Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1994, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act.

After a lifetime of work, all Americans should have access to retirement savings that will meet their needs and allow for each American to spend these years with friends, family, and doing what makes them happy. The SECURE Act includes numerous provisions to expand the opportunities for Americans to

easily save more for retirement and fixes provisions what would have drastically increase taxes on military survivors and Gold Star families.

This is a good, bipartisan bill that represents Congress working together and will improve saving for retirement for all Americans.

I support the SECURE Act and voted in favor of the bill. Unfortunately, due to an error in the voting process my ``Yea'' vote was not officially recorded when the full House considered this bill on the floor.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Police Chief Robert Pfannes for his dedicated service to the city of Ann Arbor. His exceptional work ensuring the safety of his community is worthy of commendation.

A graduate of Madonna University and the Eastern Michigan University School of Police Staff and Command, Chief Robert Pfannes committed his career to protecting the community. Initially serving in the Detroit and Garden

City Police Departments, Chief Pfannes joined the Ann Arbor Police Department in 1998 as a patrol officer. He worked in the patrol, major crimes, and narcotics divisions, before being promoted to Detective Lieutenant in 2012, where he served as the commander of the Detective Section. Beyond his work in public safety, Chief Pfannes has dedicated numerous hours in service of education, teaching at the Western Wayne Regional Police Academy for the last 23 years.

Chief Pfannes' efforts demonstrate a deep commitment to justice, public safety, and education. His critical work has been instrumental in protecting the Ann Arbor community. Chief Pfannes' 21 years as a member of the Ann Arbor Police Department exemplifies the selflessness of public service. We are grateful for the exceptional work he has done protecting the Ann Arbor community, and we congratulate him on his retirement. His dedicated leadership will be missed, and we wish him good health and every happiness in his retirement years.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Police Chief Robert Pfannes for his many years of exemplary service. He has effectively served Michigan and its residents through his selflessness and leadership.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Michigan's 33rd District Court for fifty years of dedicated service. The court's efforts continue to improve and protect the communities of Southeastern Michigan.

Originally located above the Trenton Police Station, the 33rd District Court was established on January 1, 1969. The court and its staff work diligently in coordination with law enforcement officials to protect Southeastern Michigan, overseeing criminal and civil trials. Beyond its judicial duties, the 33rd District Court offers a wealth of services for defendants, offenders, and students. Through the Sobriety Court program, over one-hundred individuals suffering from severe alcohol and drug abuse have received supervision, assistance, and treatment, dramatically reducing the recidivism rates of participants. The 33rd District Court is also highly involved in education, offering multiple programs to teach students about the criminal justice system.

Regarded for its accessibility, timeliness, and courtesy, the 33rd District Court has faithfully served the community for fifty years. The efforts of the court and its staff highlight a deep commitment to justice and public safety. We thank the 33rd District Court for its exceptional service to Southeastern Michigan and its continued work in reducing crime. The 33rd District Court stands as a role model in criminal justice and its distinguished reputation is a testament to its impact on the community and the state of Michigan.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Michigan's 33rd District Court for fifty years of exemplary service. The court's work in criminal justice, reform, and education are worthy of commendation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Nancy Hedberg for her award of 2019 Township Clerk of the Year by the Michigan Association of Municipal Clerks. Her numerous years of dedicated service are worthy of commendation.

Nancy Hedberg has faithfully served her community of Scio Township for thirty-two years. Mrs. Hedberg was initially hired as a design consultant and worked on several initiatives, including the Jackson Boulevard project. In 1987, she was appointed to the Planning Commission, spending fourteen years supervising land development in Scio Township. From 1998 to 2008 , she served on the Board of Review, and from 2008 onward has worked as the Scio Township Clerk. During her tenure as Township Clerk, Mrs. Hedberg has displayed incredible tenacity and empathy.

Nancy Hedberg's efforts have had a profound impact on the residents of Scio Township. Her exemplary work highlights a commitment to public service by developing deep relationships with members of her community. Praised for her continued optimism and tireless work ethic, Nancy Hedberg has been an integral member of the Scio Township hall. We thank Mrs. Hedberg for her commitment to serving Scio Township, and we congratulate her on her well-deserved award of the 2019 Township Clerk of the Year and her retirement. Her compassion and leadership will be missed, and we wish her good health and every happiness in her retirement years.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Nancy Hedberg for her years of distinguished public service. Her work has been instrumental to the people of Scio Township.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5, the Equality Act.

All Americans, regardless of background, should have the ability to live their lives with dignity and free from discrimination. Equal treatment under the law is a fundamental American principle, and this important legislation provides legal safeguards against discrimination for LGBTQ individuals.

This is historic civil rights legislation that the House is considering today. Specifically, it would modify existing civil rights law to extend anti-discrimination protections to LGBTQ Americans, including protections against discrimination in employment, housing, access to public places, federal funding, credit, education, and jury service.

As an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, I strongly support its final passage. I am unfortunately not able to attend today's important vote, but I am proud to support H.R. 5 and would have voted in favor of this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to speak in support of protecting people with preexisting conditions.

Not that long ago, hardworking people who did everything right would be denied insurance coverage just because they had diabetes or asthma or they wanted to start a family.

We passed the ACA and ended discrimination against people with preexisting conditions. Millions of Americans were able to sign up for coverage for the first time in their lives, and millions who already had coverage knew it wouldn't be taken away from them.

Remember the stories of people's insurance being canceled as they were being rolled into operating rooms; that was the truth.

The ACA has done a lot of good. Could we work to improve it? Yes. And I will work with any Republican or Democrat on those efforts. But when this Congress and this administration attempt to roll back protections for people with preexisting conditions, I will always stand against those policies.

Mr. Chair, 2 years ago last week, House Republicans passed a bill to rescind the whole ACA and take healthcare away from 20 million Americans. Because Americans spoke up, that bill failed.

I am proud to cosponsor Representative Kuster's bill. Healthcare should be affordable to every American.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, that is laid before this House now for final consideration.

``The Earth's climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization.'' This is a direct quote from the Fourth National Climate Assessment issued by our top scientists from across 13 government agencies.

Sea levels are rising; average temperatures are warming; ice is disappearing; and extreme weather is intensifying and becoming more frequent. And we know that in this Chamber, because we are dealing with the consequences of the hurricanes, the fires, too often because of our constituents that are being hurt.

We know this is affecting the lives of growing numbers of Americans all across the country. And even as I stand here, right now, we have floods in my district.

Climate change is an urgent, existential threat we all face, and bold action is demanded at this moment. We have to act together, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans.

We don't change treaties. We don't change things because we have had a change in who has been elected President. We respect that office. The consequences of inaction are real, and not only are future generations put at risk each day if we do nothing, so are we.

This begins by ensuring America honors its commitment under the Paris Agreement. Withdrawing is not the answer.

The Climate Action Now Act would simply prevent the United States from using Federal dollars to withdraw from the Paris Agreement; and calls on the President to develop and make public a plan for how the United States will meet its nationally-determined contributions submitted to the world in 2015.

The bill is technology-neutral, so the President has the flexibility to set climate policies and marshal renewable forms of energy. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to this motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, I have nothing but great respect for my colleague who offered this; and I do wish that we could do this together and not politicize it. But that is exactly what we are doing.

This motion to recommit would just totally undermine this bill because it is a short and incomplete reauthorization; and it undermines the Violence Against Women Act and this important effort to reauthorize it.

This bill takes out things that have become so basic, like the Rape Prevention Fund, testing of rape case kits, which is a horror across this country in how many haven't been tested.

It takes away child abuse training. None of that is in this motion to recommit.

And what makes me really sad is that this bill is one of the most successful laws this House has passed. In the 25 years since it was enacted, violence against women by a spouse, or an intimate partner, has dropped by 65 percent. We need to build on that progress.

Since then, victims, survivors, and the communities where we live have relied on the Congress to help provide resources needed to prevent and investigate these crimes and to assist survivors.

I remember what it was like. I remember what it was like when you

called the police and they didn't come because your father was an important man in town.

I remember what it was like when someone on our college campus was raped, and the police came to them and said: ``It's your fault'' and would do nothing.

And I don't want anybody in this House to forget that Michigan State University, with hundreds of victims, was only brought to the forefront last year, when hundreds of victims tried to tell people something was happening, and nobody would listen. We cannot go back to those days. Since the original passage of this bill, we have learned from experience and from the unfortunate continued perpetuation of these crimes.

This House, together, on a bipartisan basis, we authorized VAWA in 2000, 2005, and 2013. This bill builds on our progress and success. We must not only reauthorize it, but make its programs even more effective, and help survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and other forms of harm with issues that they face.

Women are staying in these situations because they need to go to the doctor and they can't afford healthcare; they can't find a place to live; they don't have economic security. These are among the issues that this bill is trying to address.

This motion to recommit would kill the bill, and it leaves victims vulnerable.

I do volunteer work at these domestic--at places where people go for domestic abuse.

Have you talked to anybody there? Do you know how scared they are because funding is already being impacted?

Stepping back means looking the other way when victimization is taking place; and they are counting on us to do something. That is why we cannot undermine this important law.

And I am going to say one other thing. Do not let the NRA bully you. This is not a poison pill. The provision in this bill--don't forget who I was married to. John Dingell was on the NRA board. Hell, he helped start it. But all this does--we are not taking away due process. All this does is say that if someone has been convicted, convicted, as an intimate partner, that they would not have access to a gun. And if someone has been convicted of stalking--

You know what I would say to all of you?

Mr. Chair, I rise to discuss the urgent need for Congress to update the Violence Against Women Act and the lifesaving programs it supports.

I have a great deal of respect for my co-chair of the Domestic Violence Task Force, but we disagree very strongly on what this bill does.

No woman, no child, and no family should fear for their life because of domestic violence. Without updates and support for the critical programs in VAWA, we are moving backwards. Good programs that are there to help victims are now threatened, and it is one more stress being added on to the pile of these victims, and one more fear that we just add to them.

In one 24-hour period in Michigan, domestic violence programs answered 408 hotline calls of people in immediate danger, and served 2,359 victims with emergency shelter, transitional housing, counseling, and legal advice.

The bill before us today is landmark legislation that will respond to our Nation's crisis of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It will equip our State and local partners to provide compassionate care and support to women, families, and, yes, men, too. We need to admit that sometimes they are victims who need to rebuild their lives and heal.

VAWA also includes my Zero Tolerance for Domestic Abusers to close the loopholes that make it easy for domestic abusers and stalkers to purchase weapons without passing a background check.

This isn't a poison pill. This will save a life. Shouldn't we be doing that?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California for his leadership on this issue and for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 1839, the Medicaid Services Investment and Accountability Act.

This bill includes two provisions that are very important to seniors and the disabled. It makes improvements, but, as you have heard my other colleagues talk about, not enough and not for long enough.

First of all, it has a provision that I worked on with my colleague, Mr. Upton, that extends the spousal impoverishment protections for seniors in Medicaid through the end of the fiscal year. These critical protections ensure that individuals are not forced to spend down almost all of their resources and potentially go bankrupt to get the care that they need. No American should be forced into poverty just to receive adequate healthcare.

In addition, this bill contains a provision that I worked on with my colleague, Mr. Guthrie, to extend the highly successful Money Follows the Person program, again, just through the end of the fiscal year. This program provides grants to States to help individuals voluntarily transition from an institutional setting to a community care setting, their own home. All Americans, regardless of income, deserve to receive long-term care in a setting that they prefer.

While I am pleased that these programs will be extended through the end of September and not allowed to lapse--and that is critical--this is only a partial victory. Both the Money Follows the Person program and spousal impoverishment protections need to be extended for the long term, not a few months at a time. We keep doing that. It was 3 months ago that we just extended it for 3 months.

Seniors and individuals with disabilities need to have security. They need to know and have peace of mind that these important provisions are going to be there for the long term. And States need stability and certainty in order to fully implement these efforts.

Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to this motion to recommit.

Madam Speaker, the underlying bill, H.R. 1112, is a critical and carefully crafted bill to address the Charleston loophole.

We have discussed it here today, but I will repeat, the very name ``Charleston loophole'' is a grim reminder of the deficiency in current law that allows killers to get guns even if a firearms background check has not been completed. This is a dangerous flaw that we can address with a minor change to the system.

When a background check cannot be completed within a 3-day period, it is important that the FBI work to resolve the unanswered questions presented, because these are the very cases that present the most danger.

Unfortunately, we have seen many default proceeds go forward in domestic violence cases, allowing an abuser to obtain a firearm even when he or she is prohibited from owning one. The statistics back that up.

In 2013 and 2014, a plurality of default proceed transfers to prohibit a person were related to domestic violence. In that same period, 30 percent of denials due to convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence were issued after the abuser took possession of the gun.

My heart goes out to my colleague, Mrs. Lesko, because she should never have suffered from domestic violence. Unfortunately, we are colleagues that both know it.

I have spent more time thinking about how you keep guns out of the hands of abusers, probably, than anybody in this Chamber. I know better than most the dangers they pose.

It is not easy for me to talk about it this week, but more than once--and I think of the abuser. I will be honest on this floor. My father was mentally ill. I had to hide in that closet with my siblings wondering if we would live or die. One night, I kept my father from killing my mother. He shouldn't have had a gun.

This is what I remember as a child. My mother went out and bought a gun, and then all of us were scared to death about her gun and my father's gun. We had two guns to worry about.

No child, no woman, no man should ever have to go through that.

The additional time provided by H.R. 1112 will help us stop more massacres such as the one in Charleston, and may it prevent another child or family going through what I did as a child.

These amendments made by this motion would undermine the lifesaving improvements to current law that this bill will initiate. I oppose this motion with every bit of my heart and soul and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam Speaker, I yield my remaining time to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the distinguished whip.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for yielding and for his leadership on this issue.

I rise in strong support of S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act. And as my colleague from Utah so eloquently stated, this landmark public lands legislation is the product of years, decades of work at the committee level, and months of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. It includes support from key conservation, sportsmen, and environmental stakeholders.

The outstanding provisions in this bill will enshrine and safeguard our Nation's conservation legacy for decades to come. This begins with permanent reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It should never have expired. Permanent reauthorization of LWCF will mean this program and its important work can continue unimpeded for future generations.

Almost 20 years ago, John Dingell led the first effort to permanently reauthorize it with his friends Don Young, George Miller, Billy Tauzin, and Chris John, a geographically and diverse group of leaders who happened to like the outdoors and, yes, hunting and fishing.

LWCF funding has protected some of our country's most treasured natural resources, while creating jobs, supporting local economies, and providing countless opportunities for recreation. Since 1965, LWCS has provided over $3.9 billion for over 40,000 projects in every county across this country, with every $1 invested returning $4 in economic value.

This benefits every congressional district, every county, and every State in this country. Preserving our beautiful and iconic places matters to us all and was the reason for initially starting it.

Being here today with this bipartisan group of people working to preserve our land, he is looking from up above and saying: Well done, all of you.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 37, which would end U.S. involvement in the Yemen conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives and will soon enter its 4th year.

The humanitarian situation in Yemen is grave and deteriorating. Since the conflict began in 2015 between the Saudi-led military coalition and the Houthi militias, Yemen has faced what is widely recognized as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.

The conflict has displaced millions of Yemenis, shattered the country, and triggered a famine that has 13 million men, women and children facing starvation.

Additionally, the country is facing an outbreak of cholera of unprecedented scale, with over a million cases of this disease because of the destruction of Yemen's water and sanitation infrastructure.

The United States has provided weapons, targeting assistance and refueling support to the Saudi-led coalition since the conflict began. However, this support was never authorized by Congress and is not covered by any existing Authorization for the Use of Military Force.

In addition, the coalition's bombing campaign has caused significant numbers of civilian casualties, and the conflict continues with no end in sight.

My district is home to a large Yemeni-American community, and I constantly hear stories of the suffering caused by the Yemen conflict and the dire humanitarian situation on the ground.

The breadth and magnitude of the humanitarian crisis is almost unimaginable, and we must take action to address this without delay.

This begins with ending our nation's involvement in the Yemen war. U.S. involvement in the Yemen conflict has undermined our nation's moral authority and has never been authorized by Congress.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this important resolution, which will send a strong signal that this Congress will not stand idly by in the face of such actions.

H.J. Res. 37 will help bring an end to the suffering of the Yemeni people and reassert Congress's authority as a coequal branch of government. It is my hope that passage of this resolution will be the first step toward healing Yemen and ending this brutal and senseless conflict.

Mr. Speaker, today, I stand before this House heartbroken.

This past weekend, tragedy struck our Dearborn community as we learned of the death of all five members of the Abbas family. They were killed by a drunk driver while driving back from a family vacation in Florida, and their loss has devastated our community in ways that you cannot imagine.

In every sense of the word, they were our community. The parents were born and raised there. Rima served many as a respected doctor at Beaumont and had just been promoted to head all of the doctors at the hospital. And Issam had a successful career as a lawyer and real estate agent. Their children--Ali, age 13; Isabelle, age 12; and Giselle, age 7--were gifts from God and the center of their parents' lives, and so many other families in Dearborn.

Their family, their very extended family was devoted to everything that they did. Their absence stunned this community and is felt deeply and emotionally.

Thousands attended one of the memorial services this week and then the funeral. Many in attendance chose to remember the good memories-- the smiles, the laughs, their careers, their deep connections to friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, and friends--but some came up to me and spoke very honestly. I was struck by the children and grown men who came up to me in tears, asking me why we hadn't done something to stop drunk driving.

A young girl, a classmate, who will never see her friend again, had channeled her grief into research. She came up to me and asked why, when the technology exists, has Congress never done anything to mandate interlock breathalyzers to prevent this kind of senseless accident from ever happening again.

She wasn't alone.

Elders in the community had also researched this subject, and the senior men, in their very deep way, asked me why nothing had been done, why weren't we using and mandating technology that would save lives. And I had no good answer.

Too many lives across this country are taken because of drunk driving. In 2016, 10,497 people died in alcohol-impaired driving crashes. That is 28 percent of all traffic-related deaths.

The young girl was right and the elders of the community were correct that technology does exist to stop drunk driving once and for all, and Congress has never had the will to take it on.

I have to go home tomorrow to a community that is still grieving. I can't look them in the eye unless we are really willing to try to do something.

This week I am introducing legislation in memory of the Abbas family that would mandate all new vehicles be equipped with interlock breathalyzer devices. This will stop intoxicated drivers from ever starting a vehicle and keep them off the roads.

If we can keep one person from dying on the roads and make people think twice before getting behind the wheel when they shouldn't, even when they are buzzed and think they will be okay, then won't we have been successful?

I know that some will say: ``This is too much of a burden. It won't work. Why should we have to do that?''

Well, I am going to look them in the eye and tell them why no community should ever have to feel what our community is still feeling this week.

I will work with all my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, and the auto industry to save lives. It is our moral imperative.

Nothing will bring back the Abbas family, but their lives were too important to forget. Our community will deeply miss them, but we need to make sure that their death was not in vain. We must dedicate ourselves in their memory and those of others we know to try to prevent another life being lost this way senselessly.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for the recognition and yielding me this time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 259, the Medicaid Extenders Act. Our long-term care system is broken. Like millions of Americans, I, too, am a primary caretaker for my husband, and I meet people every single day. I often say taking John to the doctor is like attending a town hall meeting. While we continue to work towards a much needed overhaul of our long-term care financing, we also need to build on and protect existing programs.

The Medicaid Extenders Act includes a 3-month extension of the highly successful Money Follows the Person program. This program provides grants to States to help individuals voluntarily transition from an institutional setting to a community care setting. Money Follows the Person is a win for both the beneficiaries and the taxpayers because the program has demonstrated significant savings over the years while bringing a real-time benefit to people's lives.

The Medicaid Extenders Act also extends spousal impoverishment protections for seniors in Medicaid. These important protections ensure that individuals are not forced to spend down all of their resources, and too many go bankrupt, just to get the care that they need.

However, this bill is just a partial victory. I do hope the House will pass it. Both programs are extended for only 3 months. While this is enough to keep these important programs alive for the moment, we must pass long-term extensions of both programs as quickly as possible.

I will soon be introducing bipartisan legislation to do just that, and I look forward to working with all of my colleagues this year on long-term extensions of these critical programs. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 259.