Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, Kerry from Tucson, Arizona, has a daughter in middle school who has type 1 diabetes.

The countless doctor visits, the fights with insurers and providers and doctors and back again, and the ache of watching her child struggle to be a normal kid on the playground is hard, but, as Kerry said, the fear of not being able to afford her daughter's treatment is a lot harder.

The Affordable Care Act saved Kerry's family. Before the ACA, there were no legal protections for those with preexisting conditions, and the cost of coverage was simply unaffordable.

President Trump continues his war on healthcare.

I ask my colleagues: When can our working families and mothers like Kerry feel safe from the fear of losing their healthcare? When can these families come up for air from the medical bills that drown them?

Arizonans and all Americans deserve a country that is there for them without question or condition. I will continue to defend the Affordable Care Act, its protections, and lowering healthcare costs for all families.

Madam Speaker, the Department of Defense published a report revealing the dire impacts of the President's unlawful emergency declaration. It threatens to steal nearly $150 million of urgently needed Arizona military construction funds critical to the security of our Nation and the well-being of our men and women in uniform and military families.

Both military bases within my district, Fort Huachuca and Davis- Monthan Air Force Base, are on the list that could be directly affected by these cuts, and I am here today to say, no way.

I represent a border district in southern Arizona, and we don't want the expensive, ineffective wall. We want our military bases funded.

Madam Speaker, 59 percent of Americans reject this emergency declaration. I will continue to take action to block this brutal decision and fight to protect Arizonans from the drastic consequences of this dangerous, unlawful declaration.

Mr. Speaker, I am here to represent the residents of Arizona's Second Congressional District. I work for them.

Our constituents sent us here to practice good government and to fight for their values and interests, so I am upset with the President's recent budget request.

A budget is an expression of our values, and this budget further proves how out of touch Donald Trump is with real American families.

This budget ransacks Medicaid, Medicare, and affordable healthcare. It makes it harder for Americans to have access to quality healthcare.

This budget abandons hungry families who are struggling to make ends meet. It fails farmers and rural communities. It pushes affordable college further out of reach, making it harder for students to attend college. And this budget demands billions for a wasteful, ineffective wall.

We need to have a budget that prioritizes working families and not large corporations.

We need to invest more in our education system and invest more in our young people, not less.

What the President has laid out does not accomplish the goals or values of American families, and I reject this budget.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I strongly support H.R. 1, and I commend Congressman John Sarbanes for his persistent work on this legislation. We have an opportunity here to reduce the role of dark money in politics and make it easier for Americans to participate in our democracy.

This is not a partisan issue. This is an American democracy issue, and H.R. 1 is the best solution to cleaning up corruption in Washington.

I am proud of my colleagues for working on this historic and necessary package.

You see, Madam Chair, I ran as a publicly funded candidate in Arizona under our public financing law called Clean Elections when I first ran for the legislature. This meant I had to go out and get a certain number of $5 contributions from constituents in my district, which I then turned in to get my public financing.

It was the same for everyone who was running as a Clean Election candidate, regardless of party. It equalized everything.

One of my favorite stories is that I was walking from my law office down to the post office to check my mail, and this cowboy pulled up in his pickup truck at a stoplight and rolled down the window, and he said, ``Hey, Ann. You don't know me, but I gave you $5.''

So he felt empowered in my election. I walked over, and we had a conversation in the middle of the street.

That is the way it should be. This puts power in the pocket of the people, not special interests, and that is the way it should be.

It is the For the People Act, and that empowers people, and that makes our democracy work.

I offer my amendment because it creates transparency in the process. This amendment was actually suggested by a Republican colleague. It requires the disclosure of credit card verification value and billing address information for purchases of online advertising. The credit card verification value is an antifraud security technology designed to protect us and to reduce fraudulent activity.

We know that there are bad actors and foreign nationals out there that have an interest in influencing our American elections through online advertising. Haven't we seen that very, very well in the last couple of years. We have loopholes that allow them to do so, but we can fix that. Not only can we fix it, we must fix it.

This amendment is a commonsense solution to help protect the integrity of our elections and prevent bad players from compromising our outcomes. This amendment is focused on protecting our democracy through transparency in the digital age.

Madam Chair, I urge you and all my colleagues to support my amendment and the entire H.R. 1 package to clean up Washington and put the American people first.

Remember that cowboy who stopped me in the middle of the road who felt like he was empowered in his election and in his selection of his representative. That is the way it should be.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, while I have the utmost respect and admiration for my colleague across the aisle--in fact, he is one of my favorite Members of Congress--I strongly disagree with his characterization of H.R. 1.

No one knows more than I about dark money, secret money being spent in elections. I have had tens of millions of dollars spent to defeat me, yet I prevail because I have the power of the people.

That is what this bill does. It empowers people just like that cowboy who stopped me with his pickup and contributed $5 to my legislative election.

Madam Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this election. There is nothing more important than elections in our democracy and empowering the people to participate, nothing. That is the cornerstone of our democracy.

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lofgren), my esteemed colleague.

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

Mr. Speaker, our constituents sent us here to represent them, to be a voice for their families, to fight for their values, to vote in their best interest. I am here for the residents of Arizona's Second Congressional District. I am here to work for them.

We must reject the culture of corruption here and put the power back in the hands of the people we represent. Our government works best when it is focused on people and American families,

not some special interest group or large corporation.

We can clean up the muddy swamp behaviors by passing H.R. 1. We need to reduce the role of dark special interest money and to make it easier to vote. We need to have some accountability here.

I will be voting for H.R. 1 so that our constituents become the top priority for all of us, not special interest groups.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Grant Thompson, a 14 year-old in my district who found a glitch in Apple's FaceTime software that allowed iPhones to be turned into spying devices. He is a Freshman at Catalina Foothills High School whose interest in technology put him in a position to discover this critical flaw.

The flaw Grant discovered allowed a user to be eavesdropped on before they actually accepted a call. Before his discovery, I'm sure millions of Americans used the app completely unaware of this very serious security and privacy violation. But Grant, his sister, and his mom took initiative to ensure this vulnerability was addressed, and for that, we should all be grateful.

Grant is a lot like other freshmen--he spends time on Instagram, he plays Fortnite, and obviously, he enjoys FaceTiming with his friends. He is a humble young man who told me that he and his sister Lauren simply stumbled across the flaw. His mother, Michele Thompson, supported her son and reached out to Apple so that the flaw could be fixed, which Apple promptly did. Michele is rightfully proud of her son, and I am too.

Grant's future is bright. I hear he dreams of one day being involved in a STEM-related industry, and I have no doubt that with hard work and his natural technology skills his dreams will one day become a reality.

I thank Grant, Lauren, and Michele for protecting the privacy of people around the world. I also want to thank Apple for listening to the Thompson family and for rewarding Grant's work with an investment in his future. Arizona's 2nd Congressional District is excited to watch Grant grow and thrive.

Mr. Speaker, the President has set a dangerous precedent by crying wolf in the name of national emergency.

I represent parts of the southern Arizona border. My community knows the border. We know the further away from the border you live, the more fictional the border narrative.

Border crossings are down to one-fifth of what they were in 2000, and apprehensions are at their lowest level in more than four decades. Those are facts.

Instead of protecting our national security, the President's declaration makes America less safe. The President is stealing billions from high-priority military construction projects that ensure our troops have the essential training and resources they need to keep the American people safe.

We will not sit by when the President abuses his power. I am confident that my Republican colleagues will regret supporting this false national emergency when there is a Democrat in the White House.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I held a Congress on Your Corner in Tucson, Arizona. I met face-to-face with my constituents at a supermarket. They shared their grave concerns over the President's words and actions.

One woman had never attended an event like this, but she stopped by to tell me she was terrified of losing her health insurance. Another woman was concerned about how inaction on climate change would impact her children.

No one President can solve every issue, but we need a President that unifies and fights for America's future, not divides us by party, economic status, or the country we were born in.

President Trump's address on Tuesday was more of the same. He doubled down on his divisive and destructive agenda with blatant lies. Time and again, he has failed the middle class and misinformed the public from the power pulpit. The President didn't even utter a word about climate change, and he mischaracterized activity at the border.

But I am listening, and I am here to work. I am focused on investing in hardworking families and fighting for people, not corporations. We will have votes on the floor this week that prove our investment in and care for these issues.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Peggy Turk Boyer, Executive Director of the Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans (CEDO), a bi-national, non-profit organization whose mission is the protection of the marine life in the Northern Gulf of California region. She is retiring from her position in 2019 after 40 years of service.

Peggy has devoted her life to preserving the marine environment of the northern Gulf of California and the livelihoods of the people who live there. Her work started in 1980 in Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, when Peggy began managing a marine research field station with her husband. That field station grew into the headquarters of CEDO.

Peggy recognized early on that the Gulf of California region is impacted by the social dynamics and conservation efforts on both sides of the border. This insight produced a governance structure for CEDO composed of two independent boards--one Mexican and one American--to share responsibility for finding resources, developing strategies and insuring the financial stability of the organization. Peggy has raised millions of dollars in Mexico and the United States from international foundations, government agencies, research contracts, individual donors, and events to support CEDO's work.

CEDO has established trust with local fishing communities and the Mexican government. From developing fishing gear that reduces harmful by-catch to providing training on monitoring populations and regulations, CEDO has been in a partnership with fishermen and women, supporting local communities while also giving these communities the tools to make their livelihoods sustainable and environmentally responsible. CEDO's ongoing educational programs for children and adults, including natural history talks, ecotours, environmental contests, beach clean-ups, and a binational marine biology camp for youth, have helped develop a culture of environmental stewardship.

Peggy's vision also included environmental protection. She served on the management planning committees for both the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere Reserve and the Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve. She was one of four individuals who were recognized by both the Mexican and U.S. Government for her invaluable contributions to the creation of these two Biosphere Reserves. Peggy and CEDO have received numerous awards on both sides of the border for their work in conservation, education, and tourism. Most recently, CEDO received first place among recipients of the first National Award for Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture. The award was for CEDO's work in developing cooperative, grass-roots stewardship of the fishing communities of the Sonoran Corridor.

Peggy Turk Boyer and CEDO have been agents for meaningful change, working tirelessly towards goals of conservation and protection for vulnerable communities both human and marine. We honor her life's work and her

dedication. Her visionary ideas and many accomplishments have inspired us all.

Madam Speaker, I was in my district over the weekend. We had a couple of marches. We had a Women's March. We had a march for MLK Day.

A man approached me, and he said: Representative Kirkpatrick, I work for the National Park Service. I am furloughed. I have no income. I have missed two paychecks.

He said: My 9-year-old son gave me his Christmas gift card to help our family get by.

He had tears in his eyes, and I am tearing right now just telling that story, because this shutdown is affecting families, children.

The instability that these children are feeling--and we don't talk about that enough--is going to affect them for the rest of their lives.

We have got to open the government, and we have got to do it now.

Madam Speaker, I stand here today on behalf of southern Arizonans and all our Federal employees. I stand here as their public servant because I work for them. They have called, sent letters, and shown up in our offices, pleading for action. They are scared, and not because of immigration. They are scared they can't pay rent, and they are scared they might not be able to feed their children.

To our constituents at home, I am sorry, but be outraged.

It is outrageous that John from southern Arizona, a Customs and Border Patrol agent, is furloughed and worried about how he is going to keep the lights on.

It is outrageous that Cochise County Community College students, many of whom are veterans, are worried they may not receive their financial aid.

It is outrageous that over 900,000 Arizona participants in SNAP, 72 percent of them with children, are in jeopardy of losing their nutrition assistance.

Madam Speaker, the majority in this House has publicly stated our willingness to work with the President. We must reopen government. Be outraged, because I sure am.

Mr. Speaker, 8 years ago today, at 10:10 a.m., 19 members of the Tucson community were shot in a despicable act of violence that shocked the Nation.

They were attending a Congress on Your Corner event, where Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was meeting with her constituents, when they were gunned down in a senseless tragedy that killed 6 and wounded 13.

The shooter fired his weapon 33 times in less than 20 seconds and was attempting to reload his handgun when the courageous actions of three people stopped him. Had they not done so, many others would have been wounded or killed.

The six people who died were: Christina-Taylor Green, Dorothy ``Dot'' Morris, Federal Judge John Roll, Phyllis Schneck, Dorwan Stoddard, and Gabriel ``Gabe'' Zimmerman.

People who were wounded by the gunmen were: Bill Badger; Congressman Ron Barber, who is now my district director; Ken Dorushka; James Fuller; Randy Gardner; Congresswoman Gabby Giffords; Suzi Hileman; George Morris; Mary Reed; Pam Simon; Mavy Stoddard; Jim Tucker; and Kenneth Veeder.

The members of my community had never seen such a devastating tragedy before, and yet they responded with compassion and kindness toward the survivors and the families of those who were murdered. They did not let this horrific tragedy define who we were.

Three memorials sprang up spontaneously: at the site of the shooting, at Congresswoman Gifford's office, and at the university hospital where the most seriously wounded were taken.

Thanks to the quick actions of members of the public and first responders who rushed to treat the wounded, lives were saved that morning.

The mental health of everyone in attendance was adversely affected, and many of the survivors still endure the physical and mental impact the shooting had on their lives.

The families of the six people who were killed grieve the loss of their loved ones to this day. I am so honored that our colleague Gabby Giffords is with us tonight.

Gabby served with great distinction in this House and, despite her nearly fatal injuries, has gone on to encourage and inspire us to take action to reduce gun violence in our country.

Today, a bipartisan group of our colleagues responded to Gabby's call by introducing and cosponsoring H.R. 8. This bill, which I support, will keep guns out of the hands of people who are currently prohibited by law from purchasing guns. It will eliminate loopholes in the current background check system.

The bill will not prevent responsible gun owners from buying guns, but it will make sure that their gun purchases are made in compliance with our existing laws.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the debate that we will have regarding H.R. 8, and hope that we will soon pass this bill out of our Chamber.

Gun violence in our Nation is a major public health problem, and it must be addressed. The American people who sent us here are waiting for us to step up and act responsibly on their behalf. We must do so.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House observe a moment of silence in remembrance of those whom we lost.

Madam Speaker, we are here today to honor Kayla Mueller, her courage, and her undying spirit and determination; and we are here to offer our hearts and prayers in comfort to her grieving family and friends.

In Arizona, in Flagstaff and in Prescott, we are all neighbors, and we are all friends. Kayla went to Northern Arizona University, which is in my hometown, Flagstaff. In talking to her friends and her professors, everyone talked about her dedication to serving others. Even if it meant going to faraway places that were dangerous, she was driven by a compassion to help the suffering.

We know that her short life is proof that one dedicated soul can touch a thousand others. Let us all keep Kayla's family in our prayers and her legacy in our hearts.

``. . . to controversies to which the United States shall be a party;--to controversies between two or more States,-- between citizens of different States,--between citizens of the same State claiming lands under grants of different States, and between a State, or the citizens thereof, and foreign states, citizens or subjects.''

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

I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for all of the hard work and dedication that went into H.R. 5404, the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act of 2014.

This bill would extend a number of important programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. We must ensure that the VA has the resources and authority to provide high-quality health care services and benefits that veterans have earned and deserve, no matter where they choose to live.

H.R. 5404 extends the Department's authority to deliver nursing home care to our veterans, give child care assistance for veterans so they can make their medical appointments, and provide counseling retreats for our women veterans.

For veterans who live in highly rural areas like my district, this bill extends VA's authority to give grants to veterans' service organizations to transport our rural veterans to their medical appointments, which is critical for increasing access to VA health care.

This bill also extends critical homeless programs that the VA needs to end veteran homelessness by 2015. Programs such as housing assistance, financial assistance, counseling, and reintegration services will continue so that veterans who experience homelessness or are at risk of being homeless have a safety net of services to help themselves in their time of need.

Finally, H.R. 5404 contains several extensions that will assist the Department in its efforts to provide specially adapted housing to veterans who have difficulty getting around their own homes, permit the VA to recruit and retain needed medical specialists, improve education benefit programs, and allow the VA to maintain an effective, functioning home loan guaranty program.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5404, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5404 and send this important, must-pass measure to the Senate to ensure that these important programs and services continue.

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