Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Lowey for yielding, and I want to thank her for her leadership that she provides in the Appropriations Committee.

I also want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen. As Ms. Wasserman Schultz said, we are going to miss you. We appreciate your leadership, and we thank you. You are a decent human being, and we really appreciate your friendship.

I also want to thank the staff and the Members on both sides of the aisle who have worked in a very bipartisan way to address these issues that are important.

Every year, we have to pass the appropriations bill. It is the train that has to pass every year. And I certainly want to thank Mrs. Lowey, the chairman, and the folks responsible for making this happen.

First of all, let me talk about defense.

I certainly agree with the Members that this provides billions of dollars to make sure that we restore critical military readiness programs. We have to make sure we have a strong military, and with this funding, we will. I certainly appreciate the sacrifice that the men and women make to protect our country, and this is what this appropriation bill does.

We also fully fund the 2.6 percent pay raise for our military families because, again, we have to make sure that we support them because they are under very difficult times.

There are a lot of other things in the Defense Appropriations bill, whether it is the assistance that provides $50 million for specialized counseling programs to meet the unique needs of military children or whether it is the National Guard's counterdrug program to help reduce the illegal drugs from coming into the United States. Those are areas that are strong for our military.

Let me move over to the Labor-HHS bill. There are so many things that both Chairman Cole and Ms. DeLauro also provided that they worked so hard on; let me just highlight a couple of them.

The Pell grant is so important because we increased the amount by an extra $100. Now the maximum amount is $6,195. You have to have Pell grants so that we can have our young students go off to college.

$10 billion for Head Start. There was a $200 million increase. I want to thank our folks for adding that money.

The Federal TRIO program and the GEAR UP program are moneys that we added.

I certainly want to say thank you also for the $907 million for senior nutrition programs to help our seniors.

The title I grants for school districts, $15.9 billion that we added.

And the last thing I want to talk about is the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, we have increased the funding to provide that type of assistance.

So, again, I want to say thank you to the chairman, to our ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, and all of the staff on both sides, I thank them for a job well done.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member, Mrs. Lowey, for yielding and for the wonderful work she has done as our leader in the Appropriations Committee. I certainly want to thank, also, the chairman for his leadership and the bipartisan work that both individuals, Mrs. Lowey and Mr. Frelinghuysen, have done in working together to make sure we pass this legislation and bring these three bills to the floor.

I would like to highlight a couple of things that some Members have included.

First of all, on the MILCON-VA, we are talking about a $5 billion increase. My friend from Texas (Mr. Carter) and Ms. Debbie Wasserman Schultz have worked together in a bipartisan way. There is $86.5 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which includes funding for mental health services, modernizing the VA's health record system, and addressing the claims backlog that every Member knows has been so difficult. So that extra $5 billion is going to do a lot to help the veterans.

There is also $10.3 billion for military construction projects that will support our troops and our freedom at home. I know that in my part of San Antonio, San Antonio's Military USA, this is an important type of assistance.

Certainly, we have $1.3 billion for telehealth. This amount is $30 million above what we just provided earlier this year. This will further expand the telehealth capacity to rural areas.

There is also $206 million for suicide prevention outreach for veterans.

Again, whether it is this or the Energy and Water bill--and I see the two leaders over here, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Appropriations--these are monies that will be helpful to the San Antonio area for flood mitigation or even for Corpus Christi to improve the channel project that will make sure that they will be able to handle the capacity to export petroleum products, which is a $13 million increase.

Again, I want to say thank you to everybody working together in a bipartisan way.

Madam Chair, I want to thank the ranking member, Mr. Pallone, for yielding and his leadership in the committee, for all the work that he and his staff have done. I also want to thank my fellow Texan, Mr. Olson, for bringing this legislation to the floor. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Johnson, for introducing this bipartisan bill, along with my friend Gene Green, also from Texas.

In particular, the dean, Mr. Barton, I want to thank Mr. Barton because, back in December 2015, Mr. Barton and I worked along with a team here to lift the ban on oil exports, and that has been the boom for not only Texas, but for the rest of the country.

Today's legislation, Madam Chair, deals with H.R. 4606, the Ensuring Small Scale LNG Certainty and Access Act. This bipartisan legislation codifies the Department of Energy's recent efforts to encourage the exports of small volumes of natural gas as countries in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America look to the United States to meet their natural gas needs.

Let me give you an example, a different type of country, Mexico.

Mexico is getting a lot of natural gas from us and refined products. In fact, the U.S. has an $8 billion surplus when it comes to natural gas that we are sending off, so we can also help our friends in the Caribbean and Central America and South America if we do the same thing.

The bottom line is this means jobs.

I have the Eagle Ford area, and I know about the jobs. Whether they are at $60,000, $70,000, or more, those are good jobs, and if we are able to export, we will be able to create jobs also. This is why it is important that we continue working with our former Governor, Rick Perry, in the Energy Department, to approve any application to import or export small amounts of LNG if there is no environmental review required and that application waiting time will be reduced by several months. Those several months mean jobs.

Right now, the U.S. is currently the world's largest producer of natural gas, with trillions of cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. And again, if we work together, especially with Canada, the U.S., and Mexico, we will be the new Middle East of the world by sticking together and working together.

Again, this bipartisan piece of legislation will benefit our economy, strengthen our ties with allies abroad, reduce our allies' reliance on Russian natural gas.

Again, this is good for the country, and we need to support this bipartisan piece of legislation, so let's move this bill forward to that particular goal.

Again, I want to thank all of you all for working on this bipartisan piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 990.

The issue is not the law enforcement agencies or the personnel, but, rather, it is the administration's policies regarding enforcement.

ICE has become a lightning rod for the anger, quite honestly, about President Trump's hardline immigration policies. Our number one goal is to defend our homeland. ICE officers and special agents perform a vital role each day to keep our country safe. I want to make sure that we clear up some confusion about what ICE does, what their functions are.

ICE is split into two primary functions: one is the enforcement and removal operations, which is the one that enforces the Nation's immigration laws; the other, which is very, very important, is it investigates all types of cross-border criminal activities, which include financial crimes; money laundering; bulk cash smuggling; commercial fraud; intellectual property theft; cyber crimes; child pornography; human rights violations; human smuggling and trafficking; information, document, and benefit fraud; narcotics and weapons smuggling and trafficking; transnational gang activities; export enforcements; and international art and antiquity theft.

Again, as has been mentioned, the good work that ICE has done in FY 2017: 4,818 transnational gang members were arrested, over 11,000 narcotics criminal arrests were made, and 904 sexually exploited children were identified and rescued. I know that for a fact because my brother has worked with ICE, the sheriff down there, Martin Cuellar, and they have saved some of the kids there.

Again, the issue is not law enforcement agencies or personnel. It is not the men and women who are working there very hard every day, but it is, rather, the policies of the administration regarding this.

Again, I would ask Members to please look at this legislation and support it.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Sherman for yielding and for the leadership that he has provided on this issue. Certainly, I want to thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from California, Mr. Ed Royce, who has been working on this issue for so many years. I want to thank him and the ranking member of the committee, Mr. Engel, for all of the work that they have done.

In particular, I want to thank my co-chair, Mr. Fortenberry, for his leadership. I remember talking about this particular bill at the very beginning, and here we are about to pass very important legislation. Certainly, I want

to join Mr. Fortenberry, Mr. Ed Royce, Mr. Engel, myself, Ms. McCollum, and the rest of the cosponsors on this bipartisan bill that promotes sustainable economic development, combats wildlife trafficking in Africa's critical Okavango River Basin, which supports more than a million people in Angola, Botswana, Namibia, and which is home to several threatened wildlife species, including the largest remaining elephant population in the world.

Today, that region is at a near breaking point due to the not very well thought of development activities, and we have got to make sure that we act together.

Specifically, this bill will protect the vital Okavango River Basin by strengthening coordination between the United States, Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, and leveraging partnerships with the private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and regional bodies; prioritizing wildlife trafficking to make sure that we stop these poaching programs that have really affected this particular area; promoting sustainable economic growth for local communities through responsible natural resource management; and, more importantly, helping to stop the extinction of these majestic animals, these elephants and other endangered species.

So it is important that we all work together as lawmakers in a bipartisan way and also partner with nations to build international political support for sustainable development while protecting the world's most sensitive ecosystems. In today's global community, it is crucial that we assist our international partners and make sure that we find a better way to protect our world.

In conclusion, I would say that we only have one world to live in. It is up to us to ensure that we promote sustainable development so our children and grandchildren have a better world to live in.

I want to thank the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, my colleagues, our co-chairs, and all of the Members on both sides that have worked so hard for this bipartisan support of this particular bill. So I thank my Members and colleagues for bringing this important matter to the U.S. Congress' attention, and I urge the support of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I first of all want to thank the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) for the great leadership that she has provided in the committee and in the House also.

I also want to thank my friend from Pennsylvania (Mr. Barletta) for his leadership and for the great service that he has provided the country here in the U.S. Congress.

This particular bill means a lot to my district. I also want to thank, before I forget, the members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for unanimous support of this particular bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2734, a bill which would designate the Federal courthouse located in my district at 1300 Victoria Street in Laredo, Texas, as the George P. Kazen Building and United States Courthouse.

Judge Kazen was born in Laredo, Texas, on February 29--a leap year-- in 1940. He received his law degree with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 1961. Shortly after graduation, he served a term as a brief attorney for the Texas Supreme Court and entered the United States Air Force as a JAG officer, where he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal also.

Judge Kazen would return back to the city of Laredo in 1965, where he practiced law until he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to become a United States district judge in 1979 for the Southern District of Texas.

During his many years of service in the courtroom, he was known as an honest, humble, and dedicated individual.

He was also among the most respected judges in the State and in the country, and consistently ruled with class and fairness, all while still making time to serve numerous civic organizations throughout south Texas.

Judge Kazen recently retired after almost 40 years of service on the bench.

I am pleased to have this opportunity to honor him and say that this is an outstanding individual and a very noble individual. Dedicating this Federal building and courthouse would serve as a reminder to all of us of this great man of character who served his community and his country for so many years.

Also, I want to convey my legislative intent for this bill that the central jury assembly room on the first floor of this courthouse be known as the Marcel C. Notzon II Jury Room.

Judge Notzon was born on August 24, 1935, in Laredo. His love for the law and justice spanned a legal career over 39 years, with almost a quarter century on the bench as the United States magistrate judge for the Southern District of Texas. Judge Kazen, the man whom this building will be named after, would call Judge Notzon the ``heart of the courthouse.''

Judge Notzon, who just recently passed away, will be most remembered as a portrait of a beloved and compassionate public servant and for a full life he served in accordance with the rule of law.

In particular, I want to thank Senator John Cornyn and Senator Cruz for helping to bring this bill to the floor in the Senate and successfully passing the Senate, and all my Texas colleagues, all 36 Members from Texas in the House, for also supporting this piece of legislation that would honor George P. Kazen throughout this earned gesture.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House to show their support for this bill to name the Federal courthouse located at 1300 Victoria Street in Laredo, Texas, as the George P. Kazen Federal Building and United States Courthouse.

I want to thank Ms. Titus and Mr. Barletta for their work and their support, and their staff also, and the committee.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding time to me, and I thank our ranking member, again, for trying to work together.

Again, I respectfully support H.R. 50, the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2017. This is an issue that I have been working on since the 1990s in the State legislature. In fact, I was the author of house bill 66 when the Democrats controlled the Governorship, the House, the Senate, and the State legislature. I was able to pass the first unfunded mandates bill in the State of Texas.

This particular issue in Congress started in 1995 under the Clinton administration. Again, with a Republican Congress working together, the Congress passed the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act in 1995.

This legislation was designed to prevent the Federal Government from imposing unfunded mandates on States and local governments, or private businesses, without policymakers or the public knowing the cost of such policies.

This legislation ensured public awareness of the financial burden of Federal mandates on small-business owners and on State and local governments. However, this unfunded mandates bill has not been amended since 1995, and some of those changes are necessary to preserve and improve the act's initial purpose.

This bill closes some of the loopholes by removing independent agency reporting exemptions, setting forth detailed assessment criteria, and allowing judicial review of agency assessments.

My district has a number of rural and underserved communities that need many resources. Imposing unfunded mandates on these kinds of communities makes life even more difficult for hardworking Americans to access basic needs, such as water infrastructure, sanitary water, and adequate living conditions.

Additionally, this bill requires that Federal agencies consult with the private sector when issuing regulations. What is wrong with consultation? Again, it allows recourse for companies, if agencies do not comply.

As a former small-business owner, I know the challenges of opening a business; the challenges of keeping a business open, including finding the resources and funds to get started; and how to keep a business running, especially on a tight budget.

Higher costs for these entrepreneurs make it more difficult for them to start and maintain a business, which means blunted economic growth for communities that need it the most, like the ones I represent in south Texas.

This bill restores and provides a framework to provide clarity to small business and local governments, and allows workers and entrepreneurs to freely pursue their dreams.

The bottom line is this: This bill will create more certainty for our Nation's businesses, including the small-business owners and the entrepreneurs who invest in the future, and allow more Americans to achieve the dream of business ownership.

I encourage my colleagues from both parties to support it.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairwoman Foxx for introducing this legislation and encourage both sides of the aisle to support it.

I understand this is a process. Hopefully, as we go along, after this bill passes, we will work this out in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, June 25, 2018, my flight from Texas to Washington, D.C., was delayed. As a result, I was unable to return in time to take Monday evening's first vote. However, I did arrive to vote on the second vote--H.R. 5783.

Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 289--H.R. 299.

Mr. Chair, I thank Chairwoman Granger and Ranking Member Visclosky for their bipartisan work in support of our Nation's military. I also thank the staff on both sides of the aisle because they have worked very hard to put this very important bill together.

Mr. Chair, first I would like to highlight that this bill provides over $606 billion to rebuild our Armed Forces, including $338 billion to restore critical military readiness programs. This is a significant investment in the men and women who sacrifice so much to keep us safe.

This bill also includes a 2.6 percent pay raise for our military families, the largest in 9 years, which is the least we can do to show our gratitude for their service to our country.

There are other investments, and let me just highlight a couple of them.

There is $40 million for military impact aid, which enables schools to provide specialized counseling programs to meet the unique needs of our military children.

There is also an additional $10 million to fund programs aimed at supporting military families that have children with severe disabilities.

There is also $203 million for the National Guard Counterdrug Program, which allows units to conduct more counterdrug operations and training exercises, which, again, will help us reduce the illegal drugs coming into our country.

It also calls for research for rare cancers within the Department of Defense to help us better understand the unique exposure to cancer- causing elements impacting our servicemembers.

One more thing that I would like to highlight is that it calls on the Department of Defense to partner with Hispanic-Serving Institutions in many specialties, especially foreign language programs and aircraft pilot programs. These types of partnerships will provide diversity.

Again, there are a lot of other benefits. I want to say to both sides: A job well done. Keep working together. Let's make this bipartisan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate KXTN 107.5 radio station of San Antonio, Texas.

Tejano music leader, KXTN 107.5, is celebrating a significant milestone this year as 2018 marks its 30th broadcasting anniversary. In an effort to commemorate this achievement, the station has teamed up with over 30 artists and bands for a two-day music festival.

Founded on the principle of giving back, KXTN 107.5 has been a leader in many community service initiatives over the years. This includes raising over $1.4 million dollars for the San Antonio Children's Miracle Network, over $1 million dollars for the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and blood donation drives for the South Texas Blood & Tissue Center.

KXTN 107.5 has worked to provide listeners with a taste of Hispanic culture and values through its broadcast. The station represents the standard of broadcasting with their unyielding commitment to their listeners.

For these reasons and more, the staff and support team of KXTN 107.5 is recognized for their hard work and leadership over the years.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize KXTN 107.5.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Chairman Thornberry and Ranking Member Mr. Smith, and I rise in support of this legislation, and in particular, in support of amendment No. 202 offered by myself and Mr. Castro and Mr. Doggett.

This amendment requires the Air Force to conduct a core sampling study at Lackland Air Force Base to determine potential hazardous substances along the route of a wastewater pipeline replacement project.

Project negotiations are being held up because the proposed route transects two very old landfills whose contents are unknown. Soil sampling to identify potential contaminants along the construction site will allow this project to move forward.

Replacing this crumbling pipeline is critical to avoid continual wastewater spills, which impact the environmental health and well-being of both the military base and the residents of San Antonio.

I urge all of my colleagues to support this amendment, the legislation, this en bloc amendment to bring wastewater services to over 500,000 residents in San Antonio, a rapidly growing southwest community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the career and service of Roberta S. Jacobson, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

Ambassador Jacobson represented the best interests of the United States and showed exceptional poise while dealing with a variety of complex issues as a diplomat. I personally want to thank her for her years of strong leadership, dedication to service, and unyielding commitment to improving relations with Mexico. I would also like to recognize her for being outspoken on countless issues including violence against women, human rights, and journalist safety.

Ambassador Jacobson served in a variety of important roles throughout her career, including Director of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru, Director of the Office of Mexican Affairs, and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Canada, Mexico, and NAFTA issues in the Bureau. She would soon serve as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs where she is noted for leading the U.S. delegation in historic talks with the government of Cuba to normalize relations. Eventually she would be confirmed and sworn in as the first female U.S. ambassador to Mexico.

She received a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and received her Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She would then go on to a long and successful career in the service of our country.

In addition to her diplomatic work, she is the author of several articles including ``The Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women'' in the United Nations and Human Rights and ``Liberation Theology as a Revolutionary Ideology.''

For these reasons and more, Ambassador Jacobson will be remembered for her work and leadership, for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize the career of Ambassador Jacobson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and service of Mr. Peter Lizcano, a lifetime educator who dedicated his career to the advancement of education in Laredo, Texas. Mr. Lizcano passed away after serving his community for many years.

Mr. Lizcano affected the lives of many young Laredoans during his years working for the Laredo Independent School District (LISD). He served in a variety of roles during his employment, including as a coach and principal. He eventually became assistant superintendent, serving in this office until his retirement. During his tenure, Mr. Lizcano was instrumental in enacting a program that encouraged students who had dropped out of school to return to their educational pursuits.

In addition to Mr. Lizcano's countless contributions to LISD, he was actively involved with the League of United Latin American Citizens Council (LULAC) No. 12. As a LULAC member, Mr. Lizcano helped to initiate several projects, such as the Senor Internacional and Tejano Achievers, to increase scholarship opportunities for students.

Our communities rely on public servants like Mr. Lizcano to inspire and encourage young people to be their very best. His commitment to education has helped build a strong foundation in Laredo, and his legacy will be felt for many generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to honor Mr. Peter Lizcano for his contributions to education in South Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Mr. Billy Leo, an outstanding public servant of La Joya, Texas.

Mr. Leo was born on May 24, 1947 in Laredo, Texas, but lived most of his life as a resident of La Joya, Texas. Mr. Leo led a busy career in public service, first as a member of the La Joya ISD school board, where he would serve as President in 1975 and 1979. Thereafter, he followed the path of his late father by being elected Mayor of La Joya in 1981. He served in this office until 1986, when he became the Hidalgo Country Clerk until 1994. During this time, he also worked as a delegate to the Democratic National Committee. He took up the role of Mayor of La Joya again from 2003 to 2011.

Through his unwavering service to the Democratic Party, citizens and politicians alike began to fondly refer to Leo as ``Mr. Democrat.'' Leo worked tirelessly to bring prosperity and progress to his home community. In 2012, Leo was honored by the Hidalgo County Commissioners court for his service. Mr. Leo was also a dear friend of former Texas Governor Ann Richards. He received the Ann Richards Award in 2014 for his work as part of the Democratic Party.

Mr. Leo is noted as once saying, ``I worked hard and cared for my city. That's all I want to be remembered for. I was here and I think this is the best city there is.''

Mr. Leo is survived by his wife, Dr. Filomena Leo; his daughter and son-in-law, Noralisa Leo and Eduardo Herranz of Arlington, VA, his son Michael Leo of Palmview, TX, his daughter Lita Leo of La Joya, TX, his son and daughter-in-law Billy Leo Jr. & Anne Leo of Cedar Park, TX, and daughter Letty Leo of Cedar Park, TX; 5 grandchildren; He is also survived by brothers James Leo (Lydia) of Mission, TX; Henry Leo of La Joya, TX; Leo J. Leo Jr. (Martha) of Mission, TX; and sister Nellie Leo of La Joya, TX.

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to have the opportunity to recognize Mr. Billy Leo.

Mr. Chairman, again, overall, I want to thank Chairman Shuster and the ranking member for bringing the FAA bill in. But I also support the Denham-Costa amendment because, again, it is a narrow fix on this, and it is only dealing with the interstate itself.

Again, this is a bill that we want to provide some sort of uniformity on. And that is all we are asking for is uniformity. If it crosses State lines, we are asking for that type of uniformity. Again, in the industry, those drivers cross State lines multiple times per day.

So I would ask that you support the Denham-Costa amendment.