Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.

Mr. Speaker, this was a sad week for our country. We saw anger, despair, and chaos at American airports when people from all different types of backgrounds from the Middle East were banned from coming into the United States. We had individuals who were green card holders who were denied entry into the United States. We had individuals who were interpreters for our United States military, who kept them safe in the Middle East, who were denied the right to come into the country. It was a sad day in our country's history.

This past weekend, I took my son to an exhibit at one of the synagogues in Fort Worth, Texas, where I live. It was an exhibit on Jews in baseball. There was a picture of Hank Greenberg and Joe DiMaggio. Joe DiMaggio, an American lexicon, is about as American as you get; but, in looking at the exhibit and at the caption that was next to it, it read, while Joe DiMaggio was fighting for our country in World War II, the United States Government listed his parents as ``enemy aliens.'' In revisiting that sort of sad chapter in our history, when individuals were treated that way in our country, I think it is very sad, Mr. Speaker.

We have a lot of Members who would like to express their discontent at what happened. I yield to our chair, Mr. Cedric Richmond, from the State of Louisiana, to come and address us because what we have to talk about tonight is very serious.

I thank the chairman for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I did not mention that we are also talking about voting rights, which is very important on the eve of the President making the selection for the next Supreme Court Justice of the United States.

I know, with Representative Plaskett's representing the Virgin Islands and understanding the importance of voting rights, that that is very significant. I yield to the gentlewoman and thank her for being a voice in terms of refugees, immigration rights, and on the very important issue of voting rights.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from the Garden State of New Jersey, Mrs. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who will speak to this House on the issues that the Congressional Black Caucus is taking up this evening.

I thank the gentlewoman from New Jersey for her comments.

Now I would like to yield to the gentlewoman from the State of Illinois (Ms. Kelly). I thank Ms. Kelly for all of her work on so many issues that are important. I know that voting rights is particularly important to her with her representing the Chicago suburbs and the city of Chicago itself.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Illinois.

I am now going to call someone who also has a really good understanding of civil rights, voting rights in the State of Virginia, but then also the plight of immigrants and has a deep level of empathy because the other part of his State is very much a diverse State with people made up from various parts of the world.

I yield to the gentleman representing the Fourth Congressional District of Virginia, Representative Donald McEachin.

I thank the gentleman for sharing that story about his constituent. Again, it is such a terrible and shameful time for our country, for the world to have seen that.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Columbus, Ohio (Mrs. Beatty).

I thank the gentlewoman from Ohio, a State that knows a lot about voter suppression, also a very international State.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass) representing Los Angeles, one of our most international cities in the world that I am sure was impacted very greatly by what happened at airports this weekend.

I thank Representative Bass for her commentary representing the very international city of Los Angeles, again, a city with many immigrants, with many people who have contributed to the greatness and vibrancy of that city that we know as Los Angeles. I just really do appreciate all of her input on that.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to call up to come and speak Mr. Dwight Evans. Mr. Evans, hailing from Pennsylvania's Second Congressional District, a State that also is very international, I am sure that your State was heavily impacted by the travel ban that was implemented by the Trump administration, and I believe the world needs to hear your remarks tonight, so thank you for being here tonight to speak.

I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans).

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. And just like the city of Philadelphia, just like the city of Los Angeles, when we heard from Congresswoman Bass earlier, oftentimes the State of Texas is portrayed through popular culture as not being a very international place, but we are a very international place.

Everyone has heard of the stories how every State Legislative Session, which one has just begun a couple of weeks ago, how Black and Hispanic voters, in particular, in the State of Texas, are targeted so our voting participation numbers will decrease.

Well, someone who has been in that fight to help protect Black and Latino voters in the State of Texas to expand voting rights in the State of Texas; and not just that, again, in pop culture, our State has oftentimes been portrayed as one way, but a lot of people forget that the city of Houston is the fourth largest city in the country and one of the most international cities in the entire world, one of the largest ballots in the entire country, printed in--I forgot exactly how many languages. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee can tell you that later.

So not only are voting rights being impacted in her district, but also I am sure that she felt the plight of many of the people who she represents who were stuck at airports, including the Houston International Airport, by the Muslim ban that was implemented by the Trump administration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee for clearing up a lot of the misconceptions that are being purposely spread out there that this was something that was used by the Obama administration. It absolutely was not. It is being purposely spread on social media, and people are lying about the past and what happened. It is completely different, and I want to thank her for clearing that up.

I now yield to the gentleman from Newark, New Jersey (Mr. Payne), who is the gentleman representing the eastern coast of New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New Jersey.

I now yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore), who represents a critical State, a State that some people think actually went a certain direction in the Presidential race because of voter suppression tactics. She represents the city of Milwaukee.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the State of Wisconsin.

Now I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who is my friend and colleague from another international part of the country, the Oakland Bay Area.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands who is helping to lead tonight's Special Order hour.

I, again, want to highlight how President Trump's inaugural address served as a preview of what the African American community can expect over the next 4 years.

This past Friday, thousands of Americans from all over the country traveled to Washington, D.C., to witness the new President and what type of message he was going to deliver. Unfortunately, instead of starting his Presidency with a bold, new agenda that would benefit all Americans, what we heard was an inaugural address that reminded us that the America he wants to build will leave many of the constituents of those of us who serve as members of the Congressional Black Caucus behind.

In his speech, President Trump said that a nation exists to serve its citizens. But for far too many, a different reality exists. He also painted another grim picture of mothers and children trapped in poverty in inner cities and rusted out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our Nation; an education system flush with cash, but which leaves our young and beautiful students deprived of knowledge; and crimes and gangs and drugs that have stolen the lives of too many and robbed the country of so much of its unrealized potential.

Those are problems that need to be addressed. I don't think that anybody will disagree with that. We need to make sure that our children have access to good public schools and good, quality education. We need to make sure that, as the nature of work changes in this country, people are ready to get those new jobs. We must make sure that we invest in our communities so that they prosper.

But yet, very little of what President Trump proposed would actually address the root cause of any of those problems. Not even his new deal for Black Americans provides real solutions for the problems that he outlined in his inaugural address. Instead, we see the same recycled, broken promises.

Since the creation of the Congressional Black Caucus, we have been fighting to uplift our communities. We have bold ideas to help transform the lives of those individuals that were mentioned and real ideas that can get going.

I thank the gentlewoman as we prepare to have other speakers from the Congressional Black Caucus share their remarks.

I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I thank all of the Members who have participated tonight. We are about to run short on our time here, but there are just so many other areas that need to be addressed, and the Congressional Black Caucus is going to continue to address those when we talk about safe communities; when we start talking about great education and some of the issues that we see with the nominee for the Secretary of Education that threaten to really cripple and hurt our public schools; when we talk about equal justice for all. How are we going to work with the Justice Department to try to foster some of the good initiatives that President Obama put forward in dealing with community policing? It is all of those things, Mr. Speaker.

Absolutely. Education and workforce development with our changing workforce--STEAM jobs and STEM jobs.

Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome you to tonight's Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour that will examine the negative impact of President-elect Trump's nominations for the position of U.S. Attorney General, Secretary of Education, and Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Let's be honest here, the 2016 Presidential election showed us both the worst and the best of American politics. The most disturbing development of the election season, of course, was the President- elect's campaign that was an ``us versus them'' type of campaign that really divided the Nation. It was really sad for people to see that on display.

On November 9, after winning the Presidency, the President-elect tweeted: ``Such a beautiful and important evening! The forgotten man and woman will never be forgotten again. We will all come together as never before.''

But will he keep his promise of doing all that he can to repair our divided nation? So far he has been very disappointing. And when you look at the nominations of Senator Sessions, Betsy DeVos, and Tom Price to key positions in his administration, it seems like he has forgotten, that he has forgotten and ignored our Nation's dark history of oppression, particularly to the African American community.

The President-elect's nominees represent everything that the Congressional Black Caucus has vehemently fought against. As a caucus, we fought to ensure that the African American community is empowered with the tools it needs to achieve the American Dream. Mr. Trump's Cabinet nominations are set to push the dream back so far out of reach for millions and millions of Americans.

Mr. Speaker, we have a list of Members that would like to speak tonight.

I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the dean of the United States House of Representatives.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Conyers very much for his words as the dean of the House.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Maxine Waters).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Maxine Waters).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson), the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) for his timely comments.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee), my fellow Texan from Houston.

I thank very much Ms. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from California, Ms. Barbara Lee.

I thank very much Representative Lee. I really appreciate the gentlewoman's remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to someone who, over the last 20 years, has been in nearly every battle in the United States Congress when it comes to the issue of civil rights. He is Representative Bobby Scott of Virginia.

I thank Mr. Scott of Virginia very much.

Mr. Speaker, I inquire as to how much time I have left.

Mr. Speaker, I next yield to the lone voice in the State of

Wisconsin, someone who is always speaking out on these issues not just for her district, but for the many people around her State who want that voice from the CBC: Ms. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin.

I thank Representative Moore. I appreciate the gentlewoman's comments and I thank her for mentioning some of the issues with voter ID in Wisconsin, which may have tilted the election results in that State.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to my good friend from Brooklyn in the Empire State, Representative Yvette Clarke.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to remind Members that we have 3 minutes per Member left of speaking time. I wanted to just remind Members of that so everyone will have an opportunity to speak on this very important matter.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Payne), my classmate and a voice from the New York area.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Beatty), my classmate from the Buckeye State, representing the Columbus, Ohio, area.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York, the Empire State, (Mr. Jeffries).

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Adams).

I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).

I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman).

I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. McEachin).

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

Mr. Speaker, I come here today to the House floor to address an extremely important and timely topic for our Nation: investing in high-quality pre-K education. It is really imperative to the success of our children, schools, and communities.

Two years ago, in this Chamber, President Obama laid out his plan to provide universal high-quality pre-K for every child in America. Why did the President propose such a bold and audacious plan for our country? It is really simple. It has been proven that children who participate in high-quality prekindergarten programs are more likely to have greater academic and life achievements down the road.

The benefits of a high-quality pre-K education include increased eagerness and preparedness to learn; higher reading, writing, and mathematics scores; and increased cognitive and social abilities. Access to quality pre-K is a much better predictor of achievement than race, family income, or parents' education.

Research has demonstrated that access to prekindergarten programs have substantial long-term benefits. Children that have attended prekindergarten are 20 percent more likely to graduate from high school and 22 percent more likely to own a home. Additionally, these individuals are more likely to be employed and less likely to commit violent crimes.

I have to tell you, Mr. Speaker, one of the things that saddens me the most about my home State of Texas is that we are leaving a lot of really bright young people behind.

Nearly 550,000 preschool-aged children in Texas do not attend any type of pre-K program, despite what I laid out earlier about less likely to commit violent crimes, more likely to own homes. You would think it would be a no-brainer and we would be committing more towards pre-K education.

Leaving behind this many children, 550,000--over half a million-- really does pose a serious, long-term economic effect to our great State and is something that needs to be addressed. It is apparent that high-level prekindergarten education produces individuals that are more prosperous and more likely to contribute to society in a positive way.

To help States like my own boost their pre-K education programs, President Obama and the Department of Education delivered on his State of the Union Address, and they released Preschool Development Grants. These grants will help expand high-quality preschool programs in targeted communities.

When the announcements were made in December--again, I have got to tell you, we do a lot of great things in Texas, and we often do it bigger and better--but I was really disappointed, Mr. Speaker, to learn that our State had lost out on $120 million of this grant funding to invest in our children and really, ultimately, our future--$120 million that the great State of Texas lost out on, over half a million kids being left behind. This was really a sad day in the Lone Star State.

This money would have been used to improve pre-K education and expand access to children in low-income communities who need these services the most, and losing out on this money should really be a wake-up call to Texas and the policymakers there, that we must create a plan to improve our pre-K system.

Texas failed to meet even the minimum requirements of this application to provide at least a 50 percent increase in preschool slots available, and that is just really unacceptable.

My State needs a comprehensive pre-K plan that works to increase access to high-quality programs, set higher learning standards, improve curriculum, and increase teacher training. All those really are very, very important keys.

The failure to invest in our young children is a failure to invest in our future. Here in Congress and back home, I intend to work tirelessly to provide for the best education system that our Nation can provide.

But there are some bright spots. I talked about how the State, because of the failed application policy that was just really handled poorly, how we lost out on $120 million and over half a million kids are suffering because of that, but I do think that it is important that I point out some of the positives.

There has been some bipartisan work along these efforts on pre-K, and I do want to thank one of my former colleagues in the State legislature, State Representative Eric Johnson of Dallas, and a lady that I did not serve with out of Georgetown, Texas--near Austin--Marsha Farney of Georgetown, to not only increase pre-K funding by $300 million, but also improve curriculum, teacher training, and lower student-teacher ratios.

In this global economy that we live in today and tomorrow, students won't be competing for jobs in the workplace with neighboring States but will be competing with kids and students from all over the world.

Mr. Speaker, let's do this for Texas. Let's do the right thing. Let's help these children.

I thank the gentleman from Florida for yielding me the time.

Madam Speaker, I want to talk about the rule. I am rising today against the rule. And although I believe that a pipeline is absolutely the most safest and environmentally conscious way that we can transport natural resources through North America--and natural resources, for that matter, that are going to be developed. It doesn't matter what the carrier ultimately is; these are resources that will be developed. But the underlying rule, much like the prior rules we have seen on any of the Keystone pipeline votes, does not allow for Member debate. It doesn't. It doesn't allow for Member debate, and that is not how we can best move forward. Only by having an open discussion can this body fully engage in creating sound public policy.

I want to give you an example of what I am talking about. I offered an amendment in the Rules Committee which said that if the Keystone pipeline is built, we would maximize the amount of American jobs that are created or sustained in this process.

My amendment would ensure that the iron, steel, and manufactured goods made in the construction of the Keystone pipeline and facilities are made here in America. If we are going to build the pipeline in America, let's make the materials in America. That will create more jobs. That will give people more opportunity.

There has been much discussion about how we have lost so many manufacturing jobs in this country, about how we have lost ground in that area, about how people can't take care of their families because these opportunities are no longer here. If we are going to build this pipeline, let's give people the opportunity to go back to work, roll up their sleeves, and let's build these in America. There is no reason to have materials made in China to build this pipeline.

Therefore, I believe that if Republicans want to follow a jobs- focused agenda, the amendment that I am offering will make sure that we keep Americans working and not workers in China.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of a true trailblazer, Ms. Walter Barbour--the first Black woman to serve on the Fort Worth City Council.

Just like many of the constituents I serve, Ms. Barbour was a product of the segregated I.M. Terrell High School in Fort Worth. Ms. Barbour graduated from I.M. Terrell in 1937 and went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Prairie View A&M University and her master's degree from Atlanta University in Georgia.

Ms. Barbour served on the Fort Worth City Council from 1977 to 1979. During her tenure on the council, she advocated for a health clinic that now sits in the Stop Six community, which is where she lived; for summer food programs for low-income children; for recreational facilities for the community; and she cleared the way for the first fire station in the Stop Six-Eastwood area on Ramey Avenue and Edgewood Terrace.

Ms. Barbour is survived by her daughter, Hollie; her son, Robert Barbour, Jr.; as well as two grandchildren.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring a true legend, Ms. Walter Barbour, who broke so many barriers at a time when women and African Americans faced so many obstacles, but she still worked hard to live the American Dream.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Beatty for yielding. I would also like to thank my colleagues Donald Payne and Robin Kelly for putting together something that we really need to talk about, and I am glad that the theme here is 50 years from Selma, where we are, where we are headed, because I think it is important that we have that discussion.

I oftentimes hear people say in conjunction when you talk about civil rights, you know, we need to move on, we need to get over it, it was the past, it happened a long time ago. But we know that we can learn a lot from the past. We know that we can learn a lot about where we are going by studying our history.

So I am really glad that during this Black History Month that just started in February that we are able to reconnect and take the opportunity to talk more about our community's past and the challenges that we face, and Selma really provides us with a great vehicle to do that.

I think about an event that I attended several years ago when I was in the State legislature, and I was talking to the audience and mentioning some of the schools in the Fort Worth Independent School District and around the State of Texas that were segregated. After I got done talking, I was really dismayed that one of the reporters came up to me that was younger than me but had graduated from school in Fort Worth ISD, had graduated 9 years after I did, and she said: I was raised in Fort Worth, and I graduated from a school in Fort Worth, but I didn't know that the schools were ever segregated here.

You see how quickly it is that the history can disappear and fade away if it is not kept alive; and I think that that is one of the reasons why I am really excited about Selma and the opportunity to talk about this more, because we really do need to make sure that we keep our youth reconnected with the past or we know that it will fade away.

Then, also, when you start talking about where we are headed, and it has been mentioned tonight, I would like to say that we are headed to someplace more positive, someplace that is for the betterment of all Americans. But we know that there are many mechanisms out there that are being designed and implemented by State legislatures all around the country to impede one's right to vote.

You can look no further than the State that I am very proud of, my own State of Texas, but we have some serious issues. I mean, when you look at redistricting in the State of Texas, when you look at the voter ID laws that were passed in the State of Texas, I mean, right now in the State of Texas you cannot vote with a State-issued ID, but you can vote with a concealed handgun license.

It is just rules like that that are being implemented and put in place that we know are designed to be a barrier to people voting, the same types of barriers that were put in place, maybe a little bit differently, maybe with a smile on their face, but we know that the goal is to do exactly what was done in Selma 50 years ago, and it is to prevent people from voting.

So, again, I want to thank the Congresswoman from Ohio and I want to thank my colleagues from Illinois and from New Jersey for putting this together. We need to talk about history. It is not the past. It really is still the present, something similar to what Faulkner said.

We need to continue to have these discussions and share these stories with our young people, but I think more importantly that we need to put them in the perspective from today because many of these battles we know that we are still fighting.

So I am glad that I am able to share this with everyone, and I hope that all Members, regardless of where they are from, regardless of what their party is, that they can think about what happened 50 years ago when the walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge happened, and this is something we can all learn from.

I want to thank Mrs. Beatty for allowing me to have a few words.

Mr. Speaker, ``Work makes you free.''

Today, I was thinking about that sign and about the psychological impact and the sadness that it must have had on millions of Holocaust survivors and on victims of the Holocaust as they walked into the concentration camps 70 years ago in Auschwitz and saw that sign, knowing they would never make it out free.

I rise today in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

On this day, we must take a moment to honor the memory of the millions who lost their lives and of those who survived but experienced unspeakable horrors. We must always remember the tragedy of the Holocaust in order to ensure that this dark time in human history is never repeated. Injustices and violence against any person because of one's faith, race, or ethnic background should never be tolerated. Today and every day, we must honor the memory of the Holocaust victims and ensure we renew our commitment to ``never again.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the loss of a dear friend, Steve Bratka, past president of the Tarrrant County Stonewall Democrats.

Mr. Bratka was studying at the University of Nebraska, where he developed a passion to work in the railroad industry.

Over 40 years, Mr. Bratka held several leadership positions and was promoted into the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers in 1975.

In 1991, Steve relocated to Fort Worth, where he served as vice chairman until he retired.

He was very engaged in the community. As one of the founding members of the Texas Stonewall Democrats, Mr. Bratka inspired colleagues to run for local positions to improve our community.

Mr. Bratka left his mark on Fort Worth by standing up for those who had no voice and mentoring dozens of local chairmen to help them become qualified representatives.

Mr. Bratka is survived by his husband, Tim; sister, Connie Benjamin; brother, Lex Bratka, and his wife, Patty Burwell; four nieces; and eight great-nieces and -nephews.

Mr. Bratka's leadership and legacy in the Fort Worth community will be celebrated this Saturday at the Southside Preservation Hall.

Mr. Bratka was a great guy to everyone who knew him, and everyone is sad for his loss but remember him fondly for just being a great person.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert my statement in the Record that the House should vote for bigger paychecks and better infrastructure instead of attacking women's health care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on my Republican colleagues to just stop it; stop endangering the American public, stop endangering our national security and get to work for the American people.

The Department of Homeland Security should have been properly funded when the CR/Omnibus bill passed. Homeland Security is supposed to ensure our local law enforcement, emergency responders, antiterrorism experts, and border security professionals have the resources they need to keep our country safe. Instead, House Republicans continue to talk about deporting kids and pushing their anti-immigrant agenda against Dreamers and compromising our national security.

This way of thinking, this type of exclusion is what divides our Nation. In a time when we need to be strong and stand together, Republican House leadership continues to turn their backs on opportunities to work together. The only way to fix our broken immigration system is by passing true immigration reform that secures our borders, protects our workers, unites our families, and provides an earned pathway to citizenship.

It is time to pass a clean DHS funding bill and bring comprehensive immigration reform to a vote.

Amendment XXVII:

``No law, varying the compensation for the services of the Senators and Representatives, shall take effect, until an election of Representatives shall have intervened.''

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in order to commend the recent intelligence partnership between the United States and the country of Turkey that led to the apprehension and eventual transfer into U.S. custody of a senior Al Qaeda operative, Abd al-Baset Azzouz.

The State Department of the United States listed Azzouz as a ``Specially Designated Global Terrorist'' pursuant to Executive Order 13224 on September 24, 2014. Additionally, the State Department states that Azzouz ``has had a presence in Afghanistan, the United Kingdom, and Libya. He was sent to Libya in 2011 by al-Qa'ida leader Ayman al- Zawahiri to build a fighting force there, and mobilized approximately 200 fighters. He is considered a key operative capable of training al- Qa'ida recruits in a variety of skills, such as IED construction.''

I am encouraged by this positive development between Turkey and the United States and hope that this event indicates a growing partnership between our countries that will result in a common military strategy against hostile elements in Iraq and Syria. While no international relationship is perfect, there is already

a large amount of cooperation that exists between the U.S. and allies like Turkey and it is critical that we continue to grow our existing partnerships in this important region as well as forge new ones.

It is important that we recognize and commend this very positive incident of counterterrorism cooperation between the U.S. and Turkey, as well as do all that we can to encourage these efforts to continue.

Finally, I submit the recent articles from the Washington Post and International Business Times.

[From the Washington Post, Dec. 5, 2014]

Suspected Al-Qaeda Member Held in Jordan as U.S. Investigates Possible

Benghazi Link

(By Adam Goldman and Karen DeYoung)

A suspected member of al-Qaeda who had recently been

designated a global terrorist by the United States has been

detained in Jordan. The United States is also investigating

whether he played a role in the September 2012 attacks on

U.S. facilities in Benghazi. U.S. officials, who spoke on the

condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation,

identified the man as Abd al-Baset Azzouz, a Libyan national.

Details about his capture and what charges he could face in

the United States remain unclear. Turkish news media reported

that Azzouz was captured Nov. 13 in an operation in Yalova,

which is about 100 miles south of Istanbul, and that he was

later deported to Jordan.

Turkey's Daily Sabah newspaper said the CIA provided the

tip that led to his arrest. The CIA declined to comment.

In recent years, the Obama administration has brought a

number of alleged terrorists to this country after capture by

the U.S. or through extradition. Azzouz has not been named in

any public statements or reports about those sought in

connection with the Benghazi attacks. Although the State

Department designated Azzouz as a terrorist, it is not known

if there are any criminal charges against him that would

facilitate his extradition to the United States.

A likely venue for any criminal proceedings would be

federal court in New York. FBI spokesman Peter Donald in New

York declined to comment. One official stressed that U.S.

intelligence was still examining whether Azzouz had a role in

the Benghazi attacks that killed U.S. Ambassador J.

Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.

In September, the State Department designated Azzouz a

global terrorist. The State Department said he has also lived

in Afghanistan and Britain.

As part of the designation, the United States said Azzouz

was sent home by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in 2011 to

build a fighting force in Libya, mobilizing about 200

fighters.

``He is considered a key operative capable of training al-

Qaeda recruits in a variety of skills, such as IED

[improvised explosive device] construction,'' according to

the State Department.

Seth Jones, an analyst at the Rand Corp., said Azzouz

probably has minimal information about where Zawahiri is

hiding but could provide a clearer picture of the terrorist

groups operating in Libya.

``He's got a lot of information that could be useful on how

al-Qaeda is structured, its broader strategy and

operations,'' he said.

Azzouz isn't the first known al-Qaeda operative suspected

of going to Libya in recent years.

Officials said there was intelligence that Thirwat Shihata,

an Egyptian who was Zawahiri's deputy at one point, traveled

to Libya after he was allowed to leave Iran, where he had

been since 2003.

Azzouz lived in Britain and was known to police but left

the country in 2009 for Pakistan and Afghanistan. Authorities

in Britain had briefly detained Azzouz before letting him go,

according to news reports.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today about my concern for the safety and security of Israel, the Middle East, and the U.S.

Negotiations for Iran to end its pursuit of a nuclear weapon were recently extended without assurances that Iran would slow or abandon this program. This delay tactic also allows Iran to escape many economic sanctions. This should be of grave concern to Americans who care about the regional security of the Middle East.

Mr. Speaker, I respect the administration's goals and intent during these negotiations, but I urge that we continue to utilize all methods of influence throughout negotiations. We must fully use diplomacy, legal sanctions, and economic pressure to move toward a peaceful and secure situation in this critically important region to the world and our country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the honorable public service of Dr. Jeri Pheifer as she retires from her position as Superintendent of the Everman Independent School District.

Dr. Pheifer was appointed Superintendent of Schools in 2004, after serving the Venus and Albany Independent School Districts. Under her tenure with Everman Schools, the district has thrived and provided quality education for the thousands of children who attend class each day. Most notably, under Dr. Pheifer's leadership the Everman Joe C. Bean High School Graduation Class of 2013 achieved a one hundred percent graduation rate. Her tireless work to improve and strengthen Everman schools has not gone unnoticed. Earlier this year Dr. Pheifer worked with Tarrant County College to open its newest Early College High School. Partnerships like these work to provide students, who likely would not otherwise consider attending college, an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree at the same time.

Over the past 35 years, Dr. Pheifer has worked tirelessly in the field of education. She has served as a teacher and administrator for public and private schools, serving students from pre-Kindergarten through the university level. These positions exemplify Dr. Pheifer's dedication to not only the community she currently serves, but to the State of Texas and its citizens. Dr. Pheifer received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from Abilene Christian University and her Doctor of Education degree from Texas Tech University.

It is an honor to recognize Dr. Pheifer on the occasion of her retirement from over three decades of contributions to Texas communities.

Mr. Speaker, I ask you to please join me in recognizing Dr. Jeri Pheifer's dedicated service to the Everman Independent School District and the State of Texas.