Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Teacher Victims' Family Assistance Act of 2021. American teachers are overburdened. In too many schools across our nation, infrastructure needs repair, teachers are underpaid, and classrooms are overcrowded. In addition to all these problems, teachers are also forced to contend with a gun violence epidemic, which has led to more and more deaths on schoolgrounds each year. In the face of this horrific reality, numerous teachers have died, often in an effort to heroically defend the lives of their students.

Surviving family members of these slain teachers are unquestionably burdened with immeasurable grief, but they are also left without the financial support their deceased spouse or parent provided them. While we must continue to tirelessly advocate for common sense gun laws, we must also ensure that those who lose family members in such senseless acts of violence are cared for through financial assistance that will help cover final expenses and support the care of surviving family members--just like we have in the past for public safety officers and for 9/11 first responders.

The Teacher Victims' Family Assistance Act of 2021 creates a compensation fund under the U.S. Department of Education that provides assistance to the immediate families of teachers and other school staff who are killed in a violent act over the course of performing their duties. The compensation fund provides funeral assistance, a death benefit to the next of kin, a monthly living allowance for the surviving spouse and children, and five years of undergraduate education assistance for each child.

It is my sincere hope that over time fewer and fewer families will be in need of assistance from this compensation fund after they experience the tragic loss of their spouse or parent. Until that time comes, we must do everything in our power to honor those dedicated, hardworking teachers who died in an act of violence by caring for their surviving loved ones.

Madam Speaker, I urge the House to expeditiously pass this measure. Doing so will reaffirm America's gratitude for our nation's devoted educators, who work tirelessly to enrich the lives of our children.

Madam Speaker, I rise to reintroduce the Congress Commission Act of 2021. This bill establishes the bipartisan Congressional Commission to Strengthen Representative Democracy to study and make recommendations on membership of the House of Representatives, the methods by which representatives are elected, and how to ensure opportunities for greater constituent and representative engagement.

The United States is the least representative democracy out of all of our international peers. It has been over one hundred years since the representative chamber has increased in size. During those intervening years the United States has added four additional states, the population has expanded exponentially, and the extension of voting suffrage means our national electorate looks vastly different than it did in the early twentieth century. And yet, over the course of more than a century, there has been insufficient effort to consider or enact changes to House membership that could improve how such population growth in number and diversity are reflected by federal representatives. Too many years have passed us by without any serious consideration of how our nation's growth and progress is reflected in the People's House.

We have in front of us an overwhelming amount of evidence illustrating the need for reform of the House of Representatives. Just last year, our fellow Americans took to the streets and ballot boxes demanding change and we came close to admitting a new state to our union. The completion of the 2020 Census provides us essential data on the population of the nation and the growing, disparate ratio of almost 750,000 Americans to each Member of the House. This is just the average. One Member may represent anywhere from almost 530,000 constituents, up to over 1,050,000 constituents. This Commission will determine if such a disparity in districts' populations ensures the just and equitable representation our chamber is intended to provide each citizen and district.

While I speak to the challenges of our current membership structure, ultimately the Commission to Strengthen Representative Democracy is not required to change the size of the House, voting methods for Representatives, or any other House process or assembly. I expect my colleagues that will participate on the Commission will execute their duties justly, judiciously, and with the intent of what is best for our constituents and our nation.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to an article that appeared on January 20, 2021 in the Washington Post entitled, ``These Turkish brothers found their calling in D.C., championing the Black music scene'' by David Taylor. The article highlights the contributions made by Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, two Turkish brothers who fought against racial injustice. The Ertegun brothers were the sons of Turkish Ambassador, Mehmet Munir Ertegun, and navigated the heavily segregated and complex Washington, D.C. These two young Turkish men dismissed racist comments and individuals, and instead familiarized themselves with the black neighborhoods of Washington.

The two quickly realized how racially divided the city was, and in order to satisfy their love for jazz, the brothers became familiar with jazz clubs on U street, record shops on Seventh Street, and were regulars at the famous ``Waxie Maxie,'' where they would meet fellow jazz enthusiasts. Ignoring the racial barriers which divided the city and country, they unapologetically hosted jam sessions at the Turkish Embassy. The Turkish Ambassador received complaints from irritated neighbors, but simply ignored those who called the music ``disturbing''. Enamored by jazz music the Ertegun brothers organized the first integrated jazz concert at the Jewish Community Center in the 1940s.

Eventually, the Ertegun brothers founded Atlantic Records in 1947 and the record company became the most successful independent label in the country. Atlantic Records went on to work with Ray Charles, Ruth Brown, La Vern Baker, the Drifters, the Coasters, Aretha Franklin, and Led Zeppelin. The list of music icons also included Stevie Wonder and Mick Jagger. In 1995, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum announced that its main exhibition hall would be named after Ahmet Ertegun.

Madam Speaker, as we celebrate Black History Month, I hope that my colleagues will join me in honoring Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun. Their story is a wonderful reminder that despite numerous differences there is always a common unifying force between people. Especially during these times when we find ourselves deeply divided, we must remember that we are able to come together despite our differences, and work for a better future as the Ertegun brothers did through the power of music.

[From the Washington Post, Jan. 20, 2021]

These Turkish Brothers Found Their Calling in D.C., Championing the

Black Music Scene

(By David A. Taylor)

Turkish filmmaker Umran Safter has a special place in her

heart for Washington. She had the international premiere of

her first documentary feature, ``Eye of Istanbul,'' at the

2016 Washington, DC Independent Film Festival, where it won

the award for best of the festival.

Her new film brought her back to D.C. for the story of

Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegun, the brothers behind Atlantic

Records, and their early years as sons of Turkish ambassador

Mehmet Munir Ertegun. The Erteguns, she says, ``resisted all

sorts of political pressure in the 1930s and 1940s'' as they

regularly hosted ``Black jazz artists on special jazz

evenings at the Turkish Embassy in Washington.''

As teenagers, Ahmet and Nesuhi were smitten by jazz when

they heard Duke Ellington play in London and were excited

about moving to his hometown. But when they arrived, they

were disappointed to find how racially segregated the city

was. ``When I first came to Washington, the stores downtown

didn't carry any jazz records or blues records,'' Ahmet said

in a 2002 interview. ``I had to go to the Black section of

Washington for the shops that sold records of the music we

wanted to buy.''

He visited jazz clubs on U Street and record shops on

Seventh Street, and became a regular at Waxie Maxie, the

music shop owned by Max Silverman, who built the store into a

leading music retail chain. There, Ertegun found other jazz

fans, such as Washington Post photographer and reporter Bill

Gottlieb, later a writer for the influential Down Beat music

magazine, and Billy Taylor, who would go on to become a

bandleader and for decades directed jazz at the Kennedy

Center.

Safter, 51, had read about the jazz concerts the Erteguns

organized at the embassy. ``It's a great story. I said to

myself, `Let's do this story as a documentary.' '' For the

film (working title: ``Leave the Door Open''), she tracked

down everyone she could find who knew them. In New York, she

spoke with Atlantic Records colleague Bob Porter as well as

Renee Pappas, ex-wife of Atlantic producer Jerry Wexler.

Pappas had been friends with both brothers and had vivid

stories. (Nesuhi Ertegun died in 1989; Ahmet, in 2006.)

Safter and her small crew arrived in Washington in February

2020 for filming. Everett House in Sheridan Circle--which

served as the embassy during the Erteguns' era in D.C., and

is now the residence of the Turkish ambassador--opened its

doors to them. Safter also had sit-down interviews with jazz

historians and radio DJs Willard Jenkins and Larry Appelbaum.

And she interviewed people who had interviewed Ahmet

(including me).

She pieced together a story of race in Washington,

exploring how the Erteguns cracked barriers in segregation

and the blowback they faced. When they invited

Black musicians to Sheridan Circle, the ambassador got

complaints from White neighbors. ``They were saying, `Oh, the

music coming from the embassy is so disturbing!' '' Pappas

told Safter. `` `Who are these people?' ''

The ambassador, opting for diplomacy, replied: ``My sons

are studying anthropology. That's why they have all these

people coming.'' Still, he was stunned when the embassy's

White staff balked at eating meals at the same table as Black

staff members. As his daughter Selma explained to Safter,

segregation ``was not something we were used to.''

The stories and images create a complex portrait of 1940s

Washington. Historian Maurice Jackson described to Safter an

Ertegun-organized concert at the Jewish community center:

``Two Muslim brothers bringing Black music to the center

belonging to our Jewish brothers and sisters. This is

historic.''

While in D.C. last year, Safter had planned to film a

concert in the Ertegun Jazz Series at the Turkish Embassy,

but it was canceled because of political events in Turkey.

However, the crew filmed a jazz concert at the Westminster

Presbyterian Church in Southwest Washington. They returned

home just ahead of covid-19 travel restrictions. Passengers

on their flight to Istanbul were already wearing masks.

Safter counts herself lucky that her crew managed to

complete most of the filming before the pandemic lockdown.

But work on the documentary dragged. ``It's not possible to

meet with the rest of my crew,'' she explained in April.

``And the main challenge is I can't sit next to my editor.''

She was working with Omer Leventoglu, who edited her 2019

film ``On the Wings of Hope,'' about Iraqi Kurdish refugees.

``He's a great editor,'' she said, but they could talk only

by Skype or WhatsApp.

Eventually during the summer they cobbled together a new

editing process and went into postproduction in September.

Now with a rough cut, Safter hopes to have a finished film

very soon.

But other hurdles loom, including financing and

distribution. Movie theaters remain closed. ``This is a very

difficult time for filmmakers,'' Safter says. In darker

moments, she thinks back to her D.C. premiere five years ago.

``Because it was my first feature-length documentary

film,'' she recalls, ``it encouraged me. That's the reason I

produced the second film.'' She has submitted a rough cut of

her new film to several U.S. competitions, including the DC

Independent Film Festival and FilmFest DC. She hopes she will

be able to return to the city that gave her that first boost.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Comprehensive Breast Reconstruction Act. This legislation will bring Medicaid and Medicare programs into compliance with the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998, and will expand post-mastectomy breast reconstruction patients' access to modern and innovative procedures, products, and therapies to support their return to a healthy normal.

In 2020 alone, almost 280,000 new instances of breast cancer were estimated to have been diagnosed, and anticipated deaths from breast cancer were over 42,000. However, the breast cancer survival rate has steadily increased faster than the rate of new diagnoses, which is believed to be related to

new treatments and procedures, such as early detection screening.

My legislation builds on past advancements and successes to heal the whole patient following a medically-necessary mastectomy. Deciding to receive a mastectomy is undoubtedly an emotional decision in an impossible situation. In order to alleviate the toll this decision has on breast cancer patients, breast reconstruction is an option for them to build a sense of well-being and confidence as well as regain a sense of wholeness.

More patients are opting for breast reconstruction, with over 107,000 in 2019, a 36 percent growth since 2000. Unfortunately, many patients face a complex landscape of what exactly a breast reconstruction entails, and laws and policies intended to provide healthcare coverage for this procedure are antiquated and do not account for advances in this area.

My legislation will establish a more uniform and comprehensive breast reconstruction process that can be tailored to fit each patient's needs. Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries will be guaranteed access to post-mastectomy reconstruction under the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act and by expanding coverage to include nipple-areola complex tattoos for those who elect to undergo this procedure. The goal is to expand access to scientifically proven healthcare that increase patient well-being and satisfaction with their results.

Madam Speaker, breast reconstruction and the nipple-areola complex tattoo are not about cosmetic change. They are about holistic outcomes and choice in what the patient and provider decide is best physically, emotionally, and mentally to attain the ideal outcome and long-term health.

I urge my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring this long-overdue legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Civics Learning Act of 2021, a bill that aims to promote democratic ideals by ensuring that young Americans receive a strong civics education.

On January 6, 2021, our country witnessed an armed insurrection on this sacred ground. This insurrection was fueled by lies and conspiracy theories that were allowed to take hold in too many minds of our fellow Americans because they have not come to understand even the most basic parameters of our democratic republic. Disturbingly, an Annenberg Public Policy Center poll conducted in 2018 found that only 32 percent of American adults could name all three branches of government. In 2017, only 37 percent of Americans surveyed could name any of the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment. The failure to establish an extensive understanding of American democratic principles begins in grade school: In 2014, only 23 percent of eighth graders performed at or above the proficient level on the National Assessment of Educational Progress civics exam. This lack of civic awareness leads to an unstable bedrock for our democracy, which requires widespread knowledge of American government for it to function properly.

This is why I have introduced the Civics Learning Act of 2021, which increases funding for innovative and evidence-based civics learning and teaching programs, including hands-on civic engagement activities, online and video game-based learning, service learning, and participation in student governance. Recognizing that most civics programs focus on high school teachers and students, this bill would ensure funding for elementary, middle, and high school programs to create a strong foundation for civic knowledge. In addition, this bill would prioritize funding for high-need schools, underserved populations, and low-access areas such as rural or inner-city communities. With this focus, the bill can inspire the participation of marginalized communities and better integrate them into American democracy.

Madam Speaker, it is my sincere hope this body will expeditiously pass this measure. Doing so will reaffirm America's commitment to civics education, fostering a more informed citizenship that will only strengthen our democracy.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Farm-to- Market Road Repair Act of 2021, legislation that will expand eligibility for the Surface Transportation Block

Grant program to include rural roads that serve to transport agriculture products from farms or ranches to the marketplace.

American agricultural communities play a pivotal role in the economy within my district and across America. These farms and ranches provide the communities they serve with fresh products daily, ensuring consumers have an adequate and healthy food supply. Unfortunately, many of the roads are deteriorating.

Over 70 percent of our nation's total road mileage is in rural areas, yet, between 2009-2015, these roads have only seen about 37 percent of federal highway fund. As Congress debates how to move forward with a bold plan to address infrastructure, we need to ensure road-repair projects like these do not fall by the wayside as we seek to address other larger infrastructure projects. Just because a road is in a rural area does not mean the road is small or otherwise unimportant. To the contrary, I am aware of several rural road projects in my district and the surrounding region that are major connectors that would benefit from this type of funding opportunity.

Madam Speaker, my bill expands the current surface block grant program to include these roads--roads that serve as a lifeline to the people that depend on them. We must invest in our rural infrastructure now, before it is in complete disrepair. This legislation was included in H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, when it passed in the House of Representatives in the 116th Congress, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure it passes again. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Build America Act of 2021, legislation that will provide $10 billion annually for merit-based infrastructure grants across the country. For years, House Democrats have called for a dramatic investment in infrastructure, and for years, these calls have gone unanswered. I am hopeful that this will be the year that we finally make the investments we need. I am proud to introduce my legislation today--not for a massive, all-encompassing infrastructure package--but rather, for a commonsense expansion of successful programs based on need and merit that will ensure we put money towards the greatest infrastructure needs regardless of any additional package passed in the House.

My legislation will significantly increase the size and scope of two existing infrastructure grant programs, the Capital Investment Grant Program (CIG), also known as New Starts/Small Starts, and the BUILD Grant Program, formerly known as the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant Program, or TIGER Grants. These programs have been immensely successful in the past, assisting rural and urban communities prioritize their own needs. Each program requires matching funds from those seeking assistance, making them smart and effective avenues for leveraging federal funding to make a real impact across the country.

My bill takes these programs out of the annual appropriations process. Instead, it establishes them as mandatory programs with permanent and expanded funding streams totaling more than $10 billion annually.

This expansion will be welcome news to the thousands of communities like those I represent. Consider this, since 2009, Congress has dedicated more than $8 billion for multiple rounds of TIGER/BUILD funding. In FY2020 alone, the program received over $9 billion in applications. That is more than the total amount of funding over a 10- year period in just a single fiscal year. The process is competitive, and it allows the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to reward applicants that exceed eligibility criteria and demonstrate commitments to their projects.

By increasing these funding levels and removing the programs from the annual appropriations process, we will take the guesswork and uncertainty out of the programs. This in turn will allow communities around the country to submit funding requests for projects of national, regional, or metropolitan-area significance, including the construction and repair of roads, bridges, and tunnels, the installation of high- speed internet, revitalization of drinking water infrastructure, and the construction and expansion of fixed-guideway public transportation systems, including subways, light rail, commuter rail, and bus rapid transit (BRT).

Madam Speaker, we have talked about prioritizing a large-scale infrastructure package for years. Last Congress, the House passed H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, a $1.5 trillion plan to rebuild American infrastructure. However, like so many other bills passed during the 116th Congress, it was ignored by the Republican controlled Senate. We need to get serious.

Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers issues a ``Report Card'' for America's Infrastructure. The report depicts the condition and performance of American infrastructure, assigning letter grades based on

the physical condition and needed investments for improvement across 16 major infrastructure categories. The most recent report card was issued in 2017. Among the national rankings, transit systems were rated a D- and roads were rated a D.

Dams: D.

Drinking water: D.

Inland waterways: D.

Levees: D.

We need to move this process forward. I urge my colleagues to support this critically important bill, so that our country can begin making the investments it desperately needs.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce the Services for Ending Long-Term Homelessness Act, legislation that will help our nation address the long-term homelessness crisis.

Since the first Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness was launched in 2010, rates of homelessness among veterans, families, and chronically homeless individuals have fallen significantly. Our country has successfully taken thousands of individuals and families off the streets. Unfortunately, last year, the homeless population in the United States increased for the second year in a row since the inception of the Federal Strategic Plan. According to the annual U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Point in Time count, there were about 88,484 chronically homeless individuals and 8,429 people in households with children, for a total of 96,913 chronically homeless.

Allowing men, women, and children to live on the streets is not a standard America should be willing to accept. Unstable housing impacts the lives of millions of Americans every year and addressing this problem forthrightly, as this bill does, will help get chronically homeless individuals and families off the streets. I ask that you join me in prioritizing these efforts to combat long-term homelessness in our country.

Madam Speaker, this important legislation addresses our country's homelessness problem in the following ways:

Requires the Secretary of HHS to design national strategies for the establishment of supportive housing services and programs to assist in ending chronic homelessness and to implement programs that address chronic homelessness.

Requires the Secretary of HHS to make matching grants to eligible entities to provide services promoting recovery and self-sufficiency and augment the HUD-administered McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants.

Requires the Secretary of HHS to report performance outcome data on the projects carried out under the Act.

Madam Speaker, as you know, the most recent data available shows us that more than a quarter of those currently living without permanent shelter are chronically homeless. We must continue to invest in the needs of these vulnerable and marginalized members of society, which will result in healthier, safer, and more productive communities.

I urge my colleagues to join me in working to end homelessness across our nation by supporting this important piece of legislation.

Madam Speaker, it is my great privilege to rise today to honor Dillard High School for being the recipient of the 2019 SupportMusic Merit Award by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM).

The Support Music Award recognized Dillard High School for outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. It recognizes the commitment and dedication of Dillard High School to music and the arts as innovative learning opportunities for a well-rounded education. Dillard High School has always supported and encouraged students in music education from the beginning, starting with Julian Edwin ``Cannonball'' Adderley teaching jazz to students to today when students get to work and perform with professionals at the Broward Center for Performing Art and the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Art.

Dillard High School is one of 98 schools across the nation to be a SupportMusic Merit Award recipient demonstrating an unwavering commitment to providing comprehensive music education. I applaud the hard work and dedication of each person making Dillard an exceptional school.

The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit organization that advances active participation in making music throughout a person's life. The SupportMusic Award given by NAMM recognizes that Dillard High School is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA recognizes that music is an important element of a well-rounded education for all children.

Madam Speaker, Dillard High School is an exceptional High School in our community, one that we can all admire and respect. I commend the students, faculty and staff for their inspiring commitment to music, and wish them many more years of continued success.

Madam Speaker, as a co-sponsor of H. Res. 430-- Authorizing the Committee on the Judiciary to initiate or intervene in judicial proceedings to enforce certain subpoenas and for other purposes--I would have voted YES on roll call No. 247, had I been present.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation requiring the Department of Defense (DOD) to review and modernize any of its in use forms utilizing outdated and racially insensitive terminology. Today, Senator Tammy Duckworth will introduce the same legislation in the U.S. Senate. I thank her for joining me in this effort, and express my gratitude for the 42 members of the House of Representatives and the four Senators who have joined us in introducing this legislation.

It was recently brought to my attention that the Defense Department's DD-2064 Form, which is issued when a service member loses his or her life while deployed overseas, utilized the term ``Negroid'' as one of the means for denoting race. Quite frankly, I was shocked to see this term listed on documentation sent to the family of one of my constituents just a few months ago, after their son lost his life in service to our country.

Imagine for a moment what this must feel like. In the midst of the pain and crisis of losing a son, a daughter, a husband, or a wife, to receive a form from the Federal government identifying that loved one with outdated, offensive, pseudoscientific terminology once used to justify racism and concepts like racial inferiority or racial superiority. No family should ever have to cope with such added injury when mourning a family member in a time of crisis.

This terminology is not compliant with requirements from DOD and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In 1997, OMB set guidance for federal data on race and ethnicity, and in the years that followed, DOD released several issuances guiding the implementation of OMB's direction.

I also want to acknowledge--and I want to be very clear--that the Department of Defense acted expeditiously to rectify this oversight once my office brought it to their attention. While I commend them for addressing this issue with the seriousness it requires, the fact that this document retained outdated terminology for more than two decades calls into question the status of other forms in use by the Department. It is my understanding that the Department has begun a process of reviewing hundreds of other forms to ensure that no others are out of compliance. However, this review is just a small fraction of the forms and surveys utilized by the Department, individual service components, and military installations world-wide.

That is why this legislation is a necessary step that is in the best interest of our service members and our country.

This is a short, straightforward bill. It requires the DOD to review each of its forms and surveys currently in use to determine if any others contain terms or classifications that may be considered racially or ethnically insensitive. If they find any, they must take the appropriate steps to modernize them.

I would again like to thank my colleagues who have supported this measure, and ask that we move expeditiously to bring it to the floor for a vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Ynette Lopez, a student at Piper High School and Class of 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. This remarkable young lady has a current weighted GPA of 3.4, while taking a rigorous schedule of all Honors classes. Additionally, she is passionate about her extracurricular activities, hobbies, and volunteer work. She is a six-year professional clarinetist and currently occupies the 1st chair position with the Bengal Band of Pride.

Ynette has volunteered at the Department of Veterans Affairs since 2017. Her father is a disabled veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. Growing up and learning so much about his disability, she was inspired to give back in the best way possible. She has accrued more than 200 hours of volunteer work in her many different capacities. Ynette has gained valuable experience by scheduling appointments, communicating with others, and delivering important documents to various offices at the Broward County Veterans Hospital.

She is currently preparing to take the next step in her future and will apply early admission in November of this year. Ynette plans to attend Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, where she will study Sociology with a Psychology minor. Ynette's persistence, dedication, and ambition has carried her far and I wish her much success in the future.

Madam Speaker, as an original co-sponsor of H.R. 6-- American Dream and Promise Act, I would have voted YES on roll call No. 240, had I been present.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark National Stop the Bleed Day. More than 200,000 Americans lose their lives every year from traumatic incidents, including shootings, vehicular crashes, and workplace accidents When injuries involve traumatic blood loss, death can occur in as little as five minutes. These deaths, however, are oftentimes preventable.

National Stop the Bleed Day is a day to raise awareness of how to respond to severe bleeding incidents. Just as people learn CPR so that they can help a person having a heart attach, or the Heimlich maneuver for when someone is choking, learning how to respond to a traumatic bleeding incident can be the difference between life and death while waiting for professional help to arrive.

This month, my colleague Dr. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and I introduced H.R. 2550, the Prevent Blood Loss with Emergency Equipment Devices Act of 2019 (the Prevent BLEEDing Act), to provide this lifesaving training and expand access to Bleeding Control Kits (BCKs). This legislation will help place tens of thousands of emergency blood loss prevention materials in schools, places of worship, and other public gathering places across the country, so that if disaster strikes, bystanders can be better equipped to respond. I ask my colleagues to support this effort and work with me to ensure its speedy passage.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to rise today to recognize and celebrate World Dog Day 2019, which will take place on Saturday, May 18th in West Hollywood, CA. Created by my good friend, Lisa Vanderpump and the Vanderpump Dog Foundation in 2016, World Dog Day is a day focusing on the celebration of our furriest family members by recognizing the impact that dogs bring to our everyday lives. This celebration draws attention to the amazing, empathetic creatures that dogs are, while also raising awareness about global dog abuse that sadly still exists today. Our love for these animals, without the necessary activism, can't protect themselves from abuse or neglect. This event is so critically important in taking a stand against the abuse of animals and being united in the love that we hold so dear for our beloved dogs.

Sadly, dogs and other animals across our nation and around the world suffer abuse from animal fighting, to torture, inhumane research testing, and abuse in puppy mills. We must advocate for all animals who cannot defend themselves and ensure their overall well-being and safety.

In the 115th Congress, I was proud to work with Lisa, Dr. John Sessa, and the Vanderpump Dog Foundation on passing H. Res. 401, a resolution urging all nations to outlaw the dog and cat meat trade and to enforce existing laws against such trade. Their steadfast leadership and unwavering commitment to the welfare of animals is truly inspiring. Passage of H. Res. 401 was a culmination of years of hard work and dedication. From the bottom of my heart, I cannot thank them enough, along with the thousands of activists around the country and across the globe for all of their efforts. Lisa, John, and the Vanderpump Dog Foundation have never wavered in their commitment in the fight against the global dog meat trade. I am honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them to champion this effort, sending a strong signal to the world that the welfare of animals must be taken seriously.

As we celebrate World Dog Day 2019, we must come together to raise awareness about global dog abuse and work to end this horrific and barbaric practice once and for all.

Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate Lisa Vanderpump, Dr. John Sessa, and the Vanderpump Dog Foundation on what I am certain will be another successful World Dog Day. I look forward to our continued work on animal welfare issues for years to come.