Jennifer Wexton

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, in 2016, Russian hackers tried to break into Virginia's election system. In response to this information, Virginia took active steps to secure the integrity of our elections. We sped up our transition to paper ballots to ensure that our elections were secure and the results could be verified and audited. But it is not just about any one election or just about any one adversary. Passing the SAFE Act is about securing our elections from all threats, foreign or otherwise. These threats are coming for us in every State, red or blue, rural or urban. In 2016, State election websites in Illinois and Arizona were hacked by intruders that installed malware and downloaded sensitive voter information. In 2018, electronic voting machines in Georgia and Texas deleted votes for certain candidates or switched votes from one candidate to another. In Johnson County, Indiana, e-poll books failed in 2018, halting voting entirely for 4 hours, with no extension of polling hours. It is clear that Congress must take action. Passage of the SAFE Act will secure our elections by updating our election infrastructure, speeding up the transition to paper ballots, and making necessary investments in cybersecurity. Every Member of Congress took an oath to protect this Nation from threats foreign and domestic, and I urge my colleagues to honor that oath. Let's protect our democracy while we still have one.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from South Carolina. June is LGBT Pride Month, a time when people across the country are taking a positive stance against discrimination and violence against LGBT individuals, but this amendment seeks to allow discrimination against the LGBT community in HUD-funded housing and shelters. Make no mistake, this amendment will weaken protections for LGBT people, especially children, who are experiencing homelessness and fleeing natural disasters, as well as survivors of violence. These protections are important because nearly one-third of transgender and gender nonbinary people experience homelessness at some point in their life; about one-half of transgender people do. According to a Center for American Progress study done in 2015, only 30 percent of shelter providers across four States, including my own of Virginia, were willing to properly accommodate transgender women. According to another recent survey, over half of transgender survey respondents who stayed in a shelter in the past year were verbally harassed, physically attacked, and/or sexually assaulted because of their gender identity.

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Some say that this amendment will negatively impact the safety and privacy of women in shelters. Service providers around the country who operate shelters every day disagree. These providers believe that nondiscrimination protections are necessary to ensure everyone in need can access shelters. Over 300 domestic and sexual violence organizations across the country signed a national consensus statement in support of full and equal access for the transgender community. These leaders agree that serving transgender women victims in shelters is appropriate and does not pose a safety issue. While housing transgender people according to their gender identity does not propose a safety risk to others, failing to do so puts transgender people in danger. Transgender people experience shockingly high rates of sexual and physical violence and forcing transgender people to use facilities that don't match their gender identity leaves them at risk for harassment, assault, and a host of harms that result when people avoid using the bathroom during the day. Allowing shelter providers to decide who is eligible for access to single-sex or sex-segregated shelters opens the door to discrimination. Make no mistake, this is incredibly dangerous. The consequences of being turned away from a shelter can be dire.

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, my amendment provides $7 million for the FAA to continue its work developing the remote tower pilot program. Remote towers are a simple but revolutionary concept: Provide air traffic control services from any location. With remote tower technology, high-definition cameras and other sensors are installed in an airport and feed video and data in real time to a remote tower center. Remote towers offer a promising new way for the FAA and airports to address air traffic without breaking the bank, saving on construction and maintenance costs that come with building a traditional air traffic control tower. In addition to these cost savings, remote towers provide additional capabilities beyond the out-of-the-window view, such as integration of local weather information, tracking moving objects, and the overlay of radar and surveillance information about an aircraft. Remote tower systems can outline the edges of runways, taxiways, and airport structure, enhance visibility in fog, rain, and other adverse weather, and incorporate infrared cameras to provide night vision. The cameras can be filtered to minimize glare on a bright day or to add light when it is difficult to see at sunrise or dusk or on overcast days. I am pleased that the first remote tower in the system is undergoing testing in my district at Leesburg Executive Airport. The project was launched in 2014 to address the justified need for an air traffic control tower. The airport has more than 100,000 operations annually and is located in a complex airspace just miles away from Dulles International Airport. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association agrees it would be shortsighted not to continue the remote tower pilot program at this point. If funding is not appropriated, the FAA's activities related to certifying remote towers would cease, and the valuable work that has been done to understand the technology, develop operations, train controllers, and conduct safety analysis will be put on hold. In addition, the FAA won't have the resources to install remote tower technology at other airports and evaluate future system improvements and innovations. For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and to continue advancement of remote tower technology as a cost-effective alternative for providing air traffic control services. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 27 high school seniors from Virginia's 10th Congressional District who plan to enlist in the United States Air Force after graduation. These students have excelled over the course of their high school careers and I congratulate them on their graduation and their future plans. I commend these student leaders for their courageous decision to pursue a path to serve their country as a member of the United States Air Force. I rise to recognize the following students: Dewan Abdullah, Ishmael Bobbitt, Mia Broady, Ivanna Jenkins, Michael Jones, Alexine Koiwood, Kirsten Ladestron, Stefanie Marroquin, Jeremy Michaels, Kendal Riley, Kamaryn Sablan, Adam Sibal, Ian Allison, Shawn Bourne, Daniel Castano, Nicholaus Featherston, Douglas Flenniken, Benjamin Hayams, Guillermo Lozano, Jayden Nowicki, Tim Rickard, Elijah Robinson, Sean Stewart, Amanda Vacher, John Zuniga-Castaneda, Corbin Tucker, and Dallas Tucker. The students were recognized at a ceremony conducted in Sterling, Virginia on May 16, 2019, by the Northern Virginia chapter of Our Community Salutes and the Blue Star Mothers of Northern Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing and applauding these students and their families on their pursuits and wish them the best as they set forth to begin the process of learning to defend our great nation and remember that we owe those who serve a debt of gratitude.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 24 high school seniors from Virginia's 10th Congressional District who plan to enlist in the United States Army after graduation. These students have excelled over the course of their high school careers and I congratulate them on their graduation and their future plans. I commend these student leaders for their courageous decision to pursue a path to serve their country as a member of the United States Army. I rise to recognize the following students: Fabien Bellagamaba, Justin Cooper, Damon Ferrell, Alicia Grogman, Christian Johnston, Michael Jones, Mike Jones, Braden Kelley, Kirsten LaDestro, Airis Serrano Lara, Nicholas Liebl, Daniel Morfin, Isabella Odonnell, Jahkai Robinson, Aresa Rouse, Thomas Samborski, Jordyn Henry Sanders, Douglas Schouviller, Jacob Smith, Rody Torres, Naph Tali Victor, Antonio Walbey, Branson Ward, and Tyshaun Wise. The students were recognized at a ceremony conducted in Sterling, Virginia on May 16, 2019, by the Northern Virginia chapter of Our Community Salutes and the Blue Star Mothers of Northern Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing and applauding these students and their families on their pursuits and wish them the best as they set forth to begin the process of learning to defend our great nation and remember that we owe those who serve a debt of gratitude.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 16 high school seniors from Virginia's 10th Congressional District who plan to enlist in the United States Marine Corps after graduation. These students have excelled over the course of their high school careers and I congratulate them on their graduation and their future plans. I commend these student leaders for their courageous decision to pursue a path to serve their country as a member of the United States Marine Corps. I rise to recognize the following students: Parsa Bakhshandeh, Shamar Britton, Jessica Dally, Jamaal Ellsworth, Andre France, Dylan Gilfedder, Aiden Hall, Jason Hernandez, Riley Klug, Peter Komara, Jessica Molnar, Christopher Nesseltree, Erick Orellana Hernandez, Matthew Rivera, Olga Romanenko, and Kyle Winn. The students were recognized at a ceremony conducted in Sterling, Virginia on May 16, 2019, by the Northern Virginia chapter of Our Community Salutes and the Blue Star Mothers of Northern Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing and applauding these students and their families on their pursuits and wish them the best as they set forth to begin the process of learning to defend our great nation and remember that we owe those who serve a debt of gratitude.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 14 high school seniors from Virginia's 10th Congressional District who plan to enlist in the United States Navy after graduation. These students have excelled over the course of their high school careers and I congratulate them on their graduation and their future plans. I commend these student leaders for their courageous decision to pursue a path to serve their country as a member of the United States Navy. I rise to recognize the following students: Luis Bolivar, Judith George, Caleb German, Keldon Jones, Hanna Lund, Adeodye Olabisi, Joicelyn Robinson, Kyle Rustick, Douglas Schouviller, Dane Singer, Ashley Villars, Martin Stellato, Aubrie Thompson, and Muhammad Yasin. The students were recognized at a ceremony conducted in Sterling, Virginia on May 16, 2019, by the Northern Virginia chapter of Our Community Salutes and the Blue Star Mothers of Northern Virginia. Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in recognizing and applauding these students and their families on their pursuits and wish them the best as they set forth to begin the process of learning to defend our great nation and remember that we owe those who serve a debt of gratitude.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the Representative for offering this amendment and for yielding. This amendment requests a GAO report on how funding cuts to the navigator program and to Affordable Care Act marketing and outreach have impacted health insurance enrollment and the cost of coverage on the individual markets. Navigator programs provide critical assistance to consumers by raising awareness about the availability of marketplace plans, assisting people as they apply for Federal subsidies, and providing impartial information about different marketplace plans. Importantly, these programs help otherwise hard-to-reach groups get health insurance coverage, including people living in rural and underserved communities. The Trump administration has made significant funding cuts to the navigator program, however, providing only $10 million in funding for the program for 2019, an 80 percent reduction over the past 2 years. Navigator funding in my home State of Virginia has been reduced by an astounding 76 percent between 2016 and 2018, down from approximately $2.2 million in 2016 to just $525,000 in 2018. To manage these cuts, programs have had to lay off staff, close offices, and limit their availability to help consumers. The administration's cuts hamper navigators' ability to do their jobs, leaving many consumers on their own during the enrollment process, and, as a result, people may not obtain coverage on the individual market, causing people who do get coverage to see their premiums increase. Constituents in my district and people throughout the U.S. rely on navigators to learn about coverage options and to enroll in the best possible healthcare plans for them. We need to know how the administration's drastic funding cuts have impacted the individual markets, and this amendment will allow us to do that.

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, my amendment includes findings about how short-term, limited-duration insurance weakens protections for the millions of Americans living with preexisting health conditions, including children with complex medical needs and disabilities. Last year, the Trump administration greatly expanded the sale and marketing of short-term, limited-duration insurance, also known as junk insurance, plans. And these plans are junk because they don't provide critical protections laid out by the Affordable Care Act. As my amendment points out, these plans lack important financial protections, may discriminate against individuals living with preexisting conditions, and may exclude coverage of essential health benefits such as prescription drugs and hospitalization. The protections afforded by the Affordable Care Act are literally lifesaving for children with complex medical needs and disabilities. These children require specialized treatment and medical care that depends on medications, therapies, and equipment such as ventilators, oxygen tanks, feeding tubes, and specialized wheelchairs. The ACA's essential health benefits ensure plans cover this care and treatment that these children may need. Children with complex medical needs often require extended hospitals stays with medical care costing into the millions of dollars. Families who purchase junk plans and whose children subsequently encounter medical difficulties may soon find that these insurance plans are effectively worthless, failing to cover the healthcare their children need, and terminating their coverage if it becomes too expensive. These children could also be subject to lifetime coverage caps that they would exceed before they are old enough even to go to preschool. The Trump administration's actions don't only harm families purchasing junk plans. As more people participate in these junk plans, the families who remain in comprehensive ACA-compliant plans would also see the cost of their insurance premiums increase. No family should face uncertainty about whether or not their children will have access to lifesaving care when they need it most. My amendment includes findings that highlight just how harmful these junk plans are for the up to 130 million Americans living with preexisting health conditions, and how they jeopardize Americans' access to quality, affordable health insurance. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chairman, junk plans provide inadequate medical coverage and circumvent crucial consumer protections afforded by the Affordable Care Act and are harmful to those living with preexisting conditions. We have a responsibility to guarantee affordable quality health insurance for every American. Mr. Chair, I hope my colleagues agree, and I urge them to support this amendment. I thank my colleagues, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, a 12-year-old from Highlands Ranch, Nate Holley, explained that he was in his classroom's closet with his hand on a baseball bat because he was going to go down fighting if he was going to go down. In the span of 2 weeks, two students were killed lunging at shooters in their classrooms to defend their classmates. Their names: Kendrick Castillo, 18 years old, just 3 days away from his high school graduation, and Riley Howell, 21 years old, an ROTC cadet at UNC Charlotte. These young men are heroes, but they shouldn't have to be. The Senate majority leader won't even allow a vote on any gun safety bills. What is it going to take? How many shootings, how many more young lives cut short, until we take action? The STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting marked the 30th incident of gun violence on K-12 school grounds just this year. Our kids deserve leaders who will do everything in their power to end gun violence in America. No more heroes. No more victims.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Speaker, in an unprecedented move, the Trump administration issued dangerous guidance last year that could effectively eliminate protections for Americans with preexisting conditions. The administration's guidance puts coverage for the over 130 million Americans with preexisting conditions at risk. Our friends and neighbors, Americans who have had cancer, Americans who have high blood pressure, and Americans who have been pregnant would all be at risk of being priced out of their health insurance or being denied coverage outright. Mr. Speaker, we can't go back. Healthcare is complicated, but this issue is not. No American should ever be denied coverage for a preexisting condition--not now, not ever. That is why I will be supporting the Protecting Americans With Preexisting Conditions Act on the House floor this week, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Chair, I rise in support of this amendment, which would require the FCC to submit to Congress a plan for how the Commission will evaluate and address problems with the collection on form 477 of data regarding the deployment of broadband internet access service. Form 477 is used by the FCC to determine which providers are--if any--providing services in various areas, and it is the government's main source of data used for identifying underserved areas of opportunity. This amendment is needed because it has been more than 20 months--or almost 2 years--since the FCC originally sought comment on ways to improve the value of the data they collect through form 477. Having better data and the creation of improved maps is essential to ensuring that service providers and government have the tools that we need to truly make universal broadband internet access a reality. Too many residents of my district, and many other districts as well, lack affordable or any broadband internet access. This untenable situation is only made worse by maps and data charts that don't accurately reflect this experience of our constituents on the ground. Consumers should not bear the responsibility or burden of reporting on an issue that the FCC and service providers should actively be working to address. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle).

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Chair, the American people deserve an internet and FCC that works for them. By supporting this amendment and requesting an update regarding form 477 and the data collected thereby from the FCC, Congress can hold the FCC accountable in their mission to promote competition, innovation, and most importantly, investment in broadband services and facilities. Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, as a former domestic violence prosecutor and advocate for abused women, I have seen firsthand the impact of the Violence Against Women Act's legal protections and survivor support services. Because of this law, survivors can access a national hotline, a network of shelters, and get protection orders that carry across State lines. The bill before us today will close the boyfriend loophole by stopping abusers and stalkers from obtaining firearms. The NRA thinks this language is too broad. They are wrong. When women are five times more likely to be murdered if there is a gun present in the household, it is clear that gun violence is a women's issue. We have made important progress, but we can't let up, not when a woman is murdered by a male intimate partner with a gun every 16 hours. This bill tells survivors: You are not alone. You will always have a place to go. You will always have people on your side. Most importantly, it will save lives. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support it.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 271, a resolution condemning the Trump administration's legal campaign to take away America's healthcare. Here is what healthcare means: it is the freedom and security to live your life the way you choose. It can be the difference between financial security and bankruptcy, or life and death. Donald Trump and congressional Republicans want to use the courts to take health insurance away from 21 million Americans. They want to eliminate protections for the more than 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions. Now, the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but never in American history has the uninsured rate been lower than it is today. But rather than be honest about what is working, rather than coming to the table to work across the aisle and fix what is wrong, Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to overturn the ACA, with no plan except one that was so bad, they couldn't pass it when they controlled both houses of Congress. Meanwhile, the Democratic majority is proposing real solutions and smart healthcare policies that will lower costs and expand coverage. The contrast couldn't be more clear. Democrats want quality, affordable health coverage for every American, and Republicans don't. Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this resolution.

Ms. WEXTON

Ms. WEXTON. Madam Speaker, today in America, women still make only $0.80, on average, for every dollar a man makes, and that disparity is even greater for women of color. Women are the sole or co-breadwinners in two-thirds of American families with children. When we pay women less, we hurt American families, and we hurt our economy. The pay gap isn't a myth. It is math. For a woman working full time, the current wage gap represents a loss of more than $400,000 over the course of her career. Tomorrow, the House of Representatives has a real opportunity to tell women in America that they deserve equal pay for equal work. Tomorrow, we can send a message that when women succeed, America succeeds. Let's bring America into the 21st century. Let's pass H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act.