Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to extend to the Government and the people of Taiwan congratulations on the 107th National Day of Taiwan.

As a vibrant democracy and strong contributor to the global economy, Taiwan plays an important role in the peace and security of the Asia- Pacific region.

Since its formation, Taiwan has rapidly industrialized and now has become a model economy for many countries.

Even more important than its economic achievements, Taiwan has developed into a strong and vibrant democracy.

Taiwan is a valued member of the community of civilized nations, even though it is burdened with particular and unique diplomatic challenges--challenges which the Taiwanese people and government have met with courage and grace.

Taiwan remains important to the United States in its advocacy of true democratic values across the world and its success in sustaining a dynamic multi-party system revealing its commitment to protecting political rights and freedoms.

In troubled times such as these, it is also gratifying to know that there are countries that continue to put forth efforts that provide constructive solutions for highly divisive issues.

The bond between the United States and Taiwan, cemented by the Taiwan Relations Act and the Six Assurances, remains strong.

I reaffirm those bonds today, and again congratulate the people of Taiwan on this important occasion.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that the House of Representatives l has passed my bill H.R. 68, the Tiffany Joslyn Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act.

Passage of H.R. 68 came about as a result of hard and great teamwork amongst our amazing staff on both sides of the aisle. I am heartened by the work done on this bill along with the other four bills up for unanimous consent. I commend Chairman Goodlatte's leadership on this effort to help pass H.R. 68. And after 5 years of this bill not being reauthorized, I am pleased that the fight I waged on behalf of Juvenile Justice Reform has been brought to House passage with the support of my Judiciary and House Colleagues.

This bill was named for Tiffany May Joslyn, a champion for criminal justice reform, who served as my Deputy Chief Counsel of the Crime Subcommittee and whose life tragically was cut short on March 5, 2016, in a car accident that sadly also claimed the life of her brother, Derrick. She was just 33 years old.

So today's passage of H.R. 68 is both bitter and sweet. She would have been proud, as she championed these causes. This moment is for both her and for all the countless juveniles that will be helped by this bill.

H.R. 68 will help to stem this epidemic of Juvenile incarceration by reauthorizing the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant program (JABG) and providing funding to state and local governments for the creation of bullying and gang prevention programs.

It will authorize such appropriations as may be necessary, which is anticipated to be at least $30 million per year.

In addition to reauthorizing juvenile justice programs, H.R. 68 clarifies how to address the occurrences of bullying through developmentally appropriate intervention and prevention techniques, which center on evidence-based models and best practices that rely on schools and communities rather than involvement from law enforcement and the justice system.

H.R. 68 is designed to help both the victims and perpetrators of bullying. Research studies have shown that approximately 25 percent of school bullies will be convicted of a criminal offense in their adult years.

It also includes provisions for gang prevention programs, which will help guide our children towards socially beneficial paths. If we want our children to learn, we must be able to maintain a safe and healthy school environment. Bullying is a massive issue in our nation's schools.

The National Center for Educational Studies reports show that 14 percent of 12- to 18-year-olds surveyed report being victims of direct or indirect bullying. 1 out of 4 kids is bullied.

Bullying is not just in a schoolyard anymore; it is a crisis that's taking over our nation. Gone are the days that children can come home and seek solace and escape from their bullies; technological advances have made it easy for young people to be tormented on social networks at any time from any place.

They are never out of harm's reach. This needs to end. Americans children should be protected, and no child should be persecuted for exercising their American right to be themselves. It is time for us to come to a conclusive solution to America's bullying crisis. My bill, H.R. 68, the Tiffany Joslyn Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act, provides the solution that we need.

This is why I urge my colleagues in the Senate to take up and pass H.R. 68 so that we may keep all of our children safe.

Campaign for Youth Justice,

September 28, 2018.

Hon. Paul Ryan,

Speaker, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Robert W. Goodlatte,

Chair, Judiciary Committee,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Minority Leader, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Jerrold Nadler,

Ranking Member, Judiciary Committee,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader Pelosi, Chairman Goodlatte, and

Ranking Member Nadler: As the House of Representatives

considers critical aspects of criminal justice reform, the

Campaign for Youth Justice encourages you to support H.R. 68,

the ``Tiffany Joslyn Juvenile Accountability Block Program

Grant Reauthorization Act of 2017.''

The Juvenile Accountability Block Grant expired in 2013 and

in the past five years has gone unfunded by the federal

government. The expiration of this block grant program has

greatly limited state's abilities to implement effective, age

appropriate accountability and prevention measures to ensure

children get needed services and that communities remain

safe.

H.R. 68 updates the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant

(JABG) to reflect current research and practice. Key

provisions in the bill include incentives for states to use

graduated sanctions and incentives grounded in positive youth

development, providing enhanced anti-bullying measures, and

youth violence prevention and intervention services. It also

updates the JABG to include evidence-based practices such as

trauma informed practices and mental health care.

Federal support for juvenile justice programming has

suffered greatly in the past decade, with funding decreasing

nearly 50% to states. Reauthorizing this important program,

with recommended funding levels of $30 million, would make a

tremendous difference to youth, families and communities.

We thank you for your consideration of this important bill.

Sincerely,

Marcy Mistrett,

CEO, Campaign for Youth Justice.

Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to join my friend from Texas, as the author of the Violence Against Women Act.

In 2018, I encouraged my colleagues to step up and pass this vital legislation that now protects all who have been abused in some way from sexual assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and, yes, domestic violence.

I am saddened that the House has not seen fit to join this bill that I have authored with over 35 national nonpartisan groups and, as well, with over 150-plus Members of the United States Congress. It is time now.

Finally, sitting in the United States Senate, listening to the hearings regarding Judge Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford, let me say that I hope our colleagues will yield not to politics but to the rule of law, adhere to the American Bar Association that says pause, to the Jesuits who have taken away their endorsement, and realize that we are not the important factor, but it was the weight of the Supreme Court that requires better.

Finally, I am delighted to note that we are moving forward on juvenile justice, as we have done today--legislation that I have authored--and that we are working on behalf of the people.

But again, Mr. Speaker, it is important in the United States Senate that the rule of law and the Constitution prevail. Advice and consent must be given with knowledge.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the rule governing debate for H.R. 6157, the ``DOD and Labor HHS Appropriations Act for FY 2019.''

I must oppose this rule and urge the defeat the previous question, not because we do not support the troops or our children, but because defeating the previous question will enable this House to consider and pass H.R. 6545, the ``Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018.''

This is an opportunity we do not want to squander.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is a landmark piece of legislation passed in 1994 following the Anita Hill moment that opened our eyes to the then overwhelming problems faced by victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

By passing the VAWA, we can stop the re-victimizing, re-traumatizing and stigmatizing of sexual assault survivors.

Enough is Enough.

Science tells us that trauma severely impacts recall. So let us do our jobs and help them.

Women deserve to be respected, protected and NEVER neglected.

As we all know very clearly, VAWA is set to expire this week and millions of innocent lives are counting on us to get this right and reauthorize VAWA now.

Help women, men and children everywhere throughout our great country that have, are and will suffer at the hands of perpetrators that commit these violent and abusive crimes.

Clearly these victims deserve more than a mere 3 month expedient extension or piecemeal product to combat these challenges of monumental proportion.

What will we say to them?

The current climate of the MeToo movement is a wakeup call to the Nation. Let's not make this a partisan issue, because crimes of violence against anyone must be addressed.

Therefore, when we ignore an extraordinary movement such as the MeToo movement by not reauthorizing a strengthened and improved VAWA that meets today's challenges, then we have failed women.

If we do not defeat this previous question we are telling all of our constituents that rely heavily on VAWA and all of those that care about protecting women, men and children's rights against violence that we do not care.

On July 26, 2018, I introduced H.R. 6545, VAWA 2018, which is a compromise version with modest improvements, because I am committed to passing a bipartisan Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act that is tailored to appeal to Members of Congress across the political spectrum.

We should all be committed to do the same in order to respond to the desperate pleas of our sisters and brothers in dire need of our help.

Colleagues, this is your moment to do the right thing for the right reasons and help bring H.R. 6545 to the floor for a vote.

This has always been a bipartisan effort. Let's not let the current times and background noise sway us away from our pivotal duties. Let's show the American people that we care about victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault and sexual harassment, which I have added in VAWA 2018.

H.R. 6545 has received the support of the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, which is a national collaboration comprising a large and diverse group of national, tribal, state, territorial and local organizations, advocates, and individuals that focuses on the development, passage and implementation of effective public policy to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (``the four crimes'').

These modest, yet vital updates we have made to the existing Violence Against Women Act (``VAWA'') are based on the needs identified by direct service providers who work daily with victims and survivors of the four crimes.

H.R. 6545 makes the following improvements and more:

It makes important investments in prevention, a key priority identified not only by people who work with victims and survivors daily, but also by our very own bipartisan Women's Caucus.

It provides resources to implement evidence-based prevention programming, which will make our communities safer and, ultimately, saves taxpayers money.

It also safeguards important protections that ensure all victims and survivors have access to safety and justice and provides a mechanism to hold predators who prey on Native women accountable.

Moreover, it provides law enforcement with new tools to protect their communities.

It offers protections for survivors in federal public, subsidized, and assisted housing.

It supports victims and survivors who need assistance rebuilding financially.

It addresses the needs of underserved communities, and improves the healthcare response to the four crimes.

It closes many of the loopholes found in dating violence.

And in response to the overwhelming victims in the MeToo movement, it adds sexual harassment as part of the applicable crimes of violence.

In short, the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2018 is a narrow bill with a wide impact.

Let's not play politics with people's lives. Let's not short-change them by slashing funding in half. Let's not kick the can down the road while omitting funding. Let's not dismiss their cries and pleas. And certainly, let's not punish them mercifully because #THEY DID NOT

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H. Res. 1084, the rule governing debate for H.R. 6756, the American Innovation Act of 2018,'' H.R. 6757 ``Family Savings Act of 2018,'' and H.R. 6760 ``Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2018''.

I must oppose this rule and urge the defeat the previous question, not because we do not support innovation for our small businesses and entrepreneurs, but because defeating the previous question will enable this House to consider and pass H.R. 5476, the ``Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act''.

This is an opportunity we do not want to misuse.

For the last sixteen months, our nation has watched as the Special Counsel investigating the attack on our democracy during the 2016 election has returned dozens of indictments against foreign actors suspected of interfering in our democracy.

Tellingly, the investigation has also returned a series of guilty pleas, including:

allocutions from the President's former personal lawyer;

his campaign chairman;

his deputy campaign chairman;

his first national security advisor;

a top foreign policy advisor, and many more.

Americans have come to the conclusion that the 2016 election was a crime scene.

The 2018 election could be one too.

While the Special Counsel--appointed by officials from the Trump Administration--has been diligently returning pleas and indictments, and unearthing the extraordinary efforts that a hostile foreign power had on our election, the President has been busy berating the effort, and those whom he believes are assisting in attempts to get at the truth of what transpired in the 2016 election.

Yet, beyond guilty pleas and indictments, the Special Counsel has also been performing an essential service for the American people: he has been telling the American people a story of how our democracy is susceptible to outside influence.

He has done this by sharing certain, critical facts such as:

the President's son, son-in-law and campaign manager attended a meeting with

agents of the Russian government promising to have ``dirt'' on the President's 2016 opponent, Secretary Hillary Clinton;

we also learned how Russians funneled money through stalwart Republican-leaning organizations to influence our campaign; and

we learned that Russians selectively leaked and indeed weaponized stolen emails in order to influence our electorate.

Alongside this parade of developments, the American people have watched as this president has tried to wrestle control--either functionally or formally--of the investigation into the Russian interference in the 2016 campaign, and whether and to what extent the effort was aided and abetted associates of the Trump Campaign.

For good reason, Americans are suspicious of this president's ability to abide by longstanding norms to which all prior American presidents have adhered: the need to abstain from interfering in law enforcement investigations.

Most infamously, the President breached this norm when he fired the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, James Comey in May 2017.

Between that date and now, the President has:

ridiculed the Attorney General, who recused himself from overseeing the Russia investigation and, in the process, drew the ire of the president;

terminated or forced the retirements of several senior law enforcement officials; and

has threatened or attempted to take extraordinary steps--like the selective dissemination of classified information--for the purposes of tainting the investigation into his possible criminal activity.

Along the way, House Republicans have refused to exercise even the slightest amount of oversight on this president or this president.

One significant way the Congress can do this is by protecting the Special Counsel and his investigation.

This has long been a concern of mine.

This is why, alongside the Jerry Nadler, the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, I introduced H.R. 5476, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act.

If enacted into law, H.R. 5476 permits a terminated Special Counsel to challenge his termination in court and would stay the investigation pending the challenge.

The Special Counsel would be given a notice stating the reasons for the removal.

The matter would be heard by a three judge panel who would determine whether the removal was for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause.

If it is, the removal is affirmed.

If it is not, the Special Counsel is reinstated.

In the face of this president's bellicosity towards the law enforcement institutions investigating him, the Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act is a measure of oversight we can place on this president, who increasingly feels emboldened to flout longstanding norms in the name of covering up his past conduct.

This is an Article I moment--it is time for all in this chamber and across the Capitol in the Senate to seize it.

Through their elected representatives, the American people must harness the constitutional apparatus created by the Framers and provide oversight on a president sorely in need of it.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership, and, certainly, I rise enthusiastically on her motion.

I rise in strong opposition to the rule governing debate for H.R. 6157. We must oppose this rule and defeat the previous question. The reason for such is not because we do not support the troops or our children but because defeating the previous question will enable this House to consider and pass H.R. 6545, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2018.

This is an opportunity that we should not squander. This bill is a bill that we have worked on for 2 years, and a bill that I introduced with over 150 cosponsors, timely, in July 2018, after working for 2 years with all of the Nation's women's advocacy groups, groups that opposed and fought against domestic violence, and all other stakeholders.

I would like to thank them for 2 years of tedious and hard work, ensuring that immigrant women were protected, ensuring that Native American women were protected, ensuring that those who had a domestic abuse warrant could not have a gun without having a lockbox. I want to say to them that we will never give up.

The Violence Against Women Act is a landmark piece of legislation, passed in 1994 following the Anita Hill moment that opened our eyes to the then overwhelming problems faced by victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It is now even more evident with the Justice Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and the allegations that have been made by Dr. Ford and others that raise a sense of urgency for the passage of the Violence Against Women Act.

It baffles me that Republicans can leave without passing the updated, reauthorized legislation and not just a mere extension. By passing VAWA, we can stop the revictimizing, retraumatizing, and stigmatizing of sexual assault survivors.

Enough is enough. Science tells us that trauma severely impacts recall, so let us do our jobs and help them. Women deserve to be respected, protected, and never neglected.

As we all know very clearly, VAWA is set to expire this week, and millions of innocent lives are counting on us to get this right and reauthorize VAWA now, reauthorize it with the new provisions to increase funding; increase recognition of stalking, sexual assault, dating violence, and sexual harassment; help women, men, and children everywhere throughout our great country who have and will suffer at the hands of perpetrators who commit these violent and abusive crimes.

The bill generically adds the word ``people,'' because we know that abuse is across the lines of men, women, and children. Clearly, these victims deserve more than a mere 3-month expedient extension or piecemeal product to combat these challenges of monumental proportions.

What will we say to them? The current climate of the #MeToo movement is a wake-up call to the Nation. Let's not make this a partisan issue. It should not be--it was not in 1994--because crimes of violence against anyone must be addressed.

I remember standing next to Senator Joe Biden, and I remember standing next to Congressman Henry Hyde, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, standing next to Republicans and Democrats to do this. Why can we not do it now?

Therefore, when we ignore an extraordinary movement such as the #MeToo movement by not reauthorizing a strengthened and improved VAWA that meets today's challenges, then we have failed the Nation. If we do not defeat this previous question, we are telling all of our constituents and all of those stakeholders and those women's centers, like the Houston Area Women's Center that are waiting for this to be reauthorized and are a place of refuge for women who are fleeing all kinds of violence and who rely heavily on VAWA and all of those who care about protecting women, men, and children's rights against violence that we do not care.

On July 26, 2018, I introduced H.R. 6545, VAWA 2018, which is a compromise version with modest improvements, because I am committed to passing a bipartisan reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. Hopefully, we can do more that is tailored to appeal to Members of Congress across the political spectrum.

My question is, why didn't the Republicans stand up? Where were they? This is not a bill that is out of line. It is a bill that is updated in response to needs.

This is the moment for my colleagues to do the right thing, for the right reasons, to help bring H.R. 6545 to the floor for a vote. This has always been a bipartisan effort.

Let us not let the current times and background noise sway us away from our pivotal duties. What is happening on the other side, the other body, does, in fact, emphasize our need to act.

Let us show the American people that we care about victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, which have been added to the VAWA 2018.

H.R. 6545 has received the support of the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, women and men who are both Republicans and Democrats, which is a national collaboration comprising a large and a diverse group of national, Tribal, State, territorial, and local organizations, advocates, and individuals who focus on the development, passage, and implementation of effective public policy to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, the four crimes.

These modest yet vital updates we have made in the existing Violence Against Women Act are based on the needs identified by direct service providers who work daily with the victims and the survivors of the four crimes.

H.R. 6545 makes the following improvements and more.

It makes important investments in prevention, a key priority identified not only by people who work with victims and survivors daily but also by our very own Bipartisan Women's Caucus.

It provides resources to implement evidence-based prevention programs, which will make our communities safer and, ultimately, save taxpayers money. Law enforcement officers are waiting for the resources to help them protect the community.

It also safeguards important protections that ensure all victims and survivors have access to safety and justice, and provides mechanisms to hold predators who prey on Native women accountable.

Moreover, it provides law enforcement with new tools to protect their community.

It offers protections for survivors in Federal, public, subsidized, and assisted housing. It supports victims and survivors who need assistance rebuilding financially. It addresses the needs of underserved communities and improves the healthcare response to the four crimes.

It closes many of the loopholes found in dating violence.

And in response to the overwhelming victims in the #MeToo movement, it adds sexual harassment as part of the applicable crimes of violence.

In short, the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2018 is a bill that should draw wide support but provides across-the- board protection for those who need it. There is no reason for this not to be bipartisan and no reason for it not to be on the floor.

Let's not play politics with people's lives. Let's not shortchange them by slashing funding in half. Let's not kick the can down the road while omitting funding. Let's not dismiss their cries and pleas. Certainly, let's not punish them because #theydidnot report.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for all of the time, and I thank the gentlewoman from California for all of her leadership.

It is time to vote ``no'' in order for us to move the previous question and pass the Violence Against Women Act that is now ready to move to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall No. 404. If I was present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to thank both the chairman and chairwoman of the full committee and all of the chairs and ranking members for their outstanding job, particularly on bringing us to this point, though much work needs to be done.

I am going to speak as fast as I can, but I am very grateful for the $7.9 billion in the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund, which will include many of us who have suffered from Hurricane Harvey in 2017, but, more particularly, will help those who are suffering with much devastation after Hurricane Florence.

I am grateful for the 2.6 percent raise of our military personnel, and the $40 million for the historically Black colleges and universities that we have worked on, and minority serving institutions for basic research programs.

And then I worked on the issue dealing with triple-negative breast cancer, and I am pleased with $374 million for cancer research and $130 million for breast cancer research, being a breast cancer survivor.

And particularly, though, I would have wanted the Violence Against Women Act to be on the floor and pass the full bill. I am glad for the $35 million for continued implementation expansion of the Sexual Assault Special Victims Counsel Program under Defense.

And I am grateful for the death gratuities for troops in the case of a government shutdown.

And the funds prohibited to use outside of the War Powers Resolution in Syria and Iraq.

But, most importantly, my constituents are suffering from a lack of healthcare because of the undermining of the Affordable Care Act that we are still fighting for. So I am very grateful for the $39.1 billion for the National Institutes of Health; $4.4 billion for programs that respond to the opioid crisis; $7.9 billion for the Centers for Disease Control, and, of course, what is so important to our constituents in Houston and Texas is that our community health centers that are our first line of defense to those who don't have healthcare; $678 million for a maternal and child health block grant--we have some of the largest numbers of maternal death in Houston among African American women; $10 billion for Head Start; and then specifically I want to talk about the unaccompanied children, $1.3 billion, but I am grateful for the language that demands of this administration to tell us who is there that has not been reunited with their families, and then the 12,000 that are in the jurisdiction of HHS. We have got to get those individuals united with their families and we have got to be able to have ICE arrest the sponsors. Finally, Mr. Speaker, $10.3 million for a domestic violence hotline.

In any event, this bill speaks to education and healthcare, and I want to ask my colleagues to recognize that more work has to be done.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the ranking member for his leadership and commitment to working on real voter empowerment legislation. Let me acknowledge and thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. Goodlatte, and seek an opportunity to really work on legislation that addresses the question.

I have looked at it, and I have no doubt that my friends on the other side of the aisle are sincere. I read the resolution, and I noted that one particular example was utilized, Mr. Speaker. The example happens to be in San Francisco, California.

I live in Houston and my colleague lives in New York. I know that if this was a moment of crisis, we would see Members from the 50 States-- at least 20 States, 35 States--bringing this to the attention of the Judiciary Committee. To date, I have had no complaint from Houston or the State of Texas.

But I do know, when I engage in dialogue with my constituents, they are all aware of the Russian interference in the 2016 election and the constant pounding of emails and the leaks that occurred and the attack on the DNC. Everybody is aware of that.

To my knowledge--help me, those of my colleagues who are on the floor--we have not passed one single legislative initiative or crime bill that addresses the question of preventing Russian interference. We are now at the end of the first crunch of this year of legislation.

So I would ask my colleagues, if they are so concerned about voting, would they help us add back to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, in which Dr. King marched and our colleague, John Lewis, was beaten almost to his death, bleeding on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and restore section 5?

Section 5 might even help with this issue, because section 5 provides preclearance to any voting procedure that any State may have that would be unfair and discriminatory. If my colleagues want to argue anything, they can argue that the main bill that they should be putting forward is a restoration of section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.

We have found throughout the States that we do have violations. We have voter ID laws that are discriminatory. We have voter suppression. We have people being purged off of lists. Interestingly enough, they happen to be poor people, African Americans and Hispanic citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I am opposed to this legislation. I don't like legislation that is ``gotcha'' legislation. I have great respect for my friend from California. I, frankly, believe it is a State matter--it is really a city matter--that could be handled by those who are concerned.

Mr. Speaker, I see that, for the national question of voter empowerment, there is a litany of laws still waiting for this body to pass: voter security, the ballot security, the question of our voting machines, the question of the individuals with the hanging chads, the right kind of voting machines and equipment, and, again, to protect people against purging legitimate registered voters off the registration list. I have faced that in Texas.

I have the Justice Department on notice. I would like to say publicly: Department of Justice, get back to me on that request that I made about being purged in Texas.

For all these reasons, I think we are going in the wrong direction, Mr. Speaker, and I would like us to put back on the floor section 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6620, the Protecting Critical Infrastructure Against Drones and Emerging Threats Act.

This much needed measure would direct the Department of Homeland Security to complete a vulnerability assessment of the threat posed by Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) to our critical infrastructure assets.

The results of the assessment would be reported to Congress, providing policymakers with much needed information to better protect our critical infrastructure assets.

Unmanned Air Systems, or drones, hold great promise, and may one day change the world as we know it.

As the technology develops however, there is always the risk that malicious actors may seek to use it to cause harm or destruction.

Drones offer the ability for almost anyone to bypass most physical security measures of our critical infrastructure facilities.

These facilities, such as nuclear power plants and oil refineries, depend on physical security and access control to ensure that operations are secured and remain operational.

Drones could potentially allow a malicious actor to bypass the security of a facility, carry out an explosive or chemical attack, or conduct surveillance of prohibited areas.

At a time when our critical infrastructure assets are under constant attack, and have suffered serious breaches in recent years, we must take action to ensure that the ability of our citizens and the ability of federal agencies to carry out their duties are resilient.

As a long-time advocate of a government that works efficiently for the people, it is clear that current security practices protecting our critical infrastructure are neither sufficient nor consistent.

Without an honest effort to even get a obtain view of the security risks facing critical infrastructure assets we will continue to be increasingly vulnerable.

While conducting threat assessments like this will harden the security posture of the federal government and our critical infrastructure assets, we are still suffering from a shortage of workers with the requisite skills to secure them.

To address this, I have introduced the Cyber Security Education and Federal Workforce Enhancement Act (H.R. 1981), which would address our cyber workforce shortage by establishing an Office of Cybersecurity Education and Awareness within DHS which will focus on:

Recruiting information assurance, cybersecurity, and computer security professionals;

Providing grants, training programs, and other support for kindergarten through grade 12, secondary, and post-secondary computer security education programs;

Supporting guest lecturer programs in which professional computer security experts lecture computer science students at institutions of higher education;

Identifying youth training programs for students to work in part-time or summer positions at federal agencies; and

Developing programs to support underrepresented minorities in computer security fields with programs at minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Native American colleges, Asian-American institutions, and rural colleges and universities.

Mr. Speaker, government agencies and the owners of critical infrastructure alike continue to struggle to identify the factors and technologies that put them at risk.

In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge all members to join me in voting to pass H.R. 6620, the ``Protecting Critical Infrastructure Against Drones and Emerging Threats Act''.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2553, the ``Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018.''

S. 2553 amends title XVIII of the Social Security Act to prohibit health plans and pharmacy benefit managers from restricting pharmacies from informing individuals regarding the prices for certain drugs and biologicals.

A Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) sponsor and a Medicare Advantage (MA) organization shall ensure that each prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MA-PD) plan offered by the sponsor or organization does not restrict a pharmacy that dispenses a prescription drug or biological from informing, nor penalize such pharmacy for informing, an enrollee in such plan of any differential between the negotiated price of, or copayment or coinsurance for, the drug or biological to the enrollee under the plan and a lower price the individual would pay for the drug or biological if the enrollee obtained the drug without using any health insurance coverage.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calculated that if generic substitution worked program-wide, then Part D could potentially save $5.9 billion a year.

Using generic drugs instead of their brand-name equivalents could have saved the Medicare Part D program approximately $3 billion in 2016 alone.

In 2016, beneficiaries paid $1.1 billion in out-of-pocket costs of brand-name drugs, which was almost twice as much as out-of-pocket costs for generics.

The high cost of prescriptions hits older Americans on fixed incomes particularly hard, especially for medications designed to treat serious or chronic conditions where the patient's cost-share can be expensive.

This bill prohibits these outrageous contract arrangements between Medicare private plans, PBMs and pharmacies and help seniors save money when they pick up their prescriptions.

Seniors should not have to choose between paying their bills and taking their medication.

We should make it our mission to put medicine within reach of patients.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of S. 2553.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6368, the ``Encouraging Small Business Innovators Act,'' which encourages R&D small business set-asides, to incentivize Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) participants to serve as mentors under the Small Business Administration's mentor-protege program.

The SBIR program is a highly competitive program that encourages domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) that has the potential for commercialization.

Through a competitive awards-based program, SBIR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.

By including qualified small businesses in the nation's R&D arena, high-tech innovation is stimulated and the United States gains entrepreneurial capacity as it meets its specific research and development needs.

STTR is another program that expands funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development (R&D) arena.

Central to the STTR program is expansion of the public/private sector partnerships to include the joint venture opportunities for small businesses and nonprofit research institutions.

The unique feature of the STTR program is the requirement for the small business to formally collaborate with a research institution in Phase I and Phase II.

STTR's most important role is to bridge the gap between performance of basic science and commercialization of resulting innovations.

As a member of Congress, I have worked to advance policies that promote business opportunities and business growth because I believe that this is at the heart of the American dream--small businesses are the backbone of the American economy.

To this end, I have authored numerous Legislative proposals empowering small businesses such as the American Rising Act and the Transitioning Heroes Act, to name a few to provide opportunities for small businesses.

I have also hosted events to create a platform for entrepreneurial and small business participants to hear from experts in the industry and to network with supplier outreach representatives from major government agencies and corporations.

By finding the right mentors like SBIR and STTR, small business owners and incubators can learn valuable tools to aid in leading small businesses to success.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to stand with me in the support of H.R. 6368.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6382, the ``Clarity on Small Business Participation in Category Management Act of 2018''.

H.R. 6382 amends the Small Business Act to require the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to report certain information to the Congress and to the President.

This bill directs the administrator of the Small Business Administration to report to congress on: the total amount of spending government wide in such designation; the number of small business concerns awarded contracts and the dollar amount of contracts within such category awarded to each of the following--

1. HUBZone small business concerns;

2. Small business concerns owned and controlled by women;

3. Small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans; and

4. Socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns.

More than 99 percent of Houston's businesses are considered small.

In 2016, roughly seven businesses in the Houston District received a loan averaging $500,000 each weekday.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy in Houston and across America.

Small business was key for the nation's recovery from the recession.

Between the middle of 2009 and the middle of 2013, 60 percent of the jobs created were from small businesses.

I am committed to producing tangible results in suffering communities through legislation that creates jobs, fosters minority business opportunities, and builds a foundation for the future.

Studies have shown that supporting small businesses is good for the American economy. For every $1 invested, small businesses will contribute $7 to the economy.

Every American deserves the right to be gainfully employed or own a successful business and I know we are all committed to that right and will not rest until all Americans have access to economic opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6758, the ``Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success Act of 2018.''

H.R. 6758, also known as the SUCCESS Act, provides recommendations to promote the participation of women and minorities in entrepreneurship and the patent system.

H.R. 6758 extends, by eight years, the Patent and Trademark Office's authority to set its own fees.

As the legislation declares, it is the sense of Congress that the United States has the responsibility to work with the private sector to close the gap in the number of patents applied for and obtained by women and minorities to harness the maximum innovative potential and continue to promote United States leadership in the global economy.

H.R. 6758 requires the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, in consultation with the Small Business Administration to conduct a study that identifies publicly available data on the number of patents annually applied for and obtained by, and the benefits of increasing the number of women and minority businesses owned by women and minorities.

The study directed by this bill will guide the legislative recommendations for how to promote the participation of women and minorities in entrepreneurship activities and for how to increase the number of women and minorities who apply for and obtain patents.

Additionally, H.R. 6758:

Requires the study conducted under section 3(a) to be submitted to the Committees on the Judiciary and Small Business of the House of Representatives and the Committees on the Judiciary and Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate within one year of the date of enactment of the Act; and

Extends, for eight years, the authority for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to set its own fees under Section 10(i)(2) of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act.

The Institute for Women's Policy Research reported that in 2016, less than 20 percent of U.S. patents listed one or more women as inventors, and under eight percent listed a woman as the primary inventor.

In 2017, the Equality of Opportunity Project found that white children are three times more likely to become inventors than black children, and that children from wealthy families are ten times more likely to have filed for a patent than children from families below the median income.

One study estimates that GDP per capita could rise up to 4.6 percent with the inclusion of more women and African Americans in the initial stages of the process of innovation.

These statistics prove that we need more activity and involvement from a diverse pool of entrepreneurs and inventors.

I urge all Members to join me in voting in favor of H.R. 6758.

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

Mr. Speaker, let me say to the manager of this bill that I am delighted to stand with him on this very important legislative initiative. Having been in this body for a period of time, I am reminded of the AMBER Alert. I was here when it was initiated and passed by my friend Martin Frost, who was formerly in this body. And then I believe a lot of work was done on the Silver Alert by our colleague Maxine Waters. We all worked together, I remember, on amendments in the House Judiciary Committee on these very issues.

So I rise in support of H.R. 5075, the Ashanti Alert Act of 2018. It is a commonsense initiative to realize that whoever is missing, we need to help find those individuals.

This bill seeks to establish a national communications network within the Department of Justice to help locate missing adults by providing assistance to regional and local search efforts.

For our colleagues, obviously, the AMBER Alert dealt with children, and the Silver Alert dealt with senior citizens over, I believe, the age of 65. This bill would initiate, facilitate, and promote Ashanti Alert plans in coordination with States, units of local government, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned entities with expertise in providing services to adults. These are laudable goals and, as a Congress, ones which we have a duty to facilitate.

As of December 31, 2017, the National Crime Information Center database included records of 55,968 missing adults. In my own hometown, in the last 3 weeks, two adults went missing who were brother and sister. First, the brother went missing, and there was absolutely no sign of that individual. The sister went to look for that individual, and, of course, then they were both missing.

Tragically, we found, ultimately, that a relative had disposed of and killed both of them. If we had an alert system, maybe we would have been able to find them sooner.

In fact, many adults go missing each year who are not found until it is too late. Such was the case after whom this bill was named, Ashanti Billie.

At 19 years of age, she was abducted from her workplace in Virginia, taken across State lines, and later found dead in North Carolina. Ashanti Billie was too old for the issuance of an AMBER Alert on her behalf and too young for a Silver Alert.

This bill fills in the gap for people like Ashanti Billie, missing adults between the ages of 18 and 64, and it does so in coordination with the Blue Alert communications network, which Congress established. The Blue Alert establishes a nationwide network of Blue Alerts to warn about threats to police officers and help track down the suspects who carry them out.

While drawing on the Blue Alert Network, the Ashanti Alert Act requires implementing jurisdictions to the established plans and includes minimum standards and resources that help in this case. Had these resources been available when Ashanti was abducted, she may still be here with us today.

For these reasons, I support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, could I inquire if the gentleman has any further speakers.

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I am concerned that H.R. 5075 does not explicitly include Native American tribes in the missing adult communications network that the bill would establish. It is my understanding that this network would be established and implemented by the same office at the Department of Justice that implements the Blue Alert system, which includes outreach to tribal partners to educate them on that network.

I would like to confirm with the chairman that it is the intent of Congress that this same outreach to tribes be conducted with respect to the missing adult communications network.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the remainder of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, let me thank the proponent of this legislation, Mr. Taylor, for a very thoughtful initiative, one that is needed. It is tragic when we lose our constituents, but more importantly, when the families lose their loved ones.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation. By coordinating with existing

networks, H.R. 5075 will facilitate the establishment of a communications network for alerts concerning missing adults and have an impact far beyond what it will take to establish it.

I am heartened by Mr. Chabot's clarification that this bill is intended to extend to tribal entities and Native American reservations.

This past May, we commemorated the second National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls to bring awareness about how this problem specifically affects Native American communities. I am hopeful that this bill can help address this very serious problem, and the overall bill that addresses the need for families to find their loved ones after the ages of children and before the ages of senior citizen. We can always do more to help local missing adults and to save them. There are families in my district right now who are suffering from the loss of their brother or sister.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5075, the ``Ashanti Alert Act of 2018.''

This bill seeks to establish a national communications network within the Department of Justice to help locate missing adults by providing assistance to regional and local search efforts. The bill would initiate, facilitate, and promote Ashanti Alert plans in coordination with states, units of local government, law enforcement agencies, and other concerned entities with expertise in providing services to adults.

These are laudable goals and, as a Congress, ones which we have a duty to facilitate. As of December 31, 2017, the National Crime Information Center database included records of 55,968 missing adults. In fact, many adults go missing each year who are not found--until it is too late.

Such was the case of the young woman after whom this bill is named-- Ashanti Billie. At 19 years of age, she was abducted from her workplace in Virginia, taken across state lines, and later found dead in North Carolina. Ashanti Billie was too old for the issuance of an Amber Alert on her behalf, and too young for a Silver Alert.

The Ashanti Alert Act seeks to fill in the gap for people like Ashanti Billie--missing adults between the ages of 18 and 64. And it does so in coordination with the Blue Alert Communications Network, which Congress established in 2015, under the Blue Alert Act. The Blue Alert Act established a nationwide network of ``blue alerts'' to warn about threats to police officers and help track down the suspects who carry them out.

While drawing on the Blue Alert network, the Ashanti Alert Act requires implementing jurisdictions to establish plans that include minimum standards to ensure that resources are used adequately, accurately and efficiently. Had these resources been available when Ashanti Billie was abducted, she may still be here today.

For all these reasons, I enthusiastically support this legislation and encourage my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation. By coordinating with existing networks, H.R. 5075 will facilitate the establishment of a communications network for alerts concerning missing adults and have an impact far beyond what it will take to establish it.

And I am heartened by Mr. Goodlatte's clarification that this bill is intended to extend to tribal entities and Native American reservations.

This past May, we commemorated the second National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls--to bring awareness about how this problem specifically affects Native American communities. I am hopeful that this bill can help address this very serious problem.

We can always do more to help locate missing adults and to save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Ashanti Alert Act of 2018, and I yield back the balance of my time.