Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Margo Dean and the Ballet Concerto on 50 years of bringing dance and inspiration to the Fort Worth Community.

Ballet Concerto was founded in 1969 by Artistic Director, Margo Dean, who has served in that role since its inception. The progrm has brought the art of ballet and other forms of dance to people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds in Fort Worth.

Ballet Concerto was the first ballet program in the State of Texas to go into public schools, and was the first arts program of any kind, to be approved by the Fort Worth Independent School District, to present educational lecture demonstrations to its students.

Margo Dean and the Ballet Concerto annually presents the Summer Dance Concert, a free, professional, outdoor performance to the Fort Worth Community that creates an outlet for talented young dancers, employment for local professionals, and opportunities for emerging local choreographers, and nationally and internationally renowned choreographers to premiere original, ground-breaking works.

I offer my thanks and congratulations to Margo Dean and the Ballet Concerto for enlightening and enriching the lives of the citizens of Fort Worth for the past 50 years.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I rise today in opposition to H.R. 3055.

Unfortunately, this appropriations bill and the bill that just passed the House are written to an unrealistic top-line funding number, $176 billion above the current budget caps.

We still do not have a consensus on a budget agreement for fiscal year 2020, which could lead to sequestration, resulting in devastating cuts to our military.

Moving this second appropriations package today as is is another wasted opportunity. The funding levels are far from what the President has requested and will support. Total discretionary funding in this bill is nearly 10 percent above the fiscal year 2019.

In addition, this package contains poison pill provisions that will likely lead to a veto and another government shutdown.

The package jeopardizes our Nation's security. Some of the most troubling provisions include: preventing funds from being used for the border wall or barriers; limiting the President's ability to respond to a national emergency; and allowing Guantanamo Bay detainees to be transferred to the United States.

The bill allows taxpayer dollars to be used to provide lawyers for migrants crossing the southern border and prohibits a question on citizenship to be added to the 2020 Census.

If this bill is enacted, industry would be burdened by more regulation. The bill allows the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, as outlined in the Green New Deal; it supports the listing of sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act, which would impact energy and mineral development in 11 Western States; and it includes three new regulations that would unfairly burden the trucking industry.

The bill also prohibits the administration from setting reasonable fuel efficiency standards, and the legislation attacks our Second Amendment rights

by removing the longstanding firearms-related protections.

The bill also includes new language that was not voted on in committee, which would provide backpay to certain Federal contractors who were affected by the government shutdown. This comes with a high price tag. CBO says it would cost $1 billion to implement this provision. It is disappointing that this language is being slipped into this package.

Perhaps, even more concerning is that we are considering this bill before we address the crisis at the border. This situation is getting worse by the day, and we must take action now.

I am encouraged to hear the Senate marked up a bipartisan bill in committee this morning, and I hope we can move legislation through both Chambers and get it signed by the President very soon.

The bottom line is the priorities reflected in this bill are misguided. The bill spends too much money, and it contains partisan policy issues that will not make it into law.

This package falls short of what our constituents and the American people expect and deserve. I know that my colleague and friend, Chairwoman Lowey, has worked very hard to get us to this point today and that she and her subcommittee chairs included many priorities of both Members on both sides of the aisle.

Unfortunately, on balance, these bills are partisan measures, and I cannot support them in their current form.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass a commonsense border security supplemental bill and a bipartisan budget agreement. Then we can turn to the work we have to do to complete the fiscal year 2020 bills. We must give the President bills he will sign into law that are at more reasonable funding levels and without controversial riders.

Mr. Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this package, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Aderholt).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart).

Madam Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Fortenberry).

Madam Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).

Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter).

Madam Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Mrs. Roby).

Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

As I said before, these bills were written to an unrealistic top-line funding number. We still do not have consensus on a budget agreement.

Moving this second appropriations package today as-is is another wasted opportunity. The package irresponsibly increases spending, jeopardizes our Nation's security, and burdens industry with more regulations.

Madam Chair, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this package. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend votes due to circumstances beyond my control. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 249 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 250.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2740.

The Appropriations Committee has held more than 120 hearings this year on topics ranging from our Nation's defense priorities to the crisis of unaccompanied children coming to our southern border. We have now marked up all 12 bills in subcommittee and full committee.

Unfortunately, each bill brought before the committee was written to an unrealistic top-line funding number--$176 billion above current budget caps. We still do not have consensus on a budget agreement for fiscal year 2020, which could lead to sequestration, resulting in devastating cuts to our military.

Moving these bills as-is is a wasted opportunity because the bills are far from what the President has requested and will support. Defense spending does not meet the request, while nondefense spending greatly exceeds the request and current levels. This could lead to a veto and another government shutdown, something both agreed would be devastating.

In addition to these funding concerns, these bills have, unfortunately, become partisan vehicles, reversing pro-life policies and risking the safety and security of the American people.

Many provisions in this bill also force a return to policies of the previous administration and place unnecessary restrictions on Federal agencies. For example, the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education division of this five-bill package includes $100 million to help people sign up for ObamaCare, forces the administration to send grants to Planned Parenthood clinics, and blocks pro-life rules from going into effect.

Similarly, the State and Foreign Operations division prevents implementation of the President's expanded Mexico City policy. It provides $479 million to repay United Nations peacekeeping costs, even though the United Nations has not made the required reforms, and prohibits funds to withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

For defense, there is no funding for any type of barrier or fence along the southern border, something badly needed and obvious if you visit that place.

There are also other harmful reductions. Procurement is $4.8 billion below the FY 2019 level, and research and development is $2.2 billion below the request.

These cuts are very concerning and put us in a serious problem when relating to China and Russia.

The bill also repeals the Authorization for Use of Military Force, which could jeopardize the Defense Department's ability to conduct military operations worldwide. It is a bad policy and will force the DOD to unwind counterterrorism operations overseas if the Congress and the President cannot agree on a new authorization.

The Energy and Water division only includes half of the requested funding for our nuclear weapons stockpile. There is also no funding for a permanent site for nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain.

I would hope that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would make in order an amendment to address immediate needs on our southwest border.

The ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee, Mr. Rogers, and I submitted an amendment to the Rules Committee that, unfortunately, will not be debated today. This is yet another missed opportunity to address the humanitarian and security crisis.

There were over 140,000 apprehensions of migrants at the border just last month, making apprehensions this year alone equivalent to the population of Atlanta, Georgia. By the end of the fiscal year, apprehensions could reach 1 million people.

The most troubling statistics are on the number of unaccompanied children coming to the border. Last week, approximately 2,500 children and teenagers were sleeping on the ground waiting to be referred to the Department of Health and Human Services to be connected with family members and sponsors. HHS expects 100,000 children and teens to be referred for placement this fiscal year.

Unfortunately, our agencies do not have the resources needed to care for these children, and, in fact, HHS could run out of money by the end of this month--run out of money by the end of this month. If we are not going to address this problem in this bill, we need to come together and pass a stand-alone bill to meet these needs.

We were all elected to responsibly represent the best interests of our constituents, and this package falls short. We can't afford to overfund nondefense programs, underfund defense initiatives, load these bills with controversial poison pill riders, and ignore the situation at our southern border. This package does just this, risking both our economic and our national security.

I know that my colleague and friend, Chairwoman Lowey, has worked tirelessly to get us to this point today, and she and her subcommittee chairs included many bipartisan priorities. Unfortunately, on balance, these bills are partisan measures, and I can't support them in their current form.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to develop a bipartisan budget agreement and to remove controversial language and funding in a final appropriations package.

I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this package today, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

Mr. Chair, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).

Mr. Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Yoho).

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019. This bill provides much-needed relief to more than 40 States and territories to help them recover from devastating hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and tornadoes.

The bill provides critical aid to farmers and ranchers across the country. From the Category 5 hurricane that destroyed crops in the Southeast to the historic floods to farmland in the Midwest and fires in the West, billions of dollars of damage have occurred. The funds in this bill will help restore the livelihoods of our agricultural producers and rural communities.

The bill also provides critical funding to repair military installations that were severely damaged by hurricanes and floods. This assistance will return these facilities to a condition that can support our men and women in uniform and help them get back to the job of protecting our Nation.

The bill provides vital funding for community development block grants to help rebuild areas devastated by hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. I have seen how critical these funds have been for the State of Texas in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The communities affected by storms in 2018 and 2019 have been waiting for these critical resources for months now, and I am pleased we are taking action today to provide needed relief to restore housing and businesses where it is so desperately needed.

The bill also provides funds to compensate State departments of transportation for road and highway repairs already underway or completed. This funding will go to dozens of States for disaster repairs that are critical to restoring roads that are vital to both the traveling public and the movement of goods across the Nation.

The bill provides significant funding for the Army Corps of Engineers, most of which will be used to repair existing projects to pre-storm conditions. This work will include dredging navigation channels, preparing levees, and refortifying coastal defenses.

Funding will be used for the most critical repairs following storms in previous years, as well as the ongoing flooding in the Midwest. Funding for the Corps also includes work to study and construct new projects to protect against future storms. These projects will help protect our people, businesses, and property and will reduce the funding necessary to recover from future storms.

Finally, this bill was stalled for months because of the administration's concerns about providing additional assistance to Puerto Rico. The final agreement removes the most problematic language. Bringing this bill to the floor today shows that we can put politics aside and work together to address the needs of our Nation.

However, one emergency that is not addressed is the humanitarian and security crisis on the border. We must work together to pass a bill that addresses the surge of unaccompanied children crossing the border and provides law enforcement agencies with the funding they need. I have made several recent visits to the border and have seen this crisis unfold up close. The numbers are alarming. Customs and Border Patrol is exceeding 100,000 apprehensions per month. The stakes are high. There are serious life-and-death repercussions if the Congress does not act.

In closing, I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey for working with members on my side of the aisle to reach this compromise on disaster assistance. I also thank the Senate Appropriations Committee chairman and vice chairman, Senator Shelby and Senator Leahy, for their work on this bill. I look forward to our continuing conversations about how to quickly address the needs on the border.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the supplemental appropriations bill and urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in opposition to H.R. 2157, the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019.

This bill is similar to the disaster supplemental that passed the House in January. We have been waiting for the Senate to act on their version of the supplemental for several months.

Unfortunately, taking up a disaster bill for the second time without addressing the administration's concerns will not increase its chance of becoming law.

While this bill assists many communities struggling to recover from hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, and tornadoes, I have to oppose this measure today.

I am particularly concerned about repairs that are needed for severely damaged military installations. We must return these facilities to a condition that can support our men and women in uniform. Unfortunately, the needs are actually greater than what is funded in this bill.

I am also concerned that the bill fails to address the humanitarian and security crisis at the border. The rule for this bill does not allow us to consider an amendment to provide humanitarian relief and enhanced security at the border.

On my recent visits to the border, I have seen firsthand that the crisis is getting worse every day. The numbers are staggering. In April alone, Customs and Border Protection made 109,000 apprehensions on the southwest border. More than half of these were family units.

There have been more apprehensions in the first 7 months of this fiscal year than in all of the last fiscal year. Resources are urgently needed to address the health and safety of our law enforcement personnel, as well as families with children who are seeking refuge. This bill does nothing to address this crisis.

We have no choice but to work together on this issue. We do not have the luxury of waiting for months to get resources to law enforcement, social service providers, and public health officers. The time to act is now.

I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey for her tireless work to address the needs of our Nation. Just as we worked together to end the shutdown in February, we can come together again to rebuild our communities, protect our border, and provide humanitarian assistance where it is urgently needed.

Unfortunately, I have to oppose this bill as it currently stands. I hope we can continue to work with the Senate and the White House to come up with a compromise and get disaster assistance to the communities that need it most.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith).

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

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, to close, I would like to thank Chairwoman Lowey for her leadership. I look forward to working with her on legislation that addresses both natural disasters and the humanitarian crisis on the border.

We should provide much-needed relief to communities recovering from hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and tornadoes, but we cannot turn our back on a border crisis that is growing worse by the day. Law enforcement agencies providing humanitarian assistance are being rushed and pushed to the limit, and we must act now.

The chairwoman and I have worked together for many years to find solutions in the national interest. I know we will be able to do so again.

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of the gentleman's amendment. These funds are critical to repairing and rebuilding our military bases affected by the recent storms.

I look forward to working with the gentleman to secure critical funding for our military in a final agreement that can be signed by the President.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the minority leader.

Madam Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

Madam Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Madam Speaker, I am in its current form.

Madam Speaker, my motion amends the bill by adding the additional $2.88 billion the administration has said is needed to care for the unaccompanied children who continue to flood our southern border.

I am offering this motion because the bill we are considering today does not address this need. The funding in this motion is just one piece of what is needed to respond to this crisis.

The children who come across our border without a parent become the responsibility of our Federal Government. As of the end of April, nearly 13,000 unaccompanied children were in the care of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

We are told that if these trends continue, the Department will soon run out of funds to care for these children and face Antideficiency Act violations.

The gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hurd) offered this same amendment in a full committee markup of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies' appropriations bill just 2 days ago. At that time, the chair told us that the amendment would not be supported because we could not wait for a regular appropriations bill to be enacted.

We were told this funding was needed now. By including the funds in this emergency supplemental bill, we will do just that.

We are giving our colleagues on the other side of the aisle another opportunity today to provide the funding necessary to continue to care for these children. Whatever our positions may be on border security, I think we can all agree that we have a responsibility to ensure that our agencies have sufficient funding to do what we have asked them to do.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion to recommit, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Spencer Freebairn for his 26 years of service to the U.S. House of Representatives and the American people. In 1993, a young, fresh out of college kid from Orange County, California began his career on Capitol Hill working for his hometown congressman, former Representative Dana Rohrabacher. He went on to continue to serve for Representative Jerry Lewis, the former Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee. Then we had the fortune of making him an honorary Texan from ``far west Texas''--serving first for Representative Roger Williams before joining my office.

I have had the privilege of calling Spencer a friend for nearly twenty years, and my Chief of Staff for two. While I am personally sad to see him go, Spencer's impact on this body will be felt long after he departs. Along the way, Spencer has done it all. Whether he was advocating for our men and women in uniform, securing funding to prevent wildfires, or working to protect the rights of California dairy farmers, his legislative accomplishments are second to none.

Madam Speaker, on Friday, Spencer will retire from the House and move on to his next chapter. I thank Spencer for his service, and wish him and his husband Antonio, and their two daughters Artemis and Ariana, nothing but the best in the future.

Madam Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted yea on Roll Call No. 151; yea on Roll Call No. 152; nay on Roll Call No. 153; yea on Roll Call No. 154; yea on Roll Call No. 155; and yea on Roll Call No. 156

Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend votes due to circumstances beyond my control.

Had I been present, I would have voted NAY on Roll Call No. 130; NAY on Roll Call No. 131; YEA on Roll Call No. 132; YEA on Roll Call No. 133; and NAY on Roll Call No. 134.

Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend votes due to circumstances beyond my control. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 135 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 136.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to attend votes due to circumstances beyond my control. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on roll call No. 127, ``yea'' on roll call No. 128, and ``yea'' on roll call No. 129.

Madam Speaker, I missed votes due to circumstances beyond my control. Had I been present, I would have voted yea on Roll Call No. 78; nay on Roll Call No. 79; and yea on Roll Call No. 80.

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

I rise today in support of H.J. Res. 31, a bipartisan plan to fund the Department of Homeland Security and the remaining appropriations bills for fiscal year 2019.

Earlier this month, I had an opportunity to travel to the southern border to see firsthand the situation we face and hear from experts on the ground about the best way to address the crisis there. The President is correct; this is a crisis that must be addressed, both for the safety and security of the American people and for the well-being of those who are coming here.

We have a responsibility to come together and support what experts on the border say they need to address the security and humanitarian crisis.

While this bill falls short of what I would like to see, it will provide our Customs and Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents the tools necessary to continue combating the threat we face.

In particular, the bill provides $1.375 billion for 55 new miles of wall or physical barriers, as well as additional technology to combat human and drug trafficking. It is a good downpayment that will allow us to build new barriers in the areas that the Border Patrol says it is needed most.

The bill also supports Immigration and Customs Enforcement priorities by funding detention beds at a higher level than the amount enacted last year. This will allow agents the flexibility to address surges in illegal immigration and apprehensions.

It also does not include any limits on ICE enforcement actions that could cause dangerous criminals to be released into our country.

The agreement prevents another unnecessary shutdown by including funding for the remaining unfunded appropriations bills: Agriculture; Commerce, Justice, Science; Financial Services and General Government; Interior; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development.

By voting for these bills today and funding these vital areas of the Federal Government, we will secure America and our allies, promote economic prosperity, protect human life, promote the health and safety of all Americans, and make vital investments in our Nation's infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, it would take hours to go through all the bipartisan provisions included in this bill, so let me take a few minutes to discuss some of the highlights.

They increase funding for Federal law enforcement to combat terrorism, espionage, drug traffickers, gangs, and violent criminals; combat the financing of terrorism and terrorist groups; and strengthen the development and enforcement of sanctions against Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Cuba by providing increased funding for the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

We keep our commitment to Israel's security by fully funding the new memorandum of understanding.

We encourage economic development and job creation in rural communities across the country.

We boost growth and development of America's small businesses by providing the opportunity to obtain capital through various Small Business Administration loan programs.

We provide funding necessary to implement the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. This will ensure that American families are keeping more of their hard-earned dollars, our small businesses are empowered to grow and expand, and investments are flowing to communities that need it most.

We maintain all pro-life language included in the various bills enacted during the 115th Congress under the Republican majority.

We advance drug treatment and recovery initiatives and improve prevention and enforcement by investing in Justice grant programs that support things like prescription drug monitoring and at-risk youth programs.

We increase and focus funding on medical product safety, including funding to fight opioid abuse. We advance drug and biological product manufacturing within the United States and approve rare disease medications. We modernize generic drug development.

We provide increased funding for the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service to fight devastating wildfires that threaten our communities.

And we ensure rural areas have the same access to basic utilities that urban areas do by investing in critical infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend, Chairwoman Lowey, for all her hard work in these negotiations. As always, she has been an honest broker and a tough negotiator throughout the process. I look forward to continuing to work with her in this Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I also thank our partners on the other side of the Capitol, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Shelby and Vice Chairman Leahy, for their hard work, and all the members of the conference committee, especially the House Republicans, Congressmen Fleischmann, Palazzo, and Graves.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I thank the hardworking staff of the Appropriations Committee for their tireless work, over the last 3 weeks in particular.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart).

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Idaho (Mr. Simpson), my friend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Fleischmann).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Perry).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rutherford).

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

Mr. Speaker, I support this conference agreement before us today, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.

I yield back the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.J. Res. 31.

Mr. Speaker, we have a true humanitarian and security crisis on our southern border. In the month of December alone, Border Patrol agents apprehended more than 50,000 individuals on our southern border. Of those, a record-breaking 27,518 were family units; nearly 5,000 of them were unaccompanied children.

Due in part to the treacherous journey, Border Patrol refers approximately 50 individuals a day for medical treatment. In 1 week alone, at the end of December, they referred 451 people to medical providers for treatment; of those, 259 were children. Seven out of ten people are victims of violence on their journey to the southern border; 31 percent of women are sexually assaulted.

There has been a significant increase in drugs like methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl coming across the border. Unfortunately, this is a crisis partly of our own making. For years, Members on both sides of the aisle have warned against the growing threats posed by our failure to enforce and reform our Nation's immigration laws. Just this week, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said:

We want border security. We want to make sure that people

who come into the United States of America are authorized to

do so, and we know they come in. We don't want contraband. We

don't want drugs coming in. We don't want dangerous people

coming into the country. So we are for border security.

Given this, we would think that they would be jumping at the chance to vote for a bill that includes:

Provisional status for 3 years for 700,000 current DACA recipients, giving them access to work permits, Social Security numbers, and protection from deportation;

Provisional status for 3 years for 300,000 immigrants whose current temporary protected status is set to expire;

$805 million for technology, canines, and personnel to help stop the flow of illegal drugs, weapons, and other contraband;

$800 million in humanitarian assistance, medical support, and new temporary housing;

$782 million to hire an additional 2,750 border agents, law enforcement, and staff;

$563 million to support our immigration court system, including hiring 75 new immigration judge teams to reduce the immigration court backlog of 800,000 cases.

All of this was included in the reasonable compromise that President Trump put forward over the weekend, but that is not the bill we have before us. Not only did House Democrats reject this plan before they even heard the details, the bill they put on the floor today provides not one single reform for our broken immigration system. All this bill does is extend the status quo.

Mr. Speaker, I have been to the border more times than I can count. I have talked to these families who are risking their lives and the lives of their children to come here. I have heard the stories of Americans whose family members' lives were cut short due to drugs and bad actors, who seek to exploit our immigration system.

We owe it to all of these families to do something about this crisis, and I call on my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to end the political games. It is past time for them to come to the negotiating table and work to resolve this crisis in a reasonable, meaningful way, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am, in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, my motion amends the date of the continuing resolution to January 24. My motion will ensure that Homeland Security employees will get the pay they deserve, consistent with the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act that was enacted last week.

Last week and yesterday, I offered motions very similar to this one to immediately pay the hardworking Federal employees affected by this shutdown. Many of these people are on the front lines protecting our Nation. They shouldn't suffer because of this unnecessary shutdown, and they don't have to any longer if Members would support this motion.

Last week, six Democrats voted for my motion, and yesterday, 10 did. Today, I call on all members of the majority party to agree with me that we should provide Homeland Security employees the backpay they deserve and join me in voting for this measure.

These employees have bills to pay and families to support. This motion will ensure that they are able to do that immediately while we continue working toward a permanent solution that will reopen the government. The homeland security staff protecting the Nation should not be harmed because some of my colleagues refuse to negotiate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the motion, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Madam Speaker, I would like to honor the life of a dear friend and true role model, Dionne Bagsby. Her advocacy and public service to Fort Worth pioneered the growth and development that we see in the community today.

Dionne was a trailblazer for minorities and women in the city of Fort Worth. With her dynamic personality and straight talk, she was able to break unprecedented racial and gender barriers throughout her life and career.

Dionne was the first woman and African-American to be elected to the Tarrant County Commissioners Court. During her tenure on the court, she hired the first Tarrant County African-American precinct administrator and greatly enhanced minority employment and participation at the county level. When she retired from the commissioner's court in 2005, the Texas Legislature honored her community service in a resolution stating, ``a distinguished 16-year tenure that has been characterized by integrity and excellence.''

Even after her retirement, she refused to stand on the sidelines. She always encouraged young women to speak with confidence and helped them aspire to careers that challenged the norm. Dionne served with a purpose, making it her mission to leave Fort Worth a better place than she found it.

Dionne Bagsby leaves behind a legacy that will impact and empower not only the Fort Worth community but the state of Texas for generations to come. I am lucky to have known someone as inspirational and dynamic as Dionne.

My thoughts are with her family during this difficult time.