Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I want to, first of all, thank the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Duncan), who, until recently, was the chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. We will have him back on the committee any time he wants to come. I thank him for authorizing this resolution reaffirming the importance of the strategic partnership between the United States and Canada.

I also appreciate the efforts of my good friend Mr. Meeks as the lead Democratic sponsor, and again, I thank Chairman Royce for working to bring this measure to the House floor.

It is only appropriate, after spending time on the House floor discussing the importance of the U.S. relationship of our neighbor to the South, that we also focus on the strategic partnership between the United States and our neighbor to the North, which, of course, is Canada.

Canada is our second largest trading partner. Interesting, Canada is our second largest trading partner--and Mexico is our third largest trading partner--with about $1.7 billion in goods and services and 400,000 citizens in both countries crossing the border on a daily basis. Think about that, 400,000 citizens from both countries cross the U.S.-Canadian border on a daily basis.

The preclearance process makes it easy for Americans traveling to Canada to clear U.S. customs while at a number of airports in Canada and arrive back home almost as if they were on a domestic flight. Of course, our relationship goes far beyond commerce and tourism, and I am particularly pleased that H. Res. 357 takes note of the extensive cooperation between the United States and Canada at NATO.

Canada has been and remains a key U.S. ally in several international conflicts around the world, including in Afghanistan, where Canada employed 2,800 troops to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force from 2006 to 2011.

I also want to note the crucial role that Canada has played in holding Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his lackeys accountable through both multilateral action at the OAS--Organization of American States--and targeted sanctions. Most recently, I was very pleased that Canadian Foreign Minister Freeland hosted the Lima Group in Toronto in October.

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the U.S.-Canada relationship needs to be rejuvenated, needs to not be taken for granted. We have to work at that over time, and I think it is important that we all work at that.

As a global entity, the U.S.-Canada relationship should be a relatively even one to manage. We don't want to have jobs at risk by creating a trade war with Canada. Trade disputes between two big neighbors are normal. We should not be escalating manageable disagreements in a way that could hurt workers in both of our countries.

So I believe that we should let all the leaders know that the House is leading the way, and we hope that everyone follows Congress' lead today in affirming the importance of the U.S.-Canada relationship.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me say that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation. So it is appropriate that we are considering this important resolution on the House floor before 2017 comes to a close.

As was said by all the other Members, the U.S. and Canada share so much more than just our extensive borders and daily commerce. We share people-to-people ties that run generations deep and continue on a daily basis.

Today, by passing H. Res. 357, Congress has an opportunity to show our commitment to and gratitude for the U.S.-Canada relationship. We also have an opportunity to show the world how two nations can get along with miles and miles of continuous borders.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important resolution. I again thank Chairman Royce and the former chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee for their work.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize an important event in my district-sponsored by the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees and the Afya Foundation. Last week, these two organizations collected much- needed supplies to benefit those who have suffered from the Syrian civil war.

The Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees has a powerful story to tell. A coalition of over 90 organizations, it has facilitated a partnership between Israeli and Syrian organizations to help deliver critical humanitarian assistance, including food and medicine, to people inside Syria. Containers of donated assistance arrive at Israeli ports, where the Israeli Defense Forces transport the supplies to the Syrian border for distribution by Syrian organizations inside Syria.

Joining the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees is the Afya Foundation, which has a record of collecting supplies for humanitarian crises all over the world.

The event in Yonkers, New York will build upon similar events and campaigns which have raised over $66 million of life-saving assistance.

I applaud the participants in Yonkers, the Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees, the Afya Foundation and all those Americans who have made an effort to help those in desperate need in Syria. I recognize that the Syrian crisis will not be resolved by sending humanitarian assistance. For that, we will need a political solution. However, if we can help a family access food and medicine, help them realize that America has not forgotten them, then we can offer them hope for an end to the violence and war.

Mr. Speaker, We are fortunate in New York's 16th Congressional District to have some of the finest first-responders anywhere in the country. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the Village of Mamaroneck, where the Village Volunteer Fire Department has provided its citizens with courageous fire protection for 129 years.

The Village of Mamaroneck Volunteer Fire department is comprised of a highly skilled

dedicated team committed to providing the highest level of safety, protection of life, property and the environment to those who live, work or play in our community. The five fire companies that comprise the department: Hook & Ladder Co., No. 1, Mamaro Engine & Hose Co. No. 1, Columbia Engine & Hose Co. No. 2, Volunteers Engine & Hose Co. No. 3, and Halstead Manor Engine & Hose Co. No. 4 operate out of four fire stations with over 200 volunteers. The Mamaroneck Fire Department operates with five Engines, two Aerial Trucks, two Utility Trucks, three Chiefs Vehicles, and one Fire Boat and responds to approximately 800 fire emergencies a year.

The Mamaroneck Fire Department has always done an outstanding job keeping its citizens safe, and as a result The New Jewish Home, Sarah Neuman is honoring the department at their 25th Anniversary celebration. They have chosen to acknowledge an incredible partner in the community. I too would like to congratulate the Village of Mamaroneck Fire Department Day in recognition of the significant impact they have made and continue to make in the community, and as a partner with The New Jewish Home, Sarah Neuman in serving the elders of our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.

This dangerous bill is an attack on commonsense gun laws across the country. It will force States like mine in New York, with carefully crafted gun laws, to recognize the concealed carry permits from all other States.

This bill doesn't create a national standard. Instead, it lets the States with the weakest laws dictate the safety of everyone else. Thirty-one States require safety training, 35 States prohibit domestic abusers from carrying concealed weapons, 27 States prohibit people convicted of violent misdemeanors from carrying concealed weapons. All of these States' laws will be overridden if H.R. 38 passes.

It is unconscionable, in the wake of two of the worse mass shootings in modern American history, Republicans are still trying to dismantle gun laws. It is like ``Alice in Wonderland.'' We must fight on behalf of the safety of all Americans and pass comprehensive gun safety laws, not this dangerous bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this measure. Let me, first of all, thank my good friend and fellow New Yorker, Mr. Crowley; and our former chair of the Asia and the Pacific Subcommittee, Mr. Chabot, for authoring this important resolution. I also want to thank Ed Royce, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, for his sustained focus on this tragedy and his leadership in quickly bringing this measure to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, we continue to see reports of Rohingya refugees fleeing to Bangladesh and widespread hunger and malnutrition for those left behind.

The Burmese military and security forces are waging a brutal campaign of violence against unarmed civilians, including women and children, killing, raping, and destroying lives and livelihoods.

The Rohingya people have been marginalized for decades, but the unthinkable violence and human suffering since August is ethnic cleansing, pure and simple--a description the Trump administration now agrees with, although they were far too slow to say so--and possibly even genocide.

Over the past 4 months, more than 600,000 men, women, and children have fled to neighboring Bangladesh to find refuge in a country with tremendous needs of its own. This is more than 10 times the number of refugees the administration will allow into the United States this year, the same administration that ended America's participation in the U.N. effort to develop a global compact on migration, all this right in the middle of the world's most serious refugee crisis in history. I say shame on us. We should be doing more.

Bangladesh deserves our deep gratitude for opening its doors to the Rohingya at a time when our government slams the door shut. The Governments of Burma and Bangladesh have struck a deal to begin repatriating Rohingya next month, but it is not clear that anyone is interested in returning right now. In fact, there are reports of more arrivals in Bangladesh each day on fishing boats for those who can afford passage and on makeshift rafts for those who cannot.

People are leaving Burma out of fear; they are leaving because they are hungry; and they are leaving because they know, if they stay, they will die. The Burmese Government has not yet set appropriate conditions for the voluntary, dignified, and safe return, including allowing an independent United Nations fact-finding mission and addressing citizenship issues.

The United States Congress has long defended the rights and freedoms of the Burmese people, championing Burma's new leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, during her many years under house arrest, supporting Burma's historic 2015 decision, and remaining a committed partner in Burma's ongoing democratic transition. With the measure before us today, this body will continue to speak out on this issue. We support freedom and respect for human rights in Burma.

This measure condemns the horrific actions of the military and security forces, calls for an immediate cessation of its violence, and urges the restoration of humanitarian access. It also calls for Aung San Suu Kyi to exercise moral leadership, something that is needed now more than ever.

We reject the army's claims that what is taking place in Burma is a so-called counterterrorism measure. That is nonsense. It is textbook ethnic cleansing; that is what it is.

We should also encourage other governments to stay engaged and continue to address the pressing needs of these refugees, needs that will only grow as long as this situation remains unresolved.

Lastly, we must also urge our own administration to hold members of the Burmese military and security forces accountable for these atrocities, and I have introduced sanctions legislation to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I support this measure, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), the author of this resolution, a longtime advocate for the people of Bangladesh and Burma, the Democratic Caucus chair, and my fellow New Yorker.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from New York.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), my good friend, the senior member of the Ways and Means Committee and a senior member of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), my good friend and the chief deputy whip of our House Democratic leadership.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my great pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Ms. McCollum), a champion for human rights, especially for the rights of women and girls.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the plight of the Rohingya is not and will not be forgotten. I think we heard it from both sides of the aisle with the impassioned speeches today. Nor will we dismiss the suffering of Burma's many other ethnic groups who have been abused by the Burmese Armed Forces throughout decades of conflict.

Since August, we have seen over 600,000 Rohingya in Burma flee to Bangladesh seeking refuge from Burma's murderous security forces. This ethnic cleansing, and perhaps even genocide, is a direct result of the failure of Burma's Government to protect the rights of all people within their borders.

This resolution calls for the reimposition of targeted sanctions against those responsible for this violence. It is the least we can do. History is watching, so I again urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Royce for, once again, working with him in a bipartisan fashion.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, in strong support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank Ed Royce, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. I agree with everything he said in his remarks. I want to thank him for his hard work on this legislation. We worked closely together to make this bipartisan bill as strong as possible, while also taking care to limit any unintended consequences. That is what we have been doing on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and that is why we have been so successful in passing legislation. We do it in a bipartisan way.

Let me begin by saying that the Palestinian system of so-called martyr payments is downright disgusting. We are talking about a system that involves paying people on a sliding scale based on the death and destruction that they cause. It is simply sickening.

These payments clearly incentivize terrorist attacks, and they further threaten prospects for peace, pushing the chance for a Palestinian state further and further out of reach.

This legislation was named for Taylor Force, an American victim of Palestinian terrorism. He was a West Point graduate and a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was stabbed to death in Jaffa in 2016.

The question we face is: How do we compel the PA, the Palestinian Authority, to end the martyr payment system?

In 2015, appropriations bills began to include language cutting off funds for the Palestinian Authority by the amount that they spent on so-called martyr payments, but that didn't curb the practice.

We stopped giving the Palestinian Authority direct assistance, but the Palestinian Authority hasn't budged.

We are now considering this legislation, which cuts all funds that directly benefit the Palestinian Authority if the Palestinian Authority continues to make these payments. This will make it crystal clear to the Palestinian Authority that so-called martyr payments are unacceptable, period.

At the same time, the bill allows the United States to continue humanitarian and democracy assistance, which is in our interest and the interest of our ally Israel. It also includes a thoughtful exemption proposed by the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly) which exempts childhood vaccinations from the cuts required under this bill.

Overall, I believe that this version of the Taylor Force Act strikes the right balance. Chairman Royce and I worked very hard to come up with a piece of legislation that both sides would support. The Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously passed this legislation. The message should be clear: this is not a partisan issue.

We must send a message to the Palestinian Authority that these so- called martyr payments, which are ``killing'' payments, must stop.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation that ensures no unintended consequences, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch), the ranking member of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and a valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Florida.

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

Mr. Speaker, I think that points have been made on both sides of the aisle with which we all agree. If the Palestinian Authority is serious about peace and is serious about a two-state solution and is serious about living in peace with Israel, then I think they have to be serious about not paying people who murder, not paying people who are terrorists, not paying people who randomly go over and stab somebody.

Taylor Force happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. No other reason. That should not be left to stand. I think our colleagues have all talked about what a wonderful young man he was, an exemplary American, someone who played by the rules, kept his country safe, did the right things, respected his own faith. We should respect him and all the other people as well.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), my friend on the Financial Services Committee, a rising star in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), my good friend and valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Mr. Speaker, if there are no other speakers on this side, I am prepared to close. I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, let me close by saying that this bipartisan legislation seeks to compel the Palestinian Authority to stop incentivizing acts of terrorism against innocent victims, including American Taylor Force.

Now, the encouragement of hooligans and thugs to just randomly try to kill people for no other reason than just to try to perpetrate violence needs to be stopped. While the Palestinian Authority seems to be encouraging knife attacks and terror attacks against Jewish Israelis, it is important to say that being in the wrong place at the wrong time leaves everybody vulnerable. That is what happened to Taylor Force. He wasn't Jewish. He happened to be American, and he happened to be a soldier in a war area and a very good, nice, decent human being. He didn't deserve it.

Nobody deserves to be a victim of terror. But certainly, the victims of terror, if we are going to cry out to help them, we have got to put a stop to this disgusting practice of calling these murderers martyrs. They are not martyrs. They are murderers. They have no regard for human beings. They have no regard for anything. It is time for us to say: Enough is enough.

In this current bill, it allows the United States to avoid any unintended consequences such as the cessation of humanitarian assistance, the right thing to do. I hope that the Palestinian Authority will use this opportunity to stop these martyr payments, move away from incitement, and move toward a two-state solution. Again, this bipartisan legislation seeks to compel the Palestinian Authority to stop acts of terrorism, to stop aiding and abetting acts of terrorism against innocent victims, including American Taylor Force.

The gentleman from Florida (Mr. Deutch) said that if someone drives their car and hits somebody, nothing happens. But if someone drives their car and kills somebody, they get a martyr payment. There is something perverse about that. There is something just wrong about that. And it is something that the United States needs to put its foot down and say, once and for all: We will not tolerate violence.

Finally, let me say that this bill, aptly named as a tribute to Taylor Force, to his parents whom I had the pleasure of meeting, and to all of the people who knew him--he really was the driving force behind this legislation. Because when we heard what had happened, it was so abhorrent, it was so disgusting, that we felt we needed to get together and do something.

So I want to thank the Force family. I want to thank my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, especially Chairman Royce. This is something that every Member of Congress and both sides of the aisle should vote for.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise in support of this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I authored this bill, the Venezuela Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of Democratic Governance Act, in the House with our chair emeritus of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ileana Ros- Lehtinen. I want to say that there is no Member of this body who has done more to champion democracy and human rights in Venezuela than the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).

I also want to thank her longtime staff director, Eddy Acevedo, who is in his last week on Capitol Hill. Eddy has been such a positive force on Venezuela and the entire Latin American region in support of Ileana's work. He has been a consistent collaborator with my staff, and his work here will be sorely missed.

I also want to say that I appreciate Chairman Royce's steadfast commitment to the Venezuelan people and his support for this legislation.

I also want to thank Senator Cardin for authorizing this measure in the other body. I hope we will be able to work with the Senate, the other body, to get this bill on the President's desk.

Mr. Speaker, with its massive energy resources, Venezuela should be one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Unfortunately, irresponsible policies put in place by President Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, brought the country to near economic collapse and created a dangerous humanitarian crisis.

The statistics tell a tragic story. Maternal deaths in the country increased by 66 percent from 2015 to 2016, while infant deaths increased by 30 percent. There were 240,000 confirmed malaria cases in Venezuela in 2016, which is a 76 percent increase over 2015.

A survey carried out by three reputable Venezuelan universities found that nearly three-quarters of Venezuelans lost an average of at least 19 pounds in 2016 as a result of lack of proper nutrition.

Despite massive shortages of food and medicine, President Maduro continues to reject efforts to bring humanitarian assistance into the country. Last summer, Mr. Maduro handed control of the country's food supply over to the Venezuelan military, and while many Venezuelans starve, some of the military brass are making money hand over fist by selling the country's scarce food supplies on the black market. That is like letting the fox into the chicken coop.

In short, President Maduro is running Venezuela into the ground. It is horrific for that country's people, and it is a concern for our own security as this country in our neighborhood becomes less and less stable. So I support targeted sanctions that hold corrupt and abusive Venezuelan officials accountable.

But that must be only a part of our policy. We also must be focused on getting food and medicine to those in most need in the country. This bill calls on the USAID and the State Department to develop a strategy to provide humanitarian assistance to Venezuela while at the same time instructing our Ambassador of the United Nations to work with partners at the U.N. Security Council and throughout the U.N. system to multilaterally address the country's crisis.

This is urgent business, Mr. Speaker. We need to put U.S. aid, the USAID, and the United Nations on a path toward providing much-needed humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people. We want to choke off the government. The government is a cancer on the Venezuelan people, but we don't want to hurt the Venezuelan people. That is what the legislation is all about. That is why I wrote it, that is why I authored it, and that is why we agree on a bipartisan basis.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen and myself. It is important legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires), my good friend and a valued member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the ranking member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), my good friend and a member of the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Florida an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

In closing, I emphasize again that Venezuela is in crisis and we cannot wait any longer to take action. By passing the Venezuela Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of Democratic Governance Act, we can begin to provide the Venezuelan people with the resources they so desperately need.

But the United States, obviously, cannot do this alone. Sustained leadership is needed to address the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela from the U.N. Secretary General, members of the Security Council, and other international partners.

It is easy to talk about another country in the abstract, but these are human beings who are dying and sick. They are human beings just like us, and it behooves us to make sure that, while we condemn the brutality of the regime that has a stranglehold on that country, we feel only sympathy for the people. That is what this bill tries to address.

So I again urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I want to again commend my partner from Florida, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who has done so much work with me through the years, and our chairman, Ed Royce, whom it has been a real pleasure to work with.

This is another example of important bipartisan legislation that comes out of the Foreign Affairs Committee. I think that we set a dialogue and a blueprint for people coming together and working together. I think that is what the American people want to see.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this measure.

Let me start by thanking the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce of California, for his leadership and for moving a second measure forward today on the crisis in Venezuela.

I also thank Mr. DeSantis for authorizing this resolution, which expresses deep concern about the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

I again thank Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the gentlewoman from Florida, who is really our leader when it comes to things in the Western Hemisphere.

Let me just say that, when the Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, chose to move forward with a sham constituent assembly election in July, as far as I am concerned, he took the final step in making his country a full-blown dictatorship. The majority of Venezuelans stayed clear of polling stations and chose not to participate in what was yet another effort from that government to distract from the country's real problem, which, as we have been saying, is a humanitarian crisis created by President Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, an increasingly dangerous human rights climate.

Just last week, the Venezuelan human rights group, Foro Penal, joined Human Rights Watch in releasing a report documenting abuses in the country that have taken place over the past year. I would like to mention a few statistics from this report that shows you just how repressive the Venezuelan Government has become.

Fifty-four hundred people have been detained in relation to antigovernment protests in early April; 3,900 of them are still subject to arbitrary criminal prosecutions and measures that limit their freedoms. And 757 civilians were prosecuted by military courts in violation of both Venezuelan and international law. Even more alarmingly, 124 Venezuelans were killed and 2,000 injured this year while taking part in antigovernment protests.

The Human Rights Watch report states:

In 53 cases involving at least 232 people, detainees were

subjected to physical and psychological abuse, with the

apparent purpose of either punishing them or forcing them to

incriminate themselves or others. In some of these cases, the

abuses suffered by the detainees clearly constituted torture.

These include electric shocks, severe beatings, being hung in

stress positions, sleep deprivation, asphyxiation, and sexual

abuse, including, in some cases, rape.

In an August report, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed a similar sentiment pointing to ``the existence of a policy to repress political dissent and instill fear in the population to curb demonstrations.''

I think it is important to point out that, year after year, Democrats and Republicans have come to the House floor to call attention to the erosion of democracy in Venezuela. As my colleagues have said, Venezuela should be the leader in South America, the most prosperous country in South America, with huge oil reserves. Instead, it is a basket case because of Maduro and because of Chavez.

For many years, it seemed that the United States was an outlier in raising our voices, while many in the hemisphere remained silent. Fortunately, that has changed. Leaders throughout the Americas have been increasingly willing to stand with the people of Venezuela.

It is hard to find a silver lining for Venezuela in such a dark time, but I do hope, from the strong resolve of our friends in Latin America and around the world in rejecting Venezuela's sham constituent assembly and calling out human rights abuses in the country, they will realize that we care about them, that we know what is going on, and that we are not going to let their repressive government sweep things under the rug.

In November, the European Union put in place a wide range of sanctions on Venezuela, including an arms embargo, visa bans, and asset freezes. Our friends in Canada imposed sanctions on human rights violators in the Maduro government, and, on October 26, Canadian Foreign Minister Freeland hosted the Lima Group of Foreign Ministers in Toronto to seek a hemispheric solution to the crisis in Venezuela.

The OAS, the Organization of American States, has also played a critical role in increasing pressure on the Maduro regime, particularly under the leadership of OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro.

But we cannot rely on the OAS alone. The United Nations, both with the Security Council and through the Office of the Secretary-General, must do much more to bring attention to Venezuela on the world stage and hold its leaders accountable.

And today, the House of Representatives, here in Washington, goes on record again underscoring our commitment to the people of Venezuela and condemning the destructive policies of the Maduro regime. With this measure, we are saying enough is enough.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank Mr. DeSantis for authoring this resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me say that we have spent a lot of time talking about Venezuela on the House floor today. I think that is a good thing. I think it is good that people know what is happening in Venezuela, and I think it is good to know that the tyrants in Venezuela know that we know what is happening in Venezuela.

The eyes of the world are watching Venezuela and its government. President Maduro must make a real commitment to free and fair elections and release all political prisoners.

In particular, I would like to note the detention of American citizen Joshua Holt and to urge his immediate release on humanitarian grounds.

I think it is important for us to raise these issues on the House floor, so I urge my colleagues to support House Resolution 259.

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

Mr. Speaker, at least Robin Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor, but my Republican colleagues, with this Republican tax bill, are stealing from the poor and the middle class and giving to the rich. It is absolutely disgraceful. The tax bill boosts the rich and burdens the middle class.

I can say I have been here a long time, and this is one of the worst bills I have ever seen in all my years in Congress.

What happened to the Republican Party talking about fiscal responsibility? This blows a $1 trillion hole in the Federal deficit and puts the burden on our children and grandchildren.

So let's not look at this tax scam. People should be getting together on both sides of the aisle. Tear up this one-sided bill, and let's put our heads together and come up with something good.

It was done during the Ronald Reagan years in a bipartisan way. Why can it not be done that way now?

My particular State of New York, my home State of New York, gets really attacked by this. High cost-of-living States get really attacked.

It is not right to play political games. You take a look at this, and you notice that blue States get attacked with this terrible bill.

Tear it up. Let's work together and come up with something good.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise to mourn the loss of our great colleague, Maurice Hinchey.

I knew Maurice for more than 30 years. We served together for many years in the New York State Assembly, and then he came to Congress.

In the assembly in Albany and all of New York State, he was known as one of the champions of the environment. He chaired that committee in Albany. When he came to Washington, he also, as my colleagues have said, championed green things and making sure the environment was safe for all of us for generations to come.

The thing that I really remember about Maurice Hinchey is what a nice person he was. He was soft-spoken but sharp, intelligent, and honest. He was the kind of person who was in public service for all the right reasons and really was a model Member of Congress for so many of us. Whether you agreed with him or disagreed with him, he listened to you. He was a tenacious fighter and a really smart individual who really, really knew his subject.

The thing I remember about Maurice is what a nice guy he was, how soft-spoken he was, and how caring he was. He didn't enter public life to get the accolades. He entered it because he really believed government should make a difference and could make a difference.

Let me say, Maurice, you did make a difference: You made a difference to many in America; you made a difference to those of us in New York State; you made a difference to your friends who served in the New York State Assembly in Albany; and you made a difference in the United States Congress here in Washington.

Rest in peace, Maurice. We will miss you, but we will never forget you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor a pillar of the Yonkers community, Dr. Andrea Coddett, who this year will be the keynote speaker at the Luther V. Garrison Sr. Masonic Foundation Inc. Annual Scholarship Luncheon.

Dr. Coddett is the Deputy Superintendent for the Yonkers Public Schools. In her role, she oversees the Division of Teaching and Learning, ensuring that all curriculum is aligned to the New York State Common Core Learning Standards (CCLS), and that all instruction is aligned to 21st Century learning skills, so students are prepared for college and/or careers. Dr. Coddett previously served as the Assistant Superintendent for Instruction K-12 for the East Ramapo Central School District. Dr. Coddett began her career in education as a Special Education teacher after which she became a building-level Math Specialist. In her administrative career, Dr. Coddett has worked as a District Math Specialist, an Early Childhood Principal, a K-5 principal, and Director of Secondary Special Education.

Dr. Coddett is a graduate of Fordham University where she earned a doctorate in Executive Leadership. She holds Masters Degrees in Curriculum and Instruction with a Reading Specialization and Educational Administration from Pace University and a Bachelor degree in Psychology from Mercy College. Dr. Coddett also holds administrative certifications in School District Administration and School Building Administration and Supervision, as well as teaching certifications in Special Education, birth through 21, and General Education, N-6.

Dr. Coddett considers herself a global citizen and believes that, as an educational leader, each and every child deserves an excellent education. As a learning leader and lifelong learner, Dr. Coddett's personal motto is, ``Empowered for Learning, Empowered for Life.''

Dr. Coddett is an accomplished professional in the education world, and as a former educator myself, I am very appreciative of the work she has done and continues to do. She will do an excellent job as this year's keynote speaker at the Annual Scholarship Luncheon and I wish to congratulate her on the honor.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment to honor a dear friend and wonderful public servant in the Yonkers community, Symra Brandon, who this year is being honored by the Luther V. Garrison Sr. Masonic Foundation Inc. as their 2017 Woman of the Year. I have known Symra for many years and cannot think of a more deserving honoree.

Symra was born in New York City, and raised in Yonkers, New York. She graduated from the same high school I did, Evander Childs High School in the Bronx, and went on to receive a degree in Sociology at Morgan State College, followed by a Master's of Social Work degree from Hunter College School of Social Work and in Public Administration from Pace University.

Throughout her distinguished professional career, Symra was employed by the Westchester County Department of Social Services, Cornell University's Family Life Development Center, UAW/General Motors Skills Transition Center, the Westchester County Youth Bureau, where she served as Acting Director for the Youth Bureau, and the Office of Affirmative Action/EEO and Office for the Disabled. She retired from Westchester County in 2006 from the position of Assistant to Westchester County Executive Andrew J. Spano/Director of the Office of African American Affairs.

Symra was also a dedicated public servant, serving six terms as a Yonkers City Council Member for the First District where she was the first African American Woman to serve in the Council. During her twelve year tenure, Symra worked diligently on behalf of her constituents by sponsoring important legislation including mandating carbon monoxide detectors, landlord payment of Emergency Tenant Protection act fees, Senior Citizen, Veteran and Gold Star Parent property tax exemptions, and consistently supported development on the Yonkers Waterfront in addition to the creation of jobs and contracts for local residents on major projects throughout the City. As a community leader, Symra was a conscientious advocate for improving the quality of life for residents in her district, especially to children and the elderly.

Today, Symra continues to serve the community as a role model and through her participation on many boards and organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Terrace City Chapter No. 26, Black Democrats of Westchester, the NAACP, National Council of Negro Women and The Westchester Black Women's Political Caucus.

Symra has always been an amazing partner to me in Yonkers, and an even better friend. It is my privilege to honor and congratulate her here today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a pillar of the community, Kenneth Wayne Lee, who this year is being honored by the Luther V. Garrison Sr. Masonic Foundation Inc. as their 2017 Man of the Year. Kenny has always been active in his community and is most deserving of this honor.

Kenny was educated in the Greenburgh Central 7 School District where he excelled

both in the classroom and on the athletic field. Kenny graduated Woodlands High School with honors in 1981 and after graduation, he accepted a baseball scholarship to attend Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.

In 1985, Kenny completed his degree from Tulane and signed a Letter of Intent with the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball. He also completed two years of AA Baseball in Birmingham, Alabama and one year in Yasu, Japan.

In 1989, Kenny became a Master Mason and member of The Bright Hope Lodge No. 62 in White Plains, New York. Kenny elevated to Worshipful Master in 2003 and has held a number of appointed Grand Lodge offices for MWPHGL of New York, including Grand Librarian (2004 to 2009) and DDGM (2010 to Present). He is also affiliated with Bright Hope Chapter No. 46, Pentecost Consistory No. 98 and A.E.A.O.N.M.S. Elejmal Temple No. 185.

Professionally, Kenny was employed by IBM for 28 years, where he moved up the corporate ladder, and today serves as Corporate Security Supervisor for Century Protective Services. He is also a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in White Plains, NY, where he is involved in several activities sponsored by the church. In addition, Kenny was involved in many community activities such as: Feeding the Less Fortunate, Widows Mother's Day Breakfast, Thanksgiving Food Basket Giveaway, and coaching youth baseball.

Kenny has always been willing to lend a helping hand, which is why he is receiving this great honor. I want to congratulate and thank him for all he has done to better our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an exceptional member of the Scarsdale community, Miriam Steinberg, for her tireless dedication and selflessness to the Coachman Family Center Shelter. Miriam has donated over $50,000 worth of food and supplies for the homeless and deserves a great deal of recognition for her efforts.

A lifetime resident of Scarsdale, Miriam is the President of Our Coupon Cares, a non-profit committed to providing supplies to homeless shelters through clipping coupons. Miriam's monthly visits to the shelter have led her to be one of the largest individual donors in the area. Each month, Miriam brings 15 grocery bags filled with cereal, snacks, juice, body wash, notebooks, board game and other supplies, totaling over 700 grocery bags since she became President. Currently, she is preparing for the Thanksgiving holiday and hopes to provide those with a memorable holiday.

Miriam's altruism is a model for others to look upon, Mr. Speaker, she has given so much back to her community and her efforts have been beyond exemplary. I want to congratulate Miriam on all she has done and thank her for her remarkable work.

Mr. Speaker, someone near and dear to me once said that the Republican Party is the party of rich men and women, and the Democratic Party is the party of working men and women. Nothing proves that more than this tax scam today.

I have been around here a long time. Of all the bills I have seen, this is one of the worst bills I have ever seen on the floor of this House. It is actually a disaster. It raises taxes on the middle class and on millions of families across America. It adds trillions to the debt to give tax cuts to America's wealthy families and corporations while stripping credits and deductions from middle class families.

What ever happened to the fiscal responsibility of the Republican Party?

This budget ransacks Medicare and Medicaid of $1.5 trillion, and the GOP will use the new deficits to justify further devastating Medicare and Medicaid.

Finally, it is a terrible disaster for my New York constituents who already pay their fair share of taxes. New York is a donor State, meaning that we pay more to the Federal Government than what we get in return.

This will reduce or eliminate key deductions, such as curbing or eliminating deductibility of State and local taxes, mortgage interest deductions, college debt, student loans.

We are a high-tax State. This is a disaster. Scrap this disaster. Go back to the drawing board and write a bill which is fair to middle class taxpayers.