Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to welcome my constituent as our guest chaplain today,

Reverend Dr. Anthony Gibson. He is a lifelong Hoosier and a bright young leader from Indiana's faith community.

Reverend Gibson is the presiding elder of the Indiana Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the former pastor of the Saint Mark Temple AME Zion Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. The AME Zion Church is a 221-year-old denomination founded in New York City in 1796 that spread across the country, including the Indiana church that was established in 1907.

Dr. Gibson was born in Gary, Indiana. He later attended Indiana University in Bloomington, where he completed a double major in journalism and African-American Studies. He furthered his education at the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, with a master's of divinity degree, and he earned his doctorate of philosophy in theology from Trinity Bible College and Seminary. He most recently graduated from Strayer University with a master's degree in human resource management, with a specialization in organizational development.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Reverend Dr. Gibson for his willingness to travel to Washington, D.C., to share his spiritual love and guidance with the House today.

I pray, Mr. Speaker, that his words warm the hearts of my colleagues as we work together to carry out the people's business with compassion and courage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the life and legacy of a dynamic political activist, Burnetta Sloss-Tanner, who passed away on October 23, 2017. She was my confidant, drill instructor, surrogate, auntie, war time general and tireless campaigner. She was a dear friend to me and my family and a friend to Hoosiers everywhere, especially the powerless.

``Ms. Burnetta'', known for her trademark sequined hat, was a pillar in Democratic politics throughout Indianapolis. She long served as the 4th Ward Chair for the Marion County Democratic Party and had a deep love for grassroots politics, holding monthly meetings in her home to train candidates, elected officials, and volunteers on strategy and mobilizing our community. Without Ms. Burnetta, neither me, nor my grandmother, Congresswoman Julia Carson, would have been elected to Congress. I am certain many local and state elected officials can credit her for their successes as well.

Not only was Ms. Burnetta a legend in political circles, she was also beloved by the community. She worked with the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, the Center Township Trustee's office, and countless other organizations.

She was a woman of great faith with a passion for gospel music. She studied under several notable gospel artists, mentored countless others, and was a founding member and director of the award winning Jordan-Aires Gospel Choir. She will always be remembered for her work as a gospel radio personality, hosting The Heartbeat of Good Gospel Music on WTLC. Her passion for, and contributions to, gospel music earned her the title of ``The First Lady of Gospel Music'' of Indianapolis.

Ms. Burnetta served as a source of change, strength and faith for so many, leaving a lasting impression on generations to come. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to know her.

I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring our beloved Burnetta Sloss-Tanner for her remarkable service to the City of Indianapolis, the State of Indiana, and our nation.

Mr. Speaker, on October 23, 2017, I missed rollcall votes 569, 570, and 571 for health reasons. Had I been

present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall 569, ``yes'' on rollcall 570, and ``yes'' on rollcall 571.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Higher Education Employment and Transparency Act. This important legislation would help ensure that students are adequately informed of their choices as they navigate the process of applying to college.

While a college degree is as valuable as ever, the choices facing students as they attempt to choose the right school remain daunting. While most students cite employment as a prime motivator for college attendance, they nevertheless are often inadequately informed about the employment outcomes at various institutions of higher education and for various fields.

Navigating the college application process is hard enough. While in some cases data on employment and earnings information does exist, in too many cases it is unclear or not easily accessible to prospective students. Making this information more transparent--and pointing prospective students in the right direction--would go a long way in ensuring that students are making the best choices tailored to their individual needs.

The Higher Education Employment and Transparency Act seeks to tackle these challenges. This bill represents one piece ofthe puzzle to ensure data on higher education outcomes is presented in a manner that is clear, transparent, standardized, and above all easily accessible to prospective students. Without requiring the collection of new data, the bill would give students better access to higher-quality information about the schools they are considering.

The legislation would make a number of key changes:

First, it would expand on current requirements for Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) to disseminate certain information to prospective and enrolled students, through appropriate publications, mailings, and electronic media. The Higher Education Employment and Transparency Act would update this requirement to include disaggregated earnings and employment information, and require the use of data from more reliable sources.

Second, it would expand and improve the College Navigator, which is already a useful tool presenting a variety ofinformation about IHEs. The Higher Education Employment and Transparency Act would require additional information to be included on this site, in addition to what is currently required: a link to a page with that same, higher-quality information that IHEs are newly required to disclose; a link to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook website, which includes regional data on starting salaries in all major occupations; and, a link to a website that provides information about former students' employment and earnings information, based on high- quality federal or state data.

Last, under this legislation, IREs would also be required to provide prominent links on their own websites to each of these new pieces of information.

While disagreements exist regarding potential longer-term changes to our higher education data regime, this bill is a key step that would improve students' access to data that already exists. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with a profound sense of sadness, as I grieve with the City of Indianapolis and the entire law enforcement community, over the loss of a true public servant. Today, we remember Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Deputy Chief Jim Waters, who dedicated his life to serving others.

Deputy Chief Waters served our city for nearly 30 years, in a variety of roles in city government and on the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. In all his roles, Deputy Chief Waters was known as a bridge builder and someone who worked alongside community members to improve and protect our city.

Deputy Chief Waters was a decorated police officer who came from a long line of public servants. He rose through the ranks of IMPD, serving as District Commander of the East District, Assistant Chief, as well as Deputy Chief. His service did not go unnoticed; he was awarded the Medal of Bravery and Mayor's Community Service Award for his commitment to protecting Hoosiers.

Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our thoughts and prayers to Deputy Chief Waters' wife, Sherry, his children and his entire family. Deputy Chief Waters left a lasting legacy on the Indianapolis community and I am grateful for his years of dedicated service to our city.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to re-introduce the bipartisan Interstate Teaching Mobility Act. This broadly supported and bipartisan proposal would authorize the Secretary of Education to work with an outside entity to create a voluntary, interstate teacher licensing program that would allow eligible teachers to transfer their licenses between states.

Our country's systems of teacher licensure create problems for teachers, students, and schools alike. Licensing and certification requirements for teachers are inconsistent from state to state, and even within states, with hundreds of licensure tests in use and other requirements varying substantially. The level of rigor is also highly variable--with the bar far too low in many cases. As a result of these differences, the majority of states do not accept out-of-state teaching credentials.

For teachers, this poses clear obstacles. A teacher licensed in one state who wishes to teach in another may have to complete additional requirements, such as exams or coursework, or pay additional fees, even if he has already completed an approved credentialing program or has a strong teaching record. As our nation's workforce becomes increasingly mobile, these requirements dramatically decrease the mobility of our nation's teaching workforce. For military spouses, who frequently relocate--among whom teaching is the second most common profession--or out-of-state college graduates wishing to teach in their home state, this problem is particularly acute. These roadblocks likely deter many prospective teachers from entering this vital profession.

The system also presents a real problem for school districts, as schools across the country face a growing teacher shortage. Across the board, teacher education enrollment dropped 35 percent from 2009 to 2014; however, the types of shortages vary across states. Limited licensure policies make it even more difficult for school administrators to fill teaching positions--and for students, the consequence results in less access to high-quality teachers.

The Interstate Teaching Mobility Act would direct the Department of Education to create a new, voluntary program for states to participate in an interstate teaching application process. Teachers licensed or certified in one participating state would be eligible to teach in another. A participating state would be required to adhere to standards of content knowledge, pedagogical assessment, and performance assessment identified as sufficiently rigorous by an outside organization. This would ensure high standards for our teachers, while maintaining the essential role of the states in setting specific requirements for teaching in the state or obtaining licenses in the state.

With programs like the one envisioned by this bill, teachers could far more easily transfer their skills to another participating state. Teachers would benefit from the ability to more easily relocate, while schools and districts would have superior options for filling teacher shortages. Above all, students will benefit from rigorous standards set by their home state and will have increased access to high-quality teachers.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the Interstate Teaching Mobility Act.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am proud of the bipartisanship that allowed us to put this bill together.

Our committee, which normally operates quietly, has gotten more attention than normal this year as we conduct the critical business of investigating Russian intervention in our elections.

But we still do our day job--overseeing intelligence programs and providing support to the men and women of our intelligence community who fight to keep our country safe.

This bill is the culmination of this cooperation.

Our country is facing a wide array of pervasive and complex threats.

Our near-peer adversaries, Russia and China, are rapidly growing their military capabilities and regularly, unashamedly violating international law.

A nuclear weapons stockpile and functioning ICBM program now sit in the hands of an unpredictable North Korean dictator.

And the so-called caliphate started by ISIS is losing ground, only to increase homegrown attacks against the United States and its allies.

My constituents, like all Americans, are rightly concerned.

But they can feel confident that we are working with the intelligence community on ways to address them.

As the Ranking Member of the Emerging Threats Subcommittee, I am particularly interested in supporting our intelligence professionals who assess and prevent terrorist threats to our homeland--while protecting the civil rights and liberties of innocent Americans.

I'm working to ensure they use their expertise, as well as that in the private sector, to find and remove online propaganda used to recruit would-be attackers.

I'm also proud to include language that will enable the IC and private sector to temporarily exchange IT talent in order to better tackle some of the toughest cybersecurity challenges.

Mr. Speaker, Chairman Nunes and Ranking Member Schiff have led this process with bipartisan professionalism.

This bill is stronger because it reflects the input of all of our members.

The full House should have this same opportunity--not be forced to vote up or down under suspension.

Republican leadership owes it to our members to return to regular order so our bill can benefit from the input of the full House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on 100 years of service and dedication to the Indianapolis community. As we celebrate its centennial on July 9, 2017, I extend my gratitude to Pastor Ronald Covington and First Lady Kim Covington for their leadership of this community.

Friendship Missionary Baptist Church first opened its doors on the west side of Indianapolis in 1917, under the leadership of Reverend B.T. Westbrook. Since then, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church has gone above and beyond to enrich our community through its youth programs and extensive charitable work, including the redevelopment of the Friendship Westside Center for Excellence.

Mr. Speaker, I would once again like to congratulate Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on their 100th anniversary. I am proud to know that organizations such as Friendship Missionary are flourishing and strengthening our community.

Mr. Speaker, in June of 2017, Marsh Supermarkets grocery stores announced the closure of many stores throughout the Midwest. Many of these stores were located in my district where already many families lack a car or reliable public transportation to get to the nearest alternative, often located over a mile away. Today, thousands of my constituents are struggling to find the food they need, with many forced to rely on fast food restaurants and convenience stores. These options are neither healthy nor affordable.

Sadly, this situation is not unique. Over 29 million people, almost 10 percent of the U.S. population, live without ready access to affordable, nutritious food and over 2 million people have no transportation to get to their nearest store. Many have seen their local stores close their doors during the recent economic downturn. Others lost access years ago and are now facing the serious long-term impacts of obesity, diabetes, malnutrition and other diet related ailments. Unfortunately, residents in these low-income areas tend to spend less on groceries, leaving little financial incentive for traditional grocery chains to make costly investments for new locations.

In the wealthiest country on Earth, nutritious food should be an expectation, not a luxury. That is why I am introducing the Food Deserts Act, which creates new avenues to fund stores in underserved communities. This bill will create USDA funded, state operated revolving funds that will issue low interest loans for the operation of grocery stores in food deserts. The bill ensures that recipients of these loans, including for-profit, non-profit and municipal entities, will provide affordable, healthy food, including fresh produce and staples like milk, bread and meat. It will also ensure that USDA professionals are available to provide technical assistance to recipients who need it.

Access to healthy food is something that most of us take for granted. But despite our own experiences, we need to remember that millions of our constituents are struggling every day to feed their families. With this market driven approach, I hope to complement existing federal programs and efforts around the country by ensuring a stable lending stream for struggling grocery stores and sustainable access to food for communities in need.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize tomorrow, and each Friday before Memorial Day, as National Poppy Day.

National Poppy Day encourages all Americans to wear a red poppy flower as a symbol to remember the fallen and support the living heroes who have worn our nation's uniform.

Following World War I, the red poppy became an internationally recognized symbol of the blood shed by those who fought for their countries.

Although it originated almost a century ago, the poppy is just as relevant today.

Throughout our history, countless Americans have laid down their lives to protect and defend the country and the people they love.

America's living veterans have served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and many other conflicts around the world.

They fought for us and many bare scars that will stay with them for life.

As Americans, we have an obligation to remember the service and sacrifice of these brave men and women and their families, who have helped build the country we love today.

By recognizing National Poppy Day, we stand with these brave men and women and with the families of all those who did not make it home.

While we all agree with the sentiment, the symbolism behind the poppy is better known around the world than it is here in the United States.

It is worn in England and Canada, on Remembrance Day, also known as Armistice Day and Poppy Day, to commemorate members of the armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

This year the United States commemorates the 100th anniversary of its entrance into World War I.

The American Legion, our largest wartime veterans organization which has a track record of promoting National Poppy Day, is approaching its 100th anniversary.

There is no more appropriate time for us, as a nation, to recognize this historic symbol of service.

As the proud author of H. Res. 309, a resolution recognizing National Poppy Day, I urge all of my colleagues to join me in promoting this visible recognition of those who have served our nation in uniform.

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to re- introduce the Young Americans Financial Literacy Act. Financial literacy is critical to ensuring future financial responsibility. Studies have shown that 87 percent of Americans believe finance education should be taught in schools and 92 percent of K-12 teachers believe that financial education should be taught in school, but only 12 percent of teachers actually teach the subject. Yet, according to a 2016 survey, only 1 in 3 states require high school students to take a personal finance course, and only five States require high school students to take a semester long personal finance course.

I believe that Congress has an opportunity and a responsibility to address the pressing needs of individuals faced with the loss of their financial stability and the challenges of economic uncertainty. This should include financial literacy education reform and long-term solutions to prevent future personal financial disasters. Research- based financial literacy education programs are needed to reach individuals at all ages and socioeconomic levels, particularly those facing unique and challenging financial situations, such as high school graduates entering the workforce, soon-to-be and recent college graduates, young families, and to address the unique needs of military personnel and their families. High school and college students who are exposed to cumulative financial education show an increase in financial knowledge, which in turn drives increasingly responsible behavior as they become young adults.

According to the Government Accountability Office, giving Americans the information they need to make effective financial decisions can be key to their well-being and to the country's economic health. The recent financial crisis, when many borrowers failed to fully understand the risks associated with certain financial products, underscored the need to improve individuals' financial literacy and empower all Americans to make informed financial decisions. This is especially true for young people as they are earning their first paychecks, securing student aid, and establishing their financial independence. Therefore, focusing economic education and financial literacy efforts and best practices for young people between the ages of 8 through 24 is of utmost Importance.

I believe America should be leading the world with the best-educated students who will drive our economic innovation and success, so please join me in cosponsoring the Young Americans Financial Literacy Act. This act:

Establishes a grant program in the Bureau of Consumer Financial protection to develop and implement financial literacy programs for young people ages eight to twenty-four;

Incentivizes the development of partnerships between institutions or higher education, local educational agencies, non-profit organizations, and financial institutions to develop programs aimed at young Americans in different phases of their life;

Ensures the development of evidence-based instructional material that is geared towards targeted groups and addresses unique life situations, including bankruptcy, foreclosure, student loans, credit card misuse; and

Conducts ongoing assessment and accountability of the program over the short-and long-term to ensure that grand money achieves the greatest impact.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting the Young Americans Financial Literacy Act.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to introduce a bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to reauthorize the pre-disaster hazard mitigation program.

First authorized in 2000, the pre-disaster hazard mitigation program has a proven history of saving taxpayer money by investing in cost effective projects that are designed to reduce injuries, loss of life, and damage and destruction of property in the event of a disaster. As the old adage goes: an ounce of prevention is worth its weight in gold.

This is true for the pre-disaster hazard mitigation program. The Multi Hazard Mitigation Council of the National Institute of Building Sciences has found that for every $1 spent on mitigation, $4 were saved in potential disaster costs. Other benefits and indirect savings at the local level and within the business sector were also identified. Moreover, the Congressional Budget Office confirmed the cost savings of the program. Using a different analysis, the CBO found in 2007 that for every $1 spent on mitigation, $3 was saved in potential disaster costs.

But it is not just empirical studies that have confirmed the benefits of this program. There are numerous examples of flood control projects, voluntary acquisitions of real property located in flood zones, and the construction of safe rooms that have saved lives and prevented future damage. Areas that have experienced flood damage in the past, and have flooded again, experienced reduced or no damage thanks to effective mitigation. For instance, in Iowa, pre-disaster mitigation funds were used to purchase riverfront homes from homeowners that had suffered flood damage and then converted to green space. When the area subsequently flooded again, there was no new damage, thanks to the pre- disaster mitigation efforts.

With today's ongoing fiscal challenges, increasingly severe storms, and escalating effects of climate change, it makes sense for our country to prepare for these disasters now in order to prevent or reduce damage. Smart planning to mitigate the adverse impact of disasters not only saves lives, but saves money--especially over the long run.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy when there were initial damage estimates in the billions of dollars, many Members from both sides of the aisle streamed to the floor to express sympathy to the victims, as well as decry the extent of the damage and large costs. This program represents an opportunity to curb similar costs in the future while also saving lives and protecting property.

It is time to reauthorize the Pre-Disaster Hazard Mitigation Program at a sufficient level to make an impact. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate the 2017 Crispus Attucks Medical Magnet High School's Varsity Boys Basketball Team. The Tigers were crowned the Division 3A Indiana State Boys Basketball Champions on March 25, 2017 after a thrilling last second basket to clinch victory over Twin Lakes 73-71 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

The Crispus Attucks basketball program is one of our country's most legendary basketball programs, as it was the first all-black school in the country to win an open state championship in 1955. This year's team was supported by our entire community and especially alumni. NBA Hall of Famer and leader of the 1955 and 1956 championship teams, Oscar Robertson, cheered on the Tigers and following their victory placed the championship medals around the necks of the players, coaches, and support staff.

This is the team's fourth state title, but the first since 1959. The Tigers were led to a 25-4 record by first year Head Coach Chris Hawkins who has inspired the student athletes to excel. Additionally, all Attucks fans and in particular the student body should be recognized for their enthusiasm and pride in this team.

The young men on this team should be proud of their accomplishment. It is an honor to join the entire Indianapolis community in recognizing these outstanding student athletes.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to offer my congratulations to the Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School Varsity Boys Basketball Team. The Tindley Tigers secured the Division 1A Indiana State Boys Basketball Championship on March 25, 2017 at Bankers Life Field House after a 51-49 victory over Lafayette Central Catholic.

This is the Tigers first appearance in the state finals and the team made it count by clinching the school's first state championship in any sport. The game's last minute shot and stolen inbound pass secured the win for the Tindley Tigers, who were led by Head Coach Bob Wonell.

The Tindley Tigers have secured their place in the storied history of Indiana basketball. I extend my congratulations to the student athletes, coaching staff, school and our entire Indianapolis community on their accomplishment this season.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise before you to offer a word of congratulations to the Ben Davis High School Varsity Boys Basketball Team. The Giants captured the Division 4A Indiana State Boys Basketball Championship on March 25, 2017 at Bankers Life Field House in Indianapolis after a 55-52 win over Fort Wayne North Side.

This team's achievements would not have been possible without, Head Coach Mark James, who is in his 35th year coaching the Giants and boasted that ``it's been a team effort all year.'' The entire team, including the players, coaches, managers and fans should be proud of their record, including a 14 game winning streak, and for bringing their school a third championship.

Winning a state championship is reaching the pinnacle of basketball and the entire Indianapolis community is proud to celebrate their accomplishments this season.