Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, after nearly a century, the equal rights amendment is on the cusp of ratification. At America's founding, women were intentionally left out of the Constitution. As second-class citizens, we lacked the right to vote, hold most jobs, or even own property. Today, we still receive less pay for the same work, and we face violence and harassment just for being women. But the ERA will prohibit all of that. In the eyes of our most sacred document, we will finally be equal. Women's rights should not depend on congressional whims or who occupies the White House. These basic fundamental rights must be guaranteed. But, if we want to hand a more perfect union to our daughters--and I have two of them--we must seize this moment to end sex discrimination. We owe it to the women who sacrificed before us and all of our daughters and sons who deserve a life of true equality. So I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution to remove the arbitrary and outdated deadline for ratifying the ERA.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise to wish a heartfelt Mazel Tov to Temple Solel of Hollywood, Florida on their 50th Anniversary Jubilee. The Jewish faith teaches us that we must lift up everyone to make the world a better place--Tikkun Olam. For 50 years, the members of Temple Solel have humbly done their part to repair the world for all those who struggle, for all who are forced to go without, and for everyone who is in need of a helping hand. And they do it unconditionally, with generosity, and with Gemilut Hasadim--the gift of loving kindness. Congratulations to Rabbi Robert Frazen, Rabbi Jeffrey Salkin, Cantor Israel Rosen, and all those who have served the congregation over the past 50 years. Their decades of leadership, spiritual guidance, and service have helped make Temple Solel become one of the most progressive faith-based institutions in Broward County. Whether educating our community about the dangers of climate change and sea level rise or supporting the values of full equality for LGBTQ Jews and their families, they have set an example for all to follow. I hold a deep admiration for the tremendous kindness the clergy and congregants of Temple Solel have shown our community for half a century. I wish them much success and joy as they continue to grow for the next 50 years.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, today, we remember the 6 million Jews and millions of others who were systematically murdered in the darkest chapter of human history. Last week, I had the privilege of traveling with a bipartisan delegation led by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to two nations forever interlaced into the fabric of Jewish history: the first, a monument to tragedy; the second, a beacon of hope. In Poland at Auschwitz-Birkenau, we saw firsthand the painful cruelty of the Nazi regime. We walked the train tracks that transported innocent people to captivity and the gas chambers, which led to their cruel and inhumane slaughter. After our time in Poland, I, like so many Jews escaping the horrors they experienced in Europe, traveled to the Holy Land with my colleagues. In Israel, we witnessed hope, the homeland of the Jewish people. I continue to be inspired to see that such generational trauma experienced by our people could be harnessed into something as powerful as democracy. At Yad Vashem, Israel's national memorial to Holocaust victims, we participated in a solemn commemoration to those who did not live to see a homeland that would be theirs. We heard the stories of the lives lost to hate and of the men and women who managed to survive that torture. I represent one of the largest survivors of the Holocaust populations in the United States. As the last generation of survivors ends their twilight years, it is even more important now that we keep their memories alive and recorded for future generations. In the face of rising hate and anti-Semitism at home and abroad, we all have a role to play in fighting bigotry wherever and whenever it rears its ugly head. The legislation the House passed today, the Never Again Education Act, which provides teachers with resources to teach children the important lessons of the Holocaust and the consequences of bigotry and hate, is a critically important and vital step. As co-chair of the Latino-Jewish Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on Black-Jewish Relations and a proud member of the Task Force on Combating Anti-Semitism, I am proud that we have all come together today to organize this Special Order in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for making this a priority so that we could give voice to the notion of ``never again.'' Today, we remember to ensure that never again will the horrors of the past be repeated.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise in full, enthusiastic support for this legislation which is long overdue. For decades, chemical corporations like 3M and DuPont knowingly manufactured products containing forever-toxic chemicals known as PFAS. Our Federal Government has confirmed that PFAS can adversely affect growth and learning in children, lower a women's chance of getting pregnant, increase cholesterol, hinder the immune system, interfere with hormone regulation, and even increase the risk of cancer. As a cancer survivor myself, and as chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I find it unconscionable that I have veterans coming to me to complain that their families are dying due to the Department of Defense's decades-long use of these chemicals. As a member of the Oversight and Reform Committee, I have told 3M and DuPont to their faces that I don't know how they sleep at night. They poisoned our water and contaminated the bloodstream of millions of people all for profit. It is past time that the Federal Government step up and do something about it, and we do that here today. I commend Congresswoman Dingell for her work and so many of my colleagues who have fought so far and so long, including the chairman.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, throughout this process, I listened, as a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, to career diplomats testify in depositions and found myself contemplating the gravity of this decision. One of my daughters asked then how I would make my decision about impeachment. I told her that, when her future children learn about President Trump's impeachment, they may ask: ``Mommy, what did Grandma do?'' I want my daughter to be able to tell her children Grandma did the right thing because, in America, no one is above the law. With his conduct around Ukraine, President Trump corruptly abused his power for his own interests, at direct odds with our national welfare and our Constitution. This President put his interests before those of this Nation. Left unchecked, he would do it again and has said so. The actions and ongoing schemes that led us to this moment are severe threats to our national security and democracy that we cannot defend or dismiss. With history watching, I must fulfill my constitutional duty and vote to impeach this President. His corrupt conduct and assault on our Constitution leave no other choice.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, the legislation also includes my language to require on-demand admission to Members of Congress into DHS facilities so that we can conduct oversight without the administration whitewashing the reality inside before we arrive. That accountability is essential. The American people are counting on us to enact full-year spending bills that invest responsibly and provide much-needed budget certainty. The bill also prohibits HHS from turning over immigration information about potential sponsors of immigrants to our country. That is also vital to make sure that our immigrants are protected and that they have sponsors who are eligible and don't live in fear of having their immigration status turned over to DHS. This bill does all of this and more. It is not perfect, but no compromise ever is. I am proud, as a member of the Appropriations Committee, to join my colleagues in support of it.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this minibus package that by no means is perfect and that represents, for sure, a tough compromise. But it makes strong investments to protect our Nation and upholds our values as Americans. The Commerce-Justice-Science division of this bill protects children by increasing the Missing and Exploited Children's Program funding, but I was deeply disappointed that the House language, which would have directed $40 million specifically for the Internet Crimes Against Children program at DOJ, was dropped from the final agreement at the insistence of Senate Republicans. This is inexcusable. The New York Times just published an expose detailing the explosion of child sexual abuse imagery on the internet. It is incumbent on Congress to provide adequate support for the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces, which were authorized by bipartisan legislation I passed, the PROTECT Our Children Act, in 2008. The Internet Crimes Against Children task forces have successfully rescued thousands of children, and their success is directly attached to the amount of funding we provide to them to do investigations. Notably, the CJS division also restores funding for the Census Bureau as it gears up for the 2020 Census, providing $7.6 billion to the Bureau to ensure that everyone in the United States is counted and represented. CJS also includes $19 million specifically for research to combat harmful algal blooms, which have devastated my State's coastal ecosystems and economy. I am also pleased that the Financial Services division includes $1.3 million for local pool safety grant programs. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury and death for children ages 1 to 4 in this country, which is why I sponsored and passed the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act to create and fund these grants in 2007. Additionally, this bill helps us protect and secure our democracy with $425 million for election security system grants to States, a vital provision that will help ensure our election security. The Defense division of this package invests in our national security and our Armed Forces, providing $622.7 billion in base funding, which is an increase of $16.2 billion above the enacted and $88.7 billion above the President's own budget request. The Defense bill also provides $110 million for peer-reviewed DOD cancer research funding, a longtime priority under the leadership of Chairwoman Nita Lowey. I am proud and thankful that the language I sponsored to specifically include metastatic cancer in the final agreement is still in the bill. In total, the Defense division provides almost $500 million for cancer research. However, I do want to note that I was disappointed about how the Homeland Security division turned out in this agreement. Chairwoman Roybal-Allard put together an excellent House bill that included restrictions on the ability to transfer and reprogram funding for ICE and CBP. The Trump administration repeatedly violates congressional intent by shifting funding to ICE beds and to implement the dangerous and cruel Migrant Protection Protocols. Sadly, the bicameral agreement strips the House guardrails, though I am glad to see the House bill's immigration ombudsman position is maintained.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I thank Chairwoman Lowey for yielding. I rise in support of this funding package which includes Military Construction-Veterans Affairs funding, which I am privileged to chair, and seven other appropriations bills. This package increases funding for our national priorities and soundly rejects President Trump's unserious and immoral budget. This package increases funding and makes sure that our bicameral, bipartisan compromise that we reached on the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs bill meets the needs of our servicemembers, supports our military families, and provides for our veterans. I want to underscore that the agreement does not provide any money for backfilling the funding that President Trump took--really, stole-- from our military projects after he declared a fake national emergency for the border wall, and it also denies advanced backfilling by the administration for their next attempt to steal more funding. There are zero dollars in the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs legislation for this wasteful border wall project. We secured a solid $1 billion in military construction, notably in family housing improvements, energy resiliency, and child development centers. Further, this agreement fully funds family housing construction at $1.3 billion and includes $140.8 million for costs associated with mold, lead-based paint, and vermin. I am disappointed that we could not get agreements from the administration to limit the transfer of funds from all MILCON dollars, but I am pleased that we were able to prevent vital disaster funding from being transferred in the future. The administration needs to think twice about moving money from congressionally approved projects to fund a border wall and understand that there is no back door around Congress' power of the purse. I am proud that the bill includes $585 million in funding for gender- specific care for women for the first time, as well as additional funding for homeless assistance programs, whole health, and mental health and suicide prevention programs. As a member of the Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I am thrilled by how much this bill invests in water infrastructure, clean energy, and economic ecosystem restoration--and by how much this bill helps my home State of Florida. The bill includes mine and other Floridians' request for full funding for Everglades restoration at $200 million. Even more, it fully authorizes the Central Everglades Planning Project, a suite of restoration projects that aims to fix freshwater flows in south Florida's ecosystem. I am also proud to have helped secure six new construction starts and funding to help major ports like Port Everglades, in my district, expand and adapt to the modern economy. As a breast cancer survivor, I am glad that the Labor-HHS-Education division of the bill includes language that I sponsored to ensure that young women have access to coverage for breast cancer screenings beginning at age 40. It also includes $5 million to fund my EARLY Act legislation for the CDC to promote breast cancer awareness for young and at-risk women. The Foreign Operations division ensures that America helps Venezuelans who are suffering through instability and economic pain and includes funding for democracy promotion, human rights, and civil society programs in Venezuela. Finally, I am pleased that the minibus also includes legislation that I sponsored and worked on with my south Florida colleagues. The Venezuela Emergency Relief, Democracy Assistance, and Development Act will require greater monitoring and strategies to prevent Russian meddling in Venezuela's affairs, a bill I sponsored; increased humanitarian aid; and restrict the exportation of weapons used to stifle domestic dissent in Venezuela. I urge all Members to support this bill.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished woman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in reluctant support of this continuing resolution, which would keep the government open until December 20, 2019. As has been stated, but can't be stated enough, the House has done its job. We passed our appropriations bills earlier this summer. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to act in time, and now we are kicking the can down the road yet again with a second CR. A CR is destructive for our Federal agencies, but we need to keep the government open, obviously. Fortunately, this CR has a few provisions that make this bitter medicine more palatable. It once again includes critical health extenders for Medicare and Medicaid programs and for other benefit programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Notably, the bill also restores necessary funding for the Census Bureau as it gears up for the 2020 Census, and it includes a 3.1 percent pay raise for our troops. As chairwoman of the Appropriations Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, I happily support this necessary pay raise for our servicemembers. But let me make this clear: We cannot responsibly govern by an endless series of destructive continuing resolutions. These Band-Aids keep the lights on but serve as de facto spending cuts for our Federal agencies, and they handcuff short and longer term budget and project planning. Instead of locking ourselves into a series of CRs, it is imperative that the Senate work with us in good faith to come to agreement on top- line funding numbers, and do so without taking all their marching orders from the White House. Passing CRs also abdicates our congressional power of the purse. The Appropriations Committee put a lot of work and countless beneficial provisions into our bills. We must not toss all of that thoughtful work aside. Mr. Speaker, I support passage of this CR. Our businesses, families, and local communities deserve and need that budget certainty. But I urge Congress to work out amongst ourselves a concrete path forward to fulfill our appropriations responsibilities and resume orderly funding of the government.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I recognize the distinguished career of John R. Flint, City Manager of my hometown of Weston, Florida. Mr. Flint is one of Broward County's long-serving public servants. Appointed as the City of Weston's first City Manager in July 1997, Mr. Flint is the Chief Executive Officer of the nation's premier municipal corporation. Incorporated in 1996 by an overwhelming percentage of its voters, Weston quickly gained international attention for being one of the country's largest master-planned communities and for the progressive form of contractual municipal management which Mr. Flint has instituted. He currently oversees services to the City's 67,000 residents, over an area of 27 square miles. Mr. Flint has served in local government management capacities in the cities of Hollywood and Cooper City where he was responsible for the design, construction and management of municipal infrastructure. He has received both gubernatorial and legislative appointments furthering his community service. John is a consummate professional whom I am proud to call my friend. I wish him well on his retirement and thank him for the thoughtful and committed work he has done to enrich and safeguard the residents of Weston.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, we are standing here today because the President has decided that a campaign promise is more important than the safety and security of our Nation. Earlier this month, the President stole funds from our brave servicemembers to pay for a costly monument to waste. Instead of owning up to the falsehood that Mexico would pay for his border wall, Trump has chosen to degrade our national security. The continuation of this fake emergency declaration poses a direct threat to both our military families and America's national security. It steals from soldiers who must now keep sending children to overcrowded schools. It forces servicemembers to work on bases where hazardous materials sit in unsafe facilities. These Trump cuts sacrifice emergency and fire rescue facilities, flight simulation facilities, roads, clinics, and dining halls, just to name a few. This action will make training readiness and life harder for America's families and hurts our national security. But don't take my word for it; take the word of a recent Air Force report that detailed the risk to our troops and national security at home and abroad with the diversion of these previously appropriated funds. ``At Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, a boiler failure at a facility that provides all electrical power and steam heat for the base is `imminent,''' the report says. ``With temperatures as low as 65 degrees below zero, a failure would be devastating to facilities, and the missions housed by them within hours. The base would be forced to evacuate within hours and, once closed, would freeze and require millions of dollars of repair to return to usable conditions.'' It does not sound like the border wall for a fake emergency is more important than making sure we don't close an entire base in Alaska. I will remind Members that this wall was rejected by a bipartisan majority, and the fake national emergency was rejected by bipartisan majorities, twice now, in the Republican Senate. This is using the playbook of an authoritarian, jeopardizing our military readiness to steal a wall after it could not be lawfully secured. This is a dangerous precedent. I hope all of my Republican colleagues join me in terminating this ``emergency'' declaration. We all should agree that bypassing Congress and the Constitution and starving the military of funding is not patriotism. It is everything that true patriots fight against. I urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution and send a message to our troops that their safety and our Nation's military readiness matter more than fulfilling a deceptive campaign promise.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I thank my colleague from Texas, the ranking member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, for being such an incredible partner in our work together, and I look forward to bringing our one-twelfth of this bill in for a landing when we complete the appropriations process for this fiscal year. But, for now, Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this continuing resolution which, yet again, puts us in a position of having to avoid another shutdown. The House has done its part, passing ten appropriations bills, but the Republican Senate has been delinquent in their responsibilities. This resolution, thankfully, buys us time, time that avoids any budgetary anxiety that our families, businesses, and communities simply don't need right now. If Wall Street and Main Street agree on one thing, it is that government shutdowns help no one. What we all want is what this continuing resolution provides: a measure of stability. And, Lord knows, we need that right now, given current events. It avoids divisive policy fights and embraces shared priorities, such as bolstering the 2020 Census Bureau preparations, which is a vital constitutional responsibility, and ensuring our critical health programs don't expire. And namely, it does not fund the President's border wall, yet does provide much-needed Medicaid funding to Americans still recovering in Puerto Rico. I am extremely proud of our leadership, particularly our chairwoman, for providing this budgetary certainty that our economy needs right now, and for ensuring that the priorities of working families are protected. Again, I urge my colleagues to support this resolution, and I look forward to working with my fellow appropriators to bring the FY20 final bill in for a landing.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I honor the life of Joel Stephen Fass, a brilliant legal mind, community advocate, and my dear friend. Mr. Fass, along with his law partner Michael Colodny, formed the firm Colodny Fass in Broward County, Florida in 1974. Mr. Fass practiced in the areas of personal injury, commercial litigation, and civil rights. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Fass served as the Kings County prosecutor in Brooklyn, New York and successfully pursued the rights of countless personal injury victims, including abused and neglected elderly individuals. Joel was a champion for our community's elderly. He served as past president of the Broward County Area Agency on Aging Board of Directors, and was recently named to the ``Broward Senior Hall of Fame.'' I have known few people who worked as tirelessly as Joel did to ensure our seniors were safe, and able to maintain their dignity and wellbeing. Joel was always on the front lines in responding to the critical needs in our community. In 2010, Mr. Fass was bestowed the ``Ending Abuse Award'' by Broward Jewish Family Services for his recognition to urge advocacy of shared gender responsibility in maintaining domestic tranquility among families in the Jewish community. A resident of Weston, Florida for 19 years, he chaired the City of Weston's first Charter Review Commission and subsequently served as a Weston Charter Review Commissioner. Joel was a distinguished veteran who served honorably in the United States Army and embodied the best of what it means to give back to your country and community. My heart goes out to his wife Susan, children, and grandchildren whom he adored and were the light of his life. Joel was a selfless, compassionate, and a tireless advocate for others in Broward County. He will be profoundly missed but never forgotten.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I recognize the distinguished career of Charles Scott Neely, Principal of Cypress Bay High School in my hometown of Weston, Florida. Scott Neely is one of Broward County's longest-serving high school principals. He was the founding principal and served at the helm of Cypress Bay, Florida's largest high school, since it opened in 2002 and shepherded thousands of students--including my three children--through some of the most formidable years of their lives. Principal Neely built Cypress Bay into one of the highest ranked public high schools in the nation. They have an almost perfect graduation rate, 72 percent of students take at least one Advance Placement course, and 90 percent pursue studies in college or vocational schools. Beyond academics, Principal Neely and Cypress Bay High have instilled a sense of service in their students. In recent years, the student body has raised over $250,000 for UNICEF. Scott has also fostered a learning environment that values diversity and inspires all students to succeed. Indeed, Cypress Bay reflects the beautiful diversity of my home state, with a student body that is more than 50 percent Hispanic. Scott's devotion to his students is a reminder that we must continue to invest in our nation's teachers, children, and schools. And Principal Neely has always understood that in order to invest in our students, we need to invest in our teachers. He is truly an educator's educator. Educators will tell you that teaching is demanding. Educators work long hours and are not only expected to impart a certain knowledge, but they also instill a love of learning in their students. I know firsthand the excellence Scott has brought to Cypress Bay each day. His patience, wisdom, and encouragement have helped shape tomorrow's leaders, ensuring America remains competitive, innovative, and prosperous. Scott is a champion for our children and an inspiration to all those who know him, myself included. I join my fellow Cypress Bay Lighting parents, students, and alumni in wishing the ``Big Kahuna'' well on his retirement and in thanking him for the thoughtful and committed work he has done to enrich and safeguard our children.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge the House to pass the Venezuela TPS Act of 2019, which would grant Venezuelan nationals urgently needed temporary protective status in the United States of America. The Maduro regime has perpetrated egregious human rights abuses, inflicting an economic and humanitarian crisis on the people of Venezuela. Venezuelans fleeing starvation, violence, and political persecution have sought refuge in the United States. My district has the largest Venezuelan population in the U.S. So many of my south Florida neighbors know the brutality of the Maduro regime firsthand and fled here seeking safety. The stories are heartbreaking: children kidnapped from playgrounds; family members dying of hunger, violence, and lack of medicine; individuals who were jailed for speaking out against the government; businesses confiscated. Extending TPS will ensure Venezuelans are shielded from the imminent danger of deportation and can obtain work permits. President Trump has called the Maduro regime a ``nightmare of poverty, hunger, and death.'' He said in June that he was looking ``very seriously at extending TPS to Venezuela.'' But a recent letter from the USCIS stated the administration is simply ``monitoring'' the situation in Venezuela, something it has done for months. There was no commitment to extend TPS to Venezuela, and in the meantime, this administration continues to deport Venezuelan nationals, sending them back to the nightmare of the Maduro regime. This cannot wait any longer. It is past time we support the Venezuelan community and recognize the urgency of extending them TPS. President Trump could grant TPS to Venezuelans today. He doesn't need congressional action. So amidst his inaction, the House of Representatives will take action today to protect our neighbors and friends, because their lives are on the line. I urge my colleagues to vote for this legislation to ensure that Venezuelans are granted this essential protection, and I say ``Vive Venezuela.''

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the House to pass this resolution which opposes efforts to delegitimize the State of Israel through the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement. This resolution reiterates that there is a viable pathway to peace: through direct negotiations to achieve two states for two people. If implemented, the BDS movement would blacklist Israeli businesses, devastate the Israeli economy, and create doubt about Israel's legitimacy among the next generation. That undermines any possibility of achieving a lasting peace. The global rise of anti-Semitism is manifesting itself in many terrifying ways, and we must remain vigilant. This resolution is paramount in ensuring that BDS supporters cannot utilize this movement to promote an anti-Semitic agenda. BDS does not seek and will not help achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace. In fact, it pushes the hope for a two-state solution even further away. BDS only gives fodder to Israel's enemies who seek to destroy her and isolate her from the rest of the world. Direct, bilateral negotiations between the parties is the only option for a viable, long-lasting peace.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise to honor the life of Arthur ``Roy'' Thomas and extend my condolences to his family. Roy was an integral part of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Region 8. Roy, a dedicated champion for union rights, tragically passed away on July 13th after a battle with stage 4 cancer. He was a dear friend and embodied the best of what it means to give back to your country and community. Born in 1952, Roy dedicated his entire life to helping others. He began working at Fleetguard in 1970 and was employed there for 47 years. Roy started working for UAW in November 1995 as a union organizer and became UAW Community Action Program Representative in October 2002 until his retirement in December 2017. Roy embodied UAW's mission of social justice and action, and his passion truly inspired so many of the union sisters and brothers that he fought for every day. He was warm, loyal and devoted to his friends and allies. He was the type of person who through his affable personality and his approach to advocacy on the issues important to auto workers drew devotion, respect and affection simultaneously. I personally was a recipient of his unwavering friendship and am eternally grateful for his leadership in supporting our unions. Roy Thomas was truly one-of-a-kind whose joy for life is the imprint he left on the hearts of those who knew him well. He will be tremendously missed, but never forgotten.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, I intended to vote yes on amendment number 50 by Representative Justin Amash to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (H.R. 2500). I should have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 460.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, due to a family medical emergency, I was unable to vote on Duncan Amendment No. 234 and Duncan Amendment No. 235 to Division E of H.R. 3055. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 400 and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 401. Amendment No. 244 Offered by Mr. Grothman

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I rise to support this amendment. I agree with my colleague from Utah, and I appreciate him drawing attention to this important issue. Veterans' credit scores should not be negatively impacted by untimely or improper payments by VA to third-party providers. This is an unconscionable outcome to the irresponsible actions of the VA. I understand VA is working with the gentleman on this issue, and it is still in the process of setting up a database that will allow consumer reporting agencies to verify whether or not a debt furnished to a consumer reporting agency is actually a veteran's medical debt, as required by Public Law 115-174, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of setting up this database, it will take longer than the 1-year deadline required by the law. We must hold the VA accountable for timely payments, and we cannot accept veterans suffering the financial consequences of VA's improper or untimely payments. I do commit to working with the gentleman on this issue as we move through the process. We need to make sure that when our veterans come home, they are able to seamlessly transition back to civilian life and not have obstacles thrown in their path by the VA's own mistakes. Mr. Chair, I appreciate the gentleman offering this amendment to protect our veterans and protect their credit. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. I know the ranking member joins me in that effort. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairwoman, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in support of this excellent amendment. The health and safety of our troops in the surrounding communities is paramount. We need to ensure basic projects, like fire stations, are funded properly, just as training ranges, barracks, hospitals, and schools are. I look forward to working with the gentleman in future budget submissions, and I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chairwoman, the amendments included in the en bloc were made in order by the rule and have been agreed to by the ranking member, Judge Carter and I, and I support the amendment and urge its adoption. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. The past year has been particularly devastating to military installations in multiple States, including my own. There are bases that experienced hurricanes, tornadoes, and massive coastal and river flooding. Over time, gradual sea level changes magnify the impacts of storm surge and may eventually result in permanent inundation of facilities and installations. In my home State of Florida, Tyndall Air Force Base was devastated by Hurricane Michael. Building resilient DOD facilities that can sustain the impacts of damaging storms and flooding is no longer an option but an essential requirement. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. I commend the gentleman for his leadership on this issue.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. The maintenance of our roads in and around our military installations is a must for the safety of our servicemembers and their families. It is also key for the training and readiness of our troops. I look forward to working with the gentleman in future budget submissions to make sure that we can address this important issue and protect the safety of our troops. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.