Floor Statements

Madam Chair, this amendment considered en bloc would provide the Department of Defense the flexibility to train and equip wildlife reserve rangers to help combat illicit poaching across the African continent. Poaching and wildlife trafficking are not only a matter of conservation but a matter of international security.

As the ranking member of the Africa Subcommittee, I'm deeply troubled by the damaging impact poaching has on the economic stability of African nations. During my travels, African heads of state and ambassadors have expressed that poaching erodes the tourism industry, public safety, and regional security.

Various newspapers have reported that poaching and wildlife traffickers are more dangerous and militarized than ever before, with armed militias like Kony's Lord's Resistance Army and al Qaeda affiliates fueling conflicts with the profits from poached ivory and other animal products.

The Department of Defense can play a leading role in helping to provide the training required to protect wildlife and put an end to regional conflicts and instability fueled by poaching. Training in reconnaissance, apprehension, and effective field communication will better prepare park rangers.

I look forward to working with the chairman and ranking member.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks in strong opposition to the farm bill rule and the underlying bill because it contributes to hunger in America.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to introduce a straightforward and narrow amendment that restricts Federal resources from supporting hydraulic fracturing in the Baldwin Hills/Inglewood Oil Field, the largest urban oilfield in the United States.

The urban location of the Inglewood Oil Field, as well as the area's susceptibility to earthquakes, requires unique health and safety considerations and precautions. The Inglewood Oil Field is nearly 90 years old, a 1,000-acre oilfield with over 350 oil wells in the center of Los Angeles. It is surrounded by thousands of homes, schools, and parks. In fact, 300,000 residents of Los Angeles, Baldwin Hills, Ladera Heights, Culver City, and Inglewood live and work directly around the field. Additionally, the oilfield borders the Kenny Hahn State Recreation Area, a park that welcomes thousands of families and visitors each year. Not only is the area around the Inglewood Oil Field densely populated; it also sits on the Newport-Inglewood fault, making it very vulnerable to severe earthquakes.

Clearly, the urban landscape and history of seismic activity in this area necessitates stringent health and safety reviews prior to any new oil and gas extraction. However, hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is occurring in the Inglewood Oil Field without proper regulation or even a comprehensive study of its safety and impact.

During my time in the California State Assembly, and since coming to Congress, I have heard numerous times directly from my constituents that they are fearful about the environmental health and seismic effects of fracturing in the Inglewood Oil Field and the impact it will have on their families and communities. They have discussed with me several concerns about fracking in the oilfield, like the impact on ground and drinking water safety, toxic chemical dispersion into the soil and air, and disruption of the Newport-Inglewood fault, which could lead to major earthquakes or landslides.

In fact, environmental conservation and health community leaders, like Lark Galloway Gilliam, Jim Lamm, and Mary Anne Greene, a member of the Community Advisory Council, have continually advocated for increased assessment and regulation of fracking in the Inglewood Oil Field.

In addition, Tom Camarella from Culver City has also expressed these concerns, and I believe these concerns are justified.

The people of Los Angeles and Culver City are entitled to an extensive long-term and transparent assessment of fracking operations at the oilfields. Ensuring the health and safety of our constituents should be a top priority.

That is why I rise today to offer this amendment, which will ensure that no Federal funds in this bill will be used to implement, administer, or enforce fracking in the Inglewood Oil Field for the coming fiscal year. This is a small step in the greater fracking debate, but I am proud to amplify the concerns of my community with this amendment.

I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my request for a recorded vote on my amendment to the end that the amendment stand disposed of by the voice vote taken on the amendment.

Offered By: Ms. Bass

Amendment No. 29: At the end of the bill (before the short

title), insert the following:

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize and celebrate the new ABC Family television drama--The Fosters. In its inaugural season, the new show highlights the strength, resiliency, and tenacity of foster youth and families in a compelling format.

Throughout the United States, over 408,000 children have been removed from their families and currently live in foster care. Over 107,000 youth are eligible for and are awaiting adoption. Additionally, more than 27,900 youth ``age out'' of foster care without a legal permanent connection to an adult or family. The primary goal of the foster care system is to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children while working to provide a safe, loving, and permanent home for each child.

The Fosters television series brings these statistics and facts to life by providing millions of people throughout the country with a powerful glimpse into the challenging reality facing foster families. By courageously depicting difficult topics like domestic violence, family separation, school instability, and mental health diagnoses, The Fosters creators help to inform the American public about the difficulties and repercussions of child abuse, neglect, and trauma.

At the same time, the show artfully portrays the love, courage, and dedication of the broad foster care community, including foster youth and parents, child welfare caseworkers and staff, biological families, and community volunteers. The Fosters series helps to highlight the simple fact that loving families help children thrive. The show has the potential to inspire people throughout the country to become foster parents, adoptive parents, mentors, advocates, and volunteers.

As the Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth, I commend creators Bradley Bredeweg and Peter Paige, Executive Producers Jennifer Lopez, Joanna Johnson, Elaine Goldsmith Thomas, Benny Medina and Greg Gugliotta, as well as the entire cast, crew, and production team for their dedication to creating a better future for our Nation's foster youth and families.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment modernizes and makes critical reforms to the U.S. Food for Peace program.

While this amendment will feed millions more people, it importantly ends policies that have depressed local markets and, in some instances, hurt, rather than helped, those in need.

In Africa, where we see food emergencies in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, creating greater flexibility to purchase food commodities from local and regional farmers will strengthen local markets and ensure African nations are less reliant on U.S. foreign aid.

Too often, we Americans see Africa as a land of crisis. This amendment shifts this outlook and will show that Africans, themselves, can and will play a critical role in addressing hunger and malnutrition. This amendment saves money and assists countries to be self-sufficient.

Let's put an end to backward policies that are harmful to local markets and allow the continent of Africa and many other nations-- Africa, with six of the fastest growing economies in the world--to help solve local food emergencies.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

First and foremost, let me say that my heart goes out to all of those in Oklahoma who experienced a terrible tragedy yesterday, and I know I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that they get everything that they need to recover.

On another note, I rise today to celebrate the second annual Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day. Today, we are joined in the Halls of the U.S. Capitol by over 50 foster youth and alumni from across the country. They've been paired with Members of Congress as job shadows to get a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the House of Representatives. The young leaders will attend hearings, join meetings, and participate in media interviews.

As we welcome these young leaders and recognize National Foster Care Month throughout the month of May, we are reminded that foster youth far too often experience traumatic incidences of abuse and neglect and are separated from their homes and siblings. Yet, even in the face of these challenges, the resiliency of foster youth remains strong.

The young foster youth here today are no different. They were selected to participate in Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Day based on their leadership and commitment to improving the lives of foster youth and families across the Nation.

Today, I'm honored to recognize and celebrate an incredible young woman with whom I have the privilege of sharing my morning. Marcelina Valenzuela is 24 years old and grew up in Los Angeles. She spent 7 years in the California foster care system. She entered foster care at birth due to drug addiction of her mother. She left foster care at age 4 only to return at age 15 because of ongoing neglect and abuse. Like far too many foster youth, she struggled with her education, sibling separation, and mental health because of the constant moving and upheaval while in foster care. Yet she was able to overcome these obstacles.

Now Marcelina actively works with organizations such as FosterClub, the National Foster Youth Action Network, and Foster Care Alumni of America to improve and reform the foster care system so that younger generations may not have to repeat the struggles and challenges that she faced.

Today, Marcelina has custody of her two younger sisters, ages 14 and 16. She's only 24. Her ultimate goal is to finish school and then build a career around improving the foster care system. In fact, she hopes to open up her own nonprofit that focuses on helping youth coming out of the juvenile justice system.

In honor of Marcelina's courage and tenacity, let us commit to doing what we can to ensure that 400,000-plus foster youth across the country have the opportunities, love, and families they deserve. As a first step, I invite my colleagues to join the Congressional Caucus on Foster Youth and to cosponsor the bipartisan resolution in recognition of May as National Foster Care Month.

I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the Record opposing the indefensible Mother's Day gift--more work and less pay for working moms. Happy Mother's Day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Health IT Modernization for Underserved Communities Act, legislation that would amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HI TECH) Act to extend Electronic Health Record (EHR) Medicaid incentive payments to all physician assistants (PAs) whose patient volume includes at least 30 percent Medicaid and other financially needy beneficiaries.

The HITECH Act currently offers the incentive payments to physicians and nurse practitioners who provide primary care to the requisite 30 percent threshold of Medicaid recipients, but limits the EHR incentive payments to care provided by PAs in ``PA-led'' rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers.

Enhanced, quality patient care is the goal of electronic health records, and patients are the ultimate beneficiaries of this legislation. The current HITECH limitation on Medicaid EHR limits the development of EHR systems for Medicaid beneficiaries who are served by PAs. This legislation extends additional support to community health centers and other medical practices in which PAs provide care to a high volume of Medicaid patients.

I have firsthand knowledge of the key role of the Physician Assistant profession and the role the profession serves in bringing primary medical care to rural and other medically underserved communities. Before I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and before I served in the California Assembly, I was a Physician Assistant, and I know that the PA profession adds tremendous value to our health care system. PAs provide quality, team-based, patient-centered medical care and extend the reach of medicine throughout the U.S. It is a cost- efficient approach to providing needed medical care.

There are over 90,000 practicing PAs in the U.S. today. PAs are one of three health care professionals providing primary medical care in the U.S. Although PAs practice in virtually all medical specialties, primary care is the largest area of specialty practice for PAs.

The PA profession is uniquely flexible in adapting and responding to the evolving needs of the U.S. health care system by virtue of comprehensive educational programs that prepare PAs for a career in general medicine and a team-based approach to providing patient- centered medical care.

I am pleased to introduce this important legislation and ask my colleagues to join me in supporting the Health IT Modernization for Underserved Communities Act.

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

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to join Chairman Goodlatte in supporting

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

Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to join Chairman Goodlatte in supporting H.R. 1068, as amended.

Chairman Goodlatte and Ranking Member Conyers introduced this commonsense, noncontroversial bill that enjoys strong bipartisan support.

This legislation was drafted by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel as part of its ongoing statutory responsibility to prepare and submit to the Judiciary Committee a complete compilation, restatement, and revision of the general and permanent laws of the United States.

H.R. 1068 concerns the National Park System, which is managed by the National Park Service. As many of us know, numerous laws relating to these entities have been enacted since the mid-19th century. These laws include, for example, the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, and other provisions intended to protect and preserve sites that document our Nation's history.

These laws have been codified in scattered sections of title 16 of the United States Code. In addition, as laws relating to the National Park System were amended and new laws enacted pertaining to these provisions, the code classifications have become cumbersome to use.

H.R. 1068 is not intended to make any significant changes in the law. As is typical with the codification process, a number of minor revisions are made, including the reorganization of the sections into a more coherent overall structure.

This measure collects provisions relating to the establishment and administration of the National Park System, outdoor recreation programs that the Secretary of the Interior administers, and the responsibility of the Secretary to preserve historic sites, buildings, objects, and antiquities--all of which are currently found in various places throughout title 16 of the United States Code--and restates these provisions as a new positive law title of the code.

On March 14, 2013, the Judiciary Committee ordered H.R. 1068 favorably reported by voice vote. The amended version of the bill that we are considering on the floor today is essentially the same as the version reported by the committee except that it makes minor typographical corrections.

I commend the chairman and ranking member for their leadership on this bill. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Student Loan Fairness Act to address the crippling issue of student loan debt and the debilitating impact that this debt is having on American students and their ability to contribute to the growth of the United States economy.

As you may know, total outstanding student loan debt in America has surpassed the $1 trillion mark. It has outpaced credit card debt, auto debt, and is second only to mortgage debt in America. In fact, a recent study shows that student loan debt is the only type of consumer debt in America that has actually increased during the ``Great Recession'' and the problem only continues to worsen. As a result of these debts, millions of Americans are not buying cars, purchasing homes, starting businesses, or otherwise realizing the American Dream.

We need a fair and simple federal student loan repayment system which seeks to alleviate the financial burden of student loan debt on college graduates and support them as they begin their careers and lives.

That is why I rise today to introduce the Student Loan Fairness Act. This new legislation combines two bills from the 112th Congress: Rep. Hansen Clarke's Student Loan Forgiveness Act (H.R. 4170), as well as my own Graduate Success Act (H.R. 5895).

The Student Loan Fairness Act creates a new ``10-10'' standard for student loan repayment and establishes it as the new standard repayment plan for students taking out federal loans. This bill also combats the crushing interest rates of public and private loans, sends a lifeline to student borrowers who have fallen on difficult times, and promotes financial responsibility in higher education. In addition, our bill permanently caps the interest rate for all federal student loans at 3.4%, which will ultimately eliminate the need to enact temporary measures every year to prevent rates from doubling. This gives students more certainty and the comfort of knowing their interest rates will not go up every year.

Congress needs to act now to help our students. The longer we wait to take action, the more we undermine their future and prevent students from becoming the people they dream of being and the workforce our economy needs.

Thank you, Representative Horsford.

I do have to say, coming from the State house, it was a little discouraging to come here and find not a lot of common sense. So thank you for your leadership. And thank you very much, Representative Jeffries and especially Representative Scott, for your leadership and hours and hours of work that you've put into the Congressional Black Caucus budget.

Today, the Republican Party released a sprawling report detailing their failures to connect with the anxieties of middle class Americans, citing this as a major reason why they lost last year's Presidential election.

As a result, they are now promising a kinder, gentler Republican Party; but, sadly, the rhetoric just doesn't match the reality of the Paul Ryan budget, which is nothing more than a rehash of a failed agenda that the American people have already rejected.

The Republican budget continues to push harsh and unnecessary budget cuts that eliminate the safety net for millions of middle class Americans. The American people don't want a budget that breaks our promises to seniors by turning Medicare into a voucher program or cuts investments that support job creation just for the sake of more budget- busting tax cuts for the wealthiest taxpayers and corporations.

Yet my friends on the other side of the aisle continue pushing this failed approach all in the name of deficit reduction--except this weekend their own leadership admitted we don't have an immediate debt crisis in the country. Even the architect of the budget, Congressman Paul Ryan, said this weekend, ``We do not have a debt crisis right now.'' Speaker Boehner said, ``We do not have an immediate debt crisis'' and ``It's not an immediate problem.''

So why should we enact this failed budget when Democrats have offered a better and more balanced approach to protect the middle class and pay down the deficit? Why then should we pass a budget that gets 66 percent of its cuts from programs for people of low-or moderate incomes? Why should we pass a budget that cuts funding for programs like Pell Grants to help students go to college or cuts the SNAP program that helps to feed 48 million people just to give a $200,000 tax cut to millionaires? The budget put forward by the Congressional Black Caucus saves Pell Grants and continues the SNAP program to prevent Americans from going hungry while at the same time reducing the deficit by $2.8 trillion over 10 years.

The American people know we can't cut our way to prosperity, nor can we succeed by pursuing the same failed policies that wrecked our economy in the first place and undermine our economic recovery.

The Congressional Black Caucus budget offers a clear alternative that addresses the concerns of middle class Americans. Our budget is focused on core priorities for the middle class: creating jobs, growing the economy, strengthening the middle class, and reducing the deficit.

Our proposal puts people to work this year with specific and targeted investments, while investing also in education, energy, research, and infrastructure, and keeping our commitment to America's seniors.

Our plan is fair, balanced, reasonable, and responsible. It is pro- growth, pro-people, pro-America; and it is the approach favored by the majority in this country.

Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct pleasure to recognize Distinguished Professor of Electrical Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Southern California (USC), Dr. Solomon Golomb. On February 2, 2013, Dr. Golomb was named a National Medal of Science laureate by President Obama for his outstanding contributions to the realm of communications technology. His innovation and dedication to the advancement of science has shaped our ability to communicate via cell phone as well as our ability to communicate in deep space.

Dr. Golomb had an illustrious academic career prior to working at USC. He received a

Ph.D. in Mathematics from Harvard University as well as two honorary doctorate degrees. He was a Fulbright Fellow, and is currently a member of the National Academy of Engineering as well as a Fellow at both the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the American Association of the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He has received numerous awards and medals for his work including the USC Presidential Medallion and the Shannon Award of the Information Theory Society of the IEEE.

Dr. Golomb started his career at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he played a key role in formulating the design of deep-space communications for subsequent lunar and planetary explorations. After joining USC as a professor in 1963, he became one of the ``Magnificent Seven'' founders of the USC Communications Sciences Institute, which has made profound contributions to mathematics and engineering, particularly in interplanetary communications. His efforts have helped to make USC a center for communications research.

Dr. Golomb's contributions have touched our lives in numerous ways. His pioneering work in shift register sequences has extensive military, industrial and consumer applications. Today, millions of cell phones utilize technology based on Golomb's contributions to the field. His mathematical coding schemes made it possible for us to see clear video images from the Mars Rover Curiosity. And he has been referred to as ``the godfather of Tetris'' for creating polyominoes that inspired the invention of the tile-matching puzzle video game.

USC has long been a center for scientific innovation and I am proud to have such an incredible leader like Dr. Golomb working in California's 37th Congressional District.