Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as the first quadriplegic elected to Congress, I am here today not just as a Member of Congress, but as someone here with a disability--and, I hope, providing a voice for so many in our country who also have disabilities--to give my perspective on H.R. 620, the misnamed ADA Education and Reform Act.

Mr. Speaker, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed nearly 30 years ago as an enduring promise to an entire population of Americans that discrimination on the basis of disability, including access to public accommodations, will not be tolerated.

Now there have been decades for people and organizations to understand and implement provisions of the ADA. And for those who are just learning about the ADA or who need a refresher on the law, there are many free resources that provide information and technical assistance.

The ADA provides a lifeline to so many who need access to classrooms, restrooms, businesses, restaurants, transit, and so much more. I recognize that there are some individuals who are unfairly targeted in States that have failed to protect against things like these ``drive-by lawsuits.''

But the root of the problem is not the ADA; it is the unscrupulous lawyers who take advantage of State laws that go beyond the Federal law to permit monetary damages. Now, the ADA does not allow people to sue for compensatory or punitive damages, only injunctive relief, meaning that they solve the problem.

H.R. 620 does nothing to address the problem happening at the State level, nor does it target immoral lawyers. Instead, it sacrifices the rights of millions by reducing the impact and protections of the ADA which so many have come to depend on. It does so by creating a ``notice and cure'' regime, as it is called, that will create an obvious disincentive for ADA compliance.

The idea that addressing architectural barriers with a written notice that gives 60 days to acknowledge receipt of a complaint and then 120 days to demonstrate ``substantial progress'' in the removal of an obstruction ignores the tenets of the ADA that support an indisputable right to inclusion and respect; and it tells people with disabilities that we are not worthy of inclusion until someone is caught, and even then, a remedy is not guaranteed.

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that the Rules Committee chose to make in order the bipartisan amendment that I will offer with my colleague and co-chair of the Bipartisan Disabilities Caucus, Representative Gregg Harper; but, to be frank, this bill should never have been reported out of the Judiciary Committee in the first place, much less to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 620 is a blunt tool that wrongfully impedes the right of people with disabilities. If H.R. 620 passes with any kind of notice and cure period, we will return to the days when discrimination was commonplace, and it will be because elected officials voted to remove civil rights instead of protecting them.

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the bipartisan Career and Technical Education Caucus, I rise in recognition of National CTE Month.

CTE programs train students of all ages for jobs in high-skill, high- demand, and high-paying fields. By establishing partnerships between educators and industry leaders, CTE helps build a well-educated and skilled workforce ready to meet local business needs.

In Rhode Island, the Westerly Education Center, by way of example, collaborates with Electric Boat to train pipefitting students like Stephanie and Richard to build our Nation's next generation submarines.

The Genesis Center partners with CVS, Building Futures, and Apprenticeship Rhode Island to train workers, including Kathia, Jidma, and Lim, to become pharmacy technicians. Cindy was recently offered a job by CVS soon after she finished an apprenticeship.

CTE is good for students, businesses, the Rhode Island economy, and economies everywhere because it narrows that gap between what we are teaching in schools and what the needs of businesses really are.

I am proud to introduce a resolution celebrating CTE Month with my friend, colleague, and caucus co-chair, Representative G.T. Thompson.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join us in cosponsoring H. Res. 730.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 64.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the extraordinary career of Stephen Alfred of South Kingstown, whose time as Town Manager will soon come to a close after more than forty remarkable years of service. Mr. Alfred's sense of leadership, dedication to community, and perseverance are just a few of the reasons we will miss him upon his retirement.

Alfred quickly found his way into public service after earning his bachelor's degree from Providence College in 1974. While pursuing his graduate degree from the University of Rhode Island the following year, he interned at South Kingstown Town Hall where he began working full time after concluding his studies. In 1976, at age twenty-four, he became acting Town Manager--a position made permanent the following year.

Alfred's tenure has spanned an impressive twenty-one Town Councils, and he has overseen South Kingstown's growth from a town of 16,000 to one of more than 30,000 residents . Through the years, he has earned the immense respect and admiration of his

colleagues and fellow citizens while focusing on fostering and maintaining a sense of community. He will retire as the longest-serving town manager or administrator in the state, which is a well-deserved reflection of his dedication to public service.

I join the residents of South Kingstown and the entire state of Rhode Island in expressing deep gratitude for Mr. Alfred's contributions, and I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Cyber Diplomacy Act and efforts to increase international cooperation and promote global stability in cyberspace.

As the cofounder and co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, I firmly believe that cybersecurity is the national and economic security challenge of the 21st century, and we must integrate cyberspace into our foreign

policy if we are to successfully mitigate the many threats that we face in this new domain.

Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recognized this when she created the Office of the Cyber Coordinator within the State Department in 2011, and her successor, Secretary John Kerry, continued American leadership in cyber diplomacy.

I had the privilege of working with the inaugural cyber coordinator, Chris Painter, and we are deeply indebted for his 6 years of service in that role. I cannot remember a meeting I had with a cybersecurity expert from a foreign government where his name did not come up as someone who is actively promoting American interest in a free, open, and secure internet.

I am deeply grateful for the leadership of Chairman Royce and Ranking Member Engel in recognizing the importance of this role and bringing this bill forward to codify and expand it.

This effort is particularly timely as, since Mr. Painter left, there has been some confusion about whether the position would even be filled or if the office would be reorganized under the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs. It is my goal to see that that does not happen and that this bill prevails. That position deeply needs to be in the State Department, where we can show American leadership on a diplomatic front in cyber.

As a Member who serves on two national security committees, I must emphasize that cybersecurity is not just an economic issue, and this bill appropriately recognizes the broad scope of cyber diplomacy.

Mr. Speaker, every armed conflict going forward in the world today has--and all future conflicts will have--a cyber component. We have seen our cyber adversaries like Russia use cyber tools as instruments of statecraft, including efforts to undermine faith in the bedrock of our democracy, our elections.

We must engage bilaterally and multilaterally with our international partners and even our adversaries in order to protect our interests and allow us to continue to reap the benefits of a connected society.

The lack of policies, norms, and precedents in this new sphere of state interaction continues to increase the potential for a cyber incident to lead to escalating conflict. It is up to the hardworking and, sadly, underappreciated members of our foreign service to change this paradigm and encourage generally stabilizing rules of the road in cyberspace, and this bill will ensure they have the leadership structure to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, let me again thank the chairman and ranking member for their extraordinary work on this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of National Mentoring Month and in recognition of the great contributions that mentors make to young people and to communities across the country.

Every young person deserves and needs a mentor, someone with experience and perspective to help them overcome challenges and navigate uncertainties. I would not be here today without the guidance that I received from my mentors, including Supreme Court Justice and former Mayor Frank Flaherty, former Mayor Joe Walsh, the late State Senator Eleanor Slater, and the late Senator Claiborne Pell.

Mentorships like these can be life-changing, and I applaud organizations like MENTOR Rhode Island, which pairs mentors with at- risk youth. Vulnerable young people with mentors are more likely to maintain better attendance and positive attitudes toward school, and they are 55 percent more likely to go to college than their peers.

Mr. Speaker, it is with deep appreciation for my mentors and the power of mentoring that I recognize January as National Mentoring Month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great Rhode Island public servant, educator, and dear friend, my predecessor, Congressman Robert Weygand.

During his time in government, Bob served as a Rhode Island State legislator from 1985 to 1993, Lieutenant Governor from 1993 to 1997, and United States Representative for the Second Congressional District of Rhode Island from 1997 to 2001.

Bob has always fought passionately for the people of the State of Rhode Island, and in the decades since, he has shared his wealth of knowledge with the students at the University of Rhode Island, dedicating himself to preparing the next generation of leaders.

As he retires from that position, I want to say that Bob served for the right reasons: to make a positive difference in his community and improve the lives of the people around him.

I am proud to call him my predecessor in the Halls of Congress, my dear friend and mentor to this day, and I happily congratulate him on his retirement from URI.

I know that, in one way or another, Bob will continue to serve his community as he always has: with integrity, passion, and wisdom.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, today we are debating the final version of the Republican tax bill, which I cannot support.

This bill was flawed from the start. First of all, it was never deficit neutral and there was never a bipartisan negotiation. This is a Republican-only bill, and it was developed without any input at all from Democrats because they never sought our input at all.

My Republican colleagues say they would like to jump-start the economy. Well, we can do just that by providing more tax cuts to working class families whose paychecks are already stretched far too thin and who would reinvest that money in the local economy.

Instead, this bill provides them with crumbs, and temporary crumbs at that.

Under this plan, corporate cuts, though, will be permanent. With this bill, we will see an entirely different, more expensive, individual Tax Code in 2025, when the middle class tax cuts expire.

This bill also balloons the national debt, make no mistake about it. It repeals a critical healthcare provision that will result in 13 million Americans becoming uninsured.

Now, these days, I hear a lot about accountability and encouraging competitiveness for the American worker, which I support. But this bill, with its novel loopholes and flawed trickle-down philosophy, does neither. It is a wasted opportunity.

I believe that it is not too late, but the way this bill is written, I cannot support it. This was written for corporations and the wealthy 1 percent in this country. It was not written for a strong middle class. We can do better.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Madam Speaker, I'd like like to thank the gentlelady from Connecticut for organizing this special order and for her commitment to honoring the victims of the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.

I rise to join her in remembrance and to call on my colleagues to take immediate action to end gun violence across our nation.

The horrific shooting spree in Newtown, Connecticut, five years ago shocked us all. Twenty innocent children and six brave educators fell victim to unspeakable violence--the work of a deeply disturbed young man armed with a semiautomatic rifle and two handguns.

More than ever, it revealed the desperate need to reform our gun laws.

But five years later, we have nothing to show for it but more mass shootings--more innocent lives lost. We have made no meaningful progress, and we have not passed any commonsense legislation, like banning high-capacity magazines, which the Sandy Hook shooter used.

It is far past time to enact laws to strengthen our background check system, closing loopholes that allow unlicensed gun dealers to sell firearms to Americans without background checks at gun shows and over the internet, putting us all at risk.

Instead, my Republican colleagues continue to try to weaken gun safety laws by passing legislation like the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would override state law and allow domestic abusers, teenagers, and people untrained in gun safety to carry concealed weapons freely across the nation.

Moreover, they block federal funds from being used to even research gun violence, for fear it will be used to ``advocate gun control.''

This is simply unacceptable and morally irresponsible. As members of Congress, it is our duty to pass laws to make our communities safer. The only way to respond to mass shootings like the one at Sandy Hook Elementary is to take action that will prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.

Since 2012, more than 170,000 other lives have been ended by gun violence, more than 170,000 families devastated. The gun violence epidemic continues to plague our nation, and we must act now to stop it.

Mr. Speaker, let me begin by thanking Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson for their dedication to improving our cybersecurity posture. Since the Chairman and I founded the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus together nearly a decade ago, I have come to firmly believe that cybersecurity is the national and economic security challenge of the 21st Century, and both Congress and the executive branch must take steps to recognize and mitigate the risks we face in our hyper-connected society. Thanks to the leadership of the Chairman and Ranking Member, the Committee on Homeland Security has consistently been at the forefront on these issues, and while much remains to be done, we are worlds away from when I originally took the cyber subcommittee gavel in 2007. The bill we have before us today is a testament to those efforts, and I strongly support this latest iteration of CISA to reorganize the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) and enhance the capabilities and the profile of DHS's cybersecurity activities.

As one of its core missions, DHS is charged with helping Federal agencies and critical infrastructure owners and operators secure themselves against physical and cyber attacks. For the past decade, that mission has been carried out by NPPD, a small headquarters component of the Department. Since its establishment, NPPD's role in defending the nation and the .gov domain from cyber intrusions has grown in concert with the increasing threat to our networks.

It's a growth that the Committee--and the Congress as a whole--has recognized and encouraged, with the passage of laws including the National Cybersecurity Protection Act of 2014, which authorized the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, and the Cybersecurity Act of 2015, which made NPPD the federal government's primary hub for cyber threat indicator sharing. Today, NPPD is home to two of the premiere computer security incident response teams in the world and has been recognized as the whole-of-government asset response lead in the National Cyber Incident Response Plan. It also continues to lead efforts in protecting federal networks through the Federal Network Resilience Division, which assists other agencies with risk management, guides enterprise security policy, and implements programs like Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation and EINSTEIN.

NPPD is clearly acting in an operational capacity today, but despite this fact, Congress has not yet elevated NPPD's standing to be commensurate with these added responsibilities. H.R. 3359 acknowledges the evolution of the component by transforming NPPD into an operational agency on par with TSA or Customs and Border Protection. As part of the reorganization, NPPD will be renamed the ``Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency,'' or CISA, to accurately reflect its role.

This restructuring was the top legislative priority of DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson before he left office, and I am grateful that Secretary Kelly took up the mantle in the new Administration.

Bringing clarity with the new agency structure also stands to benefit the many cyber defenders working tirelessly at the Department to keep us safe. I have often said that all of the risk mitigation policies and intrusion detection systems in the world are nothing without a skilled workforce. Congress and the Department have been working jointly to reduce the shortage of cybersecurity analysts at NPPD, and it is my hope that an empowered Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will be able to compete for the best cyber talent. After all, what mission is more exciting than protecting your fellow Americans from the canniest of adversaries attempting to do us harm in this new domain? I hope that all of the young people considering a career in this emerging field--young people like the brilliant CyberCorps students I enjoy speaking with--will look at Congress's support for DHS's cybersecurity work and jump at the opportunity to be in the vanguard at this new agency.

Mr. Speaker, I also want to speak about the important clarity H.R. 3359 brings to a broader policy debate that has been kicking around Washington, DC, for some time now.

I serve on the House Armed Services Committee, where I am privileged to act as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. In this role, I oversee United States Cyber Command, and I have the utmost respect for the service members in uniform defending our country in the digital domain. I have also had the privilege to serve on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where I heard weekly about the all-too-often unsung heroes of our Intelligence Community and their efforts to protect our national interests in cyberspace.

I say this, Mr. Speaker, because I want to be clear that I have a deep understanding of and appreciation for our military and intelligence services' cybersecurity prowess.

But I also believe that the powers and authorities of those entities are rightly constrained when it comes to domestic activities. Protecting our domestic cyber assets in peacetime needs to be the responsibility of a civilian organization, and that organization is the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency created under this bill. We saw this debate play out during consideration of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015, where it was also decided in favor of a civilian hub, the NCCIC that is at the heart of NPPD. I hope passage of H.R. 3359 will help move the debate on from where authorities should be housed and instead focus on the operationalization of said authorities.

Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned at the outset, this bill owes its existence to the collaborative efforts of Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson. But it also reflects the bipartisan spirit of two of my good friends who head the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, Mr. Ratcliffe and Mr. Richmond. And, like any effort of this body, it owes a great deal to the staff who work tirelessly behind the scenes supporting our efforts. In particular, I would like to Kirsten Duncan and Moira Bergin, the Majority and Minority staff directors for the Cyber Subcommittee for helping to get this bill to the Floor. And I would also like to thank their predecessors, Brett DeWitt and Chris Schepis, for laying the groundwork for its consideration this Congress.

This bill is important. It's bipartisan. And it's overdue. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this important measure, and I hope the Senate moves swiftly to pass it through their Chamber.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this evening, the House passed H.R. 3359, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act, and I would like to commend Homeland Security Committee Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson for their efforts getting it through the House, along with my colleagues on the Homeland Security Committee.

This bipartisan bill makes long overdue changes to the organization of the National Protection and Programs Directorate, or NPPD, to reflect its growing operational role in cybersecurity. Despite it being notionally a headquarters component, NPPD is home to the government's premier cyber incident response teams; the 24/7 watch floor and information sharing hub; and the Federal Network Resilience Division, tasked with supporting other agencies in defending their networks. NPPD is also charged with leading asset response activities under the National Cyber Incident Response Plan.

H.R. 3359 recognizes that these activities go far beyond NPPD's original mission and raises the renamed component to an agency on par with Customs and Border Protection or the TSA.

Mr. Speaker, I hope the bill makes crystal clear that DHS is the primary agency for domestic cybersecurity in peacetime, and I encourage young people looking at cybersecurity careers to consider joining the vanguard at this new agency. I look forward to its swift passage and consideration in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 38, which unconscionably combines a needed reform to improve background checks

with a wholesale abandonment of sanity with respect to gun permitting.

The Fix NICS Act would improve notifications about criminal activity for background checks, which I strongly support. A system, by the way, that tragically failed prior to the Sutherland Springs shooting.

Unfortunately, this reform is tied to the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would endanger millions of Americans and undermine well- established State laws with respect to concealed carry.

My home State of Rhode Island has strong, sensible procedures for getting a concealed carry permit. In Rhode Island, you must be at least 21 years old, trained in gun safety, and must have just cause to carry a concealed weapon. Domestic abusers are not eligible.

H.R. 38 would override these commonsense laws, putting our residents at risk. It would allow anyone denied a permit in Rhode Island to permit shop in States with weaker laws, and it would allow residents of States with weaker requirements to carry freely in our neighborhoods.

Mr. Speaker, gun violence is an epidemic in this country. We should not be taking steps to put more guns on our streets. I urge my colleagues to heed the warnings of law enforcement officers and reject this dangerous bill.

Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about the importance of preserving net neutrality.

As many of my colleagues are aware, cybersecurity is a top priority of mine, as I believe it is the national and economy security challenge of the 21st century.

As co-chair of the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, I have fought for years to help reduce security risks while preserving the amazing benefits of an open interoperable internet.

But the internet was not designed with security in mind, so I haven't been surprised by the work needed to better protect our networks and data.

But the internet was designed to be free and open. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I have been stunned by the Federal Communication Commission's recent proposal to end net neutrality and allow a small group of large companies to control what we see online. This is absolutely outrageous.

I have heard from countless constituents back home in Rhode Island about this misguided effort, and I join them in calling for the FCC to reject it.

Mr. Speaker, we do need to better protect ourselves on the internet, but we better make sure there is still a free and open internet to protect.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of National Family Caregivers Month. Caregivers are our Nation's hidden heroes. They foster family stability and help those with chronic and disabling conditions avoid costly out-of-home placements. In fact, family caregivers are very often the difference between costly institutional care or staying in their home.

Family caregivers not only deserve our respect and gratitude, but also respite from the physical and emotional toll of ensuring their loved ones receive the care that they need. But if the caregivers themselves aren't taking care of their own needs, they are not going to be very effective at taking care of their loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, almost 44 million Americans are providing over $470 billion in uncompensated care each year, if we had to put a dollar figure on it. These caregivers are our grandparents, parents, spouses, siblings, children, and

even our grandchildren. They are often the lifeline to accessible, quality care at home.

We in Congress need to do our part to support these heroes by passing the Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act, which my good friend Representative Gregg Harper and I have introduced. It is the least that we can do in appreciation of the sacrifice these family caregivers make each and every day.

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize Lieutenant Colonel Michael Manning of the United States Army for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to our Nation. Colonel Manning will soon transition from his current assignment as the Rhode Island Army National Guard Liaison to serve as the Battalion Commander of the Guard's Recruiting and Retention Battalion.

Colonel Manning began his military career as Distinguished Military Graduate of Providence College's ROTC Class of 1997. He then deployed to the Republic of Germany with the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division.

He subsequently deployed to Kosovo in support of Operation Joint Guardian II as a Brigade Reconnaissance Troop Leader for Task Force Falcon. In 2002, after joining the Rhode Island Army National Guard, he was appointed Commander of the 173rd Infantry Detachment Long Range Surveillance, which was mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III in 2004. He again deployed, this time with Special Operations Detachment Global, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Caribbean and Central America in 2008, where he served as the Deputy Chief for the Regional Engagement Branch.

He then graduated with distinction from the College of Naval Command and Staff at the U.S. Naval War College with a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies before once again deploying with Special Operations Detachment Global, serving with the Senior Special Operations to the Afghan Ministry of Defense. Having served as an Assistant Professor of Military Science at Providence College and as a State Partnership Program Coordinator, he continues to impart his wisdom to those around him as the current Secretary of the General Staff.

As the primary liaison between the Rhode Island Congressional delegation and the Rhode Island Army National Guard, Colonel Manning has provided me and my staff with the ability to better comprehend and appreciate the National Guard and its unique mission set both at home in the Ocean State and in Washington, D.C., his first-hand knowledge of the military, its culture, and its traditions has been of tremendous benefit.

Throughout my time working with Colonel Manning, I found him to be a thoughtful, intelligent, and dedicated Soldier in the best traditions of those called to serve from the great state of Rhode Island, and his future is extremely bright.

Mr. Speaker, it has been a pleasure to work with Colonel Manning during his time as a National Guard Liaison in Rhode Island. On behalf of a grateful Nation, it is my honor to recognize the selfless service and sacrifice of Lieutenant Colonel Michael Manning, his wife, Meg, and their children, Michael, Jack, and Shannon. I wish them the very best as they continue their journey in the United States Army National Guard and thank them for dedicating their lives to the service of our Nation.