Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the Methodist Dallas Medical Center for its 90 years of service in the Dallas community. The medical services provided by the United Methodist Church in the greater North Texas region have played a major role as our community continues to grow.

In 1924, a group of Methodist ministers and civic leaders came together to bring quality healthcare to the city of Dallas. With the help of many donations from the Methodist Church, local congregations, and others, the Methodist Dallas Medical Center, a 100-bed facility, was opened in 1927.

The hospital persevered through the Great Depression and started to thrive in the middle of the century. The construction of new facilities, including a three-story student nurse's residence provided classroom space for nursing education and community programs. Additionally, the hospital itself grew to include 420 beds, expanding to more than four times its original size.

In 1995, Methodist hospitals expanded to opening the Family Health Centers. Currently there are 24 centers located across north Texas including locations in Arlington, Cedar Hill, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Midlothian, Richardson, Waxahachie, and Wylie.

The Methodist Dallas Medical Center is now the main teaching and referral center for the Methodist Health System and one of the leading teaching and referral hospitals in all of Texas. The Medical Center now features 585 beds and 250 physicians that specialize in more than 60 medical specialties. It has been recognized among the top performers on key quality measures by The Joint Commission because of its evidence- based clinical processes that have been shown to improve care for heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and strokes.

Its presence in the community is grounded in faith, and the hospital's ties to the United Methodist Church is strengthened by the presence of Methodist ministers and church members on governing boards, and its commitment to pastoral education, 24-hour chaplain services, and health ministries at local churches. Additionally, its wide variety of outreach activities, including mobile health screenings and local clinics help bring its services even closer to the community. I want to recognize the Methodist Health System, specifically the

Methodist Dallas Medical Center, for its remarkable service to the Dallas community by improving the community's member's health and well- being.

Mr. Speaker, the brownfields program has been a notable success in our Nation's history, and I want to applaud all of the members of the Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for supporting this legislation.

The brownfields program has helped to transform and clean up countless abandoned, idled, or potentially contaminated commercial and industrial sites all across the United States. These once blighted areas within our communities are now valuable tracts of land thanks to the brownfields program.

As a Congresswoman from north Texas, I have seen firsthand the benefits that brownfields redevelopment brings to a community. A 72- acre site in my district now known as Victory Park was transformed by the brownfields program from an industrial wasteland populated by an old paint factory and an abandoned packing house. Since then, and thanks in large part to the brownfields program, this same plot is now home to the American Airlines Center and other retail and commercial space and high-level housing.

This is just one example in my congressional district and across the country of how successful we can be in converting depressed, decaying areas into vibrant economic and cultural centers that can increase employment and productivity in a region, placing sites on the tax roll rather than the tax dole.

This is why I stand together with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 3017.

The bill will take the important step to reauthorize brownfields approval through 2022. While the bill represents a flat reauthorization, it makes crucial changes to the program that will improve the way States, cities, counties, and other stakeholders are able to utilize brownfields sites.

Mr. Speaker, I hope we will support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the birthday of Mrs. Addie Ruth Fox Parker, who will be turning 100 years old on December 14, 2017.

Mrs. Parker was born on December 14, 1917 in Jacksonville (Calhoun County), Alabama and reared in their home located on the fringe of the town square. Her father was Cassie Fox, a businessman and landowner and her mother was Jennie Taylor Fox, a school teacher. She is a graduate of Cobb High School in Anniston, Alabama and Alabama A&M College (now Alabama A&M University) in Huntsville, Alabama, where she played tennis and sang in the choir. Divorced with a daughter, she then married Rev. (Pastor) Joseph C. Parker, Sr. on July 28, 1951, in Anniston, Alabama and remained married until his death in 1987. Her husband was a pastor, civil rights leader, teacher, principal, faculty member at the Birmingham (Alabama) Baptist College, and Church Relations Director at Bishop College in Dallas Texas. He also served as pastor of churches in Jacksonville, Anniston, Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama, as well as Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas, where she served with him as the pastor's wife and occasional pianist, starting in 1951.

Resident of DeSoto, Mrs. Parker has been a Texas resident since 1972 and is a member of the Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. She retired from a decades-long elementary school teaching career, having taught in Alabama and Texas.

While living in Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama in the late 1950s and 1960s, she served in the Alabama Civil Rights Movement as a dedicated and hard-working confidante, partner, participant, and supporter of her husband--Rev. Joseph C. Parker, Sr.--who was a founding pastor, servant, racial justice advocate, and leader of the Alabama Civil Rights Movement, starting in 1955 with his involvement in the Montgomery Bus Boycott; Montgomery Improvement Association; Montgomery Inter-denominational Ministerial Alliance (Secretary); NAACP; Selma to Montgomery Marches; the Birmingham civil rights protests; and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and alongside her husband's Morehouse college friend, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wife, Coretta Scott King, and Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, Sr. and his wife, Juanita Jones Abernathy.

Mrs. Parker's children, grandchildren, other family members, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances use these words to describe her qualities and attributes that they believe have contributed to her wonderfully successful life and career--character: strong Christian faith, integrity, commitment, and action; personality: warm, compassionate, giving, loving, determined spirit, lively, and humorous; and intelligence: has had and still possesses a keen mind.

Mr. Speaker, I ask Congressman John Lewis and Congresswoman Terri Sewell and all my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mrs. Addie Ruth Fox Parker on this remarkable milestone. I wish her a special day shared in the company of her family and friends and all the best in the years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, the Republican tax reform bill coming to the floor this week raises serious questions about the impact that this legislation will have on middle class families, our ability to invest in our transportation infrastructure, and students' ability to attend college.

My hometown, Dallas, Texas, and every municipality in the region has written objections to how they are affected. For one, the GOP tax plan eliminates many tax deductions that are favorable to middle class Americans, such as the medical expense deduction and State and local income and sales tax deductions. These important deductions help middle class families lower their tax liability and put more money in their pockets for everyday needs of hardworking Americans.

The plan also looks to an estimated $2.6 trillion stockpiled overseas for U.S. corporations. The plan seeks to allow repatriation of these funds for as little as 5 percent tax on brick-and-mortar assets, or 12 percent on cash kept overseas.

This was one of the same methods being considered to fund the major infrastructure bill that we are still waiting for, which raises concerns about how we will pay for our crumbling infrastructure.

Finally, the GOP tax plan also seeks to eliminate the student loan tax deduction. This is a troubling change to existing law, as it places an even heavier burden on our future generations and others seeking a college education. Every college and university in my region has complained.

All of these changes are proposed to the tune of an added $1.7 trillion dollars to our deficit.

Mr. Speaker, I share the view with many of my colleagues that we are due for a major reform of our tax code. However, we must not do so at the expense of millions of middle and lower class Americans are already struggling to get by.

Mr. Speaker, both House and Senate Republicans have introduced separate plans to update the U.S. federal tax code. Proponents have long argued that the federal tax code is overdue for an overhaul that will incentivize businesses to create jobs, while opponents feel that the existing proposals do not go far enough for middle- and lower-income families.

It has been 31 years since Congress passed its last major tax reform overhaul known as the 1986 Tax Reform Act, signed into law by President Reagan. Since that time, the tax code has continued to grow more intricate in response to the complexities that accompany globalization and the unique challenges that we face in a 21st Century economy. While I agree that a modern tax code is desperately needed to help shore up funding for critical infrastructure projects, scientific research, and education, the Republican tax plan falls short of helping to address these dire needs.

The current plan introduced in the House will expose an estimated 38 million middle class households to increased taxes, while simultaneously reducing the tax liability for some of our wealthiest corporations. The bill proposes disastrous cuts to Medicare & Medicaid, which many seniors and underprivileged Americans rely on for medical care. The plan also eliminates many tax deductions that are favorable to middle class Americans, such as the medical expense deduction, student loan interest deductions, and the state and local Tax deduction. Despite all of these reductions, the House Republican plan will cost the American people $1.7 trillion dollars over the next 10 years in order to pay for tax cuts for corporations and wealthy Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I believe that many of my colleagues will agree that we are due for a major reform of our tax code. However, we must be extremely careful not to do so at the expense of millions of middle and lower class Americans who are already struggling to get by. An increasingly globalized economy means that we will need to delicately balance our national interests against our ability to compete overseas. However, the current tax reform plans in the House and Senate must do more to protect American workers, their families, and the critical social programs on which they depend.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Dr. Takashi Kitamura, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern. On November 12, 2017, Dr. Kitamura received the Peter and Patricia Gruber International Research Award, from the Society for Neuroscience. Supported by The Gruber Foundation, the award recognizes young neuroscientists for outstanding research and educational pursuit in an international setting.

Dr. Kitamura has made three major contributions in his career to date. First, he demonstrated that there are two types of excitatory neurons in layer II of the entorhinal cortex, ``island cells'' and ``ocean cells,'' both of which he named, and that pyramidal island neurons cluster in a series of bulblike structures while stellate ocean cells surround the structures. Second, in collaboration with another graduate student, he determined the function of each cell type, revealing island cells to control timing and navigation and ocean cells to encode static location. Third, he identified engrams and circuits crucial for systems consolidation of memory, which leads to the formation of long-term memories in the neocortex.

Dr. Takashi Kitamura earned his doctorate in biology at Kyushu University in Japan. His thesis, ``Molecular Mechanisms of Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis,'' sought to identify the role of entorhinal hippocampal neuronal circuits in the formation of episodic memory and revealed important insight that formed the basis for his postdoctoral research at the Mitsubishi-Kaguku Institute as well as further research at the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Kitamura's work is significant because it contributes significantly to the federally-funded research investment in my congressional district.

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleagues will join me in congratulating Dr. Kitamura. With distinguished academicians work like Dr. Kitamura, we will have better understanding of cognitive impairments and Alzheimer's disease.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, November 6, 2017, I requested and was granted a leave of absence for the rest of the week due to the death of my sister.

For the information of our colleagues and my constituents, below is how I would have voted on the following votes I missed during this time period: on rollcall 607, to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish assistance for adaptations of residences of veterans in rehabilitation programs under chapter 31 of such title, and for other purposes, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall 608, on passage of VA Management Alignment Act of 2017, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall 609, on approving the Journal, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall 610, on motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 3441 and H.R. 3043, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall 611, on rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 3441, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall 612, on approving the Journal, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall 613, on Democratic motion to recommit H.R. 3441, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall 614, on passage of H.R. 3441, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall 615, on passage of the Risk-Based Credit Examination Act, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall 616, on ordering the previous question for consideration of H.R. 2201, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall 617, on rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2201, Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act, I would have voted ``no''; on rollcall 618, on the passage of the Veterans Crisis Line Study Act of 2017, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall 619, on the passage of Rush Amendment, which adds a new section to the Federal Power Act to improve the hydropower licensing process, I would have voted ``aye''; on rollcall 620, on passage of H.R. 3043, Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017, I would have voted ``no''; and on rollcall 621, on passage of Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2017, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to the bill being considered on the floor today, H.R. 3922, the CHAMPIONING HEALTHY KIDS Act. Unfortunately, this deceitfully named measure to reauthorize the Children's Health

Insurance Program (CHIP) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) will reauthorize these programs through FY19--but does so by kicking thousands of Americans off private insurance.

Like many of my colleagues, I strongly support CHIP, CHCs, and other critical public health initiatives. However, the bill in its current form was drafted as yet another attempt by Republicans to undermine the Affordable Care Act in order to justify its repeal. The bill is misguided in its attempt to cut $6.35 billion over ten years from the Prevention and Public Health Fund in order to fund the extension.

H.R. 3922 also reduces grace periods from 90 to 30 days, putting more than 688,000 low- and moderate-income individuals at risk of losing their state Marketplace coverage for simply paying their premiums in the second of third month of the existing grace period. This grace period is essential to low-income households that are barely making ends meet. By reducing the current grace period, Republicans are exposing thousands of families to risk due to a lack of health coverage. It is frankly disgraceful that we would even consider undermining these important public health programs in such a manner.

Mr. Speaker, CHIP, CHCs, the National Health Service Corps, and other programs funded under this measure are vitally important to our nation and the public health of our citizens. As the first registered nurse elected to Congress, I understand the critical need for proper long- term funding of our public health centers and programs. However, these cuts to the Prevention and Public Health Fund represent a purely political move by the GOP to undermine the ACA. I oppose this controversial offset, not my support for health centers across America. I urge my colleagues to oppose this measure so that we can find offsets driven by policy, not politics, in order to sufficiently fund our health centers and promote public health for all.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to host Reverend Waters as our guest chaplain today.

Reverend Waters is a true community servant and a man of God. He is the founding pastor of Joy Tabernacle African Methodist Episcopal Church--AME--of Dallas, Texas.

Reverend Waters is a pastor, a professor, an award-winning author, a community leader, and a social commentator. Reverend Waters' words of hope and empowerment inspire national and international audiences.

As a notable friend of the community, Reverend Waters served as a keynote speaker at my Annual Dallas Prayer Breakfast this year. His engaging personality and purposeful speech captivated the attention of all those who attended.

As a strong leader, Reverend Waters is able to understand the unique needs of our community. He knows no stranger when he walks into the room, and his charismatic nature allows him to connect with everyone he meets.

It is my pleasure that he has come today to be our guest chaplain. May God continue to bless him.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the New Leaf Family Church for its 5th year church anniversary. The church started its ministry in October 2012 under the leadership of Dr. Corey C. Toney, Sr. Since its beginning, the church has made a strong impact to the Dallas community.

Dr. Corey C. Toney, Sr. was born and raised in Dallas. He graduated from Justin F. Kimball High School in the Dallas Independent School District. Afterward, he decided to pursue his passion by studying auto and diesel mechanics at the Universal Technical Institute in Houston, Texas in 1989. However, he eventually changed fields by entering the ministry. On April 11, 2009, Dr. Toney received his Doctorate of Humanity from the Dallas/Fort Worth Bible Institute and Seminary, and in June of 2013, he received his Bachelor's of Arts in Divinity from Vision International University. The following year, he received his Master of Arts in Divinity from Vision International University, where he was named Salutatorian.

In 2012, Dr. Toney decided with the help of Bishop Ray Campbell's leadership that he was ready to start his own church in Dallas. Now, he is committed to his community in Dallas by serving as the Founder, Pastor and Teacher of the New Leaf Family Church. The church's commitment to its membership and the community at large is seen through its ministry and work to lift up and engage everyone in the community. I want to recognize the New Leaf Family Church for the continued success, and the hope for a bright future that they have awaiting them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the People's Missionary Baptist Church for its 95 years of service in the South Dallas community. Since its beginning, in the home of Sister Alice Coleman, the church has brought a strong impact in Dallas, as well as the nation at large. Thanks to the commitment and strong leadership of many pastors, the church a strong legacy in the Dallas community.

It was Rev. S. M. Wright, Sr. who came to lead the church in April of 1957. Rev. Wright, Sr.'s leadership reorganized the church, renaming it People's Missionary Baptist Church,

instead of solely People's Baptist Church. This call to missionary has led the church from then on, creating a legacy of community outreach, and ministry that reaches far beyond the walls of the church. During Rev. Wright, Sr.'s tenure, his preaching became renowned across the nation. At the time of his death, he was the president of the National Missionary Baptist Convention, president of the Missionary Baptist General Convention of Texas, and president of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Dallas. In 1995, President George W. Bush renamed Highway 175 to S. M. Wright Freeway in his honor.

On November 17, 1993, Rev. S. M. Wright, II began leading the church with his pastoral leadership. His brother, Rev. Calvin W. M. Wright served next to him as co-pastor. Together, the two men continued Rev. Wright, Sr.'s mission by helping to improve the lives of people outside the church's walls by engaging their members in community outreach and civic matters.

Pastor S. M. Wright, II and his family created the S. M. Wright Foundation to administer the South Dallas Community, the South Dallas Education Center, the South Dallas Resource Center, the S. M. Wright Furniture Bank, the South Dallas Entrepreneurship Center, and the Financial Management and Investment Club. These organizations help those in need obtain furniture, clothing, job training, and much more. Since November 2014, Pastor S. M. Wright, II innovated the Fix-It-Up and Fill-It-Up Campaign. This campaign has worked to renovate the church through tithes and offerings to make sure that the church can continue serving its continuously growing membership. It finished renovations in March of 2016.

Mr. Speaker, the South Dallas community is a greater place, because of the presence of the People's Missionary Baptist Church and I'm proud to celebrate their 95th Anniversary.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the centennial of Dallas Love Field Airport, which celebrated one hundred years of operation this month. Since the airport's opening in 1917, Dallas Love Field has experienced tremendous growth and positive change that has strengthened the Dallas area in a multitude of ways. Today, Dallas Love Field stands as an invaluable gateway for North Texas.

Dallas Love Field is rich in history and culture. The airport was initially opened as an Army Air Service field, named for Lieutenant Moss Lee Love, the eighth aviation officer to be killed and the 10th fatality in Army aviation. However, as flying became more accessible airlines. started conducting commercial flights out of Love Field and eventually the airport was made the headquarters for Southwest Airlines when the company was founded in 1971. Throughout American history, it has stood as an important landmark, not only for the City of Dallas, but for the entire United States as well.

The airport has hosted aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, after recently finishing the first flight from New York to Paris. In 1959, Lady Bird Johnson celebrated the launching of the first jet service, an American Airlines 707, out of Love Field. Later, in November of 1963, the airport hosted an historic moment during one of the most shocking days that our country has ever lived through, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was at Love Field where First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy stood by Lyndon Johnson's side as he was sworn in as President.

Today, countless Americans rely heavily on Love Field's convenient access to air travel and the first class amenities that it provides for travelers. Love Field stands as a model for other municipalities in how to manage and grow a self-support airport of this caliber. I am proud to recognize Dallas Love Field during this important milestone, and I look forward to experiencing even more positive growth and change at Love Field in the coming years.

Mr. Speaker, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published a report on August 3rd with findings that ``black identity extremists'' and their views on police brutality have very likely contributed to an uptick in premeditated violence against police officers. While many questions about the origins and intentions behind this report still remain unanswered, I cannot help but feel that this troubling assessment is reminiscent of the 1960's era Counter Intelligence Program (COINTELPRO) that targeted black activists during the Civil Rights Movement.

There are no doubts that the 2012 shooting of Treyvon Martin or the 2014 death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri have paved the way for increased tension within our communities. The subsequent protests and rise of the Black Lives Matter movement born out of the 2013 acquittal of Treyvon Martin's murderer fueled further tension between law enforcement and racial minorities. However, these protests--while interspersed with bouts

of violence--have been largely peaceful at their core.

Interestingly, we have yet to also see a comparable FBI report investigating the white supremacists that have emerged during rallies in Charlottesville, VA and other parts of the country. This apparent double standard sets a dangerous precedent for race relations in the United States. The FBI's recent report is also extremely troubling given the rise and prominence of far-right movements throughout the country during this tense moment in our history.

Mr. Speaker, the Congressional Black Caucus has called for an FBI briefing on the origins of this report and the Bureau's intentions on next steps. I will join my colleagues in eagerly awaiting a response from the FBI, so that we can make sure that there is no impropriety or racial bias fueling this investigation. I am disappointed in the FBI's report and urge my colleagues to tread carefully as we look to avoid a repeat of history by using government institutions and resources to unfairly target racial minorities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2105, the NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act of 2017, which directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to provide more guidance, resources, and tools to small businesses to improve their cybersecurity and protect the personal information of their customers.

According to the Small Business Administration, the 28 million small businesses in America account for 54 percent of all U.S. sales and 55 percent of all U.S. jobs. Small businesses play a central role in our economy.

Unfortunately, the information systems and networks of small businesses are especially vulnerable to an increasing volume and sophistication of cyber attacks. Small businesses rarely have employees or leadership with education or training in cybersecurity. Further, small businesses typically have limited resources to invest in cybersecurity.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, is a leader in developing standards and guidelines for cybersecurity in both the public and private sectors. In 2009, NIST developed a guidance document called, ``Small Business Information Security: The Fundamentals.'' The document described the fundamentals of an effective small-business information security program in nontechnical language.

In 2014, in response to an executive order from President Obama, NIST published the Cybersecurity Framework for Critical Infrastructure. The cybersecurity framework, as written, is most useful for larger businesses with at least some cybersecurity expertise. Therefore, in November 2016, NIST published an update of their small-business guidance document using the framework as a template.

These are just two examples of how NIST has long privatized supporting small-business efforts to strengthen cybersecurity. The requirements of H.R. 2105 are consistent with these ongoing efforts and help ensure that they will continue.

Ideally, H.R. 2105 would have also provided resources for NIST to expand these activities because the need is very clear. We cannot effectively support small business in this country unless we provide the relevant government agencies the resources to help protect those businesses from cyber threats.

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 2105, and I thank the sponsors, including Mr. Webster, Mr. Lipinski, and Ms. Rosen, for their strong support for small businesses and NIST's important role in cybersecurity. However, I am concerned that the House bill contains an explicit unfunded mandate clause and that the Senate passed a version that is silent in funding. I hope Congress will provide NIST the adequate resources to fulfill the mandates in this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 2763, the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Improvements Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Chabot, Ranking Member Velazquez, Chairman Smith, and all other colleagues on both committees for their work to advance this bipartisan piece to the House floor.

SBIR and STTR are valuable programs that provide competitive research and development grants and contracts to innovative small businesses. Stability and continuity in the SBIR and STTR programs are important goals, which is why I supported the agreement in last year's National Defense Authorization Act to extend the program until fiscal year 2022 at the current allocation level.

In H.R. 2763, the two authorizing committees have come to agreement on a number of policy improvements and some strengthened oversight for the programs.

The policy changes in H.R. 2763 advances sensible ways to further leverage small business R&D to help meet Federal mission needs, as well as contribute more broadly to U.S. innovation and economic growth. The bill includes continued support for early-stage funding for entrepreneurial researchers, provides funding for important agency outreach and administrative activities, streamlines reporting requirements, ensures agency outreach for researchers at minority- serving institutions, and authorizes several additional activities to support implementation of the program.

I am particularly pleased that the bill includes a provision to address current agency shortfalls in fostering the participation of women and minority-owned firms. Fostering diversity in STEM research and innovation is an economic imperative.

Mr. Speaker, we must continue to encourage such policies.

H.R. 2763 is a good bill that improves the SBIR program and maximizes the benefits of federally funded small business R&D.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.