Debt Bondage Repair Act

Madam Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 838, I call up the bill (S. 1605) to designate the National Pulse Memorial located at 1912 South Orange Avenue in Orlando, Florida, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 1605.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.

Madam Speaker, first of all, I want to thank all the people involved in this

process. Certainly, the staff of the Armed Services Committee, our bipartisan staff, worked incredibly hard over the course of this year to put the bill together, first to get it through our committee process, off the floor and then in the negotiation process that has led to this final bill.

I think it is an incredibly important process because it includes so many people. Throughout the House, throughout the Senate, Members who have concerns in a wide range of policy areas have the opportunity in this bill to have those concerns heard and to try to address them through legislation.

When you add it all up, of all the different proposals that have come at us in the House and the Senate negotiating process, you are well north of a thousand different ideas that have been sent our way, and the staff sift through all of that, working with Members and their staffs as well, to try to come up with the best solutions.

This is an unbelievably important process because it is representative democracy. It is the way our system is supposed to work, and this bill truly reflects that. It is a bipartisan, bicameral product that took into account every single opinion that it could, and I think we have produced an outstanding product.

The number one thing that I want to make sure that people are aware of is how important the Armed Services Committee's job of exercising oversight of the Department of Defense is and how important our job of making sure that the men and women who serve our country have everything they need to carry out the missions that we ask them to do. That is what our committee does. A whole lot of other issues get involved, but at its core, that is what we are focused on. In this bill there are hundreds of provisions to help make sure that gets done and gets done well.

One of the major challenges our military faces right now is dealing with the rapid pace of technology. It is getting the Pentagon to better and more quickly adapt the innovative technologies that we need to meet our national security threats, and those threats are very real, as we are learning right now in real time, with what is going on between Russia and Ukraine, as we learn every day as we deal with an expansionist China, as we try to deal with Iran and North Korea and transnational terrorist groups. Those threats are real. Technology and innovation are crucial to meeting those threats, but we are moving too slowly at this point.

There was a commission on artificial intelligence run by Eric Schmidt and Bob Work that put a whole series of recommendations together. Jim Langevin's subcommittee worked on that. A number of proposals are in this bill to help them do a better job of handling that issue.

We had a task force last year on supply chain concerns, which we have heard so much about. A number of key provisions from that task force are in this bill. That is what we do.

Now, there are a lot of other issues, and it seems like when we get down to the end, we are always talking about the things we disagree about, which makes a certain amount of sense because, you know, you get through the stuff you can agree on, then you get down to the tougher stuff, and then you get down to the really tough stuff.

But when we get down to that really tough stuff, I really hope that people don't lose track of how important this piece of legislation is with the day in and day out work we do to support the national security and national defense of this country and to support the people who we ask to perform those tasks.

This is an outstanding bill that needs to get passed.

Now, it also happens that it is one of the few bills that consistently passes every year. Well, actually, it is the only bill that consistently gets passed every year, so we have a lot of issues from outside committees.

I forget how many hundreds of proposals we had, but at the end of the day, the hundred-plus proposals that were in this bill we got 40 percent of them included in the final product, and we are happy to do that because it helps advance important issues in a wide variety of other areas. We can't carry them all because you have got to get bipartisan, bicameral agreement. So those of you who didn't get what you wanted out of this, please look at what is in the bill and how important it is.

And the single most important thing in this bill, in my view, is we finally reformed our Uniform Code of Military Justice for how it deals with sexual assault. A stain on the military to this day is the fact that we have not adequately dealt with and protected the servicemembers who have faced sexual crimes in the military.

This is the most transformational change that we have done on that issue. We take all sex crimes away from the commander, and we create a Special Victims Prosecutor who will have the expertise, the commitment, and the focus to adequately decide what crimes should be charged and to prosecute those crimes effectively.

Now, a lot of people have worked on this. Nobody has done more than Jackie Speier. Jackie is responsible for getting this done and getting it to this point. Of all those people who worked on it, there were a lot of differences of opinion about how exactly to do it. And I know some folks think it should have been done slightly differently here, slightly differently there. This is the agreement that we can get done and get passed, and it is transformational in what it does.

It is also, I believe, crucial to dealing with one of the other major issues that we face in the military, and that is diversity.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself an additional 1 minute.

The diversity problem that we have with recruitment, promotion, and how is the UCMJ carried out with regard to people of color. This bill will give us the opportunity to set up a whole set of crimes that are under a new authority to take a shot at fixing that problem.

Now, I know some would like to add more crimes to that, and we had that debate. This is what we came up with, and it is huge. It is the biggest change we have had in a long time. It is worthy of our support. The entire bill is worthy of our support.

The last thing I want to say is, I want to specifically thank Mr. Rogers of Alabama, the ranking member on this committee. The bipartisan, bicameral work that we do would not be possible without leadership on both sides. I could not ask for a better partner. His staff has been outstanding, as well as we have worked to get this product.

I highly recommend this bill. Madam Speaker, I urge everyone to vote in favor of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garamendi), the distinguished chairman of the Subcommittee on Readiness.

Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 15 seconds.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney), chairman of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin), chair of the Subcommittee on Cyber, Innovative Technologies, and Information Systems.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Norcross), chair of the Tactical Air and Land Force Subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), the chair of the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Speier), the chair of the Military Personnel Subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from California.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close at this point if the gentleman is.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to begin at an odd place. I don't want to discourage people from voting for this bill, but on the vaccine mandate issue, I want to make very clear that I heard a lot of things that were supposed to be done in this bill; none of that was done in the bill. We don't have anything in the bill which tells the military what they can or cannot do in terms of punishing people for refusing to meet the vaccine mandate, as a starting point. We certainly don't have anything in the bill that says natural immunity can count.

We do have language in the bill that says that the military should take a look at how the vaccine mandate could be--sorry. It is not in the bill; it is in bill language, which is a different thing. It says you can look at how the vaccine mandate is affecting recruitment and retention, and that is fine.

But all that other stuff, Madam Speaker, for those of you who are listening and thinking I may have lost my mind, I have not. We did not support that and did not do that.

That minor point aside, this is an outstanding piece of legislation that is truly bipartisan. There are a lot of small, little things here and there. But, again, the big picture is everything we do in this bill and everything that you heard, Madam Speaker, from primarily the chairs and ranking members of our subcommittee, an exhaustive list of all the provisions that are so important in making sure that we meet our obligations on national security, defense, and supporting the men and women who serve. It is a ton of work to figure out those policies, and it has never been, in my view, more important during my time in Congress.

As we have heard, we have these threats that are out there. They are real and as complex as they have ever been. Then also, we have the rapid pace of technology and innovation that is changing what is necessary to provide adequate deterrence and to provide adequate defense on a minute-to-minute basis.

The most crucial thing in our ability to meet our national security objectives is: How quickly are we going to innovate? How quickly are we going to adapt?

We are not innovating and adapting quickly enough right now, and there are a whole bunch of provisions in this bill to help push the Pentagon in the correct direction, to help make sure we give them the help they need or, in some cases, the push they need to adopt the technology that is going to move us in a better direction.

We also have a lot in this bill to help improve competition and to deal with some of the very painful cost overruns that we have seen on programs like the KC-46 tanker, programs like the F-35, and a whole series of other issues.

We introduce competition, and we introduce ways to make sure that we take advantage of technology because every time I see a cost overrun-- and the Speaker is uniquely positioned to understand this. Again, we have these terrible cost overruns we hear about, and we always hear: Oh, well, it is a software problem.

Well, yes, it is like a multibillion-dollar software problem. So why don't we fix those software problems and save us a lot of money?

This bill pushes us more in the direction of getting after those problems than any bill that I have worked on. It is an incredibly important piece of legislation that moves us forward in a positive direction.

Yes, we are also able to carry a few issues that were not in our jurisdiction. In fact, Madam Speaker, with the permission of everyone, the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee has arrived and was going to speak.

Madam Speaker, if I could yield to him just 1 minute or 2 to talk about the Committee on Foreign Affairs because the committee reauthorized a provision that is contained in this bill as well. I want to make sure the distinguished chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee has at least a couple of minutes.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes of my remaining time to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) to talk about the Foreign Affairs provision, and then I will close when he is done.

Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York.

Madam Speaker, I want to start by thanking the staff for the outstanding job that they do. As I have always said, Members have constituents coming at us on a variety of different issues. We come up with ideas and say we ought to do this. And from that, that idea actually has to be written down and has to get approval. It is the staff that does all

that tireless work to make sure that we get the final product that is in front of us. I really, really want to thank the staff.

I want to emphasize the fact that our staff on the Armed Services Committee is a bipartisan staff. It is the only committee in Congress that does that. Whether we are in charge or the Republicans are in charge, the staff is bipartisan, and I think that is incredibly important in getting the work done in the way that we do, working together to produce this product. This is a product every single Member of this body can be proud of, and it is a product I think every single Member of this body should vote for.

Madam Speaker, I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2332, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, debt bondage is a terrible crime, and many victims find themselves trapped in a perpetual cycle of forced labor and coerced debt because of it.

Earlier this year, the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing where we focused on the financing of human trafficking. This is an area of bipartisan cooperation on the House Financial Services Committee. I want to commend my Democrat colleagues for leading this discussion and finding time on the committee docket for us to continue the conversation we have had over the last couple of Congresses.

In that hearing, we heard from many powerful witnesses, including Rev. Dr. Marian Hatcher, who is a trafficking survivor. Rev. Dr. Hatcher had the courage to tell us her story, and because of it, we now have legislation that will help others.

This is the way Congress is supposed to work. We are supposed to listen to experts and get ideas out of that on how we can construct legislation. Because of Dr. Hatcher, we know a lot more.

Dr. Hatcher, like so many others in this country and around the globe, but in this country, in particular, fell victim to human traffickers. Thankfully, she was able to escape a terrible situation and restore her life.

However, she struggled to reestablish herself because of a credit score, which was negatively affecting her whole financial life. She was affected by loans in particular that she was forced to obtain on behalf of her traffickers.

So not only does she have to go through the emotional and social struggles, but she has this that is a weight around her. This is something where we can legislate and make her life and make the lives of trafficking survivors like hers better.

You see, Madam Speaker, this is where traffickers trap a victim into a debt cycle. Traffickers will take out loans, open businesses, and destroy a victim's credit, which forces them to remain a victim until they pay off the debt.

Now, you think this happens in other places around the globe. You think that this is some other country. No, it is here. It is here in our midst, and they are doing it through what seems like legal means.

Too often, these victims are never able to get out. This is something that we have to be aware of and focus on.

That is where this bill, the Debt Bondage Repair Act, comes in. This simple, 4-page bill has the potential to help thousands of victims every year by ensuring that a consumer reporting agency may not furnish a credit report with adverse information from a severe form of trafficking.

While this does not erase the terrible crimes committed against them, it will help victims to regain their financial freedom and begin to rebuild their lives.

I would like to note that this bill has a very tailored rulemaking provision.

We want to fix this problem. We provide the CFPB a window of 180 days for rulemaking. This should be sufficient time to hear from all the stakeholders. But it is my hope that they will complete this rulemaking quickly so that the victims can get relief as soon as possible.

I would like to thank the many victim advocates and consumer data industry representatives who provided technical assistance to get this bill where it is.

I would say the difficulty of legislating is that you have to take in folks who are on opposite sides of an issue. Not that they don't care about the same issue, but you have folks that are on one side of a business and those advocates that see things differently. It takes time to bring them together to see what is a workable solution, maybe not a perfect solution, but a workable solution.

I include in the Record statements of support from Shared Hope International, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Rev. Dr. Hatcher herself, and the Consumer Data Industry Association.

Sharedhope International,

June 11, 2021.

Letter of Support for the Debt Bondage Repair Act.

Dear Ranking Member McHenry and Congressmembers Wagner,

Gonzalez, Taylor, and Hill: Traffickers financially benefit

from exploiting human trafficking victims through forced

labor and commercial sex, but also by exploiting their

victims' credit history. With credit cards, loan

applications, and access to financial services all dependent

on an individual's credit history, the impact of this

financial exploitation is both far reaching and long-term.

We thank you for taking an important step in addressing

these harms by introducing and sponsoring HR 2332, the Debt

Bondage Repair Act (DBRA). The DBRA supports trafficking

survivors by preventing consumer reporting agencies from

issuing credit reports containing adverse information that

resulted from a survivor's victimization. This legislation is

essential to address the long-term impact of human

trafficking by eliminating adverse credit history that would

otherwise remain on a survivor's credit report. Most

importantly, the DBRA provides survivors an opportunity for

financial independence and stability that can help end the

cycle of exploitation.

Good credit history is essential for opening bank accounts,

and applying for loans, credit cards, insurance, and housing.

Credit reports are also sometimes necessary for applying for

student loans, and utility and cellphone service contracts.

Individuals with adverse credit history and low credit scores

experience higher interest rates or denial altogether.

Traffickers use coercion and control to financially exploit

their victims in various ways. One survivor described her

trafficker coercing her into obtaining a loan and then credit

cards by threatening the survivor's family. This left the

survivor with poor credit and more than $25,000 in debt.

Traffickers may also try to access credit that has not yet

been exploited by intentionally targeting younger victims.

One survivor recalled a trafficker targeting seventeen-year-

old girls, who were about to turn eighteen because the

trafficker could exploit their fresh credit by having them

sign up for credit cards. In addition, as Rev. Dr. Marian

Hatcher powerfully recounted in her testimony to the House

Committee on Financial Services, traffickers may also use

their victim's credit to purchase expensive items, such as

cars. Traffickers also control their victim's bank accounts,

passwords, and use the victim's accounts to engage in

criminal activities. Consequently, financial institutions may

later deny the survivor services because of criminal

activity. Traffickers often exploit their victim's credit

history at a time when the victim is not present in the

formal economy and unable to build positive credit history.

Trafficking survivors then experience adverse credit

history and burdensome loan obligations because of their

financial exploitation. Consequently, when survivors leave

their trafficking situations, they often cannot access

financial resources. Trafficking survivors report difficulty

opening bank accounts and obtaining safe housing, employment,

cars, and cell phones. Access to housing is especially

important to ending the cycle of vulnerability and

exploitation. In one study, 64% of trafficking victims

reported that lack of affordable housing prevented them from

escaping their trafficking situation. Lack of resources may

result in survivors returning to their exploitative

circumstances. In her testimony to the House Committee on

Financial Services, Rev. Dr. Marian Hatcher testified that

lack of resources leads to reexploitation because ``survivors

feel they have no option other than returning to the

commercial sex industry.'' Also, obstacles to accessing

financial resources and student loans may also hinder a

survivor's educational aspirations. This negatively impacts

the survivor's academic empowerment and long-term goals.

Furthermore, survivors may feel stigmatized or embarrassed

because of their poor credit. By preventing a consumer

reporting agency from reporting adverse information resulting

from a survivor's trafficking, the DBRA prevents a survivor's

credit report from becoming an apparatus for continuing

victimization.

Poor credit due to financial exploitation has long-term

impacts on a survivor's ability to access financial

resources, build financial independence, and navigate life

after exploitation. The Debt Bondage Repair Act is crucial to

providing trafficking survivors a clean slate and path toward

financial independence. We support this critical legislation

and urge Congress to support trafficking survivors by passing

the Debt Bondage Repair Act.

Sincerely,

Christine Raino,

Senior Director of Public Policy,

Shared Hope International.

Additionally, I would like to thank Polaris for their support of this legislation.

This is a great example of what happens when both parties work together. I want to thank Chairwoman Waters for her help and assistance, and her staff, the Financial Services Committee majority Democrat staff, for their help with my staff and the Republican minority staff on the House Financial Services Committee.

We have a bipartisan solution to help trafficking victims pick up the pieces and begin a new life. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I think this will be helpful to the lives at stake and let them rebuild their lives, not just financially but rebuild their lives.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for this good bipartisan bill that will help victims.

Madam Speaker, I thought I reserved.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this important measure, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in strong support of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. And I want to start off by saying Chairman Smith has been a real leader on this effort. He has had obstacle after obstacle thrown in his way for months and has continued to be a real advocate for the legislation, but also trying to make sure we get in a good place. And I couldn't ask for a better partner to lead this committee with.

The bill before us has strong bipartisan, bicameral support.

Over the last year, we have seen the best of our soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, and guardians. They have performed in the toughest environments with the greatest level of skill and professionalism. Many gave their lives so others would have a chance at a better life.

Without a doubt, our military is the greatest force for good the world has ever seen. Providing the authorities and resources our servicemembers need to defend our Nation and defeat adversaries is the greatest responsibility we have here in Congress.

We accomplish that responsibility with the bill before us today. It provides an additional $25 billion over the President's request, reversing irresponsible cuts to procurement and readiness.

This bill ensures our warfighters are the best equipped and trained in the world. It puts our servicemembers first, providing a 2.7 percent pay raise and expanding benefits to their families.

It puts American workers first with historic investments in our industrial base.

It also begins divesting in legacy systems that will not help us deter future

threats. Instead, it invests in new technologies like artificial intelligence, hypersonics, and quantum computing that will help us stay ahead of our adversaries. That is important because Russia and China are rapidly modernizing their militaries.

China is outpacing us with advancements in emerging technologies and weapons systems. In recent years, we have seen China use its military to push out its borders, threaten our allies, and gain footholds on new continents.

This bill is laser focused on preparing our military to prevail in a conflict with China. It makes critical investments in new systems capable of surviving in contested environments. It includes provisions that will remove China from our defense supply chain. And it reaffirms our support to allies in the region, especially Taiwan.

In Eastern Europe, Russia is on the march again. Putin is threatening NATO allies and amassing an invasion force on the Ukrainian border.

This bill makes historic investments in the European Defense Initiative and provides $300 million for Ukraine, $75 million of which is lethal aid.

Threats from near-peer rivals like China and Russia are not the only ones we face. Terrorists continue to plot to destroy our way of life, so we must continue to take the fight to them. With strong investments in new capabilities and readiness, this bill enables our warfighters to do just that.

Finally, I think we were all horrified by the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. This bill includes important provisions to provide accountability and ensure that we honor the 2,500 Americans who gave their lives in Afghanistan to keep our Nation safe.

Again, Madam Speaker, this is a carefully drafted bipartisan, bicameral agreement. I urge all Members to support our servicemembers and their families by voting in favor of this bill. I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner), who is not only the ranking member on Strategic Forces Subcommittee, but has spent years leading the effort for us to get to meaningful ways to deal with sexual assault in the military, which this bill does.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Jackson), an outstanding freshman member of our committee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr. Crawford).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Gallagher), the ranking member of the Military Personnel Subcommittee.

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. Garcia).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Fallon).

Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to again thank Chairman Smith, Chairman Reed, Ranking Member Inhofe, and all the members of HASC and SASC for their tremendous work this year. I also want to thank our committee staff on both sides of the aisle, as well as staff from leadership, legislative counsel, and CBO, for their hard work and dedication. Enormous numbers of hours were put into this endeavor over the course of this year, and I can't overstate how much I appreciate the staff work.

Finally, Madam Speaker, today is the day we honor the brave 3,500 American servicemembers killed or wounded in Pearl Harbor. On that day and again on September 11, our Nation came together and vowed to defend our homeland and protect our freedom from all enemies. Each year, Congress comes together in an effort to fulfill that vow by passing the National Defense Authorization Act.

Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to do that again this year and pass the NDAA, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2332) to prohibit consumer reporting agencies from furnishing a consumer report containing any adverse item of information about a consumer if such consumer is a victim of trafficking, and for other purposes, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the Committee on Financial Services ranking member, Mr. McHenry, for introducing H.R. 2332, the Debt Bondage Repair Act.

Over the last year, working in a bipartisan manner, the Financial Services Committee has been engaged in an examination of trafficking issues of all types. As we heard at a recent hearing that delved into issues of human trafficking, which includes forced labor, sex trafficking and organ trafficking, victims of trafficking are not only abused physically and emotionally, but financially also.

The moving testimony of Reverend Dr. Martin Hatcher, an advocate for sex trafficking survivors and a survivor himself, demonstrated how traffickers steal their victims' identities, open accounts in their names, run up credit card debt, purchase large ticket items like automobiles, and take out loans while pretending to be their victims.

This financial exploitation is not only designed as a stream of finance, allowing the traffickers' operation to thrive, but it also inflicts long-term harm and asserts control over the victim.

This bill, which aims to help survivors of human trafficking restore their credit and gain access to the consumer financial products and services that most of us take for granted, is an important step in restoring survivors' dignity and financial stability and in preventing revictimization.

Specifically, the bill prohibits credit bureaus from including adverse information that resulted from human or sex trafficking in a victim's credit report. It directs the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to develop a process to ensure that adverse information caused by their traffickers is not included in a victim's credit report. Such a process does not exist now and, given the importance that credit reports play in our economy, it makes it difficult for survivors in our communities to get a loan or even secure a job.

As noted by the Survivor Inclusion Initiative of the Human Trafficking Focus Liechtenstein Initiative, we must ``facilitate survivor access to basic banking services, such as checking and savings accounts, and help survivors' financial recovery to become full financial participants in their communities.''

Madam Speaker, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support this important bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time until Mr. McHenry yields back.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Survivors of human trafficking face many obstacles to recovering from the physical, emotional, and financial abuse inflicted by their traffickers. The Debt Bondage Repair Act makes strides in assisting them to restore their credit and achieve financial reintegration into their communities.

Congress can play a leading role in helping trafficking survivors to take back control. For that reason, I certainly urge both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting this important bill.

I do want to take a moment to thank my ranking member, Mr. McHenry, for the leadership that he has provided on trafficking in general and on financial trafficking specifically. This is important legislation, and I am so pleased to be able to work with him, and I am so pleased that this bill has bipartisan support. I want to thank him for the work that he has done and will continue to do.

I would also briefly note that survivors of trafficking are not the only individuals who are harmed by our broken credit reporting system. The system serves as a major barrier to economic opportunity for so many others. So we are going to continue working with Mr. McHenry, and I have scheduled a full committee hearing on June 29 to further explore these credit reporting challenges. I believe that our Republican colleagues will join with us to advance bold solutions to make the system fair for all of our constituents.

Again, I am so pleased that the members of the committee have worked together. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2332, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1605, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022.

I am proud that we in the House and Senate have completed our work on this defense bill and reached bipartisan consensus in support of our national security and our men and women in uniform.

This year's bill contains multiple provisions to address strategic challenges presented by China and Russia, to strengthen our ability to operate in the grey zone of conflict, and to deepen relationships with key allies and partners.

As chair of the Intelligence and Special Operations Subcommittee, I am proud of the provisions of this bill that represent critical reforms to the defense intelligence enterprise, Special Operations Forces, and our ability to counter weapons of mass destruction.

Our bill creates more agility across the defense intelligence enterprise by expanding information sharing with allies and partners and breaking down barriers to information sharing. This enhances our warfighters' and combatant commanders' ability to counter China and Russia in the information environment.

The bill authorizes investments in emergent technologies for intelligence systems, including increasing funding for Project Maven, military information support operations, and the continued use of Small Business Innovation Research to develop AI-enabled data storage system solutions.

Our bill authorizes a $105 million increase to the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which will enhance our efforts to detect and fight emergent chemical and biological threats and develop medical countermeasures such as vaccines and therapeutics.

It also establishes an office and organizational structure and provides authorities to address unidentified aerial phenomena.

Finally, the bill strengthens alliances and partnerships with key countries in the Indo-Pacific, like South Korea and Taiwan, and in Europe. I am particularly proud that for the first time this bill recognizes the Baltic Security Initiative, which will provide robust support to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and further strengthen deterrence in the region at a time of heightened tensions.

I want to thank my subcommittee ranking member, Trent Kelly, for his contribution. I also want to thank the staff, Shannon Green, Jessica Carroll, Zachary Taylor, and Patrick Nevins, as well as my MLA, Michelle, for their tireless efforts.

Madam Speaker, in addition to meeting the most pressing security challenges we face as a Nation today, this bill supports our servicemembers with a 2.7 percent pay raise, implements landmark UCMJ reforms, and combats extremism in the military.

It is a good bill and I urge my colleagues to support it.