Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3154, the Inspector General Access Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Richmond, Hice, and Lynch for the bipartisan manner in which they worked on this very important bill.

The Inspector General Access Act would allow the IG of the Department of Justice to investigate allegations of misconduct by Department attorneys. The IG is statutorily independent and currently has the authority to investigate other DOJ personnel, but is barred from pursuing appropriate investigations into the attorneys at the Department.

Under current law, the authority to investigate attorneys is restricted to the Office of Professional Responsibility within DOJ. OPR is not statutorily independent; its head is not Senate confirmed like the IG; and treating attorneys differently from other personnel is unfair.

One year ago, Michael Horowitz, the inspector general at the Department of Justice, testified before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform: ``This bifurcated jurisdiction creates a system where misconduct by FBI agents and other DOJ law enforcement officers is conducted by a statutorily independent IG appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, while misconduct by DOJ prosecutors is investigated by a component head who is appointed by the Department's leadership and who lacks statutory independence. There is no principled reason for treating misconduct by Federal prosecutors differently than misconduct by DOJ law enforcement agents.''

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the letter from Mr. Horowitz expressing his strong support for this bill before us today.

U.S. Department of Justice,

Office of the Inspector General,

November 29, 2018.

Hon. Trey Gowdy,

Chairman, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, House

of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Hon. Elijah E. Cummings,

Ranking Member, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Cummings: I write to

express my strong support for H.R. 3154, the ``Inspector

General Access Act of 2017'' (Access Act), which your

Committee approved unanimously on September 27, 2018. The

Access Act would amend the Inspector General Act (IG Act) to

provide the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of the

Inspector General (OIG) with authority to investigate

allegations of misconduct against DOJ attorneys for their

actions as lawyers, just as the OIG has authority under the

IG Act to investigate allegations of misconduct made against

any non-lawyer in the Department, including law enforcement

agents at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug

Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol,

Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Marshals

Service (USMS). Currently, under Section 8E of the Inspector

General Act, the OIG does not have the authority to

investigate allegations of misconduct made against DOJ

attorneys acting in their capacity as lawyers; this role is

reserved exclusively for the Department's Office of

Professional Responsibility (OPR).

The Access Act has received broad, bipartisan support over

successive Congresses because it promotes independent

oversight, transparency, and accountability within DOJ and

for all of its employees. For these same reasons, in 1994,

the then-General Accounting Office, now the Government

Accountability Office (GAO), issued a report that found that

preventing the OIG from investigating attorney misconduct was

inconsistent with the independence and accountability that

Congress envisioned under the IG Act.

The OIG has long questioned this carve-out because OPR

lacks statutory independence and does not regularly release

its reports and conclusions to the public. Moreover, to our

knowledge, the DOJ Inspector General is the only Inspector

General in the entire federal government that does not have

the authority to investigate alleged professional misconduct

by attorneys who work in the agency it oversees. Providing

the OIG with authority to exercise jurisdiction in attorney

professional misconduct cases would enhance the public's

confidence in the outcomes of these investigations and

provide the OIG with the same authority as every other

Inspector General.

Alleged professional misconduct by DOJ prosecutors, like any

alleged misconduct by DOJ agents, should be subject to

statutorily independent oversight.

Over fifteen years ago, the Department and Congress

recognized the importance of statutorily independent OIG

oversight over all DOJ law enforcement components (FBI, DEA,

USMS, and ATF) when Attorney General Ashcroft authorized the

OIG to conduct additional law enforcement oversight in 2001

and Congress legislated it in 2002. Yet, allegations against

Department prosecutors for professional misconduct continue

to be handled exclusively by OPR. As a result, presently, if

an allegation of misconduct is made against the FBI Director,

it is reviewed by the OIG; by contrast, if an allegation of

professional misconduct is made against the Attorney General,

it is handled by OPR, a Departmental component that the

Attorney General supervises.

The rationale supporting independent oversight for alleged

misconduct by law enforcement applies with equal force to

alleged wrongdoing by federal prosecutors, regardless of the

nature of the alleged misconduct. There is no principled

reason to have two standards of oversight at DOJ--one for

federal agents, who are subject to statutorily independent

and transparent oversight by the OIG, and one for federal

prosecutors, who are not for allegations of professional

misconduct. This is particularly true given the extraordinary

power that Department lawyers have to charge individuals with

crimes, to seek incarceration, and to pursue the seizure of

assets and property.

The OIG's independence, established by statutory

authorities and protections, facilitates objective and

credible investigations of misconduct allegations, as well as

unbiased reports that identify and make useful

recommendations for improving the Department. The OIG is

headed by a Senate-confirmed Inspector General who can only

be removed by the President, with prior notice to Congress.

The OIG's statutory independence is bolstered by the OIG's

dual obligation to report findings and concerns both to the

Attorney General and to Congress. The independent OIG is able

to make critical investigative and audit findings without

fear of reprisal.

Conversely, OPR has no statutory independence or

protections. The OPR Counsel is appointed by and answers to

the Attorney General, and can be removed or disciplined by

the Attorney General. Although a November 27, 2018 letter

from DOJ's Office of Legislative Affairs (OLA) on H.R. 3154

states that ``OPR has always acted independently,'' it does

not point to any protections, statutory or otherwise, that

exist to ensure OPR's independence from the Attorney General,

nor has DOJ proposed strengthening OPR's independence by

adding such protections. Indeed, the letter fails to explain

or even address why DOJ believes it is better to have a non-

statutorily independent entity handle attorney professional

misconduct cases rather than a statutorily independent

organization, as is the case for law enforcement professional

misconduct allegations.

The OIG's independent and transparent oversight enhances the

public's confidence in the DOJ's programs and improves

its operations.

In addition to independence, the OIG considers transparency

a crucial component of its oversight mission. With limited

exceptions, the OIG ensures that the public is aware of the

results of our work. The majority of our reports are posted

on our public website at the time of release to ensure that

Congress and the public are informed of our findings, in a

comprehensive and timely manner. The OIG, consistent with the

IG Act, publishes on our website summaries of investigations

resulting in findings of administrative misconduct by senior

government employees and in matters of public interest even

when the subject is not prosecuted. We post such summaries

without identifying the investigative subject consistent with

the legal requirements under the Privacy Act. Because of this

commitment to transparency, there are currently hundreds of

OIG reports, audits, and reviews posted on our web site.

There are also summaries of dozens of OIG investigative

reports posted, including recent reports involving

significant misconduct by senior DOJ officials.

In contrast, there are currently only a total of five

reports (other than annual reports) posted on OPR's website.

Four of those five reports are from 2008 and were the result

of OPR's joint work with the OIG, and which the OIG posted on

our website consistent with the IG Act and our practice. The

fifth report was completed by OPR in 2013 and only released

in 2015 in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

request. Moreover, although the OLA letter states that ``OPR

discloses a substantial amount of information about its work

and findings in its annual report,'' this information is not

reported in a timely or comprehensive manner. Congress and

the public only find out about some, but not necessarily all,

of OPR's work when it issues an annual report.

An example of this dichotomy can be found in a case

involving an Oregon lawyer who was arrested by the FBI and

wrongly imprisoned after mismatched fingerprints linked him

to the 2004 bombing at a Madrid train station. The OIG

investigated the allegations of FBI agent misconduct, while

the Department's OPR investigated the allegations of attorney

misconduct. This bifurcation led to inconsistent treatment.

The OIG report on the actions of the FBI agents was published

on the OIG's website, but OPR did not publish the report on

the conduct of the DOJ attorneys who were involved in the

same case.

Transparency ensures greater accountability, and sends an

important deterrent message to other Department employees.

The credibility of the Department's disciplinary process is

inevitably reduced when the responsible component operates

under the direction of the Department's senior leadership and

is not subject to public scrutiny because of limited

transparency.

The OIG has demonstrated its excellence in reviewing complex

legal and factual issues, including employee ethics and

misconduct matters.

Over the past 30 years, the OIG has shown that it is

capable of fair and independent oversight of the DOJ. The

jurisdictional limitation of Section 8E(b)(3) is an

unnecessary historical vestige of the fact that OPR was in

existence prior to the statutory creation of the OIG in 1988.

Those who unsuccessfully tried in 2002 to forestall Congress

from providing the OIG with oversight of alleged misconduct

by FBI and DEA agents contended that those cases required

specialized expertise--just like the Department argues

currently that prosecutorial oversight requires specialized

expertise--and that argument was roundly rejected and has

proven to be entirely without merit. The decision by Congress

to extend OIG jurisdiction in 2002 to encompass misconduct by

FBI and DEA agents has allowed for significant and important

oversight of DOJ's law enforcement operations, and has had

significant positive impact on the integrity of those

agencies' operations.

The OIG has consistently demonstrated our ability to handle

complex legal and factual issues related to our misconduct

reviews, including those involving FBI and DEA agents as well

as, on occasion, ethics issues involving DOJ lawyers. In

addition to our recent investigation of the FBI's actions

prior to the 2016 presidential election, which involved

evaluating the professional conduct by FBI agents, FBI

lawyers, and FBI senior officials, we have investigated the

FBI's actions involving its former agent Robert Hanssen, the

FBI's activities related to James ``Whitey'' Bulger, the

DEA's oversight of its confidential informant program, the

DEA and other components' handling of sexual misconduct and

harassment cases, the operation of the FBI laboratory, ATF's

actions involving Operation Fast and Furious, and the FBI's

use of its national security authorities (National Security

Letters, Patriot Act Section 215, FISA Amendment Act Section

702).

Each of those and many other reviews resulted in

independent and transparent findings by the OIG, and resulted

in changes to Department operations that enhanced their

effectiveness and thereby increased the public's confidence

in those programs. Moreover, OIGs throughout the government,

including at the Department of Homeland Security and the

Securities and Exchange Commission, have authority to

investigate misconduct allegations made against attorneys at

those agencies and they have demonstrated that they are fully

capable of dealing with such matters covering a wide range of

complex legal issues. The DOJ OIG is the only OIG, to our

knowledge, that is barred by the IG Act from reviewing

misconduct by lawyers within the agency it oversees.

The Access Act would provide the OIG with oversight over

Department lawyers in a manner that is entirely

consistent with its oversight authority over Department

non-attorneys.

The present oversight system that applies to allegations

made against any DOJ non-lawyer, as provided for in the IG

Act and Department regulations, is precisely the oversight

mechanism that the Access Act seeks to apply to Department

lawyers. Specifically, under the current system for DOJ non-

lawyers, all non-frivolous misconduct allegations must be

provided to the OIG for the OIG's review and determination as

to whether it is of the type and nature that warrants and

necessitates independent OIG investigation. Given the OIG's

limited resources, the OIG handles only those allegations

that warrant an independent OIG investigation, and therefore

the OIG returns routine and less serious misconduct

allegations to Department components, such as the FBI's

Inspections Division and the DEA's OPR, for their handling

and investigation. For those matters that the OIG retains,

when the OIG completes its investigation, it sends its report

to the component so that it can adjudicate the OIG's findings

and take disciplinary action, as appropriate. The Access Act

creates a similar practice, by maintaining the Department's

OPR to handle misconduct allegations that do not require

independent outside review as determined by the OIG, much as

the internal affairs offices at the FBI, DEA, ATF, and USMS

remain in place today.

We are unaware of any claims by Department leaders that

this approach has resulted in ``different investigative

standards,'' ``decrease[d] efficiency,'' or ``inconsistent

application'' of legal standards. There is no evidence that

it has impacted the components ``ability to successfully

defend any significant discipline decision before the Merit

Systems Protection Board.'' Yet this parade of horribles is

precisely what the OLA letter claims will occur if attorneys

are treated in the same manner as Special Agents and non-

attorneys at the Department, rather than continuing to

receive the special oversight treatment granted to them under

the current carve-out provision under the IG Act. This

argument it meritless. Indeed, the disciplinary processes at

the FBI and the DEA have substantially improved since the OIG

obtained statutory oversight authority over those components

in 2002, in significant part due to the greater transparency

and accountability that has resulted from the OIG's

oversight.

I very much appreciate your strong support for my Office

and for Inspectors General throughout the federal government.

Sincerely,

Michael E. Horowitz,

Inspector General.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3154 would not prohibit OPR from investigating attorneys. It would simply add the ability to investigate attorneys when appropriate

in the IG's authority, an additional layer of accountability.

Empowering IGs has been, and should continue to be, a nonpartisan issue.

The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform relies on the work of IGs, and we strongly support ensuring they can do their jobs effectively.

This bill was ordered reported by the Oversight Committee unanimously. I urge my colleagues to continue their support for IGs by supporting the Inspector General Access Act.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act, and I thank my friend and colleague, Representative Ro Khanna, for his bipartisan work on this important bill.

This bill will require agencies to modernize their public-facing websites and increase the types of services and forms available to the public in a digital format.

Improving the capabilities of agency websites available to the public is essential to ensuring that the Federal Government continues to meet the demands of today's citizens. This bill would help to achieve that goal by requiring agencies to make long overdue improvements to the websites and digital services they provide for the public's benefit.

For example, the bill would require that any new or redesigned website be accessible to people with disabilities, offer search functions to allow users to more easily find specific content, and use data-driven analysis to ensure that users' needs are being adequately addressed.

This bill also would mandate that within 2 years of enactment, agencies provide the public with the option of completing any transactions by means of an online, mobile-friendly, digital format. In other words, on their phones.

Finally, the bill would require agencies to submit to both the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform a report on the progress being made in implementing the bill's requirements.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the great State of California (Mr. Khanna).

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues and Members to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I support this commonsense bill. The Settlement Agreement Information Database Act would create a database of settlement agreements entered into by Federal agencies that relate to alleged violations of Federal, civil, or criminal law.

The Office of Management and Budget would manage this database and set deadlines for submission. The heads of executive agencies would be required to submit details about the types of settlement agreements, parties involved in the settlements, specific violations, and the dates on which the settlement agreements were entered into.

The information about the settlement agreements would remain public until 5 years after the termination of the agreements. The information within the agreements would remain subject to FOIA regulations. But if the head of the agencies decided to keep an entire agreement confidential, he or she would be required to submit an explanation of that action to the database.

This bill would improve the transparency surrounding settlement agreements, which in the past have been difficult for the public to access.

Mr. Speaker, I do not have any further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Federal CIO Authorization Act would make several commonsense changes to existing law.

First, it would update the name of the Administrator for E-Government to the Federal Chief Information Officer and require that individual to report directly to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Second, it would establish the position of Federal Chief Information Security Officer, who would report to the Federal CIO and assist OMB in its cybersecurity efforts.

Finally, the bill would require the Federal CIO to submit a proposal on consolidating IT across Federal agencies, especially smaller agencies, through the use of shared services.

Mr. Speaker, I urge every Member in this Congress to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Betsy Cohn, a leader and activist who has made a difference on the national stage. Ms. Cohn has been an advertising and marketing executive, a stalwart of Democratic politics and an outspoken feminist who has worked to elect women to office. On October 1, 2018, she celebrated her 80th birthday.

Betsy Cohn has broken through glass ceilings and reached down for others to follow. She had an extraordinary career in marketing and public relations, starting in the Mad Men era when few women succeeded in becoming executives. She worked for some of the most iconic movie and television studios, heading departments and making significant contributions to the entertainment industry.

Born Betsy Levitt, Ms. Cohn attended Syracuse University. In 1959, she was hired as a secretary at Kenyon & Eckhardt Advertising, where her talents were recognized, and she rose to become Head of Casting and then Director of Public Relations.

In 1975, seeking an opportunity to have a bigger impact, Ms. Cohn left the advertising firm to become Director of Marketing (Non- Theatrical) at Paramount Pictures. She became a Consultant for Showtime from 1977 to 1982, and then joined MGM/UA as Director of Pay TV where she remained until her retirement in 1986.

In addition to her professional experience, Ms. Cohn has given generously of her time and attention to some of New York's greatest cultural and civic institutions. She has served on the advisory board of the Maxwell School of Citizenship at Syracuse and the New York State Tourism Advisory Organization. She is on the Central Park Conservancy Women's Committee; on the Lincoln Center Theater's Patron Committee; on the development committee board of Jazz at Lincoln Center; on the board and executive committee of New Dramatists; and a Co-Chair of the Chairman's Council of New York Historical Society.

Ms. Cohn's deep knowledge and understanding America's cultural institutions were recognized when she was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, a committee established to advise the President, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities on ways to promote private sector support for, especially at the state and local level.

A longtime political activist, Ms. Cohn has been deeply involved in Democratic politics, and especially interested in helping women win. She served as Executive Vice President of the Women's Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee. When Hillary Clinton ran for Senate, Ms. Cohn was Vice Chair of Finance for her campaign. She was the co-creator of the Tri-State Maxed-Out Women's Committee for Hillary Clinton (2006 to 2008), which held information sessions and brought well-known leaders to speak with women who had been major donors to Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign. Ms. Cohn then created the Tristate Women's Maxed-Out Committee (2010 to present) whose political action committee supports Democratic women running for the U.S. House or Senate. Ms. Cohn also serves on the Board of Eleanor's Legacy, which raises funds for Democratic women in New York State.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the extraordinary contributions of Betsy Cohn, who has created opportunities for women to become leaders.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague from New York, who is the ranking member on Small Business, as an outstanding leader on Puerto Rico, on business, on women, and in so many areas. I rise today and join my colleague on the other side of the aisle, Ann Wagner, in strong support of H.R. 6729, the Empowering Financial Institutions to Fight Human Trafficking Act.

This bill cracks down on human traffickers and human trafficking in general, which is one of the worst crimes imaginable. This bill will save lives by cracking down on human trafficking.

Human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. It already generates over $150 billion in profits every year. There are only two crimes that generate more revenue, and those are selling drugs and selling guns. But in human trafficking, you can sell the body over and over again, usually until they die.

The $150 billion is an astonishing amount of money, and that is why it is so important to make sure that financial institutions have access to high-quality, up-to-date information on human traffickers and the companies and individuals involved in this terrible trade.

This bill would ensure that financial institutions get the information they need about trafficking so that they can take appropriate action to protect both themselves and the sufferers of human trafficking.

The bill would give qualified nonprofits a legal safe harbor when they share information about human trafficking with financial institutions.

And it is not-for-profits that have been the most successful in combating and stopping this horrible crime.

The nonprofits would have to be registered with Treasury in order to qualify for the safe harbor and would have to abide by any safeguards Treasury establishes to ensure that the information they are providing is credible and accurate.

So the bill would not open the door to blatantly false or malicious accusations being made. To the contrary, it would help nonprofits who are actively engaged in stopping human trafficking around the world.

Without this safe harbor, these nonprofits would be afraid to share the information they have about traffickers with banks out of fear of being sued.

This bill is supported by law enforcement. This bill will allow a cracking down on this terrible, terrible crime that costs the lives of thousands of our young people. It is important.

This bill will save lives. That is why I support it, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and co-chair of the Hellenic Caucus for all his hard work on this Special Order and for his hard work in Congress and on so many issues. He has been a leader for Greece, Cyprus, Florida, and the United States, and is a strong and effective leader here in Congress.

Mr. Cicilline, who is here representing the Democratic side, has been a strong advocate and leader, not only in this but in so many areas in our caucus, in our Congress, and in so many ways.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to show my strong and unwavering support for the U.S.-Cyprus relationship.

As co-chair of the Hellenic Caucus along with Mr. Bilirakis, I would be remiss if I did not mention the tragic wildfires that tore through Greece yesterday, killing dozens, and injuring and displacing hundreds more. I am heartbroken by the loss of life and destruction these rapidly moving fires left in their wake, and I send my deepest condolences, along with all of my colleagues in Congress, to the Greek people at this time.

I know that the Hellenic American community, many of whom are my constituents, are affected by this disaster as well and have already begun efforts to help.

I want to thank, especially, my fellow Hellenic Caucus co-chair, Representative Gus Bilirakis from the great State of Florida, for organizing this Special Order hour, and also the Congressman from Rhode Island (Mr. Cicilline) for joining him in organizing it.

I founded the caucus with his father, former Representative Mike Bilirakis, in 1996, and it remains one of the largest and most active caucuses in Congress. We founded this caucus after Turkey invaded EMEA. It seemed like, every other day, there was a major crisis that came to the floor of Congress, and we felt it was important to really find where our supporters were.

I am proud that, since this caucus has been founded, no single bill has been taken to the floor that in any way hinders or rolls back rights to Greece or Cyprus.

Cyprus is one of our staunchest allies in the world. Strengthening our alliance must remain a constant foreign policy priority for the United States.

We must acknowledge a solemn anniversary last week. It has been 44 years since the illegal, terrible, unjust invasion by Turkish troops into the northern third of the nation of Cyprus. To this day, the island and the people living on either side of the U.N.-monitored buffer zone remain separated. There are 40,000 Turkish troops occupying northern Cyprus today. It is unjust; it is wrong; and they should be removed.

They pose a looming threat that the Cypriot people have been forced to live with each and every day. Negotiations on reunification, unfortunately, are stalled for now, after some signs of progress early last year.

Turkish troops are undeniably a hindrance to peace. No just and lasting settlement for either Greece or Turkish Cypriots can be achieved with the presence of the Turkish military.

We are here today to show the support of the U.S. Congress for a bicommunal, bizonal federation that is in the best interests of the United States, the entire Eastern Mediterranean, and, most of all, Cypriots themselves.

Two years ago, I joined a congressional delegation led by Ileana Ros- Lehtinen, the former chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, to Cyprus. As we toured along the buffer zone, or the so-called Green Line that partitions the country, the ghost towns of Famagusta and Varosha illustrated the drastic impact that a divided Cyprus has on its people.

I would call it a lost opportunity and lost economic advancement. It is literally a deserted ghost town on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, one of the most beautiful towns in the world. Yet, I have constituents who I represent who crawled out of Famagusta on their bellies as Turkish planes were dropping bombs after them, and their dream is to go back to their homeland.

But it is a wasteland. When you pass the Green Line into the occupied area, it is like totally deserted. It is like a lost economic opportunity, lost living style, lost life. When you see it, it is a visualization of so many opportunities lost for this great country, the time wasted and the development foregone because of this extended conflict and separation between the Greek and Cypriot areas and the Turkish areas.

Some may not be aware that the buffer zone is patrolled now by U.N. peacekeeping forces. The U.S. must maintain its financial support for these forces that are keeping peace in Cyprus. It is an effective investment, especially now, and it is needed.

There are numerous examples of Turkish aggression in the Eastern Mediterranean. Violations of Greek airspace and territorial waters are commonplace. Turkey continues to intimidate and interfere with the companies operating in Cyprus' exclusive economic zone and violates Cyprus' sovereign claims to its territory.

Fortunately, there are near-term initiatives that Congress is pursuing right now to defend Cyprus' stability and sovereignty. The NDAA conference report released Monday includes a provision to study lifting the arms embargo on Cyprus that has been in place since 1987.

I think we need to go much further than that. I think the embargo should be lifted today, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of Representative Cicilline's bill to do just that. This study will hopefully be at least a step in the right direction.

The NDAA also prohibits the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. That provision is long overdue, and that is in the defense budget that we will be considering today and tomorrow.

Cyprus is a vital U.S. partner in global and regional security, economic cooperation, and energy development. I am proud to be a champion of this relationship in Congress through the Hellenic Caucus and to have the support of so many of my Hellenic American constituents in that effort.

Mr. Speaker, I see my colleague, Mr. Cicilline, representing the great State of Rhode Island is here. He is an incredible leader in this caucus, the leader of our messaging unit, and, in so many other ways, an important leader in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the JOBS and Investor Confidence Act, which will help in capital formation and help our economy grow. I want to thank Chairman Hensarling and Ranking Member Waters for all their hard work on this bipartisan package, which reflects a great deal of work by all of us on the Financial Services Committee.

In this package are 22 bills that came through the Capital Markets, Securities, and Investment Subcommittee on

which I serve with Chairman Huizenga as ranking member, and I thank him for his leadership in pushing this through.

This package includes one of my bills, the Family Office Technical Correction Act, which is a narrowly tailored solution that will allow family offices to better serve their clients. The bill would clarify that all family clients of a family office are sophisticated, accredited investors. This fixes a problem where, if just one family client of a family office isn't an accredited investor, then the entire family office can't buy any securities that are limited to accredited investors, like privately issued stocks or bonds.

The package also includes several other bills that I strongly support, such as Mr. Himes' Middle Market IPO Underwriting Cost Act. This bill will require the SEC to study the costs associated with going public, and not just the regulatory costs that have been studied many times, but the much higher costs that are paid to the underwriters and other professionals when a company decides to go public.

Ranking Member Waters also has a bill in this package that would require the SEC to study and fix a glaring loophole in our insider trading laws, where company executives can take advantage of a safe harbor to buy and sell stock in their own company based on material, nonpublic information.

Finally, the package includes a bill that would provide a badly needed update to the definition of a sophisticated accredited investor, which would allow people who can demonstrate that they are sophisticated in investment matters to qualify as an accredited investor.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan package.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from the great State of California (Mr. Correa), for yielding and for his leadership on this very important humanitarian issue and so many other issues before this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Trump administration missed its court- ordered deadline to reunite the toddlers and babies it kidnapped at our southern border with their families.

And, yes, I say kidnapped. I don't know how else to describe this. That is the only appropriate word to describe the implementation of the so-called zero-tolerance policy when there was clearly no forethought as to how children would be returned to their parents.

The cruelty and inhumanity at the border has led to nearly 3,000 children being torn away from their families and imprisoned. Instead of having a plan in place to reunite these families, the administration lost, destroyed, or never even created records, and clearly did not care or think about reuniting these children.

Now we have a crisis of a whole different kind: figuring out how we put the pieces back together, how we put the families together again. Some parents of these children have already been deported. Some are totally unaccounted for.

President Trump and his administration are utterly failing to fix this tragedy that they created. We have so

many tragedies in the world that we are reacting to. This was one that was literally created by this administration.

While we deal with this unorganized chaos and incompetence, the children still in custody continue to suffer irreparable trauma in unimaginable conditions, all because the President wanted to punish those who sought safety for their children and a better life in the United States of America.

We will not rest until each one of these children is back safely in their parents' arms. We will continue to demand information on how these children will be reunited with their families and insist that officials who took part in this tragedy are held accountable.

I have visited two facilities with my colleagues. One was in Elizabeth, New Jersey. We went there on Father's Day with permission from lawyers and the inmates to visit with them. At first, they would not allow us access. Finally, after we pushed and pushed, we were allowed to see five gentlemen, four of whom entered the country legally. They entered the country and immediately turned themselves over to immigration authorities. One came in illegally because there was violence at the border, and he then immediately turned himself over to immigration facilities.

They all had very sad stories to tell. I share one from a man, from which country, we can't say, but there was a lot of violence and drug violence. His partner was killed, and his business was destroyed. They went to the school, threatening to take his daughter. She, luckily, was not in school at the time. The thugs were looking for her.

So he grabbed his daughter and fled to America. He was in detention when they came to his cell at 3 o'clock in the morning and tore his 8- year-old daughter from his arms.

Along with my five colleagues, Members of Congress from New York and New Jersey, we asked to speak to the head of the facility, the head representing ICE, the head of the detention facility.

They said they had no records of where his daughter was. To this day, they have not reunited this father with his 8-year-old daughter. He broke down in tears.

I also visited a facility in New York City, Cayuga in East Harlem. This is a facility that I feel was very well-run. It is for foster care. Children are there in the daytime, and then they are placed in foster homes during the night.

Again, the children did not know where their parents were. The professionals said it usually takes them 59 days to find a relative, an appropriate guardian, or the parents.

I just have to join my colleagues in saying that this is a disaster. Mr. Speaker, 3,000 migrant children who were taken from their parents at the border are still waiting to be reunited.

There are accounts of pregnant women being shackled in detention and callously denied prenatal care or medical attention when they are clearly experiencing symptoms of miscarriage.

On Tuesday, the administration missed the court-ordered deadline to reunite all children under 5 years of age. I understand there are more than, roughly, 100 children in this category. Very few have been reunited.

Neither HHS nor DHS have consistent answers about how and when any of these children under 5, or over 5, are going to be returned to their parents. In short, there is no plan.

There was no planning. They took children from the arms of their parents and did not keep records on where they are now.

Repeatedly, I have joined with Ranking Member Elijah Cummings in calling for hearings in the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Despite numerous, numerous requests from him and others, we have not had one single hearing about this humanitarian crisis being put forth by our own government. Yet, there is a hearing planned tomorrow on Hillary Clinton's emails.

The election is over. Let's focus on the crisis before us: these children.

Again, we will keep calling for and asking for hearings on this crisis before our country.

I want to thank my colleague for working so hard and trying to find answers. I support his work completely, and I will continue working with him and others to reunite these families who came to our country looking for a better life.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague from the great State of New York, Yvette Clarke, for organizing this incredibly important Special Order. Her mother and I served together on the city council. She was one of my best friends there, and Yvette is one of my best friends here. I would say that Yvette and Una really have been major leaders in the immigrant community, particularly from the Caribbean where her mother was born, and has been a leader on all forms of social justice to help immigrants in our country, not just this disaster that we are confronting right now.

Throughout history, we have been a nation to which the world's oppressed and vulnerable look to for hope; a beacon of light signaling a better life. The zero-tolerance policy put forth by the Trump administration utterly violates that tradition of values in this country. Families are fleeing unspeakable danger and oppression only to arrive at our borders and be torn away from each other.

Yesterday, President Trump signed an executive order that halts segregated detention for parents and children. But we have to remember that the President created this crisis and always had the power to reverse course. Why didn't he do it sooner?

Now the so-called solution seems to be that families will be detained together, but we don't know for how long and we don't know where.

All today, I have been looking for the girls. Where are the girls? I found detention centers for boys, I found them for men, and I found them for babies. I still haven't gotten an answer where the young girls are. We are left with troubling questions. We don't know where they are, and we don't know how they are being treated.

How and when will the thousands of children who have already been separated from their parents be reunited? Now I read that some parents have been sent back--deported--and their children are still here. How are we going to unite those families and bring them together?

Last weekend, I joined members of the New York delegation and the New Jersey delegation, and we went to a detention center in Elizabeth, New Jersey. We had letters that said we could see the people who had been detained. It was signed by their lawyers and it was signed by the men. We went on Father's Day to meet with the fathers.

First, they wouldn't let us in. They put papers on the wall in the windows so we couldn't look in. Then finally, we demanded and demanded, and they finally opened the doors and let us meet with five of the detainees. Four of them came to this country legally. They came seeking refuge, they came seeking asylum, and they went through the proper orders and the proper procedures. One did not. Because there was violence at the border, he came another way, and then turned themselves in to the authorities.

Their stories were heartbreaking. Two of them broke down and literally cried. One father told a story that in his business, they were fishermen, his partner had been murdered. They were asking for them to pay them money, the gangs down in those areas. So the gang members went to the school looking for his daughter. He heard about it. She was going in the afternoon. He immediately took his daughter and fled and came to America.

When he came to the border, they were then moved into a detention center. The authorities came to him at 3:00 in the morning and tore his daughter out of his arms. He did not know where she was, and he did not know how to contact her. When we talked to the warden, we asked the warden in Elizabeth, New Jersey, at this detention center, where his daughter was, and he didn't know. Then he said he would try to find his daughter.

Well, when I arrived today, I checked with my New Jersey colleagues. They had been in touch with the detention center and with the warden. They still had not found his daughter. This is disastrous. This is cruel. This is dangerous. We don't know where this particular child is, and we don't know where the thousands of others are. We don't know what kind of conditions these families are being held in, and we don't know how long they are being held. We need to know these answers, and we have to hold this administration accountable for completely ending this family separation policy that they initiated.

Now, between May 5 and June 9, just 35 days, over 2,300 children have been separated from their parents at the southern border. Now, this, I think, is the worst action in our country regarding immigrants in the history of a country. And the other worst one is when we interned Japanese citizens that had fled and come to America. We interned them during World War II.

But here we have over 2,000 children separated from their parents. That is 60 children per day for the past 35 days, who go to sleep at night not knowing when they will see their mothers or fathers again. Experts tell us that this is child abuse, and at the hands of our own government.

This cannot be who we are as Americans. It is why I joined Ranking Member Cummings and every Democrat on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee to demand a hearing on this reckless policy. We kept asking, and the Republican majority never granted it.

So, today, the Women's Caucus held our own shadow hearing, where we heard from experts about health, about law, about humanity, and what we should be doing as a nation to help these children, not hurt them.

I have signed on to Representative DeLauro's resolution condemning this horrific behavior as the child abuse that it is, and why I am an original cosponsor of the Keep Families Together Act, introduced by my colleague and friend, Jerry Nadler, which bans the separation of migrant children from their families. These children, these families, and this country deserve so much better. We will not stop fighting until families are made whole again.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished colleague for her hard work on this issue, and so many others, that are important to our city of New York, our State, and our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for his leadership, and for organizing this and for reminding us of the leadership that the Republican Party took under President Reagan for comprehensive immigration reform, which we have all been calling for for years.

Today, I rise because I believe our country is in a moment of crisis. This administration is turning its back on our ideals, our values, and our history as a safe harbor and beacon of light for the world's oppressed and threatened peoples.

President Trump's heartless policy of ripping apart families who are coming to the United States seeking freedom from fear, from violence, is cruel, inhumane, and blatantly un-American.

These families have traveled hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to keep their children safe and away from the harm that awaits them at home. No one takes that journey lightly. No one leaves behind the only home they have known, their friends, their extended family, if they have any other choice.

Yet, instead of accepting these refugees with compassion, this administration is persecuting and prosecuting those fleeing danger, taking babies from their mothers' and fathers' arms, causing great trauma.

There is absolutely no justification for this policy. It is cruelty for cruelty's sake. This is not who we are as a Nation.

It is why I have joined Ranking Member Cummings to demand an Oversight and Government Reform hearing on this reckless policy, and why I have signed on to a resolution condemning this horrific behavior as the child abuse that it is, and why I am joining the Women's Caucus next week at a shadow hearing, because we have requested a hearing from the Republican majority, and they have not granted it, so we are having our own hearing to explore this issue more.

The administration needs to immediately change course, and every Member of Congress must hold it accountable for doing so.

These children, these families, and this country deserve so much better.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank my good friend, Representative Correa, for hosting this Special Order, for his leadership, and for allowing me to participate in this Special Order this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to His Excellency Ambassador Vasilios Philippou as he ends his tenure as High Commissioner and Consul General of the Republic of Cyprus in New York City.

Ambassador Philippou has dedicated his entire adult life to serving his country. As a young man, Ambassador Philippou served in the Cypriot National Guard. He began his career in at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1991. His postings in foreign service include serving as Consul General in New York; High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Antigua, Barbuda, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago; a Counsellor on Economic and Multilateral Affairs; and as an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Mexico.

Ambassador Philippou has been awarded the International Good Scout Award from the greater New York Councils of Boy Scouts of America and has been honored by the Cyprus Children's Fund, a nonprofit which provides scholarships to Cypriot students to attend University abroad. He is also an Honorary Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association of New York.

Throughout his tenure in New York, Ambassador Philippou displayed tremendous dedication to improving the U.S.-Cypriot relationship. He has been named the next High Commissioner of Cyprus in Ottawa, Canada, and I am confident that in that role, he will build upon his already- impressive record of public service.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing H.E. Ambassador Philippou's amazing dedication to public service and his tireless work to strengthen the long friendship between the Republic of Cyprus and the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the remarkable achievements of Sadete Mujovic, an educator who is making a difference in the lives of her students and a leader in the Muslim American community who is developing wonderful after-school programs to encourage children to reach their full potential. I am delighted to recognize her remarkable contributions at a

slightly belated event along with Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas. Sadete exemplifies the originality and creativity needed to be a great teacher.

Sadete currently works at the Legacy High School, a state-sponsored charter school for children with learning disabilities on Roosevelt Island. Sadete is an IEP coordinator and English teacher with over 13 years of experience in education, including six years as Education Director at the Muslim American Society Ibn Sina Community Center. Sadete believes that every child deserves a safe educational environment in which to learn and grow and recognizes that each child has something unique and special to offer to the world.

Sadete has worked on projects to help improve schools, such as school change projects, restructuring school growth and goal setting. Her efforts as an educator and administrator have led to the development of school-wide teacher development and the creation of programs to enhance classroom instruction.

A dedicated educator who constantly strives to improve her ability to communicate with students and colleagues, Sadete takes every opportunity to learn new techniques and new ways to encourage her students to succeed. Sadete has completed many credential programs to supplement her skills, including the FDC for Leaders credential program where she learned to empower the work place, encourage cultural competence and promote supervision with skill and heart.

Sadete devotes much of her time to the MAS Ibn Sina Center where she directs an after-school program that offers homework help and tutoring for up to 300 children, oversees women's fitness and wellness classes, conducts arts programs for adults and young people and teaches ESL classes. Sadete has demonstrated strong leadership skills, overseeing the budget, recruiting, hiring, training and managing staff, spearheading marketing and awareness programs, fundraising and mentoring young people. Committed to supporting the students, parents and staff of the MAS-Ibn Sina Center, Sadete works to help them reach their full potential academically, socially and physically.

Through education, Sadete touches the lives of thousands of young people, helping instill confidence and a love of learning. We are truly fortunate to have someone as committed, enthusiastic and resourceful as Sadete, helping to make our community a wonderful place to live.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the dedication and hard work of Sadete Mujovic, an educator whose passion and skill is reflected in the achievements of her students.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Marcy Syms, a strong

businesswoman, a philanthropist and an activist who has worked tirelessly to open doors for women. Ms. Syms is receiving the Carolyn Maloney Leadership Award tonight from our great Assemblywoman Rebecca Seawright. Not only is Ms. Syms a corporate leader, but she has generously given of her time, experience and resources to leveling the playing field and helping other women find success.

President and founder of the Sy Syms Foundation and former CEO of the Syms Corporation, Ms. Syms has played key roles in both private and non-profit companies. She was one of the youngest women ever named President of a publicly-traded New York Stock Exchange company.

At a time when many entrepreneurs were grooming their sons for leadership but overlooking their daughters, Ms. Syms was fortunate enough to have a father who gave her opportunities and encouraged her to learn the business. Ms. Syms started working at Strauss Communications WMCA and Channel 13 before joining Syms Corporation. She joined Syms Corporation in 1978 when the company expanded into women's clothing. At first, she was invited to be the voice of the company in a radio commercial, but then used her marketing skills to create a media plan for the company. She realized quickly that she loved the business and that she wanted to spend her career working for the company her father had created. Benefitting from the trust and support of her father, she took increasingly prominent roles in the company and eventually became its CEO.

Ms. Syms also has served as the Chair of the Small Business and Agricultural Advisory Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Ms. Syms has served as a director of Rite Aid Corporation.

Throughout her career, Ms. Syms has been dedicated to helping open doors for other women. She has been a leader in speaking out for women's rights and encouraging the passage of an equal rights amendment to the US constitution, a cause that is very dear to my own heart.

Ms. Syms has been a member of New York Women's Foundation, whose grants to underserved women and girls are helping to address longstanding inequities. She has been a generous supporter of Ms. Foundation and was an early chair of its Take Our Daughters to Work Day. She has supported the Women's Campaign Fund and the NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund (now known as Legal Momentum). She was a founding member of the Womensphere Global Network, an organization dedicated to closing gender gaps, and in empowering women and girls to create the future through leadership, innovation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, education. She is a member of C200, a networking organization for women in business that encourages members to support one another's professional and personal growth while inspiring and advancing future women business leaders. She has been a board member of both Veteran Feminists of America and the ERA Coalition. In all of these activities, Ms. Syms has played a critical role in helping women network and breech barriers that stood in the way of their success.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the extraordinary achievements of Marcy Syms, a dynamic and hardworking leader who has made a difference throughout her career.

Mr. Speaker, in honor of Women's History Month, I am pleased to honor Marie Torniali, Chairperson of Queens Community Board 1 and a longtime activist in the Astoria/Long Island City community. I am delighted to recognize her remarkable contributions at a slightly belated event along with Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas. Marie has spent her life working to make our community a better place to live and work.

Marie moved to Astoria in 1979, and fell in love with the neighborhood, a beautiful, welcoming, diverse community with wonderful parks, great organizations and world class restaurants. In 1986, Marie had a life-changing interview with Julie Wager, who was then head of the Central Astoria Local Development Corporation. She was interviewed for what was supposed to be a part time, temporary position. Thirty years later, she runs the place. Marie was fortunate to be mentored by Mr. Wager, who was a remarkable advocate for the community. He taught her that all things are possible with a little persistence and a lot of nudging.

Early in her time at Central Astoria, Marie was part of the team that fought to create a business improvement district on Steinway Street, Astoria's central business strip. When the Steinway Street BID came into being in 1991, Marie became its Manager.

In 2003, Marie was appointed the Executive Director of Central Astoria and the Steinway Astoria Partnership. In these positions, Marie has shown herself to be an outstanding organizer who has succeeded in providing more cultural programming and community development and who has fought to preserve affordable housing. She has also worked to expand the Independence Day celebration which has become a premier event in Queens under her leadership. She has worked to produce Movies on the Waterfront to complement the Waterfront Concert Series, the Dine Astoria Placemaking Initiative, Astoria's Holiday Tree Lighting, the Celebrate Astoria Cultural Fest and the Annual Spring Fling. Marie spearheaded the effort to restore the Steinway Landmarked Clock. She has created graffiti removal programs in Astoria's business districts and the Steinway Street Streetscape program. In addition, in order to assist seniors, she created the Senior One Stop Shop assistance program.

In 2010, Marie joined Queens Community Board 1 and was elected its Chairperson in 2017. Through the community board, Marie has had an impact on issues related to land use, street fairs, liquor licenses, landmark preservation and a host of other issues.

Marie is passionate about Astoria's uniqueness: its kaleidoscope of people; its small businesses and restaurants; its beautiful parks; its history and culture. Marie believes that her work to help Astoria thrive is made easier by the team spirit of her neighbors. Their civic- mindedness encourages residents, business leaders, civic organizations and elected officials to work together--and Marie is convinced they have succeeded in making Astoria into the best neighborhood in New York City. I admire Marie's dedication, her passion, her delight in all the things that make Astoria a great place to live and work. She is one of the great sources of strength of the Astoria community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating the achievements of Marie Torniali, whose hard work, enthusiasm and true love for Astoria have helped this neighborhood flourish.