Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to shed light on the importance of the Community Development Block Grant Program. This program provides urban communities with vital resources needed to address a wide range of community development needs, growing local economies, and improving the quality of life for low- and moderate-income citizens.

Since the start of the program, the Community Development Block Grant program has invested over $135 billion in local economies by helping families, creating jobs, supporting businesses, improving infrastructure, and providing housing to many Americans who are in need.

The program has provided the great State of Texas with over $60 million in direct grants this year alone, with over $28 million going to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Funding for this program is vital to the constituents of the 33rd Congressional District. It has assisted homeowners with rehabbing their homes, providing downpayment and closing cost assistance to qualified home buyers; funded public improvements; provided public services, including employment training, meals and services to the elderly.

The appropriations bill up for vote this week cuts the fiscal year 2014 budget for these grants nearly in half. This is the lowest level of funding in history. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' and save this important program.

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this time to thank Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton for pulling together yesterday the first meeting of the Caucus on Black Men and Boys. Trayvon Martin's dad also participated with us yesterday. We need to do something about the violence that occurs all too often, particularly with many young African American boys, in our communities.

Black boys in our community face daily obstacles, including run-ins with the police, high rates of unemployment, racial profiling, and extreme prosecution that leads to over-incarceration in the community. As a black man, I can attest to what President Obama said in his recent speech:

Trayvon Martin could have been me.

African American men have lived an experience of being stereotyped and profiled in other ways that most people have never had to endure and can never understand.

Mr. Speaker, it is our job as legislators to create policies that create a level playing field so everyone can succeed.

Thank you, Congressman Jeffries. I appreciate you letting me talk about this very important topic because we need to talk more about equality and have a conversation on race and injustice in this country.

I really liked a lot what Representative Clarke, your colleague from New York, said when she talked about the over-enforcement of African American males, particularly when it comes to stop and frisk, and other Members that talked a lot about the verdict in the Trayvon Martin trial that really did discourage a lot of people that were really starting to gain hope in our criminal justice system and thought that things were getting better.

I'm concerned about what is going on right now with voting. Because in my own State of Texas, there's been so many laws that have been enacted, laws that have attempted to be enacted that would scale back many of the gains that African Americans have made when it comes to exercising our suffrage--discriminatory practices that I didn't grow up with when I was a young man but that many people that were before me had to deal with and thought that we had made the progress.

And so at some other point in time I do want to continue to talk about this. Because whether it's Trayvon Martin, whether it's over- enforcement of African Americans and the disproportionate number of African Americans that end up as part of the criminal justice system, or protecting our Voting Rights Act, we need to talk about it more because I, too, believe that we can do better as a country and a Nation.

I want to thank you for holding this hour and also everybody in the Black caucus that talked about this very important topic this evening.

Madam Speaker, I recently stood with my colleagues of the Congressional Black Caucus to call for a National Emergency Summit on Urban Violence. In light of the verdict in Florida, the Trayvon Martin verdict, I wanted to talk about the violence that has recently happened in my district and why we need to do something about mental illness.

We had an incident where a man killed his pregnant girlfriend, the mother, and her 10-year-old brother, and then went into a neighboring police station and asked for the police to shoot him.

We had another incident, a young Somali boy, only 5 years old. The people that lived in the apartment complex loved to see this little boy ride his bicycle around. A 13-year-old got into a disagreement with him and beat him in the head until he died, and he left him in a backyard.

Then we had another recent drive-by shooting in my district where the assailant said he shot the wrong guy, and the wrong guy was an innocent 12-year-old boy.

We need to do something about mental illness and about violence that is gripping this country. It is clear that there are many people who due to mental illness do not have the ability to calmly and rationally resolve their differences with others. Instead, they turn to violence.

Let's do something about the rising violence in our urban communities.

I thank the distinguished gentleman from Los Angeles, California, for hosting this Special Order hour on a very important topic, and that is immigration reform.

Madam Speaker, recently I previewed a screening of ``The Dream is Now'' in Fort Worth, and Representative Castro also came to Fort Worth to join me on that. And I can assure you that the hundreds of constituents who attended the event represent a microcosm of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who need us to act now on comprehensive immigration reform. The dream for 11 million people to come out of the shadows and contribute economically to the only country they've ever known rests in the hands in the United States House of Representatives.

Immigrants contribute to our economy as workers, as future entrepreneurs, as consumers, and as taxpayers. Latinos account for increasing shares of the economy and electorate in Texas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas's almost 450,000 Latino-owned businesses had sales receipts of nearly $62 billion and employed over 395,000 people in 2007, the last year for which data is available.

Additionally, over 61,000 foreign students in Texas contributed $1.4 billion to the economy in tuition fees and living expenses in the 2011- 2012 academic year. These monumental numbers cannot be ignored.

In Dallas alone, immigrants accounted for 16 percent of economic output as of 2007, according to the Fiscal Policy Institute.

If all undocumented immigrants were removed from the State of Texas, our State, the Lone Star State, would lose $69.3 billion in economic activity, $30.8 billion in gross State product, and approximately 403,174 jobs, according to a report by the Perryman Group.

The Perryman Group is run by Ray Perryman, out of Waco, Texas, who has worked very closely with Rick Perry, who is really the face of the Republican Party in Texas.

It's time to highlight the economic benefits of immigration reform and to further encourage those on the right to support comprehensive immigration reform moving through the House.

In a time of economic hardship, it's hard to imagine that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle would be against expanding our economy, investing in American manufacturers, and strengthening American workers.

I want to thank the gentleman for allowing me to speak on this very important issue. Let's not make these families and our economy wait any longer. The time for comprehensive immigration reform is now.

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 hurts the working poor.

Mr. Speaker, after hosting a special screening of ``The Dream is Now'' at the Rose Marine Theater on the north side of Fort Worth, I can assure you that the hundreds of constituents who attended the event represent a microcosm of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. who need the U.S. to act now on comprehensive immigration reform.

The dream for 11 million to come out of the shadows and contribute to the only country they have ever known rests in our hands. In my home State of Texas alone, immigrants paid $1.6 billion in State and local taxes. The economic contributions of immigrants demand an immigration system that responds to the rapidly changing 21st century economy. We all agree that our current immigration system is broken. The Senate bipartisan bill was a start, and it is proof that a long-term, practical solution on immigration can be achieved.

I will continue to work with like-minded colleagues to ensure a practical and fair solution. We can no longer afford piecemeal solutions that are detrimental to our society and to our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call my colleagues to action.

Monday, the Supreme Court handed down its decision regarding the Voting Rights Act, ruling that the current formula for determining covered jurisdictions is outdated. Nearly 2 hours after the SCOTUS ruling, one prominent Texas leader said that they will move immediately to reinstate the State's voter ID laws that were passed in 2011.

Mr. Speaker, in 2011, the Justice Department objected to Texas' voter ID law because the State's own data indicated that the law would have a detrimental impact on minority voters, the poor and the elderly. Why in the world would a State as great as Texas want to implement a law that its own data said would hurt the very citizens in its own State?

For this very reason, me and six other plaintiffs have filed suit in Federal court to bar enforcement of Texas' discriminatory voter ID law. The lawsuit in place is to ensure that we do not disenfranchise voters and to protect the constitutional rights of all Americans.

I refuse to allow Texas or any other State to replicate laws that constrict our American values. I firmly stand here as proof that Texans and Americans need a voice. I call upon my colleagues to work together to ensure voter protections remain. The Supreme Court has overreached, and now it's time for us to act to protect the integrity of democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank Texas State Senator Wendy Davis from my home town of Fort Worth, Texas, for leading a marathon filibuster in standing up for women and women's rights. For too long, we have seen the health care choices of women taken over by male politicians who are more concerned

with furthering an ideology than advancing women's health. Instead of listening to women, male dominance over women's health care decisions has drowned out the most important voice of all--the women who face their own reproductive health care choices.

I believe reproductive choices are deeply personal in nature and should rest with the woman. I believe we should promote education, counseling, and provide women with the support services they need, not restrict their medical choices.

Thank you, Senator Wendy Davis, who stood up for Texas women across the State. The voices of women were heard all over the country in this debate last night in the Texas Legislature, and Senator Davis fought hard and fought back against any efforts to greatly reduce and restrict women's health care. And she won.

Thank you, Senator Davis, for your courageous fight and well-deserved victory. Our fight to protect women's health care is not over, and I look forward to fighting with you, a strong Texas woman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak against the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the FARRM Bill on this Juneteenth 2013.

As the Nation's most important antihunger program, SNAP offers nutrition assistance to 46 million low-income Americans and provides economic benefits to communities. SNAP also allows families to more easily set aside a portion of their resources for food and to prioritize a healthier, more consistent diet without compromising on obligations such as rent, utilities, and transportation.

The proposed FARRM Bill would cut $20.5 billion from the SNAP program and leave over 66,000 Texans without any assistance. We cannot allow the budget to be balanced on the backs of the poor and the most vulnerable in our country.

I did the SNAP challenge. I lived on $4.50 for 1 day, and I can tell you that is not easy, especially if you're trying to eat healthy. We need to find ways to fund federally funded nutrition incentive programs that will help hardworking taxpayers save money on health care costs in this country.

For many Americans, SNAP is the only form of income assistance they receive. I join my colleagues in supporting the McGovern amendment, which eliminates the draconian cuts to ensure that 46 million people who rely on this program will have food on their dinner table each night.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the recent opening of the Forest Hill Memorial Park in the 33rd Congressional District. The park was opened for all citizens to honor the military service contributions of our men and women in uniform.

This special memorial park includes the engraved names of the local brave men and women who served in all branches of the U.S. military. There's also a monument honoring local prisoners of war and missing soldiers, and a monument honoring Forest Hill public safety officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

I attended the dedication ceremony for the park on Memorial Day, and I can personally attest to the fact that it truly honors the veterans of Forest Hill and the surrounding communities across the United States. I commend Forest Hill elected officials who worked tirelessly to bring such a park to the north Texas community.

Mr. Speaker, I'm proud today to stand with my colleagues, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Dr. Benishek, in support of their amendment to include the Military Justice Improvement Act of 2013 in the National Defense Authorization Act, and I regret that this rule for this bill did not allow that.

The Military Justice Improvement Act will reform the military legal procedure for handling sexual assault cases by giving a military attorney outside the victim's chain of command the ability to initiate legal proceedings. This is a fundamental change from currently requiring a sexual assault victim to first turn to their commanding officer to investigate and decide how to advance the case.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I'm proud to support this bill that will decrease the occurrence of sexual assault within our military ranks.

The current state of 26,000 reported sexual assault incidents in 2012 is completely unacceptable. This amendment will strengthen initiatives already in the Defense bill that aim to reduce this way-too-high number. Our military men and women deserve better, and this bill is a strong step in the right direction.

Also, Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the amendment by Mr. Coffman that would direct the Defense Department to contract any function not considered to be inherently governmental, with no regard to policy, risk, or costs.

At a time when service and contract costs to our military have risen by 200 percent in the last 10 years and civilian personnel costs have remained relatively flat, I believe it's irresponsible to require our military to outsource important governmental work like developing budgets, overseeing contracts, and interpreting regulations to private contractors.

We cannot allow our Federal employees and civilian personnel to continue to serve at the first line of cuts and furloughs in an effort to cut costs. Federal employees and civilian personnel are a critical component to our national security and consistently deliver their services at significantly lower costs than private contractors. In fiscal year 2010, the Pentagon reported saving nearly $900 million by using civilian workers instead of private contractors.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment and let the defense workers continue their service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate eight outstanding students in southeast Forth Worth that attend Morningside Middle School in Fort Worth, Texas. Lexi Stanford, Tomas Altamirano, Alex Delgadillo, Carei Frank, Yontrell George, Jennifer Huynh, Adair Medina, and Paola Rios were all contenders in the Junior National Academic Championship.

This is the first time that students from the 33rd Congressional District's Morningside Middle School participated in the qualifying competition, nicknamed the ``Whiz Quiz'' competition and also the GE College Bowl, which has been a tradition in the Fort Worth Independent School District since 1978. This challenge of knowledge requires middle school and high school academic teams to accurately answer brain- stretching questions faster than their opponents.

On May 31, these eight students traveled to Washington to compete against other schools across the Nation in the larger Junior National Academic Championship. I would once again like to commend these students on a job well-done and encourage them to continue excelling in their academic pursuits.

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today greatly saddened and disappointed in this House of Representatives. I was prepared to vote in support of the Homeland Security appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year, a bill that 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, we see a bipartisan and widely agreed upon bill that would fund Homeland Security efforts across the Nation be overtaken by a violently controversial amendment from the gentleman from Iowa that was included in the final passage of the bill.

The last-minute amendment goes beyond the pale of discrimination by prohibiting funding to implement President Obama's deferred action plan from last year that would protect DREAMERs from deportation. This poison pill amendment endangers over 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who have no home other than the United States and only want a fair shot at an education and opportunity to pursue their passions out of the shadows.

I voted against final passage of the Homeland Security appropriations bill because this amendment was allowed to be passed by the Republican majority, and I am deeply saddened that over 220 of my colleagues in this Chamber want to shatter those dreams.

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have been pushed to a political standoff over an important issue that affects the future of our nation. On July 1, college students will see the interest rates on their federal loans double. College is becoming less and less affordable each day, and the bill the majority has offered for a vote this week, H.R. 1911 the Smarter Solutions for Students Act, provides no reprieve for college students. In fact, if this bill becomes law, it would make college more expensive for students and their parents than if Congress did nothing and let the interest rates double. It shouldn't be titled the Smarter Solutions Act, but rather, the Making College More Expensive Act.

It is not simply rhetoric or a baseless claim to state that the Republican bill will increase the cost of college. The Congressional Research Service looked at different scenarios where a student or their parent would use a federal loan in order to pay for college and how much that loan would cost under the Republican plan if rates were frozen at 3.4 percent, and if rates were allowed to double to 6.8 percent. Based on projected interest rates, CRS found that the Republican-led H.R. 1911 would increase interest payments under each scenario. If we look at one particular scenario, a student who borrowed the maximum amount of subsidized and unsubsidized loans for five years would see their interest payments increase over the lifetime of the loan by 14.5 percent, compared to allowing fares to double. The Republican plan would cost an astounding 45 percent more than if we froze current interest rates at 3.4 percent.

The Congressional Budget Office also looked at the total cost of H.R. 1911 for families looking to send their sons and daughters to college. They found that over 10 years, H.R. 1911 would cost working families an additional $3.7 billion in interest payments. The federal government should not be in the business of profiting off of the backs of students and their parents. We should be helping them pursue a higher education, not squeezing them for every penny they have.

Let's work together on a common sense proposal that makes federal loans affordable and allows young people to obtain a degree without burdening them with insurmountable student debt. We need real solutions that will help young Americans succeed and make our country stronger.