Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor registered nurses across our nation who have urgently worked on the front lines after the deadly hurricanes this past season. In particular, Dotty Nygard and Rhonda Risner, who are a part of a large network of volunteers that are deployed after natural disasters to help take care of patients.

Three weeks after Hurricane Harvey hit south Texas, registered nurses were deployed for weeks at a time. There these nurses gave dedicated care to their patients to ensure that the viruses had not spread to anyone and that they received the specific attention they needed. Their work was integral to the safety of victims after natural disasters. Viruses and diseases can spread quickly after natural disasters due to the number of different people in confined places. It is the nurses who spot the signs of these viruses as soon as they can, and it is the nurses who become the first defense against the spreading of flus and other life-threatening viruses.

While serving the victims of the hurricane, nurses encountered a multitude of chronic issues, including heart attacks, strokes, and hypertensive crises from patients who have either never had access to health care or lost their medications in the floods. It is because of nurses' insight, diligent observation, and quick response that these people are still alive today.

Nurses across the nation have created a network of 20,000 volunteers who have traveled the world, helping victims of natural disasters. The nurses have gone to the Philippines after a tsunami, Haiti following the earthquake, and worked with the U.S. Navy in Central and South America. Many of the patients they face have no access to their medications after a disaster or their access to medical care is severely limited or non-existent. These nurses are at the front lines saving lives in disasters all over the world, and their work cannot be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, across the nation registered nurses' dedication and benevolence in their care for victims of natural disasters all over the world are integral to patients' safety and well-being and the eventual recovery of any area. We must always remember to honor and thank those first responders in their work around the world, especially those nurses who give up their time in hospitals and health centers to care for victims after a natural disaster.

Mr. Speaker, last month, the President made

the irresponsible decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA gives hundreds of thousands of young individuals the opportunity to come out from the shadows and contribute to our great country without fear of being sent back to a country that they barely know.

Juan Carlos Cerda, a community organizer with the Texas Organizing project and recent graduate of Yale has already seen firsthand how much of an impact this policy change can have. Due to an error in USCIS's system, Juan Carlos's DACA status was temporarily suspended in the fall of 2016. He was forced to take a leave of absence from teaching at an elementary school in the Dallas Independent School District. He was even denied access to volunteer on campus. If this is the havoc that rescinding DACA can have on one individual, imagine how it would impact the 113,000 recipients in North Texas and the 800,000 recipients across the country.

DACA has allowed Erik Burgos, a Store Systems Engineer and graduate of Southern Methodist University, the opportunity to assist local students in achieving their academic ambitions as he currently does in his spare time. Without DACA he would be forced into the shadows and would no longer have a meaningful impact on students' lives.

Because of the President's decision Maria Roman, Cynthia De La Torre Castro, and countless others would be prevented from pursuing the careers that they studied on university campuses across this great country. Bouzidi Najoa would be forced to return to a country where her family faced persecution by their government without her parents or siblings. Simply put, this policy change would not just drastically impact DREAMers, it would impact their friends, families, and communities.

Mr. Speaker, these people are no different than you or I. They go to the same schools with our children, they're involved with their local church groups, and work hard every day to ensure that they too can one day live the American dream. This is why we need to bring the DREAM Act to the floor and pass this important bipartisan piece of legislation. These DREAMers have only known one home. It's time for this Congress to step up to the plate and let these young people know that we want them to always consider America their true home.

Mr. Chairman, I stand here to talk a little bit about the Republican budget first. It is a poor reflection of the values and priorities that we hold dear in America.

Once again, Americans insist on dooming the American people to the failed trickle-down economics of the Reagan era. The Republican budget shifts the tax burden away from the wealthiest Americans and larger corporations and places it squarely on the backs of hardworking middle- and low-income Americans. This has never helped, and it won't help now.

Not only would the Republican budget increase the national deficit by $2.4 trillion over 10 years, but it also foots the bill over to the most vulnerable segments of our community while cutting other important social safety network programs.

For example, the budget proposes to slash Medicaid by $1.1 trillion and Medicare for seniors by $487 billion. Nondefense discretionary spending across the government would also be cut by $1.3 trillion at the expense of education, infrastructure, clean energy programs, medical research, and job training.

These are only some of the reasons why I stand tonight with my colleagues to support the Congressional Black Caucus budget to propose an alternative to this budget we are facing.

The CBC's alternative budget asks those who have done well in our country to finally pay their fair share.

Our budget seeks to invest $665 billion to modernize our crumbling infrastructure.

Mr. Chairman, our budget looks to invest $80 billion in our children by modernizing our schools and better preparing our future generations to compete in a global economy.

Mr. Chair, the Republican budget is a poor reflection of the values and priorities that we hold dear as Americans.

Once again, Republicans insist on dooming the American people to the failed trickle-down economics of the Reagan era.

The Republican budget shifts the tax burden away from the wealthiest Americans and largest corporations and places it squarely on the backs of hardworking middle and lower income Americans.

Not only would the Republican budget increase the national deficit by $2.4 trillion over 10 years, but it also foots the bill over to the most vulnerable segments of our population while cutting other important social safety programs.

For example, the budget proposes to slash Medicaid by $1.1 trillion and Medicare for seniors by $487 billion.

Non-defense discretionary spending across the government would also be cut by $1.3 trillion at the expense of education, infrastructure, clean energy programs, medical research, and job training.

These are only some of the reasons why I stand with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to propose an alternative budget amendment that serves the interests of the greater good, and not just a select few.

The CBC's alternative budget asks those who have done well in our country to finally pay their fair share.

Our budget seeks to invest $665 billion to modernize our crumbling infrastructure.

Our budget looks to invest $80 billion in our children by modernizing our schools and better preparing our future generations to compete in a global economy.

Our budget looks to bring $20 billion in new investment to extend broadband internet to rural areas, so that everyone--not just the wealthy few--can have access to high-speed internet and access to information.

Our budget delivers $300 billion over the next decade for social programs that help provide millions of Americans a basic standard of living.

This is a reflection of the values and priorities of the American people, not what is embodied in the Republican budget.

I, for one, do not believe that our nation does well by cutting taxes for the wealthiest Americans while increasing taxes for the poor.

I do not believe that our nation does well by making massive cuts to social programs while allowing corporations to hide trillions of dollars overseas.

I do not believe that our nation does well by destroying Medicare and Medicaid for our elderly and poor while pushing tax cuts for the top one percent.

This is not the future that I envision for our country and neither do the American people--at least not 99 percent of them.

Mr. Chair, the Republican Budget is not a true; reflection of the priorities of the American people.

This budget serves the interest of a select few at the heavy cost of exploiting millions of others.

We need to oppose the Republican budget in favor of a viable alternative such as the CBC Budget Alternative, which is more reflective of the values that we treasure in our society.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the civil rights icon and voting rights activist, Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer. Ms. Hamer is fondly remembered and admired for her activism during the Civil Rights Movement while speaking out against the injustices that African Americans faced in Mississippi and across the United States.

Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer was born in Montgomery County, Mississippi, to a family of impoverished share croppers. At just six years old, her family expected her to work in the fields, which she continued to do for most of her early life until she was fired for trying to register to vote.

At 37 years old, Ms. Hamer launched her career in political activism, which soon became her chief mission in life. Ms. Hamer attended a meeting hosted by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) where she first registered to vote and became a field worker on the voter registration committee. In 1964, she attended the Democratic Convention in Atlanta and eventually helped found the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. Ms. Hamer became one of the faces of the civil rights struggle in Mississippi.

While the Voting Rights Act of 1965 codified what Ms. Hamer fought so hard for in our country, there still remains much to do. Before the 2016 election, 14 states adopted new voter laws under the guise of combating voter fraud, which essentially created new barriers to voting for tens of thousands of low-income citizens and citizens of color. Later, the Supreme Court decision in Shelby v. Holder left many across the nation without their fundamental right to vote by reversing a key formula used in the Voting Rights Act to hold states accountable. On May 11, 2017, President Trump issued an executive order that would create an ``election integrity'' commission, which has been stated to combat voter fraud, but in reality will lead to a repeat of the egregious mistakes of our past.

Mr. Speaker, Ms. Hamer's persistence and diligence in her fight for voting rights was integral to the Civil Rights Movement and the eventual passage of legislation that protected the right to vote for all citizens. We must continue to remember her struggle, as the struggle continues even to this day. By .honoring Ms. Hamer's legacy, we can learn from the mistakes of our past and recognize those who had fought for a better future.

Mr. Speaker, the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season was among one of the most active hurricane seasons on record. Four major hurricanes--Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria--left terrible devastation in their wakes as the United States and its surrounding neighbors were hit with historically catastrophic storms. As we know far too well, these storms caused billions of dollars in damage across Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and other areas in the region. Much like Hurricane Katrina, the effects of this devastation will be felt for decades.

The frequency and intensity of these storms continue to be an ongoing issue for our country, and it is a problem that is only further exacerbated by global warming. Warmer oceans and extra heat in the atmosphere caused by climate change provide even more fuel for weather systems. Studies are already demonstrating that storms are intensifying significantly faster today than they did 25 years ago. Additional water vapor in the atmosphere is also leading to extreme precipitation. In fact, Hurricane Harvey brought more than 50 inches of rainfall to the Texas Gulf Coast, representing the greatest accumulation of rainfall ever recovered in the contiguous United States from a single tropical storm.

As the costs of natural disasters continue to increase, we need to be cognizant of the impact of these costs on communities all across the United States--particularly communities of color or other areas where our most vulnerable populations reside. Federal disaster response needs to be fair and equitable across the board. Communities of color suffer greatly from natural disasters as many are left without housing or jobs to return to after the storm. Low income individuals and minorities suffer even greater when these events occur, making a strong and equitable federal response that much more important.

Mr. Speaker, we need to be looking at what we can do as Americans to support our fellow citizens and the steps that we can take to build more resilient infrastructure in the wake of such devastating natural disasters. Each and every American shares in the responsibility to face these natural disasters together as one nation, and we cannot afford to ignore entire segments of the population in the wake of these disasters.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, September 26, 2017, I requested and received a leave of absence for the rest of the week due to an illness in the family.

For the information of our colleagues and my constituents, below is how I would have voted on the following vote I missed during this time period.

On Roll Call 532, on ordering the previous question (providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2824 and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 2792) Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act), I would have voted no;

On Roll Call 533, on agreeing to the Resolution to Increasing Opportunity through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act and providing for consideration of the Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act, I would have voted no;

On Roll Call 534, on approving the Journal, I would have voted no;

On Roll Call 535, on agreeing to the Pascrell Amendment, I would have voted aye;

On Roll Call 536, on motion to recommit with instructions (Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act), I would have voted aye;

On Roll Call 537, on passage of Increasing Opportunity and Success for Children and Parents through Evidence-Based Home Visiting Act, I would have voted no;

On Roll Call 538, on ordering the previous question, Providing for consideration of H.R. 3823, Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017; and providing for consideration of motions to suspend the rules, I would have voted no;

On Roll Call 539, on agreeing to the Resolution, I would have voted no;

On Roll Call 540, Recognizing that for 50 years the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) has worked toward stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast Asia, I would have voted aye;

On Roll Call 541, Democratic Motion to Recommit to H.R. 3823, I would have voted aye;

On Roll Call 542, on passage of H.R. 3823, Disaster Tax Relief and Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2017, I would have voted no; and

On Roll Call 543, Passage of H.R. 2792, Control Unlawful Fugitive Felons Act of 2017, I would have voted no.

Mr. Speaker, the funding authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently set to expire on Saturday, September 30. The FAA depends heavily on reliable and long-term funding provided through the Airport and Airway Trust Fund and the spending levels set in a corresponding authorization bill. This consistent and reliable funding is the mainstay of the FAA's success in managing the safest and most complex airspace in the world. Absent access to this funding through a long- term authorization for FAA programs, we are threatening the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of our airspace.

Sadly, Congress is yet again backed into a corner of taking up a short-term, six-month measure that would extend this funding authorization through March 31, 2018. This is simply unacceptable. Congress needs to pass a long-term authorization bill so that the FAA can focus on the important tasks of maintaining public safety, staffing air traffic controllers, and bolstering our airport infrastructure through the timely distribution of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) dollars. A six-month extension poses new challenges for each of these important aspects of managing our airspace.

The extension being debated today also adds several extraneous provisions that run counter to regular order in the House and threatens the success of passing an ever-important reauthorization. The bill selectively extends the authorization for certain public health programs, while leaving out other critical programs such as the State Children's

Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The bill also includes language that would encourage the creation of private flood insurance markets, while stripping important consumer protections such as the 45 day of cancellation provision that prevents private insurers from cancelling cover Just moments before a devastating storm.

Mr. Speaker, allow me to be clear: I suppose a clean, long-term reauthorization of the FAA's funding authority. However, the underlying bill not only includes a host of extraneous provisions that I could not support, but it was done so without the input of me or any of my Democratic colleagues. If Republicans are serious about maintaining the safest and most complex airspace in the world, they will pass a clean reauthorization that authorizes FAA programs for several years, not several months. We cannot politicize this issue with provisions related to healthcare, or flood insurance, or privatizing our air traffic control services. It is far too important and time is quickly running out.

Mr. Speaker, back in March, the Congressional Black Caucus met with President Trump to deliver a 130- page policy document which highlighted a host of issues facing the black community in America. From voting rights to criminal justice reform, and economic justice to education and the workforce, there are many areas of society that still experience elements of institutionalized racism and discrimination against people of color and other vulnerable segments of the population.

The undermining of the Voting Rights Act in the wake of the Shelby County Supreme Court decision paved the way for countless states, including Texas, to adopt discriminatory voting laws that were aimed at disenfranchising entire segments of the population. Participation in our elections and the inalienable right to vote are fundamental pillars of our democracy. Our democracy does not function properly without the successful and unimpeded participation of the voting public. Yet, these discriminatory voting laws have been found to do exactly that, while disproportionately affecting minority populations, the elderly, and the poor.

The criminal justice system is another area that is ripe for reform as we consider the fact that African Americans make up only 13 percent of the U.S. population, yet account for 37 percent of prison inmates. In some instances, harsh mandatory minimum sentences condemn relatively minor criminals to a life behind bars. In other examples, we see non- violent drug offenders facing decades in prison over a crime that is better addressed by health professionals, not the criminal justice system. The use of private prisons in states such as Texas has also created a dangerous profit motive behind keeping individuals incarcerated. These toxic conditions are a recipe for disaster that has propelled the United States as the world leader for its prison population rate.

Mr. Speaker, there is much that we can do as a nation to root out any last remnants of racism in our country and address many of these issues. However, it requires the participation and cooperation of a wide range of stakeholder, regardless of party affiliation or background. Restoring Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act through legislation would help address many of the discriminatory voting laws that we have seen emerge, thereby restoring full access to voting for every American. Eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing and treating non-violent drug offenses as a health issue instead of a criminal matter would help reduce the prison population while giving law-abiding citizens a well-deserved second chance. These are tangible steps that we can take today to lessen the racial disparities that exist in our society. I encourage each of my colleagues to work cooperatively to achieve this end. The American people demand it, and we will be a better nation for it.

Mr. Speaker, Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma will both go down in history as two of the most costly and destructive hurricanes in United States history. Hurricane Harvey is thought to be the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years. Countless individuals, homes, and businesses across the country have been left devastated in their wake. Initial estimates suggest that Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma will have caused between $150 and $200 billion in damage to property, homes, and public infrastructure.

These unprecedented storms have already set new records in severity and cost to our nation as we begin to look toward recovery. A strong and coordinated federal, state, and local response is absolutely vital in these critical moments following the storm. More than

two weeks since Hurricane Harvey first made landfall in Texas, we have witnessed incredible cooperation among government agencies, individuals, charitable organizations, and others who have played an important role in the response, recovery, and relief efforts that have taken place over these past few weeks.

The intensity and frequency of these storms will only increase with time, as warmer oceans and extra heat in the atmosphere caused by climate change provide even more fuel for weather systems. Studies are already demonstrating that storms are intensifying significantly faster today than they did 25 years ago. Additional water vapor in the atmosphere is also leading to extreme precipitation. In fact, Hurricane Harvey brought more than 50 inches of rainfall to the Texas Gulf Coast, representing the greatest accumulation of rainfall ever recovered in the contiguous United States from a single tropical storm.

Mr. Speaker, we need to be taking these natural disasters and the environment more seriously. The financial and social costs to our society of these natural disasters are tremendous and the effects will only get worse. The role of the federal government in disaster response is critical to our nation's swift recovery. However, the level of coordination and resources necessary to properly respond to these historic natural disasters will grow with time as bigger and stronger natural events occur. For now, we must focus on the recovery at hand by assisting the victims and their families. Many survivors will remain unable to return to their homes for weeks, while others will be left cleaning up debris and other damage for months ahead. The federal response--and the compassion and help of others--is more important now than ever before.

Madam Chair, as the designee of Ranking Member Lowey, I move to strike the last word.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of amendment 155, the assisted outpatient treatment, $5 million increase; $20 million total.

As the original cosponsor of H.R. 2646, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2016, I recognize the importance of funding for outpatient treatment.

As a former chief psychiatric nurse at the VA hospital in Dallas, Texas, I have witnessed the unintended consequences of the deinstitutionalization process. Many of my own patients, diagnosed with severe mental illnesses, were discharged with 30 days of prescription medicines and did not have stable housing.

Once they ran out of their prescriptions, their condition worsened, they suffered psychotic breaks, and they became homeless or incarcerated. Individuals with untreated psychiatric illness now make up one-third of the Nation's estimated homeless population. That totals 600,000.

In Texas, there are 35,000 incarcerated individuals with a severe mental illness, but only 4,500 psychiatric beds are available in all of the Texas hospitals combined.

This amendment increases court-ordered assisted outpatient treatment by

$5 million to meet the fully authorized amount of $20 million in support of the severely mentally ill, thereby allowing them to get treatment in the community without incarceration or hospitalization.

This outpatient treatment reduces incarceration, homelessness, and emergency room visits by upwards of 70 percent.

I urge support of this amendment. This country has neglected the mentally ill, and this country is suffering because of it. We have got to recognize the need, and I urge everyone to support this amendment.

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

Mr. Speaker, today I am very pleased to introduce the bipartisan ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2017.

Even though the agency is still relatively young, ARPA-E has already demonstrated incredible success in advancing high-risk, high-reward energy technology solutions that neither the public nor the private sector had been willing or able to support in the past. This was highlighted in a Congressionally mandated National Academies review of the agency released in June. Bipartisan industry leaders like Norm Augustine and Bill Gates have repeatedly called for tripling this agency's budget given the unique role that it is now playing in our energy innovation pipeline.

ARPA-E's impressive track record includes over $1.8 billion in private sector follow-on funding for a group of 74 ARPA-E projects since the agency's founding in 2009. Equally notable, 56 projects have formed new companies and 68 projects have shown enough promise to result in partnerships with other government agencies for further development. And I'd be remiss if I didn't refer my colleagues to DOE Secretary Perry's March 8th tweet which states, and I quote, ``Innovators like the ones supported by our ARPA-E program are key to advancing America's energy economy.'' I couldn't have said this better myself.

The ARPA-E Reauthorization Act of 2017 authorizes reasonable growth in funding for ARPA-E through 2022. Increased funding for ARPA-E is consistent with the strong and sustained recommendations of many respected industrial and academic institutions and organizations in recent years. The bill also includes a provision which ensures that sensitive proprietary business information collected by ARPA-E remains protected, which will enable even greater private sector engagement in its programs.

I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including Mr. Costello, Ms. Kaptur, and Mrs. Love, for joining me in introducing this bill, and I hope that all Members will consider supporting this critical investment in our nation's clean energy future.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the majority and minority of the Energy and Commerce Committee for bringing this unanimous legislation to the floor on self-driving vehicles, which are revolutionizing the way we conceptualize travel.

Self-driving cars have the potential to lower our infrastructure and mobility costs, enhance safety on our roads, and enhance mobility in our cities.

However, like any complex technology, self-driving cars pose new challenges for the regulatory landscape and our labor markets. That is why I am pleased to support H.R. 3388, the SELF DRIVE Act, which seeks to foster innovation in this space while offering protection for consumers.

The SELF DRIVE Act is one of the many important bills that will need to be considered by Congress in order to define Federal and State regulatory roles, provide the U.S. Department of Transportation the tools it needs to update safety standards, and ensure that the American people are not left behind as we transition to a 21st century workforce. Particularly, I am pleased to see that H.R. 3388 allows the creation of the Highly Automated Vehicle Advisory Council.

Mr. Speaker, self-driving vehicles are revolutionizing the way that we conceptualize travel. Self-driving cars have the potential to lower our infrastructure and mobility costs, enhance safety on our roads, and enhance mobility within our cities. However, like any complex technology, self-driving cars pose new challenges for the regulatory landscape and our labor markets. That is why I am pleased to support H.R. 3388--the SELF DRIVE Act, which seeks to foster innovation in this space while offering protection for consumers.

The SELF DRIVE Act is one of many important bills that will need to be considered by Congress in order to define federal and state regulatory roles, provide the U.S. Department of Transportation the tools it needs to update safety standards, and ensure that the American people are not left behind as we transition to a 21st Century workforce. In particular, I am pleased to see that H.R. 3388 allows for the creation of a Highly Automated Vehicle Advisory Council, which can properly consider the labor and employment issues that may be affected by the deployment of highly automated vehicles.

I have been working on separate legislation to create a new retraining program for workers who are displaced from their jobs due to the adoption of autonomous vehicle technology. I am very grateful for Representative Joe Barton and Representative Bob Latta's staff for working with my office to craft and refine that legislation. I believe that we are getting closer to a final product, which will ultimately recognize the inevitable changes to the labor market that this country will experience in the face of automated technologies.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 3388. I know that members of the Energy & Commerce Committee have worked tirelessly to bring this measure to the floor after hundreds of meetings with relevant stakeholders. I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and look forward to working cooperatively with members on other bills that will address other aspects of self-driving vehicles and the ramifications that will have on our economy and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to give brief remarks about Alex Wubbels, the emergency room nurse at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah who was arrested for doing her job on July 26. As a non-practicing registered nurse, this story shocked and upset me. I cannot fathom being handcuffed in my workplace for following hospital policy and the law.

Ms. Wubbels stood her ground and remained calm during the encounter, which was caught on body camera footage. Hospital policy requires that the patient be under arrest, the police have a warrant, or the patient consent in order to draw blood. Since none of those requirements were met, Ms. Wubbels refused to draw the patient's blood, with the support of several managers, administrators, and her supervisor.

While I understand that the Salt Lake City Police Department is currently taking steps to prevent incidents like this, I find it unconscionable that an officer of the law felt it appropriate to treat a health professional in this manner. I do believe that implementation of new hospital procedure, such as requiring law enforcement officials to check in to the front desk of the hospital, are positive and I encourage other hospitals to adopt similar policies.

Ms. Wubbels remained focused on providing care to her patient and ultimately, no charges were filed against her. She is encouraging health professionals and law enforcement to use this incident to ``open a civic dialogue.'' As a nurse, I am proud to stand with individuals like Ms. Wubbels who turn negative events into positive learning experiences, always put patient well-being above all else, and stand their ground in the face of adversity.

Mr. Chair, I would like to state my strong objection to the Energy and Water Development Appropriations portion of H.R. 3219. It would completely eliminate ARPA-E, an agency that has already demonstrated incredible success in advancing high- risk, high-reward energy technology solutions that neither the public nor the private sector had been willing or able to support in the past. This accomplishment was highlighted in a Congressionally mandated National Academies review of the agency released just last month. I would also note that ARPA-E recently announced that a group of 74 project teams has attracted over $1.8 billion in private sector follow- on funding since the agency's founding in 2009. In addition, the agency announced that 56 projects have formed new companies and 68 projects have partnered with other government agencies for further development. Bipartisan industry leaders like Norm Augustine and Bill Gates have repeatedly called for tripling this agency's budget given the unique role that it is now playing in our energy innovation pipeline. And I'd be remiss if I didn't refer my colleagues to DOE Secretary Perry's March 8th tweet, issued just 8 days before the Trump Administration proposed to eliminate the agency, which states, and I quote, ``Innovators like the ones supported by our ARPA-E program are key to advancing America's energy economy.'' I couldn't have said it better myself.

In addition, this bill would eliminate DOE's innovation technology loan guarantee program. The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing on this programs a few months ago, and we learned that its record of accomplishment more than justifies our continued support. The DOE Loan Programs Office has been instrumental in launching the utility-scale PV industry, Tesla Motors, and the construction of our first new nuclear reactors in 30 years. In addition, it is now supporting the commercialization of new carbon capture and reuse technologies. Overall the Loan Office's losses are only about 2 percent of its entire portfolio--a rate that is lower than many venture capitalists achieve. And even after accounting for those losses, the interest payments from these loans and loan guarantees have returned over $1 billion to the Treasury. If we're aiming to create jobs and reduce the deficit, this is exactly the type of program we should be supporting.

Finally, this bill makes substantial cuts to many of the Department's other critical energy technology offices for the grid, fossil energy, and nuclear energy, as well as a massive 47 percent cut to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Our national infrastructure for clean energy research would be irreparably harmed if these cuts were actually implemented.

Now, I am not going to tell you that every program the Department currently implements is perfect, that reforms should never be considered, or that reasonable people can't simply disagree on the best way to allocate its resources even after a careful, rigorous review. One of my largest concerns now, especially given the incredibly severe damage that this bill would impose on our entire energy research enterprise, is that such a thoughtful review never actually took place.

In closing, I hope that we can all take a step back and more carefully consider the direction we want to move the Department in. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in the Senate to restore federal support for these vital programs.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in solidarity with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus to speak out against voter suppression. Voter suppression is a serious issue that threatens the integrity of our elections. While the Congressional Black Caucus members have highlighted their numerous concerns, we should all be deeply involved in combating voter suppression and expanding access to the polls for all Americans-- particularly in the wake of the destructive ruling in Shelby County v. Holder.

When fellow Texan and former President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 into law, our country was in the midst of wrestling with literacy tests, the purging of voter rolls, and intimidation by those who wished to keep minorities and other vulnerable segments of the population from casting their ballots at the polls. It was a difficult time in our nation's history, but one that we seemingly overcame together in a broad recognition that all Americans should have equal access to the polls. The positive effects of the Voting Rights Act grew quickly apparent.

Following passage of the VRA, nearly 1 million black voters registered to vote within just four years, including over fifty percent of the black voting age population in every southern state. We witnessed the number of black elected officials in the South more than double, from 72 to 159, following the 1966 elections. By the mid-1980s, there were more African Americans in public office across the South than throughout the rest of the nation combined.

More than fifty years later, we are once again faced with the same fight under a different, more sinister guise. The United States Supreme Court's decision in Shelby v. Holder has brought our nation back to our darkest times in history. Discrimination on the basis of race is a persistent reality throughout many localities in states once protected by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act--including my home state of Texas. Absent these protections, many voters are at risk of losing their fundamental right to vote.

On May 11, 2017, President Trump issued an executive order that would create an ``election integrity'' commission. The stated purpose of this commission was to combat voter fraud, but we know the true meaning behind an executive order of this nature. It is to repeat the egregious mistakes of our past and once again prevent legitimate voters from exercising their constitutional rights to vote.

Mr. Speaker, the concerns of the Congressional Black Caucus and the concerns of countless Americans are worthy of our time in Congress. We must speak out against thinly-veiled commissions meant to suppress the vote. We must bolster the Voting Rights Act to its former power and encourage others to combat voter suppression and protect unfettered access to the ballot.