Bonnie Watson Coleman

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlemen for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join his call for justice for the sailors and their families who suffered in the discriminatory and callous response to the Port Chicago Naval Magazine tragedy. This is of particular importance to me because I have the honor of representing the district that the alleged leader of that protest, Joseph Randolph Small, had called home. It is also important because of where we are in the arc of history. The events of the past couple months have forced our Nation to do quite a bit of soul-searching on the topic of race and the enduring injustices felt by men and women of color. From the seemingly inexplicable use of force against unarmed people of color in cases like those of Walter Scott in South Carolina and Tamir Rice in Cleveland, Ohio, to the explicit and disturbing hate crime committed at Mother Emanuel, we know that the bias and discrimination that occurred at Port Chicago is not isolated to the past. But, Mr. Speaker, if there is any positive outcome to these tragedies, it is in the opportunity to heal long buried but never bandaged wounds. Recognizing one such wound, South Carolina recently voted to remove the Confederate battle flag from the grounds of its statehouse. Exonerating the sailors who were unfairly punished simply for seeking safer working conditions would help heal yet another. Mr. Speaker, as my colleague already described, in 1944, a segregated U.S. Navy used Black enlisted men with no training to do the heavy, dangerous work of loading ammunition onto vessels that would transport them to the front. That lack of training and neglect for the safety of those sailors led to the greatest homefront disaster of World War II and claimed several hundred lives--most of them Black. Small, who hailed from beautiful Somerset, New Jersey, led the protest because the survivors understood that to return to the same routine would mean risking another explosion. That simple protest of basic rights and consideration led to convictions of mutiny, prison sentences, and dishonorable discharges for the sailors who stood with Small. Before the explosion, Small had complained to the new commander that he was promoting inherently dangerous behavior by rewarding the sailors who could load the most ammunition in the shortest period of time. Small was ignored. And after joining his peers in protest, he was kept in solitary confinement during his trial and sentenced to 15 years simply for seeking justice. Mr. Speaker, exonerating these men would make right a longstanding injustice, and I am proud to stand with my colleagues in this call for action. I thank the gentleman for his work.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the United States and our allies reached a landmark agreement with Iran to prevent them from obtaining a nuclear weapon. To get to this point, Mr. Speaker, we used diplomacy to find a potential solution that seeks to stabilize the entire Middle East region. Diplomacy affords us a clearer picture of what the Iranian Government is doing and what they are capable of. We used peaceful means to promote peace in one of the most volatile regions in the world, and I am proud of the commitment of President Obama, this administration, and our allies, in keeping these negotiations alive. Mr. Speaker, I am not saying that our job is done. Congress must and should take a very close look at this agreement in its final form. In fact, I firmly believe that Congress has a critical role to play in the next steps of this agreement. Let's look at what this agreement does. Within the text, Iran affirms that it will not seek, develop, or acquire a nuclear weapon; but we must ensure that the language will fully deter them from going back on their word and duly punish them if they take that path. Within the text of the agreement, we accept that the United States will lift the sanctions that we have placed on Iran, but we must have mechanisms that will allow for oversight on the ground in Iran that holds them accountable. This is a difficult and sensitive balance, but if this agreement has managed to strike that balance, we would miss a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the Middle East if we reject this deal. That is not something we can afford to flippantly dismiss. What this teaches us, Mr. Speaker, is that aggression is not the only answer we have to handle difficult relations across the globe. In fact, aggression would not have brought us to this point where, without any loss of life for us or our allies, without significant cost to our Nation or the global economy, we have managed to find compromise. Sanctions cannot and should not be the only way we bring nations to the table. They serve a critical purpose, and certainly, they helped in bringing us to this point. They also come at a significant cost; rather than starving their government in the way we thought they would, they pushed the government to starve its people, resulting in vast unemployment and limited opportunity for a generation of Iranians and probably fertile ground for the radicalization of individuals. They pushed Iran to ally itself with international actors that further hampered our efforts to stabilize this region. They pushed Iran towards total isolation, a situation in which we have no impact whatsoever. At some point, sanctions that have at points been effective become obsolete and counterproductive. I would not ask any of my colleagues to support a deal that does not achieve our chief purpose, preventing a nuclear-armed Iran, with the ability to wreak havoc on the United States, our allies, and the world. I will also ask my colleagues to consider the alternative if we fail to ratify a deal that would meet these goals appropriately, pushing Iran further into the shadows; giving us no chance at monitoring how, where, and when Iran is enriching uranium; and sending Iran further into the arms of bad actors or offering Iran even greater motivation to undermine basic international law. I have one pretty solid idea of the outcome: a dangerous, complicated war that would drag what is likely the most volatile region in the world into complete chaos. This agreement may be the best chance to put Iran at the table and keep them accountable, to engage the international community in monitoring their activities, to operate in the known and not the unknown of what they are capable of, and to give them a reason to seek the same kind of international peace that every country desperately relies upon. Further aggression, further sanctions, further isolation can no longer be our answer, especially when we have been given a real opportunity to open the door to peace. I urge my colleagues to give this agreement real consideration. I urge my colleagues to read this agreement. I urge my colleagues to approach this agreement without partisan or political bias. It is time to give peace a chance. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, earlier today, the distinguished gentlewoman from California introduced a privileged resolution, not too different from the one my friend and colleague Mr. Thompson brought to the floor just last week. Mr. Speaker, that resolution called for the immediate removal of the Confederate battle flag from the Capitol grounds. And my colleagues across the aisle moved quickly to banish that resolution to die in committee. Earlier today, the original home of the Confederacy argued, but agreed, that the Confederate flag and the history it represents belong in a museum. They decided that the flag should not serve as a bright, waving reminder of the discrimination and disparity of treatment for people of color that still lingers in communities across our country-- hateful sentiments that resulted in the loss of nine lives at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston. They decided that that flag should not hang high above the halls of State government, forcing all those who see it to wonder whether the emotions and ideology so closely tied to it are present in the hearts and minds of those who serve in that statehouse. They decided that the flag had flown long enough, and that taking it down would be one small but critical step in healing the deep divisions present in their State. They stood against the symbol of bigotry, they stood against years of complacency, and they stood for the principles of equality, justice, and unity for this Nation. They will take that flag down tomorrow. But Republican leadership in this body refuses to do that. They took the path of cowardice and turned a blind eye to the struggles of generations of Americans. They used backhanded tactics last night to muddle the language of the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill, including language intended to satisfy Members who would rather see that flag fly. The fallout from that language led to the disappearance of that bill from today's scheduled debate and resulted in the chairman of that subcommittee disowning the final product. Leader Pelosi's resolution offered another opportunity for my colleagues across the aisle to stand on the right side of history, but they turned that chance down resoundingly. Mr. Speaker, let's not mince words. While I stand with my brothers and sisters of the South, the Confederacy itself fell far below even common decency for fellow man, violating human rights and taking advantage of every part of the lives of the men and women they enslaved, sometimes for profit and sometimes purely for pleasure. The Confederacy used extreme violence and terrorism to subjugate millions purely on the basis of the color of their skin, and started the deadliest war ever to take place on U.S. soil to defend a disgraceful system. That flag is a symbol of the Confederacy's effort to keep that system intact. That is why, Mr. Speaker, before the holiday, I stood in this very spot on the floor to denounce the hate, bigotry, malice, discrimination, and division that the Confederate flag stands for. But I also reminded my colleagues that a symbol, while significant, is only a stand-in for something far stronger. A symbol will never have the strength of a bullet fired from the barrel of a policeman's gun at an unarmed Black man because of ingrained bias. A symbol will never have the impact of a prison sentence that permanently prevents a young person from becoming a full-fledged member of society, a fate far more likely to befall a person of color. A symbol will never eradicate Black and Latino wealth like the predatory loan structures that put their homes underwater in a recession at rates that dwarfed their White peers. But if we are not even willing to get rid of a symbol, as this body has so clearly expressed its disinterest in doing, how can we possibly move on to the real underlying problems, issues like education for young people, affordable housing, and access and training for jobs. Removing a symbol is an easy thing to do, an easy thing that would have signaled one country, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Today, Republican Members across the aisle did more than just stand up for that symbol of hate and that symbol of degradation. These Members treated me and those issues that are vitally important and extremely sensitive to me in a manner that was both disrespectful, insensitive, and very hurtful, Mr. Speaker. Nonetheless, this will not go away. We will continue to raise this issue every day that it is needed, every week that it is needed, every month that it is needed, until my colleagues can recognize that a simple act of decency, the removal of this symbol of hate and disrespect and slavery, a mark on our history that needs to be removed. Once we do that, Mr. Speaker, once we do that simple, little thing, and that is to stand together in taking down that ugly symbol that that flag represents, then we will be able to get on with the serious and important work that needs to be done to lift up this economy on behalf of all people. That will be education for all people, and higher education that is affordable for all people, Mr. Speaker. It will be affordable housing. It will be jobs and job training. It will be adequate preschool programs and afterschool programs. It will be recreation programs and character-building programs. It will be safe communities. It will be equal opportunity for all because that is the country that we live in, and that is the reason that we have this Congress, and that is the reason that I am here. I, for one, will not be silent on this issue until we see this change that the 21st century demands. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Becerra).

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I thank the gentlewoman from California for sharing her wisdom with us and her encouragement. Mr. Speaker, I really am touched by what we experienced in Charleston, South Carolina, the kind of grace and mercy that the families of those who were felled by this domestic terrorist on the church in Charleston, South Carolina. I know that, even in this Chamber, there are friends that I have across the aisle who would gladly vote with me and vote with my colleagues to remove that flag and that imagery and that symbolism from any of our government properties if they would simply be given the chance. In honor and respect of the loss of life and the grace and mercy and the healing and forgiveness that was demonstrated by the families of those who lost their lives in Charleston, South Carolina, and in recognition of the courageous steps that the South Carolinians did in voting to take down that flag and for the Governor to sign that and to watch, tomorrow, when history is being made, to take down that flag, I pray that our House is given the opportunity to vote our conscience because I know that I have colleagues on the other side of the aisle that feel the same way that I do, that believe in the greatness of this country and that believe in justice and liberty for all and believe that those symbols that remind us of the mistakes that we have made belong in the annals of history, to be remembered, but never to be repeated. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Representative Becerra, thank you so much for taking your time and being here with us today, and thank you so much for your eloquent words. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Hahn).

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those remarks. Mr. Speaker, last Wednesday, Dylann Roof walked into Emanuel AME and stole the lives of nine innocent Americans. In the days since, somehow we have lost track of the real problems. We keep talking about a flag, a flag that is a symbol of many our Nation's most glaring problems, but it is only a symbol. I don't want to get too far off track, but I do want to make something perfectly clear. Symbols may matter, but they don't matter as much as the actions of police who consistently treat black men and women with clear and biased disregard. Symbols don't matter as much as the mandatory sentencing laws that have propped up a prison industry with hundreds of thousands of Black men. Symbols don't matter as much as the predatory loan structures that put Black homeowners underwater and decimated the Black middle class, practices that banks were never truly held accountable for. So, alongside those calls to take down the flag, I would appreciate calls to acknowledge that persistent racism is not the only problem here. Pervasive and unnecessary gun violence is also one of our Nation's most pronounced flaws. Mr. Speaker, let me say this: I fully support the permanent removal of the Confederate flag. It represents one the darkest stains on our Nation's history. It represents baseless hate, disrespect for the civil rights and freedoms this Nation was founded upon, and enduring mistreatment in communities of color. But if we are really about the business of ending discrimination once and for all, we need to enact policies that will counteract everything that that flag represents: job training that ensures all of our communities are qualified for the jobs of the future; education that lets our students succeed, regardless of where they live; and affordable housing that exists outside of the urban centers, in the communities that can offer folks the jobs they need to get on their feet and to climb to the middle class. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas. She has always been a source of information and history. She has always tied our history into our current situation as she has always been someone who has motivated us to think sincerely about the issues of the day and how we can become part of the solution. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I just want to reiterate that I associate myself with every recommendation that this gentlewoman has put forth here. I do indeed believe that we need some sensible gun control legislation. I have even introduced legislation that makes it more difficult to secure ammunition. I do think that that is a very important component of creating a safer environment in this country for all citizens. I think also that we need to take a serious look at what this type of domestic terrorism is doing and whether or not we are devoting the type of resources that are necessary to ensure that our people are as safe as they can be. I think that we are very involved and very concerned and very proactive in looking at potential lone wolves, jihadists, ISIS recruitment activities, and things of that ilk, but I question whether or not we are sufficiently engaging in oversight, interventions, and creating tools in order to look at the sites that kind of generate the willingness of people such as Mr. Roof and his desire to do what he did. So I hope that in consort with what Mr. Thompson had earlier released that we are willing to hold hearings on the issue of domestic terrorism. I hope that we are willing to look at policies and procedures that create opportunities and jobs and safer communities and good public education. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your indulgence. I yield the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I thank the gentlewoman for her remarks, and I associate myself with the concerns raised through them. Mr. Speaker, my heart is heavy right now. I never thought that I would be in Washington representing the people of the 12th District in the State of New Jersey, but never in my wildest imagination did I think that I would be on the floor of this body mourning the nine Americans murdered for the color of their skin in the midst of worship, at a church that was part of the fight for our civil rights. In what has become a disturbingly routine order of events, we watch, horrified, as the helicopter circles a church, a movie theater, a college campus, or a school. A breaking news headline parades across the screen, keeping track of the developing details. The next day, we debate the mental stability or motive of the shooter. We ask where they purchased the weapon. We ponder the merits of changing our Nation's laws to keep more Americans safe. And then, inevitably, we do nothing, and the cycle repeats. The rate of mass shootings has steadily risen since 2000. President Barack Obama has himself addressed the Nation for at least a dozen of these incidents since the beginning of his first term. We are the only developed nation in the world that has this problem, and we need to wake up and ask ourselves why. We are told that more guns will keep us safe. We are told that requiring background checks for every purchase, with no exceptions, is too intrusive. We are told that our constitutional right to bear arms should cover every weapon, from a simple handgun to a machine gun, whose only purpose is to cause massive and irreparable harm. Mr. Speaker, we are here tonight because we know that these statements are, at the very least, misleading and, more likely, outright falsehoods. We stand together on behalf of the millions of Americans who agree that the shooting in Tucson, Arizona, that wounded one of our own should have been our last; that the lives lost in Aurora, Colorado, should have been the last; that the babies we lost in Newtown, Connecticut, should have moved us to change the ease with which we allow access to firearms. We are asking our colleagues on both sides of the aisle whether they are willing to make this newest addition to a painful list the very last. I hope when we close our remarks this evening that every one of us will see the need for change. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield to a fellow freshman, who has introduced legislation today that would keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Beyer).

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I thank the gentlewoman for taking the time to join us and sharing that important message. I join her in her sentiments. I now yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Kelly).

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. As we do almost every week, my colleagues and I are here on the floor this evening to urge the people's House to take up the issues that matter to the people. This week, we are still reeling from the tragedy in South Carolina. My colleagues and I are urging Members on both sides of the aisle to take a look at an issue we have consistently and painfully avoided for years, what we are doing to prevent gun violence. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 1640, the Department of Homeland Security Headquarters Consolidation Accountability Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, in 2006, 3 years into the Department of Homeland Security's existence, President Bush proposed consolidating the headquarters functions of the Department and its components from the more than 50 locations to the St. Elizabeths campus in southeast Washington, D.C. Construction began in 2009, but between sequestration and tightening budgets, appropriations for the project have been $1.2 billion less than President Bush and President Obama requested. Naturally, Congress' failure to consistently and adequately fund the project has greatly slowed construction and led to increased costs. It has also forced DHS to revisit its master plan and reduce the scope of the project. At this juncture, it is important that the Department have a realistic and achievable plan. The legislation under consideration seeks to do just that. If enacted, this legislation would require the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit to Congress an updated plan for St. Elizabeths to inform future funding decisions. Importantly, H.R. 1640 requires the submission of a proposed occupancy plan for St. Elizabeths that includes a list of components and offices to be housed there. A key consequence of the Department having to scale down the breadth of its consolidation plans is the reality that its portfolio of leased space will need to remain large. In fact, with up to 69 percent of DHS' commercial leases in the national capital region expiring between fiscal years 2016 to 2020, we should all be aware that DHS will be forced to embark on the expensive process of recompeting and possibly relocating its operations and personnel. Before I reserve the balance of my time, I would like to acknowledge that I am pleased that the bill includes an amendment I offered to give the Department adequate time to engage the General Services Administration, the construction manager for the project, in preparing the updated plans, assessments, and estimates. GSA's participation in the development of these key materials is essential to ensuring that what is transmitted to Congress is realistic and achievable. As a supporter of the St. Elizabeths project and DHS' Unity of Effort initiative, I urge passage of H.R. 1640. Colocation of DHS' personnel in one headquarters has the potential of not only achieving cost savings, but fostering an environment where integration and collaboration drives more effective and efficient operations. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I appreciate the bipartisan approach taken on this legislation. The St. Elizabeths project is about more than real estate; it is about ensuring the Department of Homeland Security has a home where diverse components can come together. That is the thinking behind the Secretary's Unity of Effort initiative. Enactment of this legislation will help to ensure that DHS has a realistic plan for St. Elizabeths. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman McCaul and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Walker) for their work on this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I, once again, want to point out the bipartisan efforts in regards to this measure. This measure has the potential of fostering more coordinated IT planning and management among the Department's components. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage and support of this measure. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 1626, the DHS IT Duplication Reduction Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1626 seeks to address duplication or fragmentation within the Department of Homeland Security's information technology systems. Specifically, H.R. 1626 requires the Department's Chief Information Officer to report on the number of IT systems throughout the Department and identify and address those areas where duplication or fragmentation may exist. This undertaking at the headquarters level should help inform the Department's IT budget planning which, in light of sequestration and the downward trend of the Department's budget, becomes all the more important when considered in the critical missions entrusted to DHS. This legislation is in the spirit of the Department's Unity of Effort initiative and has the potential of fostering more coordinated IT planning and management among the Department's components. In committee, a number of technical refinements authored by Democrats were accepted to ensure that reducing redundancy frees up resources for DHS' operations. Mr. Speaker, I do urge support for this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1615, the DHS FOIA Efficiency Act. Mr. Speaker, this legislation, which was unanimously approved by the committee on May 20, seeks to improve the Department's processing of Freedom of Information Act requests. In November 2014, the Comptroller General reported that DHS faces the largest backlog of unprocessed FOIA requests of any Federal agency. While resource challenges and inefficiencies in DHS' internal processes help explain in part the backlog, we must not be complacent and accept these challenges as excuses for the backlog. A cornerstone of our democracy is that the government is accountable to its citizens. The FOIA process is a key mechanism to ensure accountability. I am pleased that the approach taken under this bill is consistent with the Department's unity of effort initiative. Specifically, H.R. 1615 requires that the Department's chief FOIA officer collaborate with FOIA officials in component agencies to track the total annual costs associated with processing FOIA requests, identify and adopt cost-savings measures, and strategize on addressing the backlog. Mr. Speaker, I would also note that in committee, measures authored by Democratic members to promote automation and address staffing resources were adopted with bipartisan support. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 1615, a bipartisan bill that seeks to improve the responsiveness of the Department of Homeland Security to the American public, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, timely compliance with FOIA requests is imperative to an open government. The DHS FOIA backlog has existed for too long and needs to be addressed. I thank Representative Carter and Chairman McCaul for their bipartisan efforts on the DHS FOIA Efficiency Act, which marks an important first step in addressing this FOIA backlog and promoting greater automation in the processing of requests. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1646, the Homeland Security Drone Assessment and Analysis Act, and in support of the House's adoption of H.R. 1646. I introduced this legislation in response to testimony that we received in committee this past March on gaps in our understanding of the security implications of unmanned aerial systems, UAS, in domestic airspace. For example, off-the-shelf systems widely available today, in the wrong hands, can jam transmitted signals, take surveillance imagery, and carry dangerous weapons. Given these systems' capabilities, it is important that there be a comprehensive study of the security risks and plans to address them. To that end, H.R. 1646 directs the Department of Homeland Security to research how a commercially available small- and medium-sized drone could be used to perpetrate an attack, and to develop policies, guidance, and protocols to prevent such an attack or mitigate the risk of such an attack. As amended in committee, my legislation directs DHS to work with the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to carry out this research, and allows for DHS to share advice and information based on that research with these key Federal partners. Mr. Speaker, drone technology holds great promise, with significant social and economic benefits not yet fully realized. However, given the rapid growth in the domestic drone market, it is important that we identify and have strategies to mitigate the associated security risk. If enacted, H.R. 1646 will enhance our Nation's security while, at the same time, clarifying the framework for Americans' legitimate interest in producing and using drones lawfully and safely. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, H.R. 1646, to further the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to work with other agencies on the security risks of small- and medium-sized drones in domestic airspace. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned before, this legislation would do nothing to disturb the availability of paid administrative leave for DHS workers who need it to vote or to serve on a jury. It is narrowly focused on getting a handle on how much the Department is spending on paid administrative leave for individuals under investigation for 6 or more months. These circumstances are often tough for all involved. The sooner there is an appropriate resolution, the better it is for everyone involved. If enacted, H.R. 1633 would help to ensure that such matters are resolved in a timely and appropriate manner. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and rise in strong support of H.R. 1633, the DHS Paid Administrative Leave Accountability Act of 2015. Mr. Speaker, this measure which was unanimously approved in committee, seeks to enhance how certain paid administrative leave is tracked and managed by the Department of Homeland Security. H.R. 1633 was introduced in response to a 2014 Government Accountability Office report that looked at paid administrative leave expenditures across government between fiscal years 2011 and 2014. In that report, GAO found that, overall, agencies spent $3.1 billion on paid administrative leave. Of that amount, the Department of Homeland Security spent $380 million on this category of leave. Agencies approve administrative leave for a variety of reasons, from severe weather events, to jury duty, to voting, to disciplinary matters subject to investigation. H.R. 1633 focuses on helping to improve DHS' management of just one segment of paid administrative leave expenditures, leave that is paid for 6 or more consecutive months to an employee that is under investigation by the Department for a conduct or criminal matter. This legislation directs the Department's Chief Human Capital Officer to maintain records from throughout the Department on the number of employees who are paid leave for 6 or more consecutive months during a DHS personnel investigation; the total costs, including salaries and benefits associated with this leave; and the average length of time that an employee in these circumstances is on paid administrative leave. H.R. 1633 also directs the Department's Chief Human Capital Officer to develop and implement departmentwide policy on how components can comply with this recordkeeping requirement and guidance and on how components can expedite the resolution of personnel matters for an employee in these circumstances. In committee, language I authored was accepted to ensure that when a component expeditiously works to resolve personnel matters, as directed by this bill, that component must do so in a way that is objective and fair. The addition of this language is important because we do not want to create the impression that Congress values expediency and cost-cutting over fairness. Even as we look to foster greater accountability, we must not lose sight of the fact that we are talking about people's careers here. Before I close, I would add that this legislation does nothing to disturb the discretion that the Department has to make leave decisions, and this bill should not impact the availability of paid administrative leave to the DHS workforce. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. I thank the gentleman from New Jersey for yielding and giving me the opportunity to lend my voice to what I think is a crisis that we are experiencing. As my colleagues before me have pointed out, particularly Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, we are in the midst of an American crisis, shaking the very foundation of the Black community. The word crisis should motivate us to act now. Crisis describes a need for immediate action. Crisis calls for an immediate infusion of resources. Crisis requires a meeting of minds to find answers. If thousands of people disappeared in the prime of their lives, their friends, their families, their coworkers having no idea where they went, we would be calling that a crisis. Yet, for years, our young, Black men have disappeared from their homes, their communities, and everything that would have been their lives. Violence has taken them. Violence that we could have avoided with stronger schools to give youth the outlet that they need. Better jobs and job training to prepare these men to be supporters of strong families. Prisons have taken these men, prisons that we support through a legal system that dehumanizes men of color and enforces policies that all but ensure these men will enter an endless cycle of recidivism where more than 67 percent of them will come back into the communities with no preparation, no assistance whatsoever in becoming whole and healthy in their communities. This is a nation that is quick to see these Black men as a problem, and this is a nation that seems to continue to ignore and deceive the slow, steady disappearance of 1.5 million Black men. This is devastating to our families and to our whole communities. It is past time that we see this for the crisis that it is and invest the resources and intellectual power that will end it and save our men and our families and our communities. There is a very witty African American comic who refers to the crisis of Black men and the need to get them on the endangered species list, because when we recognize that a species is endangered, we place value on that species. We place resources in every opportunity to ensure that they continue, that they thrive, and that they live in the habitats that are healthy for them. Well, this is a situation of an endangered species. This is, indeed, a crisis. So I thank my colleagues for drawing attention to this issue.

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN

Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of Princeton University mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr., and his wife, Alicia, two beloved members of the Princeton, New Jersey, community, who died tragically over the Memorial Day weekend. Many of us knew Dr. Nash for his groundbreaking, award-winning work in mathematics, his practical contributions to economic theory, and his journey to conquer mental illness. Many more learned his story through its passionate portrayal in ``A Beautiful Mind.'' He shared the 1994 Nobel Prize, and had just returned from celebrating his receipt of mathematics' highest honor, the Abel Prize. A University of Chicago economist, Roger Myerson, described Mr. Nash's theories as equivalent to ``that of the discovery of the DNA double helix in the biological sciences.'' But in New Jersey, we knew both Dr. Nash and Alicia Nash for their kindness, their humility, their devotion to the community, and the many other ways they remained so down to earth after accomplishments that drew international praise and recognition.