Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize both the Grandview High School boys and girls basketball teams. These two teams from Grandview are now the State of Colorado's 5A high school basketball champions.

The Grandview boys basketball team had a spectacular season, finishing the season with an impressive 24-4 record, and the culmination of the season was its first-ever boys basketball State Championship title.

The Grandview girls basketball team also had a tremendous season, finishing with an equally impressive 25-3 record, and the culmination of its season was its second consecutive girls basketball State Championship title.

The teams were led to their respective championship titles by their coaches: Josh Ulitzky for the girls team, and Michael Rogers for the boys team.

I also commend these two coaches, their coaching staffs, and all their supporters at Grandview High School for all they have contributed to the success of the school's boys and girls basketball programs.

I am incredibly proud to represent Grandview High School in the United States House of Representatives. Again, congratulations to the Grandview High School girls and boys basketball team on this impressive victory in Colorado's 5A State Championship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate both the Grandview High School boys and girls basketball teams. These two teams from Grandview High School are now Colorado's 5A school basketball champions. The Grandview Wolves' boys team triumphed over George Washington High School from Denver by a score of 57 to 52. The girls team prevailed over Regis Jesuit High School by a score of 67 to 61.

The Grandview boys basketball team had a spectacular season, finishing the season with an impressive 24-4 record. And the culmination of its season was the first ever boys basketball State championship title. The Grandview girls basketball team also had a tremendous season, finishing with an equally impressive 23-3 record. And the culmination of its season was the second consecutive girls basketball State championship title.

The teams were led to their respective championship titles by their coaches: Josh Ulitzky for the girls team and Michael Rogers for the boys team. I also commend these two coaches, their coaching staffs, and their supporters at Grandview High School for all they have contributed to the success of the school's boys and girls basketball programs.

Again, congratulations to Grandview High School girls and boys basketball teams on this impressive victory in Colorado's 5A State championship.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 20th Anniversary of the Denver Chinese School (DCS). This exemplary cultural institution has provided our community with numerous intrinsic services which include education in Chinese culture and language, as well as the opportunity for Chinese Americans to work in collaboration with each other to further enrich and grow in Colorado. I am proud to represent the largest Chinese community in Colorado in my Congressional District.

Founded by current President HuiLiang Liu, DCS started as a single class in the Chinese Evangelical Church of Denver, today, the Denver Chinese School encompasses three different campuses located in Highlands Ranch, the Denver Tech Center, and Lakewood, with over 400 students, 80 staff members, and countless volunteers. Today, it is the largest Chinese school in Colorado.

The incredible value of Denver Chinese School has been recognized both at home and abroad. DCS has been certified by the Chinese Association as a ``Model School,'' and its curriculum has been incorporated into the Douglas County School District. Students are now able to take classes, directed and taught by dedicated staffmembers, teachers, and volunteers, and receive high school credit.

The Denver Chinese School provides services which aim to enlighten the community with educational and cultural enrichment. DCS events, like the Colorado Chinese New Year Celebration (CNYC), provide a platform that brings communities together to network, engage with political figures, and obtain cultural awareness.

Throughout its 20 years of service, DCS has proved itself to be an excellent organization and a valuable asset to the state of Colorado. I look forward to, and wish the Denver Chinese School nothing but continued success in its future. I include in the Record the names of all DCS principals who have served over the past 20 years.

DCS Principals:

DCS one campus:

1998 to 2004: Huiliang Liu

2004-2006: Ann Qi

DTC Campus

2006-2008:Jianqiu Han

2008-2011: Jianhui Shen

2011-2013: Yiping Luo

2013-2015: Jing Mei

2015-Present: Bin Zhang

Highlands Ranch Campus

2006-2008: Yunhan Zheng

2008-2010: Weichang Zhang

2010-2012: Wenhua Hua

2012-2015: Rui Ding

2015-2017: Xiaoyan Li

2017-Present: Xiuping Wang

Lakewood Campus

2010-2011:Jeane Huang

2011-2013: Qingzhong Zhao

2013-2015: Lily Han

2015-2017: Chunhe Dai

2017-Present: Liang Chen

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Armed Services be discharged from further consideration of the bill (H.R. 4641) to authorize the President to award the Medal of Honor to John L. Canley for acts of valor during the Vietnam War while a member of the Marine Corps, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Meredith Anderson, Jack Johnstone, and Jackson Nock for their hard work and dedication to the people of Colorado's Sixth District as interns in my Washington, D.C. office for the autumn of the 115th Congress, First Session.

The work of these young professionals has been nothing short of exemplary. During their time in my office, Meredith, Jack and Jackson served as tour guides, interacted with constituents, conducted legislative research and learned a great deal about the United States Congress. I know they all have especially bright futures ahead of them and I look forward to seeing them build their prospective careers.

Meredith, Jack, and Jackson have made plans to continue their education and professional occupations in Washington, D.C. and throughout the United States. I am certain they will succeed in their new roles and wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to recognize Meredith Anderson, Jack Johnstone, and Jackson Nock for their service this autumn.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4374, having served in the first Gulf war when military analysts were saying or predicting that there could be 30,000 coalition casualties in a ground war with Iraq.

We knew that Saddam Hussein had both chemical and biological stockpiles, and, at that time, there was an experimental drug given for the pretreatment to increase the survival after the exposure to nerve gas. It was untested in terms of the FDA, did not go through their lengthy bureaucratic process, but it was, I think, correctly assumed by military leaders that the risk of giving this drug that didn't go through all the bureaucratic processes that I think are important, that the risk of nerve gas exposure outweighed those risks.

So I just want to commend the Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the leadership of the Armed Services Committee, the leadership of both committees, for working together with the Department of Defense and the FDA to find that middle ground where the military can have access to drugs and medical devices expeditiously in order to meet the rapidly changing threats on the battlefield.

I again thank Chairman Thornberry for his unyielding support on this issue. I also thank Chairman Walden for offering legislation that seeks to put this process on the right path.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2810, the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018.

The conference report contains significant policy and funding initiatives that continue our commitment to our troops and their families, all while maintaining military readiness and addressing important military personnel issues.

The provisions contained in this bill provide our warfighters, retirees, and their families the necessary pay and benefits to sustain them in today's highly stressed force.

To that end, this bill establishes a fully funded by-law pay raise for all our servicemembers. After years of lower than by-law pay raise requests, it is critical that we continue to give our troops and their families the pay increases they have earned.

It increases the end-strengths of the Active National Guard and Reserve Forces, thereby increasing mission readiness while reducing the stress and strain on the force and their families. It permanently preserves special survivor indemnity allowance payments and closes the gap in the ``widows tax'' to surviving military spouses.

It also continues to improve sexual assault prevention and response by adding a new provision to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, specifically prohibiting nonconsensual sharing of intimate images; expanding Special Victims' Counsel training; and expanding the annual Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Report.

Finally, spouses of servicemembers are challenged by varying State licensure and certification requirements when forced to move to a new State by military orders. Rather than imposing a single Federal standard on the States, we provide a $500 reimbursement to defray these costs. We ask States to work with the Secretary of Defense to develop common standards where possible.

In conclusion, I want to thank the ranking member, Ms. Speier, and her staff for their contributions to this report.

Of course, we were joined by an active, informed, and dedicated group of subcommittee members. Their recommendations and priorities are clearly reflected in the conference report for the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to support the passage of this conference report.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 616.

Mr. Speaker, as we approach Veterans Day, our Nation is still faced with the epidemic of veteran suicide. And while the VA has made it a priority to address this problem, there are still many combat veterans left without access to VA mental healthcare services.

Here is what we know. An average of 20 veterans commit suicide daily. VA evidence suggests a decrease in suicide risk among those who have received VA healthcare services. In May 2017, the Government Accountability Office found that 62 percent of the over 91,000 servicemembers who were separated for misconduct from 2011 to 2015 had been diagnosed with PTSD, TBI, or other conditions that would be associated with misconduct.

Of those veterans, 23 percent, or 13,282, received an other than honorable discharge, leaving them without access to VA's critical mental healthcare services.

As a Marine Corps combat veteran, I like to live by the rule that we never leave anyone behind. Unfortunately, the military routinely used the other than honorable discharge to rid itself of combat veterans who were designated as having disciplinary problems and who often had documented medical histories of PTSD, rather than providing them with the treatment and rehabilitation they so desperately needed.

While the correlation between their mental health condition and minor misconduct could be linked, this fact made no difference to their character of discharge.

Mr. Speaker, my legislation, H.R. 918, the Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act, seeks to correct this. Historically, a veteran with an other than honorable discharge has been able to seek VA care for a service-connected disability. However, due to the way these combat veterans were discharged and because of a failure to connect the dots between their minor misconduct and their mental health condition, the Department of Defense has failed to recognize this as a problem.

H.R. 918 will stay with tradition and correct this disconnect by authorizing mental healthcare services for these other than honorably discharged combat veterans. This bill also requires an initial mental health assessment and directs the VA Secretary to establish a formal character of service determination process to trigger reviews of their discharges for potential eligibility for VA benefits.

Mr. Speaker, before the rate of veteran suicides increases any more, it is time to right this wrong and permanently authorize mental healthcare services for some of our Nation's most vulnerable veterans. When someone puts on the uniform, they take an oath to defend our freedoms. We, in turn, as a nation, promise to make sure they receive the care and the services they need after returning from the battlefield.

As we approach Veterans Day, I encourage my colleagues to keep that promise for these combat veterans with other than honorable discharges and to

support the passage of H.R. 918. I thank Chairman Roe and Ranking Member Walz for their support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2123, the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act of 2017.

Under current law, VA healthcare providers must possess a current, unrestricted license issued by a State to practice medicine at a VA facility. However, VA providers are restricted from practicing telemedicine across State lines. This limits the VA's continued expansion of telemedicine and, as a result, reduces the accessibility of healthcare for so many veterans.

As technology continues to evolve and Congress considers what the VA of the 21st century should look like, there is no doubt that methods like telemedicine, coupled with more regulatory flexibility, are long overdue.

Geographical location in our country is no longer a challenge thanks to modern technology. VA healthcare providers should have the opportunity to practice telemedicine across State lines to provide medical advice to our veterans that is more timely and responsive to the patient's needs.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 2123.

Mr. Speaker, last year, the VA's suicide data report revealed that an average of 20 veterans a day committed suicide. A year later, our Nation is still faced with this epidemic.

While the VA is seeing high rates in calls to the Veterans Crisis Line, there is no overarching approach to ensure the VA is effectively preventing future suicide attempts and integrating the hotline information into VA's mental healthcare services.

H.R. 4173, the Veterans Crisis Line Study Act, would address that critical gap in oversight. This bill would require the VA to study the outcomes of the VA's Veterans Crisis Line while protecting the privacy and anonymity of the veteran callers.

As a proud cosponsor of H.R. 4173, I believe it is critical that Congress ensures this emergency resource for our veterans struggling with PTSD or other mental health conditions is working as it should.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support the passage of H.R. 4173.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the Government of Ethiopia's continued pattern of repression and violence against its own people, and I urge the House of Representatives to vote on House Resolution 128, the ``Supporting Respect for Human Rights and Encouraging Inclusive Governance in Ethiopia Resolution.'' This resolution calls on the Government of Ethiopia to take clear, decisive, steps toward becoming more inclusive, more democratic, and more respectful of the basic human rights of its own people.

This resolution has overwhelming bipartisan support with more than 70 cosponsors, and it passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously on July 27.

The ongoing human rights crisis in Ethiopia is extremely troubling to me, to the resolution's other co-sponsors, the many Americans of Ethiopian heritage, and to numerous human rights groups. I firmly believe that the passage of this resolution will encourage the Ethiopian government to end its practice of violence and repression and provide a strong basis of an inclusive government.

Specifically, this resolution condemns: the excessive use of force by Ethiopian security forces; the killing of peaceful protestors; the arrest and detention of journalists, students, activists, and political leaders, and; the Ethiopian government's abuse of the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation to stifle political and civil dissent.

The resolution does not simply highlight the Ethiopian government's increasingly authoritarian acts, but it also encourages the United States to support efforts to improve democracy and governance in Ethiopia. I believe that the United States can take actions that will positively influence the Ethiopian government and use our existing institutions to further democracy and effective governance in Ethiopia. Critically, the resolution calls on the Ethiopian government to admit UN human rights observers so they can conduct an independent and thorough examination of the current state of human rights in Ethiopia.

On March 9 of this year, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations, held a hearing to discuss specific steps the United States can take to bring about positive changes for the Ethiopian government and their people. Among those who testified was Deacon Yoseph Tafari, of the St. Mary's Ethiopian Orthodox Church located in Aurora, Colorado. Deacon Yoseph was raised in Ethiopia and has experienced the daily struggles too many Ethiopians have faced living in abject poverty under an oppressive government.

Deacon Yoseph fled from Ethiopia in 1976, and came to the United States as a refugee. He and many of the members of the Ethiopian community in my Congressional district in Colorado--including the Oromo and Amharas--have worked diligently to organize and assist those still suffering from repression in their home country.

Oromo Community President of Colorado, Jamal Said, has also shared his concerns with me, and both of these gentlemen have no motives other than a concern about the safety

and state of democracy in Ethiopia. I appreciate their leadership in the community as they continue to fight for democracy in their homeland.

Unfortunately, stories like this are not uncommon in my district and I am disappointed that the House has not yet scheduled a floor vote on House Resolution 128. I note that on two prior occasions a vote was tentatively scheduled. In both of these instances it is my understanding that the vote was postponed due to pressure from the Ethiopian government who continues to make promises to curb human rights abuses against their own people but fail to deliver. Additionally, it has been brought to my attention that the Ethiopian Government has threatened to cut off security cooperation with the United States should we proceed with House Resolution 128.

I am particularly dismayed that rather than solving their problems and moving towards becoming a more democratic country, the Ethiopian government has chosen instead to hire a D.C. lobbying firm, at a cost of $150,000 a month, to ``work with the [Ethiopian Government] to develop and execute a public affairs plan to enhance the dialogue and relationships with policymakers, media, opinion leaders and business leaders . . .'' in addition to ``meetings with members of Congress, their staffs, and executive branch officials.''

The issue the Ethiopian government needs to address is the repression of democracy and its citizens in Ethiopia. The solution to whatever negative perception it has in the halls of the U.S. Congress is not a public affairs one, but rather what concrete steps are being taken against democracy in Ethiopia. That is why I remain committed to working with House leadership to have a vote scheduled on House Resolution 128.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage leadership to schedule a vote and I call on my colleagues to vote in favor and pass House Resolution 128. I will continue working with local Ethiopian community leaders in Colorado and across the country to raise awareness of the human rights abuses occurring in Ethiopia and to bring relief from oppression to the Ethiopian people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to the Government of Ethiopia's continued pattern of repression and violence against its own people, and I urge the House of Representatives to vote on H. Res. 128, the Supporting Respect for Human Rights and Encouraging Inclusive Governance in Ethiopia resolution.

This resolution calls on the Government of Ethiopia to take clear, decisive steps towards becoming more inclusive, more democratic, and more respectful of the basic human rights of its own people.

This resolution has overwhelming bipartisan support, with more than 70 cosponsors, and it passed out of the House Foreign Affairs Committee unanimously on July 27.

The ongoing human rights crisis in Ethiopia is extremely troubling to me, to the resolution's other cosponsors, the many Americans of Ethiopian heritage, and too numerous to list human rights groups. I firmly believe that the passage of this resolution will encourage the Ethiopian Government to end its practice of violence and repression and provide a strong basis for an inclusive government.

Specifically, this resolution condemns the excessive use of force by Ethiopian security forces and the killing of peaceful protestors; the arrests and detention of journalists, students, activists, and political leaders; and the Ethiopian Government's abuse of the anti- terrorism proclamation to stifle political and civil dissent.

The resolution does not simply highlight the Ethiopian Government's increasingly authoritarian acts, but it also encourages the United States to support efforts to improve democracy and governance in Ethiopia.

I believe that the United States can take actions that will positively influence the Ethiopian Government and use our existing institutions to further democracy and effective governance in Ethiopia.

Critically, the resolution calls on the Ethiopian Government to admit U.N. human rights observers so they can conduct an independent and thorough examination of the current state of human rights in Ethiopia.

On March 9 of this year, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations held a hearing to discuss specific steps the United States can take to bring about positive changes for the Ethiopian Government and their people.

Among those who testified was Deacon Yoseph Tafari of the St. Mary's Ethiopian Orthodox Church located in Aurora, Colorado. Deacon Yoseph was raised in Ethiopia and has experienced the daily struggles too many Ethiopians have faced living in abject poverty under an oppressive government.

Deacon Yoseph fled from Ethiopia in 1976 and came to the United States as a refugee. He and many of the members of the Ethiopian community in my congressional district of Colorado, including the Oromo and Amharas, have worked diligently to organize and assist those still suffering from repression in their home country.

Oromo community president of Colorado, Jamal Said, has also shared his concerns with me, and both of these gentlemen have no motives other than a concern about the safety and state of democracy in Ethiopia. I appreciate their leadership in the community as they continue to fight for democracy in their homeland.

Unfortunately, stories like this are not uncommon in my district, and I am disappointed that the House has not yet scheduled a floor vote on H. Res. 128. I note that on two prior occasions a vote was tentatively scheduled. In both of these instances, it is my understanding that the vote was postponed due to pressure from the Ethiopian Government, which continues to make promises to curb human rights abuses against their own people, but fail to deliver.

Additionally, it has been brought to my attention that the Ethiopian Government has threatened to cut off security cooperation with United States should we proceed with H. Res. 128.

I am particularly dismayed that rather than solving their problems and moving towards becoming a more democratic country, the Ethiopian Government has chosen instead to hire a D.C. lobbying firm at a cost of $150,000 a month to ``work with the Ethiopian Government to develop and execute a public affairs plan to enhance the dialogue and relationships with policymakers, media, opinion leaders, and business leaders,'' in addition to ``meetings with Members of Congress, their staffs, and executive branch officials.''

The issue the Ethiopian Government needs to address is the repression of democracy and its citizens in Ethiopia. The solution to whatever negative perception it has in the Halls of the U.S. Congress is not a public affairs one, but, rather, what concrete steps are being taken against democracy in Ethiopia.

That is why I remain committed to working with House leadership to have a vote scheduled on H. Res. 128.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage leadership to schedule a vote, and I call on my colleagues to vote in favor of and pass H. Res. 128. I will continue working with local Ethiopian community leaders in Colorado and across the country to raise awareness of the human rights abuses occurring in Ethiopia and to bring relief from oppression to the Ethiopian people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the 106th National Day of the Republic of China. The annual celebration commemorates the start of the Wuchang Uprising of October 10, 1911, which led to the collapse of the Qing dynasty in China and the establishment of the Republic of China on January 1, 1912. Double Ten Day is marked every year in Denver, Colorado with an honorable reception organized by our local Double Ten Day Celebration Committee.

I rise today to acknowledge Chairman, Dr. Paul C. Cheng and the volunteers who serve on the Double Ten Celebration Committee. Additionally, I would like to recognize the past Chairs of the Double Ten Celebration Committee who have served since I have represented the Sixth Congressional District; Nancy Tan, Nelson Ho, Ming Der Liu, Sylvia Edgar, Dr. Tai Dan Hsu, Lily Shen and Kevin Hsu, who have each year managed to expertly execute this important event in our community. The United States and Taiwan enjoy a longstanding relationship that stems from our shared values: democracy, the rule of law, and free enterprise. The Taiwanese-Americans living in Colorado bring a wealth of knowledge and entrepreneurial energy to our community, contributing in an integral way to its growth and success.

Mr. Speaker, I offer my warmest and best wishes to the people of Taiwan on this 106th National Day of the Republic of China. I also extend my congratulations to Chairman Dr. Paul C. Cheng and the Double Ten Celebration Committee on organizing another successful Double Ten Celebration for our community in Colorado. The work of this committee has helped the Taipei Economic and

Cultural Office to excel in its services to and relationship with the greater Denver area community. I look forward attending this event every year and to the continued and growing friendship and partnership between the United States and Taiwan.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my appreciation to Greenwood Village City Council Member for District 4 Thomas Bishop for his many years of hard work and dedication to the City of Greenwood Village. Council Member Bishop's leadership and vision has, amongst other accomplishments, contributed to Greenwood Village's reputation as one of the best in Colorado.

Council Member Bishop has consistently and effectively guided city council policy towards improving the quality of life at a time of growth and expansion. He has continually provided his guidance and leadership as a member of the Greenwood Village Citizens Budget Committee, the Autumn Hills Homeowners Association, and as the Vice- Chairman of the Greenwood Village Planning and Zoning Commission.

Outside of his service on the Greenwood Village City Council, Council Member Bishop has also dedicated his time making our community and the State of Colorado a better place. He served as the President and as the Secretary of the Denver Southeast Rotary Club and as a member of the Colorado Municipal Bond Supervision Advisory Board.

Mr. Speaker, City Council Member Thomas Bishop represents the very best in public service that the State of Colorado and our nation has to offer. I offer my sincere appreciation for his unyielding dedication to public service and I wish him the very best of luck as he leaves the Greenwood Village City Council and moves on to future endeavors.