Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, the Republican Speaker John Boehner will adjourn the House, and Congress will leave town for 5 full weeks. I rise to urge Speaker Boehner to cancel this recess and keep us in session, so we can address the urgent issues facing the American people.

Democrats have a clear list of priorities that will jump-start the middle class. We want to renew emergency unemployment benefits, raise the minimum wage, fix our broken immigration system, reauthorize the Ex-Im Bank, invest in repairing and rebuilding America's infrastructure, and make sure women earn equal pay for equal work.

We have an opportunity to lift millions of hardworking Americans out of poverty, create jobs, and grow the economy by passing these bills that will help the middle class.

It is a complete dereliction of duty for Speaker Boehner to adjourn the House and leave town without addressing any of these issues, but what is even worse, instead of getting these things done for the American people, the Republicans will take up a bill to sue the President for moving too slowly to enact a bill that they oppose, that they have tried to stop over 50 times.

You can't make this stuff up. The American people deserve better, and the American people cannot afford 5 weeks of inaction.

Mr. Speaker, I regret my absence from today's proceedings due to a death in my family.

First, I strongly support H. Con. Res. 105, directing the President to remove United States Armed Forces from Iraq, and had I been present I would have voted in favor of the resolution offered by my colleague from Massachusetts. The rapid advance of ISIS remains an issue of great concern to our national security interests, as well as the stability of the entire Middle East. However, after nearly a decade of war, and the loss of more than 4,000 American lives in Iraq, we must be extremely cautious of the dangers posed by further U.S. military involvement.

For example, it was recently reported that a classified military assessment of Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) revealed dangers to U.S. military personnel currently advising forces in the country. These dangers include infiltration by informants for Sunni extremists, as well as ISF reliance on Shiite militias trained by Iranian paramilitary forces. These risks must be thoroughly reviewed and evaluated, and we must ensure that ISF are reliable before considering any further U.S. commitment.

Thus far, the President has shown great restraint in addressing this ongoing crisis, informed by his understanding of recent history and internal Iraqi politics. Nevertheless, I strongly support the passage of this resolution because Congress must continue to play an integral role in making decisions that impact national security, as mandated by the law and the Constitution of the United States.

Second, I strongly oppose H.R. 4935, the so-called Child Tax Credit Improvement Act, which is also being considered today. Had I been present, I would have voted against H.R. 4935 because it would allow the Child Tax Credit (CTC) to disappear for many low-income working families after 2017 while expanding the CTC for higher income households without an offset.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the employees, staff, and leadership at Okonite Company's facility in Cumberland, Rhode Island.

I am proud that Okonite's Rhode Island manufacturing facility, which supports 90 jobs, is located in my home district. Led by plant manager Eric Dodge, the 90 workers in Cumberland produce high-quality power line cables that are sold all across America and the entire world.

In May, I toured Okonite's Cumberland manufacturing plant as part of my Congress at Your Company series. I was delighted to meet with their talented employees and discuss ways to grow Rhode Island's manufacturing sector and support existing manufacturers.

I am thrilled that Okonite is expanding its operations in Rhode Island and that its plans for expansion are underway. Okonite has made a smart investment that is good for business and is good for Rhode Island.

I look forward to touring Okonite's new facility once it is completed, and I thank Eric and the rest of his team for working to strengthen Rhode Island's manufacturing sector. This is another great example of why it is important to make things in America and make things in Rhode Island.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark over 3 months since Boko Haram kidnapped over 270 girls from a school in northeastern Nigeria.

Abducting innocent young girls and forcing children into marriage or slavery is unconscionable, and no child in any part of the world should live in such fear. These kidnappings are not just a concern for Nigerian students but an issue that impacts all nations that respect basic human rights, including a person's right to pursue an education.

I stood with my colleagues in Congress in support of a resolution, sponsored by my friend and colleague Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, condemning Boko Haram and their heinous acts. Boko Haram relies on the tactics of fear and intimidation to make their victims feel helpless, and will try to convince these girls that the world has forgotten them and that no one cares about them.

The United States and the international community must continue to send a loud message that we have not forgotten about these girls and that we

will continue to work with Nigeria and all of our allies in the region to bring back our girls.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, our country's roads and highways are a vital asset to our economic competitiveness. Strengthening our transportation infrastructure will, of course, make our roads and transit systems safer, but it also will support commerce, create jobs, and strengthen our Nation's economy.

In my home State of Rhode Island, 20 percent of our bridges are in poor condition. Without any changes, 40 percent of the State's bridges will be structurally deficient by 2024, and, according to a report released yesterday by the White House, if Congress fails to act, over 3,500 jobs in Rhode Island will be jeopardized. This should not be allowed to happen, and Congress has a responsibility to provide the funding for these important transportation projects.

The highway trust fund is a critical resource that supports the building and repairing of our roads, highways and bridges, and hundreds of thousands of jobs all across our country. Although I support acting quickly to replenish the highway trust fund, I am very disappointed that this bill is being brought up under a closed rule, ensuring that we cannot consider alternative and more robust funding mechanisms.

Although the Highway and Transportation Funding Act presents a solution that will extend surface transportation authorization until next May and ensure the highway trust fund does not become insolvent next month, a short-term solution is not enough. We have to find a long-term solution to this issue that secures real investments in rebuilding America. Due to the nature of construction projects, of course, States, localities, and contractors need long-term financing to allow for the proper planning of infrastructure projects. The uncertainty has already put important transportation projects at risk, so this governing by crisis must end.

Earlier this month, I welcomed Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx to Rhode Island, and we discussed the urgent need to replenish the highway trust fund to help maintain Rhode Island's transportation infrastructure system and the absolute necessity of a long-term and sustainable funding model. We met with local, State, and Federal leaders and stakeholders to hear their concerns and to discuss a path forward.

This closed rule does not allow us to offer any solution to this problem. I urge my colleagues to reject this closed rule so that we can address this serious issue in a real way.

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 40th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus. In 1974, Turkey invaded the island of Cyprus reportedly to protect Turkish Cypriots from tensions with Greek Cypriots. Turkey then launched a second phase of the invasion which resulted in 1,500 missing Greek Cypriots, an estimated 5,000 civilian deaths and 170,000 refugees. In 1983, the Turkish Cypriot occupied area declared itself the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, though it has never been recognized by any country other than Turkey.

Currently, around 40,000 Turkish troops patrol the occupied area, making the northern

part of Cyprus one of the most highly militarized areas in the world. Thousands of Greek Cypriots are being denied their fundamental right to return to their homes. Greek Cypriot properties are constantly being confiscated or sold without their owners' consent. Freedom of worship continues to be restricted as access to religious sites are blocked and systematically destroyed. Furthermore, Turkey continues to obstruct the process of determining the fate of persons missing since the invasion by prohibiting the exhumation of remains from mass graves.

Thankfully, the Cyprus Government remains fully committed to the United Nations (U.N.) sponsored process to reach a sustainable settlement that would reunify Cyprus based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation in accordance with relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions. Additionally, the President of Cyprus has outlined several promising measures that contributed an atmosphere that would facilitate the negotiating process. In February 2014, the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities resumed formal negotiations. The promotion of security and stability in the region is a vital foreign policy issue to the United States, and the anniversary of the Turkish invasion should serve as a reminder that it is well past time to end the forcible division of Cyprus.

Mr. Chair, yesterday I offered an Amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill that would support environmental infrastructure projects through the Army Corps of Engineers for financially distressed municipalities.

We require, quite rightly, water and sewage treatment plants to maintain federally mandated standards to keep our water supply safe and sustainable. About 72% of the population is served by sewage treatment plants, but 3.8 million of those people are served by facilities providing less than secondary treatment, which is a basic requirement by federal law. Often, the financial burden to meet these requirements falls on state and local governments. This can leave communities experiencing particular financial distress with outdated infrastructure and facing down huge costs to bring them in line with requirements. And this affects all of us, as aging wastewater management systems discharge billions of gallons of untreated sewage into U.S. surface waters each year.

The Army Corps of Engineers can provide invaluable assistance to financially strapped communities through its general construction fund, specifically for wastewater and water improvements.

The amendment I introduced would direct $44 million through the general construction account to support environmental infrastructure programs for financially distressed municipalities, in the hopes that we can provide some support for some of the most pressing wastewater improvement projects in the country.

This same amount has been included for environmental infrastructure programs in the past, but no funding is included in this year's bill.

Federal assistance has not kept pace with the needs of wastewater treatment systems, despite the fact that authorities agree that funding needs remain very high: The EPA estimates that the country will need to invest $390 billion over the next 20 years to replace existing systems and build new ones to meet demand. Furthermore, they estimate that there will be a $6 billion gap between current spending projections and need, if no changes are made.

These infrastructure projects are extremely important to many communities across the country, including in my own state of Rhode Island. Though I withdrew my amendment, I look forward to working with the chair and ranking member of the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee to ensure that these vulnerable communities receive support to ensure that Americans across the country have access to clean, safe water and sewage systems.

I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Byrne amendment, which would prohibit implementation of the National Ocean Policy, which permits better coordination among Federal agencies responsible for coastal planning.

This amendment, by preventing agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers from coordinating with Federal and State partners, would impede States like Rhode Island, my home State, from managing their own resources in the ways that best fit their needs and priorities, and advancing policies that protect our oceans in a responsible way.

The administration has made it clear that the National Ocean Policy does not create new regulations, supersede current regulations, or modify any agency's established mission, jurisdiction, or authority. Rather, it helps coordinate the implementation of existing regulations by Federal agencies to establish a more efficient and effective decisionmaking process.

In the Northeast, our Regional Ocean Council has allowed States to pool resources and businesses to have a voice in decisionmaking, and has coordinated with Federal partners to ensure all stakeholders have a voice in the process.

Allowing Federal agencies to coordinate implementation of over 100 ocean laws and giving States and local governments a voice in the ocean planning process is smart public policy, and I urge my colleagues to rejects this very misguided amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission.

Rhode Island has more than 16,000 historic buildings--more per square mile than any other State in the country. The First District, which I am proud to represent, is home to some of Rhode Island's most cherished places, such as the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the Touro Synagogue in Newport, Slater Mill in Pawtucket, and the Beavertail Lighthouse in Jamestown.

These sites also provide an economic boost to our local economy by attracting tourists from across New England, the country, and the entire world.

Led by Executive Director Ted Sanderson, the talented and dedicated staff of Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission has worked hard to protect and preserve our national historic treasures.

Just last week, I joined Executive Director Sanderson in celebrating more than $2.5 million in Federal funds that were awarded to restore historic properties across the State that were damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

I am proud to support their efforts, which in turn support jobs in Rhode Island's construction and tourism industries, and thank their staff for working to preserve our State's rich history for future generations to enjoy.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I first want to thank the chairman and the ranking member for the hard work that they have done on this piece of legislation.

My amendment is a simple one. As we all recognize, the Army Corps of Engineers provides invaluable assistance to financially strapped communities through its general construction fund, specifically for wastewater and water improvements and, in past years, has allocated specifically funds for this purpose. However, this year's report does not include any money for this account.

So the amendment I offer would direct that $44 million, which is 3 percent of the total allocation for construction projects in the Army Corps of Engineers, be set aside to support environmental infrastructure programs specifically for financially distressed communities around the country.

As we know, Mr. Chairman, there are approximately $298 billion of unmet needs for wastewater and stormwater treatment that are projected over the next 20 years. Of that, about 15 to 20 percent represents water treatment, and that percentage is expected to grow over time because of increases in Federal regulations.

In older cities, a single system, in fact, combines both stormwater and sewage; and rain, obviously, and snow can overwhelm those systems and present tremendous challenges.

Seventy-two percent of the United States population is served by sewage treatment plants, and 3.8 million Americans are served by facilities providing less than secondary treatment, which is the basic requirement of law.

This is a huge unmet need, and for municipalities--particularly financially distressed municipalities--investing in water treatment facilities can be a tremendous burden that they can't meet alone.

In fact, since 2007, the Federal Government has required cities to invest more than $15 billion in new pipes, plants, and equipment to address sewer and wastewater treatment.

So we are imposing--and rightly so, I am not criticizing that--but we are imposing these standards, and the costs of those are being borne by municipalities.

What this amendment attempts to do is to ensure that at least some portion of that account is set aside for wastewater treatment projects and particularly targets facilities that have financial challenges-- financially distressed communities.

I have spoken with the ranking member, and I recognize the chairman has reserved a point of order. I would ask if my ranking member would continue to make the case that these wastewater treatment facilities require some additional investment, and if that is the case, I look forward to working with the chairman and my ranking member, so that we can be sure that this investment is preserved, as it has been in past years, so that communities that really need assistance with their wastewater treatment facilities will have some access to these resources, and if so, I am prepared to withdraw my amendment.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio.

Mr. Chair, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Rhode Island Housing, a public agency that works to ensure that all people who live or work in Rhode Island can afford a healthy, safe home that meets their needs.

Rhode Island Housing has made a real impact on the lives of thousands of Rhode Islanders helping over 60,000 families buy homes; and its success is due in large part to its dedicated and talented staff, led by executive director, Richard Godfrey.

Last week, Rhode Island Housing was awarded over $856,000 in Federal funds to continue its important work to end homelessness in Rhode Island.

A good home provides a foundation upon which individuals and families thrive, children learn and grow, and communities prosper; but finding affordable, healthy housing has become a real concern for middle class working Americans. According to the Providence Journal, in 2012 a Rhode Island household earning the State's median income could afford a median-priced house in just 11 of our 39 cities and towns.

For more than 40 years, Rhode Island Housing has been providing valuable assistance to middle class Rhode Islanders to help them become homeowners and overcome the many challenges they face. I am delighted that these funds will support their efforts to end homelessness in Rhode Island, and I am proud to support their outstanding work to strengthen our communities.

I thank the gentleman for yielding and for organizing this Special Order hour.

We certainly have a lot to celebrate in terms of progress toward full equality for the LGBT community, and a lot to be proud of. We are now living in a country where, in 19 States and the District of Columbia, individuals are afforded full marriage equality. We have work to do here, as you were just mentioning, by passing the Respect For Marriage Act, to be sure that we repeal DOMA, and legislatively doing what the Windsor case requires.

We have work to do in terms of passing the Employment Non- Discrimination Act to ensure that no qualified worker in America loses his or her job because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

I want to compliment the President on his executive order that will ensure that this kind of employment discrimination does not occur in the Federal workplace. This President has provided extraordinary leadership on our collective effort to bring full equality to our community.

I also want to talk about LGBT rights internationally because this is an issue in many places around the world where members of our community are subjected to imprisonment, physical violence, sometimes imposition of death sentences for certain criminal provisions, solely because they are gay or lesbian. So I think one of the things that we need to continue to do is promote the principle of equality around the world and ensure that no one is persecuted or imprisoned or beaten because of who they are. We are seeing in places around the world like Russia and other places in the world really an uptick in anti-LGBT legislation, anti-LGBT activities.

So while we celebrate pride here in our country and the accomplishments of members of our community, we have to recognize that it is not the case for many of our brothers and sisters around the world.

We have made extraordinary progress, as you know. You are a member of the Equality Caucus. I just want to mention that we now have seven openly gay Members of Congress here in the United States, one Member in the United States Senate, so eight in total. We have for the first time in our history an executive director and a paid staff member who is responsible for helping to promote our agenda for equality for our community, to educate our colleagues about legislation important to our community, and who has really professionalized the Equality Caucus. That is historic progress. That would not have happened but for the work of a lot of individuals, a lot of great organizations, like the Human

Rights Campaign, the Victory Fund, and others who have helped to ensure that members of our community are elected to public office and that the great Congress of the United States reflects the great diversity of our community.

You are an important cochair of the Equality Caucus, and I would say to the gentleman that you take on more than your share of the responsibility of advocating for equality for our community and taking a leadership role in events such as this Special Order hour. So thank you for the work you do in representing your constituents, and also bringing equality for our community.

I think we all come here with our first responsibility to our constituents, and do everything we can to represent the people who sent us to Washington. At the same time, we come here with our characteristics and traits and our life experiences, and we all work hard to ensure that in America everyone is treated fairly and that we have access to the same responsibilities and privileges as everyone, and that is what the Equality Caucus does. I think this is a year for great celebration.

I want to end by again thanking our President, who has, more than any President in the history of our country, helped to advance the equality of LGBT individuals in the workplace, internationally, and in the conduct of marriage by implementing the Windsor case in an aggressive way, and by advancing and supporting efforts to reduce bullying and promote respect for our community, ensuring that the LGBT community is reflected throughout his administration in important positions of responsibility. I think there is no question that President Obama will go down in history as the President who has done more than any previous President to advance full equality to our community. We should always be mindful of that, and I thank him for his leadership.

With that, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, this week I will introduce a resolution to designate June 21 as National ASK Day, to raise awareness among parents to ask a simple lifesaving question: ``Is there an unlocked gun where my child plays?'' Those nine words could ultimately save your child's life.

I recently met Karen Reed from Cumberland, Rhode Island, whose youngest son was severely injured in 2011 when his older brother played with a loaded pellet gun at a friend's house on Christmas Eve. Karen had no idea there was an unlocked gun at the house where her son was playing. Her 9-year-old son mistakenly thought the pellet gun was a video game accessory and shot his younger brother in the eye.

1.7 million children live in a home with a loaded, unlocked gun, and every year thousands of kids are killed or injured as a result. Unfortunately, Karen's story is just one example of a tragic accident that can occur when a child gets hold of a loaded gun.

This isn't a partisan issue or an attempt to take guns away from anybody. This is about keeping our kids safe by asking a simple, lifesaving question. We owe it to our kids to provide them with safe areas to play and to pass the National ASK resolution and encourage parents to ask this simple question: ``Is there a gun where my child plays?''

Madam Speaker, this week, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved their version of the fiscal year 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. Instead of investing in America's future, this legislation slashes investments in our Nation's transportation and housing infrastructure.

Funding for Amtrak is cut by $200 million. Funding for the Public Housing Capital Fund is cut below sequester levels, and funding for HOME investment partnership is cut to its lowest level in history.

Sadly, it gets worse. The bill practically eliminates the TIGER grant program that funds innovative highway, port, and rail projects.

At a time when America's infrastructure is crumbling, why on Earth would Congress slash funding for critical infrastructure investments that support jobs?

To compete in the 21st century economy, we must bet on America's future and dedicate resources to infrastructure projects that support jobs in the construction sector, grow our economy, and rebuild America. Our competitors are investing in infrastructure. It is time we do, too.

Mr. Speaker, it has been 52 days now since the United States Senate passed bipartisan legislation to renew unemployment insurance for the long-term unemployed. For 52 days, Speaker Boehner has been the only thing standing in the way of renewing this vital lifeline for millions of Americans.

In less than 3 days, the Senate bill will expire, and if Speaker Boehner gets his way, the House will leave town yet again without acting--delivering another devastating blow to the more than 2\1/2\ million Americans who have been cut off from this critical safety net.

We can't let Speaker Boehner run out the clock on the Senate bill. Every week that goes by, more and more members of our communities lose their unemployment benefits, and if the House does not act, then it is back to the drawing board for millions of Americans who are depending on us.

It is time for this body to act. The situation is not going to go away. It is only getting worse every week. If Congress does not act, nearly 5 million Americans will be without this lifeline by the end of the year.

I urge the Speaker to walk by my office and see the faces and read the stories of the people we have left behind. They are living on the edge, and without this critical lifeline, many of them lose everything.

The faces of the unemployed should not be invisible. I urge the Speaker to bring the Senate bill to the floor before it is too late. We deserve a vote.