Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, for her leadership, along with Chairman Frelinghuysen, for many months of working together in a bipartisan way. I certainly want to thank both of them for the hard work that they have done.

I want to thank the appropriators, Democrats and Republicans, working together. Certainly, I want to thank the committee staff on both sides who have worked so hard to make sure we get this bill together. I know this is not a perfect bill. But, again, we got together, we negotiated, and this is the bill that we have got under the system, working together.

This bill, first of all, funds our military's and veterans' needs. This bill

provides over $21.2 billion for infrastructure projects across the Nation.

This bill addresses the opioid epidemic and also puts in increases for the Office of National Drug Control Policy and other programs to make sure that we fight the drug issues that we have.

It adds extra money for the COPS program, which is important for our men and women in blue. It also adds 100 new immigration judges to address the issue of the backlog for the immigration cases that we have.

It adds 10 percent of new moneys for Community Development Block Grant programs, which is, again, very important to all communities, urban and rural areas.

It starts to address the issue of school safety and gun violence by providing the funds for safety programs. It also includes the Fix NICS Act program, which is something that my friend, John Culberson, and Senator John Cornyn worked on for a long time.

It provides $1.6 billion for community health centers to provide healthcare. It also provides money for Pell grants to make sure people are able to go to college. I want to thank my good friends, Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro, for putting those dollars in for the Pell grants.

It also provides technology for border security and ports of entry. Again, we want to make sure we provide a balanced approach for border security.

Again, I know this bill is not perfect. If we are waiting for perfection, we are never going to get there. But, again, we were able to sit down, we were able to negotiate, and we were able to get a good bill that provides a lot of the basic services that we have.

As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility. That responsibility is to make sure that our government stays open. I have always said that terrorists are not able to close our government, but somehow Congress finds a way to close our government. We are not going to do that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this appropriations bill.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly want to thank the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) for his leadership and for his work on this committee; and, also, my friend from Alabama (Mr. Palmer) for the work he does on this committee.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1209, which will rename a post office facility in my district at 901 North Francisco Avenue in Mission, Texas, as the Mission Veterans Post Office.

Across my district, fine men and women of all walks of life have honorably served our country, and it is critical that we honor their service and their dedication. Mission alone is home to over 2,000 veterans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Dedicating this post office to our veterans will serve as an enduring reminder of the sacrifices that our friends, neighbors, and families have made while serving their country. These individuals put country ahead of self, and I am proud to recognize them with the dedicating of this post office facility.

Today in particular, I want to acknowledge the sacrifice of Captain Joaquin Castro from Mission, Texas. Captain Castro joined the Army Air Corps in 1941 and served as a B-17 pilot in the Pacific theater. He was stationed at Hickam Field in Hawaii during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, where his airfield was extensively damaged and suffered heavy casualties. However, Captain Castro would go on to serve several missions against enemy forces before being declared missing in action during a bombing mission.

He received the National Defense Service Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal with an Oak Leaf Cluster. Captain Castro would eventually be honored with an elementary school named after him in his hometown in Mission, Texas. He was known to be a humble and diligent individual who served in a variety of jobs before joining the military. He was a janitor; he was a school bus driver; and he was a stenographer also.

We owe our freedom to veterans like Mr. Castro, which is why I am recognizing him with the dedication of this post office, not only for his service but also that of the other veterans. He is just one example of many veterans who have made countless sacrifices for their country in the face of danger. The bravery and the commitment of our veterans to our Nation demonstrates what it really means to be an American, the essence of an American.

Mr. Speaker, I would also, at this time, take a moment to thank the veterans organizations throughout my district for their tireless work in providing the care that our veterans need. Let us remember and express our gratitude to these courageous people: the veterans, their families, as well as their caregivers.

In the words of President John F. Kennedy: A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces but also by the men it honors, the men it remembers.

And, of course, we include women in that quote also.

This bill allows us to show our appreciation for the veterans of Mission, Texas, and to make sure that their sacrifice to our country is not forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Kevin McAleenan, Acting Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP): Mr. McAleenan has been chosen as the United States' honoree for the prestigious League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 12 (LULAC) Senor Internacional award.

Following his graduation with a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College, Mr. McAleenan earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Chicago Law School. Thereafter, he worked at a private law firm in California. However, he was motivated to work in public service after the events of September 11, 2001. He joined the Office of Anti- Terrorism at U.S. Customs Service, a legacy organization of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he was eventually named as the Director.

Mr. McAleenan became Acting Commissioner of CBP on January 20th, 2017. Prior to his role as Acting Commissioner, Mr. McAleenan held several leadership positions with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including Deputy Commissioner of CBP and Assistant Commissioner at the Office of Field Operations. Upon Mr. McAleenan's appointment to Deputy Commissioner, former CBP Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske spoke of McAleenan highly, saying, ``His dedication, his vision to transform CBP and to ensure that we remain the nation's premier law enforcement agency, is truly astounding.''

Throughout his career, Mr. McAleenan worked to increase security at the border, improved terrorism detection and response tactics, and supervised the trade and travel at over 300 domestic ports of entry. In his current role, he has three core missions: counterterrorism, border security, and trade enforcement. Mr. McAleenan oversees 60,000 employees and directs the largest law-enforcement agency in the federal government. For his work, Mr. McAleenan received the Service to America Medal, Call to Service Award, and in 2015, he was honored with a Presidential Rank Award, the nation's highest civil service award.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize Mr. Kevin McAleenan. I congratulate him on receiving the prestigious LULAC No. 12 Senor Internacional award

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Secretary of the Economy of Mexico, Ildefonso Guajardo Villarreal. Mr. Guajardo has been chosen as Mexico's honoree for the prestigious League of United Latin American Citizens Council No. 12 (LULAC) Senor Internacional award.

Mr. Guajardo, a Mexican economist and public servant, was born April 19, 1957 in Monterey, Nuevo Leon. He received his Bachelor's degree in Economics from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon. Subsequently, Mr. Guajardo pursued graduate studies in Economics at Arizona State University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Guajardo began his long and successful career in the 1980s. He would hold several important positions, including Economist at the International Monetary Fund, Director of the North American Free Trade Agreement Affairs Office, and Chief Clerk at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. He would later serve in Nuevo Leon as head of the Governor's Executive Office and soon after, Mr. Guajardo would be elected as a congressman. In 2012, Mr. Guajardo assumed the office of Secretary of the Economy of Mexico, appointed by President Enrique Pena Nieto. He is currently negotiating the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize Mr. Guajardo's accomplishments and tireless service to Mexico. I congratulate him on receiving the prestigious LULAC No. 12 Senor Internacional award. His dedication to others has had a very significant impact on the lives of many citizens in Mexico and the United States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Master Sergeant Jose N. Guerra.

Master Sergeant Guerra was born in Laredo, Texas on June 17, 1938 to Jose and Anselma Guerra. Eventually, he joined the military where he served 28 years, in the United States Army, before retiring. During his time, he served in Korea, Operation Desert Storm, and Operation Desert Shield. Master Sergeant Guerra was also a dedicated civil servant for over 40 years with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Along with his distinguished career, Master Sergeant Guerra also served as an active member of the Army Masonic Lodge No. 1105 and the Alzafar Shrine.

From his brave service to our country to his desire to aid those in need, Master Sergeant Guerra's dedication to serving his country will not be forgotten. His dedication and service to our Nation is a legacy his family, friends, and associates will always remember.

He is survived by his wife, Elva V. Guerra, sons, Jose N. Guerra, Jr. and Juan M. Guerra; grandchildren, Xavier, Andrew, Vivian and Olivia; brothers and sisters, Jorge, Juan, David, Norma Lee and Odeila Micaela Fualkner.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize Master Sergeant Jose N. Guerra.

Mr. Speaker, on Tuesday, January 16, 2018, my flight from San Antonio, TX, to Washington, D.C., was delayed due to inclement weather. As a result, I was unable to return in time to take Tuesday evening's votes.

Had I been present, I would have voted:

YEA on Roll Call 18, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 4318, Miscellaneous Tariff Bill Act of 2018; and

YEA on Roll Call 19, On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass S. 117, Alex Diekmann Peak Designation Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for yielding and for her leadership on this issue dealing with veterans.

I also want to thank my friend from Montana for his leadership in support of veterans across the Nation.

Today, Mr. Speaker, I rise to present H.R. 1208, which will rename the post office facility in my district as the Converse Veterans Post Office Building.

Across my district, I have fine men and women of all walks of life that have honorably served our country. It is critical that we honor their service and their dedication to our Nation.

Converse alone is home to over 3,000 veterans, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Dedicating this post office to our veterans will serve as an enduring reminder of the sacrifices that our friends, our neighbors, our families have made while serving their country. These individuals put country ahead of self, and I am proud to recognize them with the dedicating of this post office facility.

Today, I want to acknowledge one sacrifice from one individual; that is an individual from Converse, Texas, a veteran by the name of Quintin E. Cain. Mr. Cain served 23 years in the Army as a medic, where he would receive numerous medals and recognitions.

After being honorably discharged, he continued to serve the country, his country, by using the medical training that he had to train combat medic students as a civilian. We owe our freedom to veterans such as Mr. Cain, which is why I am recognizing him and, of course, the other veterans, by dedicating this post office. He is just one example of many veterans who have made countless sacrifices for their country in the face of danger.

The bravery and the commitment of our veterans to our Nation demonstrates what it really means to be an American, the essence of being an American.

I would also like to take a moment to thank the veterans organizations throughout my district for their tireless work in providing care to our veterans when they need it. There are good men and women who work hard and provide that care to our veterans. Let us remember and express gratitude to these courageous people, the veterans, their families, as well as their care providers.

In the words of President John F. Kennedy, when he said, ``A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors and the men it remembers''--and I would like to add, and women also--correct President John F. Kennedy.

This bill allows us to show our appreciation for the veterans, the men and women of Converse, Texas, and across the Nation, and make sure that their service and sacrifice to our country is not forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 75th anniversary of CPS Energy's outstanding commitment to public utility and service for the City of San Antonio.

CPS Energy, formerly City Public Service, was acquired by the City of San Antonio in 1942. Throughout the 20th century, CPS Energy took part in a variety of business and service ventures. CPS Energy installed the first streetlight system downtown and introduced a customer service phone system in the 1950's. In the latter half of the 20th century, the company took part in the South Texas Project, a jointly owned nuclear power endeavor. Soon after, CPS Energy launched Project WARM helping those in need pay their winter utility bills. The project's fundraising efforts provided 4,000 families with assistance in the first years of its launch.

In 2002, CPS Energy, in partnership with the City of San Antonio and Bexar County, established the Residential Energy Assistance Program. The nonprofit organization has raised $22.4 million and assisted more than 76,000 households housing low-income families with children, the elderly, or persons with disabilities.

CPS Energy has made recent notable investments in emissions control technology in its coal-fired power plants and has contributed to the increase in use of lower carbon fuels with its 2012 acquisition of the Rio Nogales natural gas plant in Seguin, TX. A leader in Texas for solar generation and one of the largest consumers of wind energy in the nation, CPS Energy has made significant strides towards access to environmentally conscious energy.

Through CPS Energy, the City of San Antonio has facilitated access to dependable and economical energy for 75 years.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize CPS Energy.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as one of the lead sponsors for the Fix NICS Act of 2017, I rise in support of this legislation which has been combined with the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which is, again, another section that I support, also.

On the Fix NICS Act, I certainly want to thank Senator Cornyn, Representatives Culberson, Esty, Costello, and Aguilar for their leadership on this particular issue that we have been working on.

A few weeks ago, 26 members of the Sutherland Springs community, which is in my district, were killed by someone who should have never had access to firearms. The investigation into the shooter revealed that the shooter had a criminal history. The Defense Department and the Air Force missed six times--six times--where the criminal justice process should have reported the history to the NICS database.

As of 2016, the Air Force, which should have entered the Sutherland Springs shooter's criminal information, entered a total of one active record in the NICS record. If the Air Force would have met the minimum obligations, then the gunman never would have been able to legally purchase a firearm. This is why we introduced the Fix NICS Act of 2017.

This legislation ensures that Federal and State authorities comply with existing laws to accurately report relevant criminal history-- accurately report these records to the NICS. It also provides consequences for Federal agencies who fail to report the relevant records and ensure that States improve their overall reporting. The Fix NICS Act is an important step to ensure that people like the Sutherland Springs shooter never slip through the cracks of the NICS database again.

As to the reciprocity part of it, again, I know that both sides have spoken on that, but, again, as a supporter of the Second Amendment, I believe that the Second Amendment doesn't stop at political State lines. It is part of the U.S. Constitution and should apply across.

So, again, I rise in support of this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday, November 8, 2017, I requested and was granted a leave of absence for the rest of the week to visit the community of Sutherland Springs following the recent shooting.

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

Had I been present, I would have voted:

NAY on Roll Call 617, on rule providing for consideration of H.R. 2201, Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act;

YEA on Roll Call 618, on passage of the Veterans Crisis Line Study Act of 2017;

YEA on Roll Call 619, on the passage of the Rush Amendment;

YEA on Roll Call 620, on passage of H.R. 3043, Hydropower Policy Modernization Act of 2017;

YEA on Roll Call 621, on passage of Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act of 2016; and

NAY on Roll Call 622, on passage of H.R. 2201, Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey for yielding and for her kind words about the Tilden Veterans Post Office. I also want to thank my friend from Corpus Christi, Texas, for his kind words on the naming of this post office.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to support and present H.R. 1207, which will name the post office facility in my district as the Tilden Veterans Post Office.

Across my district, there are many examples of fine men and women who have honorably served our country. It is imperative that we honor their service and dedication to our Nation.

Dedicating this post office to our veterans will serve as a constant reminder of the sacrifices that our friends, neighbors, and families made while serving their country. These are individuals who put country ahead of self and for whom I am proud to recognize with the dedicating of the post office facility.

For example, as the gentlewoman from New Jersey said, Anselmo Villarreal of Tilden, Texas, was drafted in the Army in 1968. He served in Vietnam. After his service, Mr. Villarreal

returned to Tilden and worked in a local plant for 28 years before retiring.

This veteran also continues to serve his community by volunteering for local veterans service organizations. We owe our freedom to veterans like Mr. Villarreal and others, which is why I am recognizing him and the other veterans with the dedication of this post office. He is one example of many veterans who have made countless sacrifices for our country in the face of danger.

The courage and dedication of our veterans toward our Nation demonstrates what it really means to be an American--the essence of being an American.

I also thank the veterans from Tilden and McMullen County for their service and sacrifice for our country. I also thank the veterans organizations throughout my district for their tireless work in providing the care our veterans need. There are many local organizations like the veterans service offices in McMullen County that provide essential care to those who have returned home from service.

Let us remember and express gratitude to these brave people: the veterans, their families, as well as the care providers.

In the words of President John F. Kennedy: ``As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the opening of the University of Texas at San Antonio's Downtown Campus, which has since empowered its many students and alumni to pursue excellence both in academics and their careers.

In September of 1991, the UTSA Strategic Plan established UTSA Downtown. In 1993, with the support of the Texas State Government, the South Texas Border Initiative was launched, allotting $20 million dollars for the UTSA Downtown Campus. With the acquisition of the Fiesta Plaza site gifted by Bill Miller Bar-B-Q Enterprises, and the groundbreaking of Frio Street Building in 1995, UTSA's Downtown Campus location was realized.

Following the subsequent groundbreakings of additional buildings, in 2000, UTSA opened its doors to its first college based in the Downtown Campus: the College of Urban Programs, now the College of Public Policy. In 2002, The College of Architecture would become the second college based in the Downtown Campus.

In the spring of 2004, UTSA expanded its campus from 11 acres to 18 acres with the acquisition of the Cattleman Square parking lot and nearby land later used for additional buildings. Since its inception, the campus has expanded to include two colleges, four academic buildings, and two departments in a third college.

With a current enrollment of 4,000 students at the downtown campus, The University of Texas at San Antonio continues to be an exemplary institution serving the needs of those pursuing a high quality education and successful careers in the downtown San Antonio area.

As a former chairman of the Subcommittee on Education for the Texas Legislature's Appropriations Committee, who worked to secure tuition revenue funding and other state funding for this university, it has been good to see it grow and develop. In addition, as the author of House Bill 713, that created Texas' grant program, it is good to see students at UTSA take advantage of this program. It is clear that this university will continue to thrive and I look forward to many more years of continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize the 20th anniversary of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for her condolences and her prayers for Sutherland Springs.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank Mr. Byrne and, of course, Chairman Foxx, for their work on this particular bill. I thank Mr. Correa, Mr. Peterson, and the other supporters of this legislation.

Prior to August 2015, the joint employer standard used by the NLRB

made it easy to understand who is and who is not a joint employer. For decades, a joint employer relationship existed when one company exercised ``direct and immediate'' control over another company's workforce.

However, as you know, under the case Browning-Ferris Industries, the NLRB departed from many years of legal precedent in August of 2015 by establishing a new, expanded joint employer standard. This standard could trigger employer liability by a company exercising vaguely defined indirect control over an employee.

We have heard from local businesses from my district and across the State of Texas, and it is clear that this decision is causing them significant confusion.

In my district--let's say in Laredo, Texas, there is a local restaurant owner who says that his restaurant currently employs close to 1,000 local employees.

This expanded joint employer standard has limited his investment in his business and the number of workers that he has. Reverting back to the former joint employer standard that we had for so many years would allow him to hire the employees that he needs to hire and reinvest money.

This new expanded standard makes it difficult for local franchisees like this one in Laredo to offer the employer relationship support from franchisers for the fear that these benefits could be used against them in a joint employer lawsuit.

Those fears are well founded. For example, the Progressive Policy Institute, known for its pragmatic ideas, says that the expansion of this joint employer doctrine ``may do more harm than good.''

This is why I am supporting this legislation. We are asking that it revert back to the legal standard that we used for many years.

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that we rise today to address the American people.

Yesterday morning, a gunman stormed into a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a small town of about 400 or 500 individuals, and brutally murdered 26 innocent lives, including at least 12 children, marking the worst shooting in Texas history.

Today we grieve the horrific loss of dozens of innocent people. We pray for the victims' families, who are grasping for answers with broken hearts.

I have spoken personally with Wilson County Sheriff Joe Tackitt, County Commissioner Albert Gamez, and other citizens of that area to assist in any way that we can.

In the coming hours and days, we will learn more about the victims of this tragedy, their names, their faces, their stories, the joy they brought their families and their friends.

We are fully committed to helping Sutherland Springs recover from this senseless tragedy, and we ask every Member of Congress to join us to support this recovery.

To the people of Sutherland Springs, I stand with you, we stand with you, the House of Representatives stands with you, and the people of the United States of America stand with you. May God bless all of you.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Arturo N. Benavides, Sr.

Mr. Benavides was born on February 26, 1938 to Anita and Carlos Y. Benavides, Sr. He graduated from St. Joseph's Academy before eventually attending Fordham University and the University of Dallas. He would go on to start several successful business ventures in a variety of fields including ranching, real estate, land development, oil and gas, and the hotel industry. He would also serve in the Texas National Guard.

Despite his busy and successful business career, he was actively involved in several causes for the benefit of his community. He understood the importance of a good education and helped fund several college scholarships for students in Laredo, TX. A generous supporter of the South Texas Food Bank, Mr. Benavides helped establish three Kids Cafes where meals would be served for low-income kids.

Due to his philanthropy and service over the course of several decades, he would receive many honors. His recognitions and awards include: being the honoree at the Empty Bowls Gala sponsored by the South Texas Food Bank, representing the United States as LULAC 12's Senor Internacional and Tejano Achiever, and serving as Honorary President of the Republic of the Rio Grande.

Mr. Benavides' legacy will live on in the countless people that he helped during his remarkable life. He will be remembered not only for his success in business but also by how much he cared for those around him. He remained humble and was never one to boast about his accomplishments. He was focused on creating results not on receiving recognition. His life serves as an example to us all.

He is survived by his daughter, Anna (John) Galo; his son, Arturo N. Benavides, Jr.; two grandchildren, John Roman Galo and Zoe Zelin Benavides; his brother, Carlos Y. (Leticia) Benavides, Jr.; his cousin, Arturo Tomas (Leslie) Benavides; nieces and nephews, Carlos Y. Benavides III, Guillermo D. Benavides, and Linda Cristina (Patrick) Alexander; and the mother of his children, Gloria Casso Benavides.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize Arturo N. Benavides, Sr.