences in which all of these school personnel would have to seek out parental notification and consent prior to performing care, such as to check whether a student has a fever, has an ankle sprain, may have experienced a concussion, or need to check for a possible broken bone. In many cases, these may not be considered emergencies, but in the meantime, children languish or must wait while school personnel spend large amounts of time trying to track down parents for consent. In the report accompanying H.R. 5, the House Education and Workforce Committee majority write, ``Americans should never be forced to relinquish these parental rights to government-- whether that involves curriculum decisions or personal medical choices'' (emphasis added). We strongly disagree. First, such a statement would threaten the health, safety, and lives of some children in our country. For example, based on that statement, does the Committee majority reject the ability of schools to set graduation requirements? Oppose the teaching of evolution? Allow parents to send children to school even if they are vomiting, have a fever, diarrhea, or have a communicable disease? Does the Committee majority now oppose school vaccine mandates? School concussion protocols?

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise to condemn all socialist autocrats who place power and wealth over their own citizens. Yet this resolution ignores some of their worst evils, then falls silent while American leaders mimic their cruel tactics. For instance, Cubans and Venezuelans suffer from far worse than the inflation and expropriation this measure describes. Dictators there destroy human rights; the rule of law, and jail, exile, or kill their enemies. Let's condemn socialist abuses, yes, but leaders on this very floor seek to overturn democratic elections, confiscate long-held rights, and gut programs our families, veterans, and servicemembers need. In my home State, an aspiring autocrat daily deploys the socialist tyrant's playbook. He marginalizes minorities, demonizes the free press, and criminalizes or bans speech, books, even history. What we can learn from these failed despots is to respect the rule of law, free speech, and free elections, and to protect our own citizens from the grinding poverty tyrants wield as weapons. Socialist dictators deserve our scorn, but glossing over their crimes and ignoring the leaders right here who mimic them--that fails those fighting freedom everywhere.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer an amendment to H.R. 21 that would prohibit the SPR plan from including oil and gas leasing within the ecologically critical Big Cypress National Preserve. Established in 1974 as one of the first national preserves, Big Cypress is a unique and fragile ecosystem that spans 720,000 south Florida acres and hosts an array of plant and animal life. It is also an important cultural site for the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes of Florida. Opening this area to oil and gas drilling would not only be environmentally destructive, it would also threaten the livelihoods of the people who depend on it for hunting, fishing, and tourism. We know that drilling causes pollution and habitat destruction. Just a few years ago, Big Oil speculators hauled in massive trucks weighing 33 tons and used low-frequency vibrations to look for oil. They left deep ruts in the swamp and plowed over dwarf cypress trees that had survived for more than 200 years. In pure economic terms, this vast sensitive swampland is essential to the health of the neighboring Everglades, which is vital in providing clean drinking water to millions of Floridians. The solution here is to protect this national treasure by banning the SPR plan from including oil and gas drilling in Big Cypress in perpetuity. Just don't take my word for it, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Talbert Cypress, chair of the Miccosukee Tribe very succinctly describes why it is so vital that we protect this land saying: ``The Tribe would not exist without the Everglades, which Big Cypress Natural Preserve sits on. We used it for survival. We used it to keep our traditions alive and our culture still going to this day. So that's why it means so much to us.'' This is simple. We can protect an ecologically sensitive treasure, drinking water for millions, and a traditional way of life all by voting to ensure that Big Cypress National Preserve is never littered with reckless speculators or polluting oil derricks. I urge you to join me in taking action to protect Big Cypress National Preserve from oil and gas drilling by voting ``yes'' on this amendment. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk. It is amendment No. 75.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is time for our Republican colleagues to stop playing politics with women's bodies. With the fall of Roe, the criminalization of abortion access nationwide with no exceptions is well underway. Just last year in my home State of Florida, Governor DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law that offers no exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking, and more restrictive policies are coming. Other States are even more restrictive, and the bill and resolution before us will further erode women's reproductive rights. These measures incentivize violence by failing to condemn a history of violence against abortion providers and patients. While millions of Americans will lose under these measures, its harshest impacts land on single, working, and women of color. A lack of access to safe abortions not only deprives a woman of the basic right to control her own body, but it also stifles her future economic, educational, and family planning opportunities. It basically hands her body, life, and future over to the State. These horrific anti-abortion measures are a revolting assault on women's rights, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on both measures.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Shari Bush and congratulate her on her well-deserved retirement. Shari is retiring after 21 years at Cypress Bay High School in Weston. As the BRACE Advisor, Shari was instrumental in helping hundreds of students get accepted to some of the top schools in the country. She was an invaluable source of higher education guidance for my own children. Cypress Bay High School has 4,800 students, and 98 percent of them are on track for college. Shari plays a huge role in that. Shari is an expert in advising students to apply for scholarships, financial aid, and coach them through all of the stages of college application process, including what schools to apply to, filling out applications, writing essays, testing, and making those critical final decisions. She traveled to universities throughout the U.S. and abroad and has been hosted at more than 50 college campuses. Currently, Shari is a member of the Advisory Board for the University of Miami and Florida State University and is a member of the FBI Citizens Academy. I wish Shari all the best as she moves into the next chapter of her life.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the illustrious career of Michael Putney, and congratulate him on his well- deserved retirement. A veteran of the airwaves for more than half a century, Michael Putney's 33-year tenure at Local 10 News made him one of South Florida's most popular and trusted TV reporters. Michael began his career in broadcast journalism in 1966 in Columbia, Missouri. After stops in Washington D.C., Los Angeles and New York, he came to South Florida and made it his home. Throughout my own career in public office, there have been many changes in the ever-evolving media landscape, but Michael has been the one dependable constant. Another certainty for any elected official was that, at some point, you would have to answer the tough but fair questions from ``Putney.'' Michael was doggedly devoted to accountability throughout his tenure at WPLG and our community is far better as a result that work. Michael's superior reporting skills won him two Emmys. And the state Supreme Court saw fit to appoint him to Florida's Judicial Management Council. I hope Michael and his wife enjoy their time together doing some of his favorite things: cooking, reading, tennis and traveling. I will miss him in the press gaggles, and in the studio, but I wish him all the best as he begins the next, relaxing chapter of his life.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the Respect for Marriage Act because every American deserves to have their union recognized and respected in law. Since the Obergefell and Loving decisions, millions of families rely on the constitutional guarantee that marriage equality affords. Yet, we just saw what happens when half our population relies on this High Court to protect our sacred rights. Recent far-right Court nominees broke their pledges to respect the precedent of Roe, and look at the legal chaos, unequal treatment, and financial and physical ruin they have unleashed. We can no more rely on their word than we can their apologists who say these legal extremists will uphold marriage equality. This bill ensures that by guaranteeing that same-sex and interracial couples have a legal right to build a life with someone who shares their love. I am honored to stand with the LGBTQ+ community to make this a more just, equal, and perfect union. Without these rights and this legislation, America can never truly aspire to that. Madam Speaker, I remind all of my colleagues that history is watching, and I urge them to vote ``yea'' on the Senate amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the bill before the House today because at this very moment, thousands of children are waiting to be saved. The internet can be a dangerous neighborhood for anyone, but especially vulnerable children. The ever-expanding reach of the internet has fueled an exploding multibillion-dollar market for child pornography. Tragically, this market exploits the graphic images that result from the horrific sexual assault of more children. The pandemic only exacerbated the problem, as our world shifts more online. But these are not just heinous online images, they are crime scene photos created by a thriving industry that uses children as sexual commodities. Almost 15 years ago, I introduced the Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2007. With the support of Mr. Jordan at a House Judiciary hearing on that bill, we heard from a very brave young woman, Alicia Kozakiewicz. She was abducted by an internet predator at just 13, held captive in his dungeon basement, and sexually tortured for 4 days. The FBI found Alicia because the Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, or ICAC, had the technology to lift the digital fingerprints of this perpetrator's crimes. They were able to discover the location where he held her captive, chained to the floor, connected to a collar around her neck. Internet crimes officers tracked the IP address back to his door, and literally rescued her from death. I remember her testimony like it was yesterday. It moved many of the members of that committee, including myself, to tears. In the 20 years since her abduction and torture, Alicia still shares her personal nightmare to help protect other young people. Over that next year, we learned a lot about these offenders: who they are, how they operate, and most important, where they are. We saw detailed law enforcement maps that showed the locations of hundreds of thousands of sexual predators, 5 percent of whom had actual child victims waiting to be rescued. It was a truly harrowing environment they described. And Congress acted. With then-Senator Joe Biden as my Senate partner, we passed legislation establishing the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, or ICAC, a specialized group of law enforcement officials dedicated to the protection of children. The task forces grew from 42 to 61, and arrests and child rescues doubled. They doubled. Literally thousands more predators were apprehended and children rescued. An untold number of sexual assaults were prevented.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, the PROTECT Our Children Act, the bipartisan legislation that I introduced this week with Senator Cornyn, and Representatives Chabot, Kuster, and Reschenthaler reauthorizes the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, the national network of coordinated law enforcement task forces investigating and prosecuting those who sexually exploit our most vulnerable constituents--our children. According to estimates, half of the arrests made by ICAC teams led us to the door of a hands-on offender, and thus, a child waiting to be rescued. We must make the protection of these children the focus of all of our efforts. Please think about these precious children being victimized. If you are a parent, God forbid, it was your own child. Let's give these ICAC teams the resources they need to rescue as many as possible. An impressive and deeply troubling investigation by The New York Times described the forces arrayed against these ICAC teams as an ``insatiable criminal underworld,'' and one in which tech companies are not always able or totally willing to confront. But if we empower these ICACs with today's reauthorization, thousands more innocent children will be protected from these unspeakable crimes. We owe them that. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their indulgence.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to honor the life of my dear friend Renee Lucille Smoley. Renee Smoley grew up in Long Island, New York, graduating from Hunter College in 1943. Renee and her husband, Dr. Melvin Smoley, moved to my hometown of Weston, Florida in 1989 where Renee became the longtime President of the Tequesta Homeowners Association. The City of Weston soon became Renee's love and passion. She chaired the Peace Mound Park Committee to restore the archeological and historical significance to the city. She served on the Committee for Weston's 4th of July parade, and in 1996, Renee was tapped to serve as the co-chair of the Steering Committee to determine the feasibility of Weston incorporating and becoming its own city. For her contributions to the city, Renee was fondly referred as the Mother of Weston. She served on the Board of the Weston Music Society, was a charter member of AAUW Weston and Chair of AW Foundation and was inducted to the Broward County Senior Hall of Fame. Of all her accomplishments in Weston Renee was most proud of her assistance to 27 Kosovo refugees in 1999. She enlisted the help of Weston residents and businesses to provide them with housing and utilities for two years. Renee may have been tiny, but her broad shoulders carried me throughout my career in public service. I am grateful to Renee for her encouragement, wisdom, and love. She was not just the Mother of Weston but a mother to many in so many ways. My heart is with her family in mourning the loss of this kind, generous, and compassionate soul. We were forever privileged to have shared this time with Renee. May her memory be a blessing.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding. I rise to support this continuing resolution that will keep our Federal Government open and deliver the vital services that impact us all. Look no further than Southwest Florida, in my home State, where Hurricane Ian inflicted tragic human loss and massive property damage. While we pray for those who endured Ian's wrath and those who still face it, let's pass this continuing resolution and offer more than well wishes. Thankfully, President Biden declared a major disaster, unleashing extensive Federal aid and assistance for the counties hit by Ian. But this CR will allow FEMA and other Federal partners to keep assistance flowing to Florida in our time of need, while also aiding those hurting in Puerto Rico, Alaska, New Mexico, and Mississippi. We cannot leave communities behind that are still picking up the pieces from disastrous floods, wildfires, and hurricanes, and even basic water system failures. This Federal funding bill comes to their rescue by helping to meet long-term housing, infrastructure, and recovery needs. This CR also extends funding for vital Federal education, health, housing, and public safety programs. It keeps up school, job training, and child nutritional investments, and it keeps funds flowing to address badly needed affordable housing problems which plague so many families in Florida. Anyone who understands the housing struggles that millions of Americans face cannot possibly ignore the relief that this CR offers. This legislation also keeps America's security intact, while also supporting those brave veterans who defended us. This CR also confronts Russia's fake elections to annex parts of Ukraine, whose families urgently need our support to defend global democracy and turn back a murderous communist tyrant. I am pleased that this continuing resolution before us reflects that vanishing breed of bipartisan, bicameral, negotiated compromise. I hope our colleagues on the other side of the aisle respect that and honor the trust that Americans hand us to maintain an orderly economy and state of affairs. This CR provides that basic test of governance. Americans want our government funding bills to help reduce their cost of living, support their families, create good jobs, and combat climate change. This continuing funding legislation gives us the time we need to ensure our 2023 bills will do exactly that. Let's keep America running so Congress can complete America's critical fiscal work.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, go Congress. Beat the press again next year.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is my great pleasure to announce to our colleagues in the United States House of Representatives that the Congressional Women's Softball Team last night snapped a 7-year dry spell and beat the press team, the Bad News Babes, 6-5. I am surprised that they are not here to participate in this exuberance. It has been 7 long years in the wilderness, and we are so proud to stand before you and tell you a couple of important things. One is that our greatest source of pride is that this team is bipartisan. Madam Speaker, the greatest source of pride for us as a team is that this team is bipartisan. Ever since our inception in 2009, the Congressional Women's Softball Team has played across the aisle, in both Houses, and really tried to set an example every day of how we can come together, leave our differences off the field, and make sure that we can come together for a common purpose, and that is fighting breast cancer and making sure that we can raise awareness about breast cancer in young women; and, also, to make sure that we can demonstrate that coming together can help build relationships and foster collaboration once we leave the field and the game is over. Most importantly, I am so proud to tell you that our charity, the Young Survival Coalition, which is a young women's breast cancer organization that helps young women deal with the unique challenges that we face when diagnosed with breast cancer, we have raised, in the last 14 years, $2.6 million for the Young Survival Coalition and, last night, raised a record, more than $530,000 for YSC. Very briefly, because I know we are all in a hurry, without the leadership and dedication of our board of directors, led by Atalie Ebersole, who is our intrepid committee chair, year in year and out, she just does an amazing job with the whole organizing committee, and also--I am annoying. I am going to embarrass you--Natalie Buchanan Joyce, please join us. Coach Nat, you have got to come up here. Tori Barnes, Coach Natalie, Coach Ed, they are--and Jim Kiley--they are the glue that help make sure that we know what we are doing and that we can come together as a team every single year. So thank you. And then lastly, I acknowledge both Ed Perlmutter and Cheri Bustos. We occasionally have retirements amongst our colleagues. This year, we are losing two of our really dear colleagues who have been with us since the beginning of their time in Congress, and we appreciate their efforts so much. And really, lastly, before I turn it over to Congresswoman Bice, for those of you that have not met me or have not heard my story, I won't make it lengthy, but I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 15 years ago, when I was 41 years old. One day I was the picture of health. The next day, after doing a self-exam in the shower, I found a lump and, a few days later, realized it was breast cancer; and that I had the genetic mutation, BRCA2, which made me five times more likely of getting breast cancer. I didn't know I was at that kind of risk as an Ashkenazi Jewish woman. And if I didn't know, as involved as I had been in the fight against breast cancer, then I realized, my gosh, how many women don't know. So thank you to these incredible women who help us raise awareness about our Capitol Hill family. Think about all the young woman that work in this process; and that we can make sure, pay attention to their breast health; know what is normal for them so they know when something feels different. And when you catch breast cancer early, you are so much more likely to survive it. So thank you to my colleagues. Go Congress. We beat the press. We are beating cancer. Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice).