Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the Intelligence Authorization Act.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Along the wall in the upper lobby of the CIA headquarters building is a large picture of the head and torch of the Statue of Liberty accompanied by the following words: ``We are the Nation's first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go.''

These two sentences distill the essence of America's intelligence community and the quiet sense of mission that tens of thousands of our fellow citizens bring to their jobs every day.

H.R. 3494, the Damon Paul Nelson and Matthew Young Pollard Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Years 2018, 2019, and 2020, is our contribution to the work of the IC.

This is a bipartisan bill, reported unanimously out of the Intelligence Committee and embodying the collective efforts of Democratic and Republican members.

Though H.R. 3494 contains many new initiatives authored during my chairmanship, it also preserves provisions developed during Ranking Member Nunes' tenure as chairman as well.

Despite disagreements over the Russia investigation, the committee has come together to support our intelligence community.

HPSCI oversees highly sensitive, highly classified activities, and we collaborate with the IC to ensure that it has the resources and authorities necessary to collect vital intelligence. That won't work, however, unless the committee trusts the IC elements it oversees, and those same elements trust the committee.

At the same time, HPSCI must ensure that legal and policy constraints are vigorously enforced. That requires us to maintain both a professional distance and a healthy skepticism about the activities we oversee. When warranted, the committee must impose additional checks and limitations, at times over intelligence community objections.

It is a delicate balance, which HPSCI strikes through use of many different oversight tools. The most important by far is our annual Intelligence Authorization Act.

H.R. 3494 gets the balance right. It authorizes funding for the IC at roughly 1.4 percent above the President's budget request for the coming year. It prioritizes the IC's collection and analytic capabilities against China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, while sustaining critical intelligence capabilities that support counterterrorism and counterproliferation.

The bill also ensures that the men and women of the IC have what they need to collect and analyze the intelligence that policymakers require.

At the same time, H.R. 3494 ensures close oversight by Congress, rejecting the funding of legacy IC programs with overseas contingency operation resources, or OCO, funding; and requiring, for the first time, the submission to the intelligence committees of detailed information on unfunded IC programs.

Another provision authored by Representative Welch calls for more information in the IC's budget for counterterrorism matters to be released to the public consistent with the protection of national security. Still another authorizes the Public Interest Declassification Board, which plays a vital role in ensuring that historical documents about IC programs are declassified appropriately.

The legislation is especially strong in three other areas. The first has to do with foreign malign activities, including those by Russia. The bill calls for extensive IC reporting and creates new notification requirements regarding covert or overt efforts by foreign governments to undermine trusted institutions or to interfere in the democratic process, our own or those of other nations.

This bill also strongly supports the IC workforce. H.R. 3494 obliges the IC elements to offer their employees 12 weeks of paid parental leave on top of the unpaid leave already guaranteed to them by law. Other language ensures that the families of CIA personnel who are killed or injured as a result of wars, hostile acts, or other incidents can be appropriately compensated.

The bill also bolsters the IC's ability to recruit, hire, retain, and promote a workforce that represents the diversity of the Nation that it serves.

Lastly, technology. Many have sounded alarms about the rise of so- called ``deep fake'' algorithms and the transition in our country and elsewhere to a fifth-generation telecommunications network. To help the IC address both challenges, H.R. 3494 instructs the DNI to hold competitions and to award prizes for cutting-edge research into deep fake and 5G technologies.

H.R. 3494 is not perfect; it is the result of negotiation and compromise. I am pleased that, despite our public differences, we have once again been able to put those aside to focus on the important work of overseeing the intelligence community. The result is a strong, bipartisan bill, which I am proud to support.

Mr. Chair, let me conclude by thanking Ranking Member Nunes, my committee colleagues, and the entire HPSCI staff for their collaborative efforts.

Mr. Chair, I urge all Members of the House to join me in voting for

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley).

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Heck).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell).

Mr. Chairman, it is now a pleasure to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney).

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I wish to say only a few words of recognition before concluding my remarks on the Intelligence Authorization Act.

First, my HPSCI colleagues and I remember HPSCI's Damon Nelson and SSCI's Matthew Pollard, two dedicated staffers and public servants who passed away last year. The legislation is named in their honor.

I also express my tremendous thanks and support to the men and women of the intelligence community. They strive quietly and tirelessly every day, and their work helps keep the Nation safe.

I greatly appreciate the work of Ranking Member Nunes, as well as my other HPSCI colleagues.

And I would be remiss if I did not recognize these members of my staff who worked tirelessly together with their minority colleagues to produce this bipartisan legislation: Wells Bennett, Timothy Bergreen, Maher Bitar, Carly Blake, Patrick Boland, Kris Breaux, Linda Cohen, Thomas Eager, Will Evans, Patrick Fallon, Daniel Goldman, Abby Grace, Nicolas Mitchell, Daniel Noble, Diana Pilipenko, Lucian Sikorskyj, Conrad Stosz, Kathy Suber, Amanda Rogers Thorpe, Aaron Thurman, Rheanne Wirkkala, Raffaela Wakeman, and William Wu.

One more personnel note: I want to recognize the exemplary contributions of Brandon Smith, who has been a member of HPSCI's staff for 18 years. Brandon has announced that he will be leaving HPSCI soon. We are deeply grateful for his work and his longstanding and continuing service to the Nation.

Let me conclude by urging all Members of the House to join me in voting for H.R. 3494 and in supporting the measure as it proceeds to the Senate and, after that, to the President's desk.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I am not opposed.

Mr. Chair, the gentleman from Texas' proposal would allow the congressional committees with jurisdiction over public health matters the opportunity to receive a briefing about the effects of emerging and infectious diseases and pandemics on national security and the international political and economic system, along with the Intelligence Committee and Armed Services Committee.

It is critical that Congress be well-informed on the posture of the United States and, indeed, the rest of the world to address a public health crisis that might arise in the face of a particularly rapidly spreading, devastating disease. It is crucial that committees that oversee public health responses understand how prepared we may be to address such a crisis.

I support this amendment, and I believe it will be helpful to our colleagues on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee to receive this briefing and information from the DNI, along with the Intelligence, Armed Services, Foreign Affairs, and Appropriations Committees that are already included in the bill text.

For that reason, I support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I was going to request the chairman yield me 1 minute of time.

Madam Chair, this amendment clarifies section 602 of the bill dealing with domestic terrorism. This section would require the FBI, DHS, and the National Counterterrorism Center to produce an annual report and joint strategic intelligence assessment on domestic terrorism.

Chairman Thompson's amendment would add safeguards to protect the civil liberties and privacy of individuals whose information would be contained in the report and mandate compliance with the Data Quality Act.

It also would require DHS to disclose information on the allocation of personnel working domestic terrorism matters, enhancing oversight in this area.

I would like to recognize Chairman Thompson for his work that the House Homeland Security Committee has done on the issue of domestic terrorism. Together we will continue our lines of effort to address this significant threat.

Once again, Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for his work, and I urge support for the amendment.

Madam Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I rise in strong support of the amendment offered by my colleagues from Maryland and Texas which mirrors language passed in the Senate's intelligence authorization bill last month. This provision would bring together government entities and the energy sector in a pilot program for purposes of evaluating and strengthening industrial control systems and related critical infrastructure elements against security vulnerabilities and exploits.

The cyber threats faced by our critical infrastructure remain a persistent national security concern, as the former ranking member of our committee, the distinguished Mr. Ruppersberger, knows all too well. DNI Coats likewise warned in the most recent unclassified Worldwide Threat Assessment about the capabilities of our adversaries to hold U.S. critical infrastructure at risk.

This measure is another line of effort toward securing that infrastructure against outside cyberattacks and disruptions, and I am very proud to support the work of my colleague and friend.

Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment and claim time in opposition, therefore.

Madam Chair, may I make a parliamentary inquiry?

Did the Chair offer time in opposition to the amendment?

Madam Chair, I am sorry. I couldn't hear the ruling of the Chair.

The gentleman asked for unanimous consent.

Madam Chair, well, if my colleagues in the minority--I don't know how much time they have both on the amendment and on the time in opposition to the amendment--but if they can yield to my colleague to make sure that he has time for his remarks out of both of their time, I think we can resolve this.

Madam Chair, the gentleman offering the amendment has how much time? Because they claimed both the time on the amendment--

So no one claimed the time in opposition?

Okay. So there should be 5 minutes.

If I could, Madam Chair, through the Chair to my colleague, I appreciate that. We will take you up on that. And on the next amendment that we have time, I will yield to my colleague, and your colleague may yield to you, if you have further comments you want to make on this issue.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman through the Chair.

Madam Chair, I rise to offer this amendment as the designee of Representative Green of Texas and Representative Connolly.

Madam Chair, I am happy to support the amendment offered by Representative Green and Representative Connolly, which would require the Director of National Intelligence to make publicly available its annual report that aggregates demographic data and other information regarding the diversity and inclusion efforts within the intelligence community.

The amendment would expand the elements that the DNI must report on to include grade-level attrition and promotion rates, as well as validated metrics, such as New Inclusion Quotient Index scores.

The IQ initiative is designed to help employees and managers foster diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

This amendment is important as we strive to significantly improve hiring and retention in the IC such that the workforce mirrors the American population. It is imperative that we have better visibility into the demographics of our current workforce to legislate well- informed change.

Again, I thank my colleagues for their work, and I am happy to support the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I strongly support the amendment. This amendment expresses the sense of Congress that racial profiling of Americans of Chinese descent is contrary to the values of the United States and reinforces flawed narratives perpetuated by the People's Republic of China that ethnically Chinese individuals worldwide have a duty to support the People's Republic of China.

Moreover, the amendment reaffirms that the United States Government has a duty to warn and protect all Americans, including those of Chinese descent, from intelligence operations executed by the People's Republic of China.

Finally, the amendment requires the ODNI Office of Civil Liberties, Privacy, and Transparency, in coordination with civil liberties and privacy officers throughout the intelligence community, to submit a report to the congressional intelligence committees. This report would review how the intelligence community policies that govern counterintelligence operations against China impact the civil liberties of Americans of Chinese descent who are the targets of Chinese espionage and provide recommendations to preserve these liberties and privacy interests.

Mr. Case's important amendment reaffirms that Americans of all backgrounds deserve equal protection under the law and reminds our intelligence community of its duty to protect the privacy and civil liberties of all persons.

Madam Chair, again, I thank my colleague for his work, and I strongly support the amendment.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

This amendment directs the intelligence community to expand upon its work in identifying and reporting foreign malign influence activity by establishing a center responsible for integrating all intelligence pertaining to foreign efforts to undermine our democratic institutions.

The committee and the intelligence community has seen all too clearly over the last 3 years that the malign influence threats to U.S. sovereignty and security are emerging as a new normal, all the while becoming more sophisticated and diverse.

Identifying and defending against these threats, particularly those committed by strategic adversaries of the U.S., requires a dedicated whole-of-intelligence-community effort in order to fully understand the nature of the threat and identify outstanding intelligence gaps that need to be filled.

In establishing an interagency Foreign Threat Response Center, this amendment lays out a framework for accomplishing this challenging task.

I thank my colleague for his work. I appreciate Mr. Kennedy's commitment to this area very much, and I support the amendment.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

This straightforward amendment adds the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis to the DNI's consultation requirement for its report on possible exploitation of virtual currencies by terrorist actors.

It also requires the report's dissemination to State and local law enforcement, consistent with the protection of classified information.

Ensuring that relevant counterterrorism information is distributed, as appropriate, to State and local law enforcement is a key priority and a major function of the Department of Homeland Security. Adding these entities as recipients of this report through the DHS fusion center mechanism improves the bill.

I want to encourage all my colleagues to support the amendment, as well as the underlying bill. I thank my colleague for her work.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

This amendment expresses a sense of Congress that conveys our firm opposition to any use of facial recognition technology to suppress criticism or dissent, as well as our opposition to the U.S. Government sale or transfer of facial recognition technology to countries using this technology to suppress human rights.

Critically, the amendment also acknowledges the IC's unique responsibility to develop robust policies and procedures that prevent the abuse of this technology.

To ensure that the intelligence community is held accountable, the amendment requires the submission of a comprehensive report analyzing any use of facial recognition technology by the IC, and the associated implications for privacy and civil liberties, especially among marginalized communities.

Ms. Jayapal's amendment requires the intelligence community to establish clear policies and procedures, enhance transparency, and increase oversight concerning the applications of these new capabilities.

Her amendment lays the groundwork for a thoughtful U.S. response to the emergence of divisive and disruptive technologies and how they would fit into existing civil liberties frameworks.

Again, I want to thank my colleague for her work. I am pleased to support Ms. Jayapal's amendment.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I rise in strong support of this amendment offered by my colleagues from Florida and New York, who have both been leaders in this body focused on national security challenges posed by deepfake technologies.

We in the Intelligence Committee held a hearing on this very topic last month, and the rate at which these capabilities are evolving is almost as breathtaking as what they can produce, high-quality video and other types of media that convincingly portray individuals saying or doing things that never happened.

The potential for a foreign adversary to undermine an election, foment chaos, or create a national security crisis with a sophisticated digital forgery means that we need to ensure the intelligence community is fully considering the wide-ranging implications of deepfakes, including the capacity of foreign entities and adversaries to weaponize machine-generated media.

This report will also give us a detailed picture about how the intelligence community is coordinating efforts, activities, and research surrounding this emerging technology and if there are lingering gaps in resources or assignments of responsibility, since we need to be clear-eyed about how disruptive and devastating a well-timed deep fake could be during an election or a tense diplomatic standoff.

I want to thank my colleague for her work on this amendment, and I am very proud to support it.

Madam Chair, as the designee of the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski), I rise to offer an amendment.

Madam Chair, I rise to support this amendment, which adds an additional requirement to section 502, a report on the repression of ethnic Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang region of the People's Republic of China.

The human rights crisis underway in Xinjiang is staggering in scale. Open-source analysis based on extensive reviews of satellite imagery and Chinese Government documents has concluded that as many as 1.5 million Muslims could be held in internment camps by the Chinese Government.

Despite this body of evidence, the executive branch has rebuffed attempts to clearly describe the scope and scale of this crisis.

H.R. 3494 calls for a comprehensive U.S. Government assessment that addresses the number of persons detained, a description of forced labor practices in the camps, and an assessment of the surveillance, detection, and control methods associated with China's new high-tech policing model.

Mr. Malinowski's amendment adds an additional requirement for the intelligence community to assess and identify the technological and financial support provided by U.S.-based companies to the Chinese Government's repressive operations in Xinjiang.

In light of the alarming public reports detailing cooperation between prominent U.S. companies and foreign companies aiding and abetting the Chinese Communist Party's surveillance state, this amendment could not be timelier.

Madam Chair, I thank my colleagues, particularly Mr. Malinowski for his tireless work to support human rights.

Madam Chair, I am happy to support the amendment. I urge support for the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, as the designee of the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley), I rise to offer an amendment.

Madam Chair, this amendment clarifies section 602 of the bill dealing with domestic terrorism.

Section 602 would require the FBI, DHS, and the National Counterterrorism Center to produce an annual report and strategic intelligence assessment on domestic terrorism. Ms. Pressley's amendment would require more information regarding any training or resources on domestic terrorism provided by the FBI, DHS, and National Counterterrorism Center to assist Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies.

This would enhance oversight and transparency in this area and give us a better sense of how domestic terrorism training has been provided to law enforcement throughout the United States.

Madam Chair, I thank my colleague for her work, and I urge our colleagues to support the amendment and the underlying bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, as the designee of the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin), I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, the Intelligence Committee has invested considerable time and focus the last 3 years to study the painful lessons of foreign interference in our democratic system.

Ms. Slotkin's amendment will enhance the work of the committee by compelling the Director of National Intelligence to identify barriers that prevent the intelligence community from fully understanding the scope and impact of these threats.

Our adversaries are committed to employing a whole-of-government approach to execute their plan to disrupt our democratic system. In order to defeat these efforts, we must understand the scope of the threat. We must enlist our intelligence community to identify the scope of and the means by which our adversaries are attempting to achieve their goal.

This amendment sets forth a framework by which the DNI will report to Congress on these threats and identify whether there are gaps in the IC's authorities that hinder its ability to find, assess, and enable action on foreign influence campaigns.

Madam Chair, I believe this is an important amendment. I encourage my colleagues to support it, as well as the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chairwoman, I rise as the designee of Ms. Slotkin to offer her second amendment.

Madam Chairwoman, we are all too familiar with the influence operations perpetrated by the Russian Government during the 2016 U.S. election.

As the IC articulated in its January 2017 intelligence community assessment, those operations were merely the most recent in a long history of efforts to undermine the liberal democratic order. We must remain vigilant and fully informed about the operations executed by the Government of Russia to influence and undermine our democratic system.

To that end, this amendment requires an annual report from the Director of National Intelligence containing information about the influence operations and campaigns in the U.S. by the Russian Federation. I support the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same.

I urge support for the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time

Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me.

This amendment requires a report on a number of civil liberties questions regarding the Terrorist Screening Database. We need to structure our counterterrorism programs by thinking about not only what we can do and what is constitutional to do, but what we should be doing so that we get the maximum security benefit along with the maximum privacy.

Our aim is a healthy equilibrium between security and privacy. With that in mind, I support my colleague's amendment which will assist the Intelligence Committee with its oversight and inform the public about how the privacy security balance is being struck.

I want to thank Ms. Omar for her work, and I encourage my colleagues to support her amendment.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Securing the safe release of Americans held abroad is a top and urgent priority. Congress can play a role in keeping this issue at the forefront of public consciousness.

With that in mind, I salute my colleague for all of his efforts. I thank Mr. Crow for drafting this sense of Congress that keeps the spotlight on this important issue.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and the underlying bill.

Madam Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 345, a resolution to recognize the central importance of press freedom in a democratic society and calling attention to threats to press freedom around the globe.

I am proud to sponsor this bipartisan legislation, which I introduced with my colleague, Congressman Steve Chabot, with whom I co-chair the Press Freedom Caucus. I thank, as well, Mr. Engel and Ranking Member McCaul for moving forward this resolution.

Every day, journalists around the world bring forward vital information and stories, sometimes from behind the curtain of the world's most repressive regimes and amid war zones. Journalists expose corruption, malfeasance, and abuse that the wealthy and powerful may seek to conceal. For that, they face harassment, threats, persecution, assaults, and even death.

The purpose of this resolution today is to call attention to those threats and to make clear that Congress supports press freedoms here and around the world.

Recent years have been some of the most dangerous and deadly in memory for journalists. As we confront a rising tide of authoritarianism around the world, threats to press freedom are proliferating in many countries from repressive governments. Elsewhere, inadequate security and a lack of accountability have made journalists vulnerable to criminal or terrorist actors.

The resolution before the House today lists just a small sample of the cases in which journalists around the world have been killed or imprisoned for their work. I would like to speak to just a few of these cases and those that have occurred in the short months since the resolution's introduction.

Among them, of course, is the case of Jamal Khashoggi, the Saudi human rights advocate, U.S. resident, and Washington Post columnist who last year was brutally murdered and dismembered at the orders of the highest reaches of the Saudi Government.

Jamal's murder has been a rallying cry of sorts, but it stands alone in the worldwide attention it has received. All the same, it is tragically far from unique.

Fewer are aware of the cases involving Loujain Al-Hathloul, Nouf Abdulaziz, and Eman Al-Nafjan, three Saudi women who wrote critically of the kingdom's treatment of women and who have been imprisoned for more than a year; or of the acute threat to journalists in the Philippines where the regime of Rodrigo Duterte has attacked independent media with a campaign of judicial harassment and investigation, including the online media outlet Rappler lead and its editor, Maria Ressa; or in China, where authorities target independent and foreign media for harassment and detention, including the labor reporter Wei

Zhili, who was arrested in March. Authorities also block American-based journalists and others who have sought to report on human rights violations and mass detention of Uighurs in Xinjiang province.

Turkey has become the leading jailer of journalists under the rule of President Erdogan, where, just last month, Turkish authorities charged two Bloomberg journalists who reported on the economic crisis in Turkey with undermining the Turkish economy and sought to imprison them.

In Iran, economics reporter Marzieh Amiri was arrested covering May Day demonstrations and has been held since, with little information about her well-being or the status of the charges against her.

In Mexico, reporters can pay with their lives for reporting on the crimes of drug cartels or corrupt local officials, including investigative journalists like Carlos Rodriguez, who was murdered in front of his family, or, more recently, Norma Sarabia, who was murdered in her home in Tabasco state and whose killers remain at large.

Of course, many Americans are all too well aware of the case of Austin Tice, an American working as an independent journalist in Syria who was kidnapped by forces aligned with the Syrian regime in 2012 and today is believed to still remain a hostage nearly 7 years later. We continue to do all we can to obtain information about his whereabouts and to secure his safe return.

Mr. Speaker, today, by passing this legislation, the House can send a message to journalists who face persecution for their work that we stand with them and value their contributions. For those who seek to intimidate and silence them, we send the message that we are watching.

The voice of people seeking justice cannot be silenced forever. We will stand strongly with all those around the world fighting for accountability and truth.

Under clause 2 of rule XII, bills and reports were delivered to the Clerk for printing, and bills referred as follows:

Mr. SCHIFF: Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

H.R. 3494. A bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year

2020 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of

the United States Government, the Community Management

Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and

Disability System, and for other purposes; with an amendment;

Rept. 116-151, Part I; referred to the Committee on Ways and

Means for a period ending not later than July 11, 2019, for

consideration of such provisions of the bill and amendment as

fall with in the jurisdiction of that committee pursuant to

clause 1(t) of rule X.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles upon its 40th Anniversary.

In July of 1979, the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) was formed when ninety-nine men stepped up at the Plummer Park Community Center in West Hollywood, having seen posters announcing the formation and first rehearsal of a new gay chorus. Three months later, the chorus performed at the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, thus marking the beginning of their important legacy.

Throughout their forty-year history, GMCLA members have used their comradery and shared experiences to challenge stereotypes and enrich the community. At the height of the AIDS epidemic, the GMCLA family lost 150 members, but even that horrific tragedy did not stop their work and their commitment to celebrate and serve the LGBTQ community. The GMCLA has since become an essential part of the fabric of Los Angeles, with members dedicating their time to advocating for equality through song and community service.

The GMCLA has stayed true to its core message of equality by transforming and nurturing the Los Angeles and LGBTQ communities through its initiatives, such as the Alive Music Project. The multi- faceted project, which has reached over 65,000 middle and high school students, promotes acceptance and anti-bullying, and provides opportunities for music education programs in Los Angeles schools. Additionally, the GMCLA is a proud member of The Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network which offers music education to juvenile detention center students. Through these initiatives, the GMCLA reaches countless youth.

Today, the GMCLA boasts over 300 members and has performed in iconic venues around the world, including Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and Carnegie Hall in New York. With each new venue, they sing for a world that promotes acceptance and is free from discrimination. The Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles will honor its anniversary and the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in August, when they will be joined by the New York City Gay Men's Chorus for a historic concert and gala to benefit their music education programs.

I am proud to recognize the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles for four decades of musical entertainment and outstanding service to the LGBTQ and Los Angeles communities. I ask all members to join me in congratulating the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles for its remarkable achievements.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Children's Hospital Los Angeles for being ranked first among children's hospitals in California and across the Western U.S., in addition to being named one of the top five children's hospitals in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report's Honor Roll of Best Children's Hospitals. The talented doctors, nurses, volunteers, and staff at Children's Hospital Los Angeles provide every child with the best care possible, and have touched the lives of countless families across Los Angeles, including mine.

Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been providing excellent pediatric care to the Los Angeles area since 1901, and today offers more than 350 specialty programs and services to meet the needs of some of the community's most vulnerable members. In addition to its patient services, Children's Hospital Los Angeles supports innovative research efforts which impact children across the nation and around the world. When it comes to children's health and well-being, Children's Hospital Los Angeles's quality of care is truly unparalleled.

I am proud to recognize every individual at Children's Hospital Los Angeles for their unyielding commitment to caring for the children of Los Angeles. I ask all members to join me in commending Children's Hospital Los Angeles for its compassionate, exceptional pediatric care.

Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment offered by the gentleman from Michigan and the gentlelady from California.

Bipartisan majorities of the House and Senate have recognized the national security importance of the section 702 program, that it can help protect our country and respect the privacy of our citizens, and that these goals need not be in conflict. This near consensus was founded in part on recognition of the 702 program's close and regular examination by the DNI and DOJ, by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, by The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, by inspectors general--and of course, by the judiciary and intelligence committees in the House and Senate.

Even against this background, I have long supported privacy and transparency reforms that preserve the undoubted value of the section 702 program to U.S. National security. For that reason, I joined in strongly backing the bipartisan compromise legislation, which imposed new privacy safeguards while reauthorizing section 702 activities. And I do strongly believe that, as Members of Congress charged with upholding the Constitution, we should be actively and always looking for ways to shore up section 702's already rigorous regime for protecting the rights of U.S. persons--in a fashion that still permits the IC to accomplish its mission.

And that is where I think the amendment goes too far, and needlessly risks doing serious harm to what is perhaps our government's most valuable mechanism for obtaining the communications of foreigners overseas.

With its addition of new, unnecessary and confusing legal requirements, the amendment

would risk the section 702 program's temporary cessation, while the IC takes steps to understand and comply with the amendment's mandates.

Moreover, as written the amendment strongly suggests that the IC immediately would have to stop collecting the communications of a suspected terrorist abroad, simply because the suspected terrorist was communicating with an individual thought to be within in the United States. The IC should not be required to cease collection of intelligence in situations where it is entirely appropriate to collect it, and where we most badly need to IC to do so--such as the Najibullah Zazi case, where the IC detected and foiled what would have been a deadly terrorist plot to detonate explosives on subway lines in Manhattan.

The amendment would also deny funds for so-called ``abouts'' collection, which the IC on its own decided to discontinue in 2017--and thus go well beyond the compromise carefully crafted by Congress the following year. Under existing law such collection might resume one day, provided the IC first convinces the courts and congress that such collection can be conducted in a manner that fully safeguards privacy rights. The IC should not be banned from collecting intelligence in a fashion that protects privacy, if it can devise an appropriate means of doing so. And yet that is precisely what the amendment would take off the table, in advance.

I see no reason to disturb the balance that we struck in 2018, after such extensive and rigorous deliberation. And I see many, strong reasons to leave in place this critically necessary intelligence gathering tool, on which our intelligence professionals rely every day.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise today to offer an amendment in support of vaccines and their medical effectiveness. Specifically, my amendment would direct $5 million to amplify a public health campaign to promote vaccine usage and combat hesitancy.

These funds would support the work of the National Vaccine Program within the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy, which provides a framework for pursuing the prevention of infectious diseases through immunizations.

It is the Nation's leading roadmap in articulating a comprehensive strategy to develop new and improved vaccines, enhance the vaccine safety system, and support communications to enhance vaccine decisionmaking.

Each year, vaccines are estimated to save 2 to 3 million lives worldwide. Due to effective vaccination campaigns, what were once referred to as the usual diseases of childhood are now considered vaccine-preventable diseases.

Unfortunately, vaccines are a victim of their own success. These monumental public health achievements have contributed to a false perception that disease threats are minimal, and that routine vaccination is no longer necessary.

This year alone, we have witnessed numerous outbreaks of measles across the country, a disease that was once considered eradicated in the United States.

Declining vaccination rates pose an imminent threat to public health. In fact, the World Health Organization has identified vaccine hesitancy as a top global health threat for 2019.

There is strong evidence to suggest that at least part of the source of this trend is the degree to which medically inaccurate information about vaccines surfaces on websites where many Americans get their information.

Repetition of information, even if false, can often be mistaken for accuracy, and exposure to antivaccine content via social media may negatively shape user attitudes towards vaccination.

The emergence of vaccine hesitancy as an increasingly common theme in healthcare settings demands attention, and it is imperative for public health officials to take a necessary and critical step to flip the script from vaccine hesitancy to vaccine confidence to protect and bolster the public health.

The scientific and medical communities are in overwhelming consensus that vaccines are both effective and safe. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccines cause life-threatening or disabling diseases, and the dissemination of unfounded or debunked theories about the dangers of vaccination pose a great risk to the public health.

Support for the national vaccine program and coordinating a national public health campaign to fight vaccine misinformation is imperative. It is essential, now more than ever, that we fund vaccine communication research to strengthen the evidence base for what works in fighting vaccine hesitance, combating misinformation, and encouraging responsible vaccine decisionmaking.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the chairwoman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

Madam Chair, I thank the chair for her support.

This amendment sends a clear message to the American people that Congress recognizes the importance of vaccination and immunization in the

United States and urges individuals to follow the advice of their doctors in favor of timely vaccinations for themselves and their children.

Madam Chair, I again ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor The American Legion upon its 100th Anniversary.

In 1919, The American Legion was chartered by Congress and founded by veterans of

World War I, who upon returning home noticed a lack of government assistance in assimilating back to their pre-service lives. Though they had experienced extreme suffering during the war, veterans received no disability compensation, comprehensive medical care, pensions for widows and orphans, or vocational training. As a result, The American Legion sought to create a self-help organization that would provide veterans with devoted care nationwide with Posts in local communities. The 28th Congressional District is proud to house Burbank Post 150, Glendale Post 127, Los Feliz Post 527, Hollywood Post 43, Sun Valley Post 520, Sunland-Tujunga Post 377, and Verdugo Hills Post 288.

The American Legion's mission was founded on four principles: Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation, Americanism, National Security, and Children and Youth, and these principles reflect the founders' vision for America, one in which military veterans are honored, respected, and prosperous. For 100 years, they have done just that as The American Legion has made great strides in strengthening veteran care in America. In 1923, results from a nationwide survey conducted by The American Legion shocked the nation, as they showed that many veterans from the Great War had given up hope and were homeless, suffering from PTSD, and were merely attempting to survive. As a result, the Veterans Bureau was created, and federal and state laws were enacted that provided greater care for veterans. One of the laws that The American Legion is credited for creating is the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, or the GI Bill, which provided benefits for servicemen returning from World War II.

A lifeline to the veteran community, today The American Legion boasts over 2 million members and 13,000 posts nationwide. Some of the nationwide programs include The American Legion Baseball program, which is dedicated to mentoring the youth of America and Operation Comfort Warriors, which provides recovering wounded warriors with comfort items during their time in hospitals.

I am proud to recognize The American Legion for a century of outstanding service to veterans and the United States. I ask all Members to join me in congratulating The American Legion for its remarkable achievements.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the University of California, Los Angeles upon its centennial anniversary.

Established in 1919, UCLA is geographically the smallest of the UC campuses, yet the largest student body. Nearly one third of current undergraduates are first-generation students and more than 35% of current undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Notably, UCLA is the most applied to university for undergraduate education and the highest ranked public university in the country, according to the U.S. News and World Report in 2019. UCLA's graduates have gone on to achieve great success and merit in a variety of professional fields, including 13 MacArthur Fellows, 3 Pulitzer Prize winners, and 38 Academy Award winners. Impressively, UCLA has also produced 14 Nobel Prize winners, including Ralph J. Bunche, the first person of color to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.

It is no surprise to learn that UCLA is a vital contributor to the California economy, contributing $11 billion annually, including $4 billion in the Los Angeles area. During the 2016-2017 school year alone, 251 patents were issued to UCLA and 24 startup companies launched using technologies developed at UCLA. UCLA's athletic programs are among the best in the nation, with UCLA Bruins having won 261 Olympic medals, 133 of which were gold.

UCLA is a wonderful resource to the Los Angeles region, California, and the nation as a whole, providing an outstanding education to students from a variety of backgrounds.

It is my pleasure to honor UCLA for marking 100 years of exceptional achievement. I ask all members to join me in commending their accomplishments.

Mr. Speaker, 45 years ago this summer, the Watergate scandal, which had preoccupied the Nation for 2 years, culminated with the resignation of President Richard Nixon and touched off a period of activism and reform on Capitol Hill.

In the years that followed, Congress worked to ensure transparency and prevent the abuse of executive power, informed not only by the work of two special prosecutors but also by the good investigative work of multiple House and Senate committees.

The Watergate investigations exposed an array of abuses of power by a craven President and his associates.

In response to illegal campaign contributions, the Congress enacted the Federal Election Commission, required disclosure, and placed limits on how much candidates could raise and spend.

When Congress discovered that private information held by the IRS and other agencies had been used for political purposes, Congress passed the Privacy Act, restricting government use of Americans' private data.

The Watergate era bears more than a passing resemblance to the tumult of the last 3 years, and today, as in the 1970s, Congress has a responsibility to act to fortify our democracy and our institutions.

Even in redacted form, the Mueller report has illuminated serious gaps in laws intended to protect our Nation's electoral and political process. The investigation, moreover, exposed weaknesses in the way our government tracks and responds to foreign influence efforts.

Like other committees, the House Intelligence Committee is undertaking a close review of the report to develop necessary legislative reforms to protect our Nation moving forward. But to fully assess the legislative implications, it is imperative that Congress, including our committee, receive the full, unredacted report, as well as crucial underlying evidence.

The report makes clear that the special counsel's mandate did not extend to broader foreign influence activities. The Intelligence Committee, therefore, is undertaking an investigation and related oversight work focused on efforts by Russia and other foreign actors to influence our political process before, during, and since the 2016 election.

A core component is to understand how Russia and other foreign powers used financial leverage to further their geopolitical goals and whether and to what extent financial entanglements exist and may have been used to influence or compromise Americans, including President Trump, his family, and associates.

Working with the Financial Services Committee, the Intelligence Committee has requested information from financial institutions, information that will be vital to fully identify the scope of this threat, the financial means and methods that foreign adversaries use, and the counterintelligence vulnerabilities of U.S. officials and institutions.

The committee's ongoing investigation and oversight, along with other committee investigations, will inform a wide range of legislation and appropriations decisions, including to:

Require financial transparency so that politicians can never again hide significant financial vulnerabilities from the American people;

Strengthen legal authorities and capabilities for our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to better track illicit financial flows;

Deter Presidential abuses of power by instituting constraints on the corrupt misuse of the Presidency, such as legislation I have introduced to rein in the abuse of the pardon power;

Toughen foreign agent registration to prohibit tactics used by our foreign adversaries' unofficial surrogates;

Ensure that campaign finance laws prohibit a campaign from taking help from foreign actors and require reporting to law enforcement of nefarious outreach from foreign powers;

Regulate Presidential transitions and inaugurations to prevent foreign powers from exercising undue influence;

Counter covert active measures campaigns by enhancing cybersecurity to combat hacking; and,

Reform security clearance processes to help prevent compromised individuals from receiving access to our Nation's most sensitive secrets.

For nearly 250 years, the durability of our Republic has rested on our capacity to adapt to changing times and circumstances and to learn from our mistakes. In this effort, Congress has played the leading role and must do so here as well.

We are prepared to do the difficult work required, but we need all the information we seek to ensure that we get it right.

Mr. Speaker, 45 years ago this summer, the Watergate scandal, which had preoccupied the nation for two years, culminated with the resignation of President Richard Nixon and touched off a period of activism and reform on Capitol Hill.

In the years that followed, Congress worked to ensure transparency and prevent the abuse of executive power--informed not only by the work of two special prosecutors, but also by the good investigative work of multiple House and Senate committees.

The Watergate investigations exposed an array of abuses of power by a craven President and his associates, including campaign finance violations, and the use of executive branch agencies to harass or undermine domestic political opponents. Consequently, an informed Congress enacted landmark legislation to curb such abuses and to close those loopholes.

In response to illegal corporate campaign contributions, Congress created the Federal Elections Commission, required disclosure, and placed limits on how much candidates could raise and spend. When Congress discovered that private information held by the IRS and other agencies had been used for political purposes, Congress passed the Privacy Act, restricting government use of Americans' private data.

The Watergate era bears more than a passing resemblance to the tumult of the past three years, and today, as in the 1970s, Congress has a responsibility to act to fortify our democracy and our institutions--in the present circumstance to counter pernicious foreign efforts to influence the U.S. political process. At the same time, and given the narrowness of the Special Counsel's mandate, it is also incumbent on Congress to continue to conduct rigorous oversight, without obstruction by the President, and pursue unexamined investigative threads to complete the fact finding work necessary to develop new laws and refine existing ones.

Even in redacted form, the Mueller report has illuminated serious gaps in laws intended to protect our nation's electoral and political process. The investigation, moreover, exposed weaknesses in the way our government tracks and responds to foreign influence efforts. Like other Committees, the House Intelligence Committee is undertaking a close review of the report to develop necessary legislative reforms to protect our nation moving forward. But, to fully assess the legislative implications and design laws that effectively counter the sophisticated threats we face, it is imperative that Congress--including our Committee--receive the full, unredacted report, as well as crucial underlying evidence.

The report also makes clear that the Special Counsel's mandate did not extend to broader foreign influence activities. The Intelligence Committee, therefore, is undertaking an investigation, and related oversight work, focused on efforts by Russia and other foreign actors to influence our political process before, during, and since the 2016 election. A core component is to understand how Russia and other foreign powers use financial levers to further their geopolitical goals, and whether, and to what extent, financial entanglements exist and may have been used to influence or compromise Americans, including President Trump, his family, and associates.

Working with the Financial Services Committee, the Intelligence Committee has requested information from financial institutions-- information that will be vital to fully identify the scope of this threat, the financial means and methods foreign adversaries use, and the counterintelligence vulnerabilities of U.S. officials and institutions. A comprehensive examination of this information is essential to understand the complete threat landscape and devise effective legislative changes, policy reforms, and appropriations priorities.

The Committee's ongoing investigation and oversight--alongside other committees' investigations--will inform a wide-range of legislation and appropriations decisions, including to:

Require financial transparency so that politicians can never again hide significant financial vulnerabilities from the American people; so that the American people are fully aware of any conflicts of interest that arise from financial entanglements of individuals responsible for our foreign policy; and so that foreign powers cannot use American corporations to secretly funnel donations or engage in money laundering;

Strengthen legal authorities and capabilities for our intelligence and law enforcement agencies to better track illicit financial flows, including through shell companies, real estate and other means; to better identify counterintelligence risks; and to expose interference by foreign actors;

Deter presidential abuses of power, by instituting constraints on the corrupt misuse of the presidency, such as legislation I've introduced to rein in the abuse of the pardon power;

Toughen foreign agent registration to prohibit tactics used by our adversaries' unofficial surrogates, close gaps in the Foreign Agents Registration Act, and ensure that law enforcement has the resources to investigate and prosecute bad actors;

Ensure that campaign finance laws prohibit a campaign from taking help from foreign actors and require reporting to law enforcement of nefarious outreach from foreign powers;

Regulate presidential transitions and inaugurations to prevent foreign powers from exercising undue influence, including by contributing criminal or other proceeds to inauguration committees, and by requiring that presidential transitions coordinate exchanges with foreign leaders through the Department of State;

Counter covert ``active measures'' campaigns by enhancing cybersecurity to combat hacking and taking steps to prevent social media companies from serving as vectors for foreign propaganda and disinformation; and

Reform the security clearances process to help prevent compromised individuals from receiving access to our nation's most sensitive secrets.

For nearly two hundred fifty years, the durability of our republic has rested on our capacity to adapt to changing times and circumstances--and to learn from our mistakes. In this effort, Congress has played the leading role and must do so here, as well. We are prepared to do the difficult work required, but we need all of the information we seek to ensure we get it right.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 728 upon its 80th anniversary.

Chartered in 1939, Local 728 has served thousands of studio electrical lighting technicians in the motion picture community. Today, Local 728 provides its members with a myriad of services such as legal, medical, and financial assistance. The union also works hard to ensure its members receive the best retirement benefits and disability insurance. With a rich and long history, Local 728 has been involved in both federal and state political action on behalf of its members, including lobbying efforts to keep jobs in California. Their advocacy for worker-centered initiatives has pushed California to be a leader in raising wages and improving education for its workers. Since its inception, Local 728 has grown to represent over 2,700 studio electrical lighting technicians and has been a shining example of what a strong labor union can achieve.

For eighty years, Local 728 has not only supported backlot technicians with assisted services but has also offered various occupational safety and job skills trainings to ensure that members are always performing the industry-best practices. These include helpful resources on Rigging for Wet Locations, LXBeams Software Training, and assistance in completing the Entertainment Technician Certification Program. Through these services, Local 728 continues to demonstrate their strong commitment to the well-being of its members. Their efforts exemplify the ever-important values of civic engagement, respect for the rights and safety of others, and to instill hard work in all members.

It is my pleasure to honor I.A.T.S.E. Local 728 for eighty years of dedication and service to the Los Angeles area's studio electrical lighting technicians. I ask all members to join me in commending their efforts.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Boy Scout Troop 501 of La Canada Flintridge upon its 100th anniversary.

Established on June 4, 1919, and the first troop charted in La Canada, Boy Scout Troop 501 has fostered thousands of future leaders, with 56 members currently registered. Each scout works independently toward rank advancement and can earn up to 135 merit badges as he completes opportunities in growth, leadership, and education. Since its inception, Troop 501 has received generous sponsorship from La Canada Congregational Church, the troop's sole sponsor.

Through its heritage, dedicated parental support, and sustainable troop size, Troop 501 has been able to continuously offer a myriad of outings and events, such as Winter Survival, where scouts build a shelter out of snow, and the ever-popular rock-climbing trip in Joshua National Park that includes a Dutch oven cook-off. Scouts learn about and participate in activities like hiking, kayaking, and camping, as well as develop leadership skills by serving as Patrol Leaders, Scribes, and Quartermasters.

To further the troop's community engagement, scouts have also accumulated service hours by helping various members of the community on an array of projects throughout the years. These projects include trail clearing in the Angeles National Forest, fence restoration at Mount Wilson, rebuilding stairways at La Canada Congregational Church, and various service projects for La Canada Flintridge schools. By partaking in these and a myriad of other scout projects, and with the troop's dedication to fostering scouts' leadership skills,

Troop 501 has produced many Eagle Scouts over the last century.

For one hundred years, Boy Scout Troop 501 has been instilling the ever-important values of good conduct, respect for others, and teamwork in all members of the troop. Those who are fortunate enough to be a part of Troop 501 can attest that this incredible organization builds lifelong friendships, fosters an appreciation of the natural world, and provides quality leadership skills.

It is my pleasure to honor Boy Scout Troop 501 for one hundred years of dedication to community engagement, service, and leadership. I ask all members to join me in commending their efforts.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Lara Yeretsian of Hollywood, California.

Before moving to the United States, Lara and her family experienced hardship during the civil war in Lebanon. Her parents, who were wholeheartedly devoted to giving Lara and her three sisters a good life and a loving home, established Sasoun Bakery, a renowned Armenian bakery in the Little Armenia area of Hollywood, and enrolled Lara and her siblings in the local Armenian school. Lara continued her education at Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles, and received her J.D. degree in 1997, followed by her LL.M. degree in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University Law Center in 1998. She interned for Judge Bert Glennon of the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California, and for Judge Robert M. Takasugi of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

A well-respected and successful criminal defense attorney, and fluent in English, Armenian and Arabic, Lara spent a decade working on various high-profile cases at the law firm of Geragos & Geragos. Later, she founded her own firm, Yeretsian Law, and continues to work as an uplifting and compassionate guide for her clients. Recognized as a Southern California Super Lawyer for 2019, Lara's professionalism and achievements have not gone unnoticed. In addition to her many accomplishments as an attorney, Ms. Yeretsian has authored numerous articles regarding issues that impact the criminal justice system.

In spite of her tremendously successful career, Lara never lost sight of her passion to give back, and her benevolence, leadership and advocacy are reflected in her philanthropic work in the community. Currently, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry and the Los Angeles City College Foundation, and as co-chair of the Hollywood chapter of the Armenian National Committee of America. Ms. Yeretsian also serves as chairperson of the Police Permit Review Panel of the Los Angeles Police Commission.

Lara is married to Hratch Manuelian, and they have two sons, David and Christopher.

I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well- respected woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Lara Yeretsian.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Lynn Alvarez of the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California.

Ms. Alvarez has a long and distinguished career as a philanthropist, non-profit administrator, law professor, and legal activist. She has helped both public and private institutions advance and govern their own respective initiatives, helping them to prosper with her unique expertise.

After Lynn earned a Juris Doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley, she headed off to New York City to join the litigation department of a major law firm, but soon realized her passion was more aligned with public interest law. She worked tirelessly as the legal director of a community-based organization representing Central American refugees, and subsequently worked on the national level in major class-action lawsuits representing the rights of immigrants. As a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, Ms. Alvarez taught courses on professional ethics and immigration law.

Having served as a Board Member of non-profit organizations including Human Rights Watch, Para Los Ninos, the Central American Refugee Center, and the Los Angeles Education Partnership, Lynn is known for her consistent advocacy of human rights and dignity for all people. Lynn was appointed to the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners by former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and re- appointed as President of the Commission by Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2013. The Commission's jurisdiction includes oversight and management of all park and recreation sites, annexation of public land for recreational reasons, and implementation of legal contracts and obligations.

Lynn and her husband, Steve Nissan along with their three wonderful sons enjoy the outdoor splendor of the City of Los Angeles parks; most particularly her ``backyard park,'' Griffith Park.

I ask all Members to join me in honoring an exceptional woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Lynn Alvarez.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Women's History Month. Each year, we pay special tribute to the contributions and sacrifices made by our nation's women. It is an honor to pay homage to outstanding women who are making a difference in my Congressional District. I would like to recognize a remarkable woman, Joy Collins- Brodt of Burbank, California.

Ms. Collins-Brodt, along with her eight siblings were born and raised in Pomona, California. Joy's mother, a native Floridian, and father, a Nigerian immigrant, taught their children to treat all people with dignity and respect. Living into the life lessons her parents taught her, Joy traveled to countries including Mexico and Bolivia to volunteer at local orphanages.

Upon graduating from high school, Joy attended Azua Pacific University and received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Documentary Film with a minor in Communication Studies. She was the first of her siblings to attend and graduate from a university. After her college graduation, Ms. Collins-Brodt moved to Burbank to begin her career in television production and entertainment.

Joy worked on a variety of television shows including ``24'' at NBC Universal and Fox Television. Outside of her work in television, Joy and a team of active women launched Darling Magazine, a women's lifestyle magazine that featured body-positive photographs of women that were never photo-edited or altered. During this time in her professional career, she learned about human-trafficking issues and began volunteering for the International Justice Mission (IJM), the largest global anti-trafficking organization. Her passion to combat global human-trafficking grew and in 2015 she left her career in television to accept the Chief Operations Officer position at Treasures Ministries, an organization that serves as an outreach and support network for women who are victims of sex-trafficking and in the adult entertainment industry.

Ms. Collins-Brodt continues her volunteer work for the International Justice Mission now as the Advocacy Coordinator of Southern California. Joy has lobbied in Washington, D.C. for anti-trafficking legislation such as the Child Protection Compact Act, which helped create a trafficking task force in the Philippines that saves children from trafficking. She hopes that others use their voice and engage with policy leaders about legislation and to see the end of human- trafficking.

Today, Joy lives in Burbank with her husband, Josh and they both enjoy long drives along the Pacific Coast.

I ask all Members to join me in honoring this exceptional, well- respected woman of California's 28th Congressional District, Joy Collins-Brodt.