Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the National Coalition for the Homeless as they celebrate their 30th Anniversary this month. The National Coalition is a network of homeless individuals, advocates, and service providers who are dedicated to meeting the needs of our most vulnerable segments of the population: homeless individuals and families.

The National Coalition was originally formed in 1982, in conjunction with various local and statewide homeless coalitions. Since the beginning, the National Coalition has worked tirelessly to increase access to safe, affordable, and adequate housing for any individual who so desires. While combating homelessness is a constant struggle, the National Coalition has fought diligently to facilitate a fundamental shift in our approach to addressing homelessness.

Under the leadership of Mr. Neil Donovan, Executive Director, the National Coalition has grown to become a leading organization in the fight to end homelessness. Mr. Donovan has used his knowledge and expertise in serving homelessness individuals to expand the reach of the organization, in order to meet the growing needs of those experiencing homelessness. The National Coalition has also been a strong advocate for the Congressional Homelessness Caucus by supporting its work in Congress to educate and mobilize Members of Congress and their staff.

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair and co-founder of the Congressional Homelessness Caucus, I am proud to honor the National Coalition for the Homeless for its worthy efforts to defend homeless individuals across the country. The National Coalition has made tremendous gains since its inception, and I truly believe in the goals that the National Coalition is trying to accomplish. I would like to congratulate the organization once again for achieving this historic milestone, and I look forward to maintaining our invaluable partnership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Giley Nixon Griffin, a distinguished leader in my community and good friend. Dr. Griffin is a pillar of the Dallas community and has devoted her life and work to educating and mentoring others. Dr. Griffin and I worked together with Jack and Jill of America, a nationwide organization with over 220 chapters in 35 states and the District of Columbia that works to provide social, cultural, and educational opportunities for young people. Dr. Griffin's greatest joy

comes from helping others and her service to God. Currently, Dr. Griffin serves as Elder, Vice Chairman of the Board and Vice President of Women's Ministries at Romine Avenue Christian Church in Dallas, Texas. She was acknowledged recently by the Dallas Post Tribune as their ``Leader of the Week,'' a testament to her devotion and service to others.

Dr. Griffin worked for years as a librarian and Director of Library Services at Jarvis Christian College. Dr. Griffin received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Jarvis Christian College, a Master of Science Degree in Library Science from Atlanta University, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from Jarvis Christian College. In addition, Dr. Griffin has authored two books, Faith Keepers: African American Women Leaders in Texas 1846-2000 and Texas Christian Missionary Fellowship of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Southwest Region-A Historical Prospectus--1914-2000. Dr. Griffin is also a Charter member of the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Sorority, Incorporated, Delta Epsilon Chapter. She served as First Lady at Corinth Christian Church in Kilgore, Texas for 17 years where her husband, the late Dr. James O. Griffin, served as Senior Pastor.

Mr. Speaker, the Dallas community is indebted to Dr. Griffin for her years of public service. Through her efforts, countless lives have been touched and young minds have been empowered. A community can only be a strong as its leaders, and we have a stalwart supporter in Dr. Griffin.

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

I rise in support of H.R. 756, the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2013.

This is a good, bipartisan bill, and it is nearly identical to the legislation that passed the House by an overwhelming majority last Congress. I would like to thank my colleagues, Mr. Lipinski and Mr. McCaul, for their leadership and dedication to improving our Nation's cybersecurity.

Almost every one of us uses a computer, a cell phone, and the Internet every single day. These technologies have greatly increased our productivity and connectivity, and they have become a key component of our economy. Unfortunately, if you pick up the newspaper, you're likely to see another story about a hacker bringing down a Web site, stealing credit card numbers, or gaining access to a company's intellectual property. We need to do what we can to help ensure that these sorts of cyber intrusions are minimized, and I am pleased that H.R. 756 addresses a number of critical issues:

It strengthens public-private partnerships, guarantees a proactive and comprehensive research and development portfolio, ensures the development of robust cybersecurity standards, and trains the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Both of the agencies covered in H.R. 756, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, play important and unique roles in the Federal Government's effort to secure cyberspace. I strongly believe that these agencies and the activities they support are vital to our Nation's future prosperity. We not only need to protect the security of our current information systems, but we need to build the next generation of systems--systems that are more secure from the first time they're turned on.

President Obama previously stated that cyber threats are ``one of the most serious economic and national security challenges we face as a Nation'' and that cutting-edge research and development and a commitment to science and math education are central to securing America's information and communication networks. I couldn't agree more.

Cybersecurity is a critical issue, and it becomes more important day by day. Addressing this issue will not be easy, but it is absolutely necessary. H.R. 756 will help build up our cybersecurity capabilities through research and education. This is a good, bipartisan bill that should be included in any comprehensive effort to keep our Nation, our businesses, and our citizens safe from malicious cybersecurity attacks.

Before I conclude, I would like to thank my staff and the majority's staff for their hard work on this bill. In particular, I would like to thank Marcy Gallo for her efforts on this bill in this Congress and in past Congresses as well. I look forward to working with my colleagues to make sure this bill makes it to the President's desk.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 756, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin).

(Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I'd like to just urge that we support the bill, and I thank the chairman.

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. 967, the Advancing America's Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013. H.R. 967 is a good, bipartisan bill which I was pleased to join Mrs. Lummis from Wyoming and Mr. Hall from Texas in introducing.

H.R. 967 is largely based on a 2009 House-passed bill that was introduced by then-Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall. But the current bill also includes some updates from the 2009 bill that reflect changes to the network and information technology landscape as well as policy and management recommendations made by an outside panel of experts charged with evaluating the NITRD program.

The NITRD program, as it is known, involves a collaboration of 15 Federal research and development agencies, each contributing its own unique expertise and effort to ensure that we make most effective use of our Federal R&D resources and remain a leader in these fields. H.R. 967 requires that all 15 agencies come together to develop and periodically update a strategic plan for Federal investments in NIT

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).

Mr. Speaker, I am very supportive of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life of Ms. Mary E. Walton, a World War II veteran and the first African American nurse from Dallas to enlist in the U.S. Army. Ms. Walton lived to be 93, and left behind a legacy working as a nurse for more than 70 years.

Ms. Walton had a long and rich history living in Dallas, and remained in Dallas for most of her life. Ms. Walton left Dallas to pursue her degree in nursing at the Brewster Methodist Hospital School of Nursing in Florida--one of the few schools available for black nurses at the time--and later enlisted in the Army in 1944.

Ms. Walton believed that being a nurse was her purpose in life. She recalled that working to serve others was the driving force behind her dedication as a nurse, and her chief motivation was to pursue a career serving others, even in the face of overwhelming adversity and discrimination.

After serving in World War II, Ms. Walton returned to Dallas to become a public health nurse at Parkland Hospital, only the second African American nurse to be hired there. Ms. Walton would later come to work at the Dallas VA Medical Center in the service of other veterans--but not until after first being turned away during the late 1950s, when African Americans were not hired.

Mr. Speaker, as the first nurse to be elected to the U.S. Congress, I am honored to recognize such an influential and historic figure from Dallas. Ms. Walton was a selfless caregiver whose faith helped her to overcome the challenges of discrimination. We are grateful for Ms. Walton's service to our country and courage in the face of adversity, and our thoughts are with the friends and family she left behind.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of National Retirement Planning Week. National Retirement Planning Week is an important effort to get more Americans thinking about their long-term financial goals, and building toward a strong foundation for a financially secure future.

The recent economic downturn illustrated how retirement planning for many in America

is inadequate. Today, more than 70 million American workers do not have access or do not participate in any employer-based retirement benefits. Approximately 57 percent of American workers have less than $25,000 saved for retirement, a figure that has increased from 49 percent since 2008. As wages fail to keep up with inflation, millions of Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to put away toward their retirement--especially when it impacts their ability to meet the challenges of everyday living expenses.

As we celebrate Financial Literacy Month this April, retirement planning and financial literacy have never been more relevant. That is why today I am introducing the National Financial Literacy Act of 2013, a bill that looks to promote increased understanding and awareness of the consequences of financial decisionmaking. Retirement planning is a chief component of our financial decisionmaking, and is critical to sustaining and growing the middle class.

Mr. Speaker, as Members of Congress, we must continue to promote policies that will help educate future generations on the importance of retirement planning, while supporting critical federal programs such as Social Security. We must support American workers and educate individuals on the importance of working toward a stable and secure financial future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to H.R. 1120, the Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor Management Relations Act. The 112th Congress was laden with baseless attacks against labor unions and middle class workers. Sadly, it appears that my Republican colleagues in Congress are working once again to make the 113th Congress just as partisan and divisive as the last.

H.R. 1120 is simply another attack on the rights of workers and their ability to form unions and bargain collectively. H.R. 1120 seeks to prevent the NLRB from carrying out its core responsibilities and will undermine the critical ability to protect Americans from abuse and exploitation by employers.

If enacted, H.R. 1120 would have devastating consequences for the millions of workers belonging to unions. The NLRB issues legally- binding decisions that protect workers who have been illegally fired, denied the right to collectively bargain with their employer, or have experienced any other violation of their legal rights. With the NLRB effectively disarmed, these workers will have no recourse if any labor law violations are committed against them.

Mr. Speaker, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly resorted to deceitful tactics to carry out their agenda. H.R. 1120 is no different, and is just one small part of a larger effort to dismantle the NLRB and weaken protections for workers to the benefit of businesses. I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 1120, and any other partisan pieces of legislation that also seek to undermine the rights of workers all across America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Equal Pay Day. Equal Pay Day brings awareness to the issue of disparate pay for women and families, and promotes the fair principles of equal pay for equal work.

As a Member of Congress, I am proud to say that I am an original cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, an important piece of legislation that hopes to limit sex discrimination in the payment of wages. Nationally, women earn roughly 77 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. This wage gap varies widely throughout various states across the country. For single parents and other heads of households, wage inequality can have lasting ramifications on quality of life and economic prosperity. Earning less money for the same time investment is not only unfair, it undermines a robust labor force and eats away at the foundation of a strong and prosperous economy. It is an issue that afflicts every community across our Nation.

In the Dallas Metroplex, women are paid 85 cents for every dollar paid to men, or $7,163 less per year for a typical full-time job. According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, women in the Dallas area lose more than $7 billion each year due to these blatant disparities in pay.

Mr. Speaker, we owe it to the American people to ensure that all workers are being paid fair and equitable wages for their labor. The Equal Pay and Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Acts were steps taken in the right direction. Now, we must pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to continue our assault on pay inequality, and ensure that women across the country have access to fair wages.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Duncanville High School Pantherettes varsity basketball team for winning the 2013 5A state championship for the second consecutive year. The Pantherettes beat Cibolo Steele Lady Knights 59-36, ending their season with a record of 42-0, the first 5A school to achieve this record in a single season.

I also want to commend the coaching staff for their hard work and dedication to their team. In the past 13 seasons, head coach Cathy Self-Morgan has led the Pantherettes to three state championships with a record of 957 wins. Coach Self-Morgan received a number of prestigious honors this season, including the Dallas Morning News SportsDay's Girls Basketball Coach of the Year.

This year, the Pantherettes were ranked the number one high school girls basketball team in the Nation by the USA Today Super 25 Poll and the Max Preps Freeman Poll. The ESPN Power Rankings ranked the Pantherettes second among all U.S. girls teams. The Pantherettes were also crowned 7-5A district champions, 62nd Annual 2012 Sandra Meadows Tournament champions, and the 2012 McDonald's Pasadena Tournament champions.

I applaud the team's outstanding efforts and commitment to a flawless return to the state championship. The Pantherettes legacy includes eight state championships, 22 tournament appearances, and 33 regional tournament appearances. Congratulations again, Pantherettes, on a incredible season.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to those who suffered the atrocities of the Bosnian War. In April of 1992, a war of aggression was waged against the newly independent and sovereign Bosnia by Serb forces aiming to destroy its multi-ethnic and multi-religious character. The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), a body of the United Nations, was established to prosecute serious crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia. Due to the efforts of the ICTY, 161 fugitives have been indicted, including Ratko Mladic, the person responsible for the Srebrenica Genocide. April 16th of this year will mark twenty years since the United Nations declared the Srebrenica enclave a ``safe zone.'' Sadly, the failure of the United Nations to protect this safe zone ultimately led to genocide and the death of more than 8,000 men and boys.

I would like to call for the United Nations to properly recognize the Srebrenica Genocide declaring July 11th to be Srebrenica Remembrance Day. In the 109th Congress, I proudly co-sponsored H.R. 199, which affirmed that in Srebrenica, ``the policies of aggression and ethnic cleansing as implemented by Serb forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995 meet the terms defining the crime of genocide.''

Tomorrow, President Tomislav Nikolic of Serbia will take the floor during a United Nations debate on the ICTY. As we mark another anniversary of the beginning of genocidal violence in Bosnia, let us remember that our work is not yet done. As President Obama has stated, ``The United States rejects efforts to distort the scope of this atrocity, rationalize the motivations behind it, blame the victims, and deny the indisputable fact that it was genocide.'' In solidarity with April Genocide Prevention Month, let us remember the victims and the heroic perseverance of the Bosnian people.

Mr. Speaker, with the successful reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, it is important that we continue to bring awareness to the serious issue of domestic violence. It is a problem that affects one in every four women, and it is one that cannot be resolved by legislation alone.

That is why I commend the efforts of Mayor Mike Rawlings, City of Dallas, for his own efforts at the local level to increase awareness and rally our fellow Texans against domestic violence. This weekend, Mayor Rawlings will lead a ``Men Against Abuse'' rally in front of Dallas City Hall in a show of unified support for victims of domestic violence. During this rally, Mayor Rawlings hopes to publicly challenge the moral character of any individual who believes it is acceptable to commit domestic abuse.

Raising awareness has been a vital component of a comprehensive strategy to address this issue, and Mayor Rawlings' efforts are another step in the right direction. Domestic violence is one of the most underreported crimes, and speaking out will help victims to not only identify their circumstances, but also empower these individuals to stand up against their abusers and seek outside help.

Mr. Speaker, domestic violence is a problem that transcends race, age, and socioeconomic status, making the issue that much more important as we tear down boundaries across communities to stand up against domestic violence. While the Violence Against Women Act has historically provided effective tools to combat domestic violence for almost two decades, increased awareness is absolutely critical if we are to bring these lifesaving measures into the homes of victims of violence who would otherwise remain silent in the face of cruelty.

I rise today in opposition to the Republican budget developed by Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan. This budget would not only jeopardize seniors, families, and the most vulnerable in our society, it would also destroy jobs and put our Nation's economic recovery at risk. In fact, some estimate that 2 million American jobs could be lost in 2014 under the Ryan budget.

The Ryan budget would protect the wealthy while severely harming seniors and the American middle class. Millionaires would receive an average net tax cut of $200,000, while middle class families could see their taxes rise by an average of $2,000. This approach is neither equitable nor balanced.

The Ryan budget would cut the crucial programs our families rely on by slashing non-defense discretionary spending by more than $1 trillion below the level of the 2011 Budget Control Act caps. This budget denies Americans access to life-saving health care by ending the Medicare guarantee, drastically cutting the Medicaid program, and repealing the Affordable Care Act. These cuts would immediately raise health insurance and prescription drug costs for women, while reducing access to care and support for nursing home residents. The Ryan budget could also result in an 18% cut in help with child care expenses to families working hard to make ends meet, and could cause about 200,000 children to lose access to Head Start in 2014 alone.

We all know that tough decisions must be made regarding the deficit, but our budget must not be balanced on the backs of women, children, seniors, and middle class families. Instead, we must invest in our children, in our students, and in our families to move our Nation forward. We must ensure that all Americans have access to health care. And we must invest in our infrastructure to create jobs and pave the way for a stronger economic future. I urge my colleagues to oppose the Ryan budget and work together to create jobs and protect middle class families.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Congressional Black Caucus Alternative Budget for Fiscal Year 2014. As we debate the various budget proposals this week, the CBC has developed a budget that will reduce the deficit, continue to foster growth in our economy, and strengthen our Nation's safety net.

The CBC's budget would raise $1 trillion in new revenue and avoid the drastic sequestration cuts that took effect March 1. In addition to raising new revenue, our budget protects and strengthens critical domestic programs: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and SNAP. These are critical programs that the American people depend upon, and are slashed beyond recognition in the Ryan budget.

In addition, a key factor in creating jobs is the continued investment in our Nation's infrastructure. The CBC's budget invests in rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure, as well as in transit and workforce development programs. These investments are crucial to bolstering our economy and protecting working families.

These priorities stand in stark contrast to those in the Ryan Budget. The Ryan Budget fails to replace the drastic spending cuts, cuts which would cost 750,000 jobs a year. The Republican budget also transfers the burden of the discretionary sequester to non-defense programs, further gutting the funding needed to pursue innovation and research, and to staff our country's air traffic controllers and food safety inspectors. By slashing these critical investments, we jeopardize domestic economic growth and the wellbeing of American families.

Mr. Speaker, the American people spoke loudly in November concerning the fiscal policies we should pursue. The American people rejected the Ryan Budget, and the misplaced priorities of the GOP.

Madam Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 803, the Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills (SKILLS) Act. H.R. 803 is a poor alternative to the critical reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), and would ultimately limit access to employment resources and occupational training for the most vulnerable segments of the population.

Numerous organizations, as well as Members of Congress, have come out in overwhelming opposition to H.R. 803 for its unsystematic approach to consolidate government programs and reduce costs. This legislation would collapse 35 federal job training programs and convert these targeted programs into a single indiscriminate fund administered through the states. H.R. 803 works counter to the original intent of the law, which was specifically tailored to support America's veterans, youth, seniors, disabled, and underprivileged workers.

Instead of H.R. 803, I support H.R. 798, proposed by Representative John Tierney. H.R. 798 would preserve these important programs for workers, while taking reasonable and deliberate steps to streamline government operations without ignoring the original intent behind WIA. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill, and will only support legislation that is genuine in its intent, and does not discriminate in terms of how it apportions benefits.

Madam Chair, H.R. 803 would dismantle critical support structures that have helped develop the U.S. workforce since WIA's inception in 1998. Despite steady progress, our economy remains fragile, and we must do everything within our power to ensure that workers have the resources and support they need to excel in an increasingly competitive environment. I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 803 in favor of a balanced approach that keeps the best interests of the American worker at its core focus.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 890, the Preserving Work Requirements for Welfare Act of 2013. This legislation would overturn the Administration's proposal to allow states greater flexibility to help more Americans move from welfare to good jobs. Several states have requested this flexibility, including some states with Republican governors and legislatures. This is a politically disingenuous bill which only prevents Congress from devoting our time to finding actual solutions to lowering our unemployment rate.

As a condition of receiving federal TANF funding, states are required to document the number of hours that welfare recipients spend in paid jobs, voluntary work, or other activities directly related to finding employment. Many states have argued that the current law's requirements are onerous and counterproductive to helping welfare recipients find work to lift their families out of poverty.

In response to state feedback, the Administration proposed a program to allow states to use alternate, outcome-based measures for job placement, rather than relying solely on numerical work participation standards. This waiver would give states the flexibility needed to improve the effectiveness of TANF programs by focusing on the outcomes that matter to our families. The Administration's waiver program has strict requirements to hold states accountable for making measurable progress in job placement.

I urge my colleagues to oppose H.R. 890, which would hinder states' autonomy and flexibility in finding solutions that work for their residents. Instead of wasting time on partisan proposals, we must work across the aisle to find real solutions for working families in my Dallas district and across the country.