Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4376, the Department of Energy Research Infrastructure Act of 2018.

Mr. Speaker, the legislation includes authorizations of important upgrades to the world-class Department of Energy user facilities at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

These upgrades will enable academic and industrial users to examine and develop advanced materials and chemical processes for a wide range of applications, from advanced batteries to high-temperature superconductors to next generations pharmaceuticals.

This bill also directs DOE to build a new cutting-edge facility that was

competitively selected to be sited at Michigan State University. This facility will enable researchers to advance our fundamental understanding of the nature of rare nuclear isotopes, with impacts in fields ranging from nuclear astrophysics to medicine.

Our laboratories are the crown jewels of American innovation, and the user-driven science facilities at those labs and at our universities are the foundation on which our leadership in science is built.

I am very pleased to support this bipartisan effort to expand our research capabilities at DOE, and I hope this is an area in which we can continue to work together.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3397, the Building Blocks of STEM Act. I want to thank Ms. Rosen for her leadership on this issue.

Drawing upon her experience as a girl who codes, Ms. Rosen has been a strong champion for creating more opportunities for talented girls and women interested in computer science. I commend Ms. Rosen for her efforts on this critically important issue.

The demand for computer science expertise is on the rise in all sectors of the economy. To ensure that we have the capacity to meet that demand, we must do more to leverage all of our human capital to tackle the technological challenges of the future.

Research shows us that girls as young as 6 years old are adopting gender-based stereotypes that discourage them from engaging in STEM activities, including computer science.

H.R. 3397 directs NSF to support research into factors that contribute to the early adoption of these stereotypes. The bill also directs NSF to support the design, development, and implementation of scalable models for intervention to prevent or reverse the effects of these negative and false stereotypes.

I strongly support this bill, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Rosen).

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

Mr. Speaker, after much consideration, I will reluctantly vote for this legislation. The bipartisan agreement included $6 billion to combat opioid abuse and improving mental health, $2 billion for research at the National Institutes of Health and $4 billion for college affordability. The measure extends one of my legislative priorities, the Children's Health Insurance Program for 10 years.

Since Hurricane Harvey's landfall in last August, I have worked tirelessly with the Texas Governor, the Texas Congressional delegation, local mayors, county commissioners and police and fire chiefs to identify and meet the needs of impacted Texans. The agreement increases overall disaster relief from $81 billion to $89 billion which means it will increase Texas's share of that relief and to significantly increase the funding for critical Army Corps flood management projects that help Texas to take necessary measures against future flooding events.

Additionally, I have fought hard for many years to fund the needs of our veterans, and our transportation infrastructure. This bill provides $4 billion to reduce the VA healthcare maintenance backlog. There will be $20 billion to invest in infrastructure, including programs related to rural water and wastewater, clean

and safe drinking water, rural broadband, energy, innovative capital projects, and surface transportation.

The agreement includes funding for child care, including the bipartisan Child Care Development Block Grant program and funding for student-centered programs that aid college completion and affordability, including those that help police officers, teachers and firefighters.

Mr. Speaker, I will vote yes on this bill because the measure also closes the Medicare Part D ``donut hole'' for seniors in 2019. I will continue to work to make sure that Congress follows through on this deal, and that Texas' 30th District gets what it needs to move our communities, our state and the Nation forward.

Mr. Speaker, during his State of the Union address, President Trump was quick to tout how the unemployment rate among black Americans dropped to 6.8 percent in December 2017--the lowest level ever recorded since the Bureau of Labor Statistics first began tracking unemployment numbers by race in 1972. However, President Trump's rosy narrative ignores a host of other facts that paint a very different picture for members of the black community under the new administration.

For one, President Trump's statement ignores important context surrounding this figure. From January to December 2017 under President Trump, black unemployment dropped 1 percentage point. Comparatively, under President Obama, unemployment among black Americans dropped by 1 percentage point during the same period in 2016; then by 1.9 points in 2015; then by 1.5 points in 2014; and then by 1.8 points in 2013. We must not forget that it was President Obama who pulled our country out of the biggest economic downturn since the Great Recession, the effects of which we are still benefitting from to this day. Ultimately, in January 2018, we saw a huge jump in unemployment among the black community to 7.7 percentage points.

The unemployment rate is not the only important indicator for economic health. Average wealth is an important metric, and one that points to a larger problem within our country. For example, for every $100 in wealth accumulated by an average white family, the average black family can expect to only have accumulated $5.04. For every $100 in income earned by the average white family, black families earn just $57.30 on average. This wealth disparity has serious implications for housing, education, social mobility, and other factors that impact future earnings and wealth. Yet, in the face of these economic indicators, President Trump still proposes making drastic cuts to federal programs that help vulnerable segments of our population to escape poverty.

Mr. Speaker, access to wealth is more important than simply providing the means to purchase goods and services. Wealth enables families to grow without the hindrance of debt, gain access to safer neighborhoods and better schools, and become more equipped to pay for better education. In the absence of this, you see what we are witnessing within the black community--a racial wealth gap that continues to widen as time marches on. We need to overcome the economic disparities that have plagued the black community for generations and create new opportunities to lift our most vulnerable out of poverty.

Mr. Speaker, labor unions have played a crucial role in the formation of United States. Since 1869, unions have provided a platform for workers to collectively bargain for better wages, better hours, and safer working conditions. Every single worker living in the United States today has benefitted in some way from the role of unions, helping to shape our nation into the country that we all know and admire.

Today, unions play a more important role than ever before in recent history, particularly for the most vulnerable segments of our population, such as women and communities of color. When unions are strong, communities are stronger. Yet now, as union membership declines, so have opportunities for working and middle class families. In 2016, there were 14.6 million unionized members in the United States, down from 17.7 million in 1983. Union membership in the private sector has fallen to below seven percent. Wages have also remained stagnant since the 1970s, while people continue to work longer hours and often

times multiple jobs just to make ends meet. These consequences can be traced back to deliberate attacks against workers' rights and their ability to organize.

The Supreme Court case in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, is a clear manifestation of these attacks on collective bargaining rights. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on this case on February 26, 2018, which will question the future of ``fair share fees''--or fees requiring non-union members to help cover the costs of a union's collective bargaining activities--in the context of our First Amendment rights. The Supreme Court has the potential to upend more than 40 years of unanimous precedent supporting a states' ability to determine its own labor policy. It is truly another important milestone in our nation's history which will define who we are for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, as wages remain stagnant and more workers fail to find gainful employment, we need to question the direction in which our country is headed. Do we want all bargaining power to be concentrated in the hands of only the wealthiest corporations? Or do we believe that American workers should retain reasonable means to organize when wages, benefits, and working conditions decline? I believe in the latter. I believe in the American people. This Congress must do more to protect the collective bargaining rights of working families, not only because it is the right thing to do but because our nation is stronger when we do so.

Mr. Speaker, in 2017 alone, there were 16 extreme weather and climate events that devastated the United States and its territories, including Hurricane Harvey, which ravaged my great State of Texas and brought Houston's third 500-year flood in 3 years. Since 2006, the contiguous U.S. has experienced five of the warmest years on record. Year after year, new temperature and weather severity records are broken.

As researchers attempt to answer why this is occurring, it has become clear that there is a link between the severity of these events and human-caused climate change. Last year, in a study published by Nature magazine, scientists concluded that the frequency of extreme weather events in the Northern Hemisphere were amplified by anthropogenic climate change.

It is time to face the fact that climate change is real and admit that we are directly contributing to it. We must continue to find innovative ways to address this challenge before it is too late.

I will continue to speak out in support of all research that furthers our understanding of our planet's climate and helps identify ways of reducing the harmful impacts on it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Bishop John Hurst Adams of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A.M.E.).

Bishop Adams devoted his life to service of the Church and communities across the country. His relationship with the church began as a deacon in 1948, and culminated with the Senior Bishopric from 1988 to his retirement in 2004. In those 50 years of steadfast service to the A.M.E Church, Bishop Adams also stood as a pillar of the African American community in his active work with the Joint Center on Political and Economic Studies, TransAfrica, the King Center Development Board and during his six-year tenure as the President of Paul Quinn College, located in my district. At that

time, he was the youngest person named to the presidency of the College, as well as the youngest college or university president in the nation. He also did extraordinary work as the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Conference of National Black Churches. Bishop Adams had a longstanding and dedicated commitment to serving the cause of civil rights, and to bettering the lives of children through education. I personally witnessed his remarkable life and devotion in the fight for justice and I am truly grateful and honored to acknowledge him.

Bishop Adams is survived by his loving wife, Dr. Dolly Deselle Adams, their three children and eight grandchildren, for whom we offer our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to offer my gratitude for the work done by Bishop Adams, and honor his legacy and belief that ``the strength of the African American community network allows it to support each other and come together''.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the United States Fire Administration, AFG, and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017.

I hope we can all agree on the urgency of reauthorizing this program before the sunset in current law would terminate this program in January. We heard from the local, State, and Federal experts at our hearing in July just how essential these programs are to ensuring both firefighter and community safety in all of our districts across the Nation.

This bill authorizes funding at the 2017 levels for the U.S. Fire Administration, Assistance to Firefighters Grants, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants.

It also directs establishment of a grant monitoring and oversight framework. It makes important technical fixes to current law. It ensures lesser resourced fire departments have the tools to successfully apply for grants. These are critical programs to ensure the safety and security of all Americans, and they must be reauthorized.

Unfortunately, I must also express my disappointment and frustration with the majority's insistence on including a new sunset clause in this bill. The sunset currently in law is putting these programs at risk as we speak. Congress shouldn't need sunsets to do a job properly. In this case, arbitrary program sunsets puts lives at risk. Every single firefighting organization wants this sunset out. On a bipartisan basis, the Senate has voted to remove this sunset, yet here we are today running up a program termination that nobody wants, and senselessly adding a future program termination date that nobody wants.

Legislating by self-created emergency is bad for Congress and bad for our country. Here we are in December desperately trying to avoid terminating assistance to firefighters. At the same time, we are desperately trying to keep the Federal Government from shutting down and we are desperately trying to provide disaster assistance to Americans who are suffering. Of course, we have already missed the deadline on CHIP, and now 9 million children all across our country are in danger of losing health coverage. This is no way to run a country.

So we will vote on this bill today and, in 7 years, probably be right back in the same boat we are today. We can and should do better than this.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4375, the STEM Research and Education Effectiveness and Transparency Act.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this bill, and I thank the Research and Technology Subcommittee chairwoman, Mrs. Comstock, for introducing it.

Research shows that the underrepresentation of women and minorities in STEM fields is not due to a lack of interest or motivation. There are real institutional and cultural barriers preventing talented individuals from realizing their dreams of working in STEM careers. We must better understand these barriers so that we may develop and support the most effective policies and programs.

H.R. 4375 directs the NSF to report on the effectiveness of current portfolio of broadening participation programs. This bill also includes one provision from my STEM Opportunities Act that requires all Federal science agencies to collect and report annually on data for all research grant applications and awards.

This would enable researchers to conduct a cross-agency assessment of the participation and success of Federal grant applicants across demographic groups. With information about the participation and success of women and minorities throughout the process of applying for Federal research funding, including such details as the award size, we can identify and root out any inequities that reflect implicit bias in the process.

This bill is a small, but important, step in the right direction toward ensuring equitable access to STEM education and careers.

I want to take a moment to advocate for this House considering my STEM Opportunities Act, H.R. 2653, in its entirety. That would allow us to continue the steps we are taking today to broaden participation in STEM in our country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4254, the Women in Aerospace Education Act.

Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1159, the United States and Israel Space Cooperation Act. The cooperation between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, and the Israel Space Agency is just one example of peaceful international cooperation that has been a hallmark of NASA's approach since its inception in 1958.

In fact, when Congress passed NASA's founding legislation, the Space Act of 1958, one of the primary objectives established for the agency was: ``7, Cooperation by the United States with other nations and groups of nations in work done pursuant to this act and in the peaceful application of the results thereof.''

NASA has followed this objective over the years in a variety of ways. Since its establishment in 1958, NASA has entered into over 5,000 original agreements with international entities, and currently NASA has over 800 active cooperative agreements across a range of disciplines with over 120 countries and international organizations.

These international partnerships have led to a range of benefits in scientific advancement, access to scientific data, partnering in exploration, and sharing the costs and risks of space missions.

NASA has had a long and fruitful relationship with the country of Israel, and that cooperative relationship continues to this day. Current activities with Israel include the involvement of almost 200 Israeli schools in the Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, GLOBE, educational project; collaboration on atmospheric and climate research; and numerical cloud modeling, among other activities.

I think it is also fitting to remember that the crew of the ill-fated Space Shuttle Columbia mission, STS-107, included an Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon, who, along with the entire STS-107 crew, tragically perished with the loss of the space shuttle orbiter on February 1, 2003.

Israel has shared in the great achievements of NASA as well as great losses that have paved the way for future space explorers. Their sacrifice will be held in our hearts as we work to further space exploration for the benefit of mankind.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the sponsor of this legislation, Mr. Kilmer, for introducing the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Kilmer).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4323, the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act, and I thank Mr. Dunn and Mr. Takano for introducing this good legislation.

The demand for a workforce equipped with STEM skills is growing. At the same time, many veterans developed valuable technical skills during their service. We must do more to take advantage of those skills and increase veteran participation in STEM careers if we are to meet the workforce demands.

This summer, I was pleased to see the passage of the Forever GI Bill, which extended GI benefits for veterans enrolled in STEM degree programs. Now that STEM degrees are more accessible for veterans, we must do more to support veterans during their transition into STEM degree programs and careers.

H.R. 4323 directs the National Science Foundation to report data on veterans in STEM studies and careers and develop a plan to increase outreach to veterans.

This bill also creates an interagency committee that will examine how Federal programs and policies can best be leveraged to equip veterans with the skills they need to transition into STEM careers.

H.R. 4323 is a good step toward strengthening our STEM workforce and creating opportunities for an eminently deserving sector of our citizenry.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I urge support of this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Nine HBCUs--Alabama State University, Barber- Scotia College, Fayetteville State University, Howard University, Johnson C. Smith University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, St. Augustine's University, and Talladega College, celebrate 150 years of excellence this year.

HBCUs are pillars of the black community and important contributors to the strength of our nation. 40 percent of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are graduates from one or more HBCUs and with their representation they continue to remind us of the importance of fighting for these institutions. HBCUs not only provide a college education for 300,000 students every year, but they are economic powerhouses. Since 2017 HBCUs have generated an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion annually--nearly $5 billion higher than in 2006.

I've seen the substantial impact of HBCUs in my district by the example Paul Quinn College has set. Paul Quinn College plays a major role in the economic success of its graduates by enhancing their education, training and leadership skills. A college degree opens the door to economic prosperity through greater employment and earnings potential. In fact, Paul Quinn College's class of 2014 can expect total earnings of $53 million over their lifetimes--that's 77 percent more than they could expect to earn without their college credentials.

Paul Quinn College not only contributes to the economic success of its students, but it also provides a foundation for students to grow. Like many HBCUs, Paul Quinn College is committed to the holistic development of their students. Professors not only focus on academic excellence, but they also invest in the professional and individual development of their students.

HBCUs will always be a prominent force in our nation. As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus I recognize the importance of its funding and legacy in our country. Please join me in recognizing the legacy of HBCUs across our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the victims who were killed during the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941--a date which will live in infamy.

Seventy-six years ago today, more than 2,000 American citizens lost their lives and more than 1,000 others were injured in a surprise attack by the Imperial Japanese Navy.

The attack on Pearl Harbor shook our nation to its core. Up until this point, the United States had largely remained neutral during the Second World War. However, as a testament to our strength and our resolve, the United States declared war against the Japanese and entered World War II just one day following the attack. Contrary to what the Japanese had intended, the attack had only emboldened our nation to forge our own path to victory.

Tragedies such as the attack on Pearl Harbor serve as a stark reminder of the great personal sacrifices that our men and women in uniform must make in the service of protecting our nation. While many soldiers are fortunate enough to return from service, plenty of others have given up their lives in the act of duty. We are forever indebted to these men and women who have given their lives to protect our freedoms and way of life.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is also about paying tribute to those who served--and survived--during the attack. Petty Officer Doris ``Dorie'' Miller was one such American who fought bravely during the conflict. Petty Officer Miller displayed remarkable courage when his ship, the USS West Virginia, came under attack. As the fighting occurred, Miller dragged his ship's commander, who was mortally wounded by shrapnel, out of the line of fire to safety. He then manned a 50- caliber Browning antiaircraft machine gun and shot down at least three of the 29 Japanese planes that went down that day until he was ordered to abandon ship. While Petty Officer Miller survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, he sadly lost his life during a second attack during the Battle of Makin Island when a Japanese submarine and aircraft attack sunk his ship.

Mr. Speaker, the attack on Pearl Harbor was a defining moment in United States history. Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day helps to remind us of the importance of defending our freedoms and the heavy cost of doing so. We are reminded on this day of those who lost their lives, but also the countless other veterans--such as Dorie Miller--who have made invaluable contributions to our success during the Second World War.

Mr. Speaker, it is extremely disheartening that this Congress is once again debating the merits of a temporary funding measure to keep the federal government funded. The American people sent their elected representatives to Washington to fulfill basic promises to fund the federal government and provide for the safety and prosperity of all Americans. A stopgap funding bill like the two-week extension before us today falls drastically short of our responsibilities to properly serve our constituents.

A continuing resolution should only be used as a temporary measure. Instead, the passage of CRs has become regular order. That is not how Congress was intended to work. This continued inaction is costing taxpayers billions in wasted dollars, not to mention the opportunity costs associated with short-term extensions. I find the complete lack of bipartisan talks in Congress alarming, particularly since countless families, seniors, and others rely on these programs for their wellbeing and safety.

In addition to our basic responsibility to fund the government, it is vitally important that we work to lift the crippling budget caps that have

been holding back critical investments in our nation's infrastructure, benefits for our veterans, and other defense and nondefense priorities. Democrats in Congress were promised an opportunity to negotiate new spending caps after the last CR was adopted in September. Instead, the only spending measures we have seen leave this Chamber are partisan bills that can never reasonably expect to make it into law.

There also needs to be a recognition that many Americans have come to rely on the federal government for basic services or benefits they were promised after serving in our military. For example, I was deeply troubled by the Administration's recent effort to eliminate $460 million for the HUD-VA Supportive Housing program, which provides rent assistance to homeless veterans and their families. It was only until veterans' advocates, state officials, and Members of Congress protested the dramatic reduction did VA Secretary Shulkin reverse course on the planned cuts.

Mr. Speaker, Republicans in Congress are putting politics over the wellbeing of our nation by passing temporary spending bills while also proposing dramatic cuts to social programs. Ultimately, it will be the American people and the U.S. economy who will be stuck dealing with the consequences. I urge my colleagues across the aisle to come together to engage in good-faith negotiations with me and my Democratic colleagues on bipartisan, full-year legislation to fund the federal government.