Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Congressional Black Caucus, I must shed light on the growing public safety concern regarding gun violence.

In 2022, firearm injury was the 12th leading cause of death in the United States of America.

Every day, 120 Americans are killed with guns.

And each year, hundreds of law enforcement officers lose their lives to gun violence, having been shot to death while protecting their communities.

Our government's continued lack of proactivity towards preventing gun violence has led to countless, unnecessary deaths.

Countless lives have been cut far too short, and countless families have had to experience the excruciating pain of knowing their loved one will never make it back home.

And although gun violence affects us all, I would like to highlight the disproportionate effect of gun violence on Black communities.

Black Americans are 10 times more likely than white Americans to die by gun homicide.

Black Americans are three times more likely than white Americans to be fatally shot by police.

And while Black Americans made up 12.5 percent of the United States population in 2020, they were the victims in 61 percent of all gun homicides.

According to the American Progress, ``this is due to a combination of weak gun laws; systemic racial inequities, including unequal access to safe housing and adequate educational and employment opportunities; and a history of disinvestment in public infrastructure and services in the communities of color most affected by gun violence.''

Discriminatory and unjust policies and practices such as slavery and Jim Crow are the reason that Black communities are still struggling to overcome the inequities in our society today.

Time and time again our country has forced Black Americans to pay the price for its sins, causing countless lives to be lost in the process.

Instead of acknowledging this public safety concern, our government continues to choose to remain ignorant, crafting a narrative of a war on the Second Amendment.

So, allow me to be clear: I support the Second Amendment.

But I will not sit idly by and hear the abuse of the far right's interpretation of the Second Amendment.

In June 2022, the Supreme Court took a radical step when it ruled in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. V. Bruen that the right to carry a weapon or self-defense extends to outside the home.

In this case, plaintiffs challenged the 100-year old New York state handgun licensing law requiring individuals to show proper cause before they can be licensed to carry a concealed weapon in public.

The Court ultimately ruled New York's concealed carry law unconstitutional, extending the right to own a gun for self-defense in the home to exist outside the home as well.

This decision altered the well-established test for evaluating gun safety laws and threatens the lives of millions around the country.

The Court's decision sheds light to a growing misinterpretation of the Second Amendment.

As both a legislature and a legal scholar, I must point out that the Second Amendment is not absolute.

No where in the Second Amendment does it prohibit regulating guns.

How dare we sit by when lives are being lost and act as though there is nothing we can do?

Is there no sense of responsibility to provide restrictions to save lives?

Our role in Congress is to ensure that we utilize every tool available to us to keep our cities safe.

We need to reimagine public safety by holding law enforcement officers who violate the public trust accountable, using public health resources to address mental health crises, and ensuring all communities are not overpoliced, well-resourced with access to job opportunities, affordable childcare, and capable social services to improve the quality of life.

We need to increase the use of civilian responders deployed to incidents involving mental health concerns and disturbances or disputes.

We need to strengthen governmental agencies dedicated to violence intervention and neighborhood safety.

We need to pass legislation such as H.R. 52, the Kimberly Vaughn Firearm Safe Storage Act, a bill I introduced which establishes best practices for safe firearm storage to protect Americans, especially children, from improperly stored or misused firearms.

We need to pass legislation, such as H.R. 48 the Gun Violence Reduction Resources Act of 2023, which will work to hire additional Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive agents and investigators to enforce gun laws.

We need to focus on mental health and pass legislation such as H.R. 46 the Mental Health Access and Gun Violence Prevention Act, which will authorize funding to increase

access to mental health care treatment to reduce gun violence.

These bills are particularly important as it pertains to mental health given the following facts:

Suicide is the leading cause of gun related deaths in America.

More than 60 percent of deaths by guns in the country are the result of individuals using these weapons as a means to commit suicide.

Approximately 1 in 4 American adults have a mental illness and nearly half of all adults in America will develop at least one mental illness during their lifetime.

Less than half of children and adults with diagnosable mental health problems receive the treatment they need.

Gun violence is a nonpartisan issue with bipartisan solutions.

We act as though our hands are tied behind our back, despite the countless options at our disposal.

I join my CBC colleagues in advancing common-sense bills that work to prevent gun violence.

Protecting our communities and protecting our families need to be priority.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to S.J. Res. 9, a resolution that provides for congressional disapproval to legislatively de-list the lesser prairie-chicken from protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Specifically, this bill calls on Congress to disapprove the rules submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to protections for endangered and threatened wildlife and plants.

The population and habitat of the lesser prairie-chicken, an endangered southwestern prairie grouse, is under growing threat.

Originally numbering in the millions, the population of this bird has decreased by as much as 97 percent and it now only inhabits 16 percent of its former habitat.

Aerial survey results from 2012 through 2022 estimate a five-year average lesser prairie-chicken population of 32,210 across the five- state region in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, as well as my state of Texas.

The conversion of natural grasslands to agriculture, energy development, fire suppression, drought, and the use of herbicides to kill Shinnery Oak habitat are all ongoing challenges that cause habitat loss and fragmentation.

Additional harm is caused to these birds' habitats by fencing, power wires, and other tall structures that entice perching by predatory animals.

The lesser prairie-chicken is a sign of healthy prairies and grasslands because it requires huge, undamaged natural grassland parcels to support self-sustaining populations.

This makes them a crucial indicator of the general wellbeing of America's grasslands, a treasured and iconic terrain.

It is essential that we work together to uphold the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is responsible for the recovery of iconic species like the Bald Eagle.

I urge my colleagues to support science-based decisions and join me in opposing this bill, S.J. Res. 9.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to S.J. Res. 24, which relates to the endangered species status of the Northern Long-Eared Bat.

S.J. Res. 24 is a resolution of congressional disapproval to legislatively down-list the Northern Long-Eared Bat from ``endangered'' to ``threatened.''

Not only would this downgrade the Northern Long-Eared Bat's status today, but it would effectively block the species from being moved up to a higher endangered threat level, no matter how close the species comes to extinction.

It would be irresponsible to use extreme legislation, not science, to down-list the Northern Long-Eared Bat, thereby effectively scaling back its protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Without ESA protections, states, industries, and other entities will have little incentive to conserve or recover the Northern Long-Eared Bat.

It is highly likely that the bat populations would dwindle further toward extinction.

Moreover, by using the Congressional Review Act Process, this Congress is effectively limiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from making similar future listings for this bat species.

This proposition would prevent the agency from using its discretion to take the necessary measures for species conservation and will impede long-term recovery efforts.

Ultimately, Congressional action in this regard gives industries, not science, the upper hand in species listings.

It is clear that some of my colleagues are doing the bidding of the timber and agriculture industries, despite the consequences that Northern Long-Eared Bat extinction could have on biodiversity and long- term agriculture and timber industry practices.

Down-listing this species would be especially dangerous in the current moment because the Northern Long-Eared Bat population is actively under threat from white nose syndrome, a deadly fungus that has caused a rapid decline in bat populations.

The Northern Long-Eared Bat's current endangered status provides adequate protections while wildlife scientists work to address the underlying causes of white-nose syndrome.

Congress should not be interfering with the work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under its Endangered Species Act authority.

Species populations are constantly fluctuating based on environmental factors, invasive species, climate change, and other emerging threats.

To remain up to date, the ESA requires periodic study and updates to ensure protections align with the best available science.

By blocking future up-listing decisions, using the Congressional Review Act undercuts the ESA's inherent flexibility and agencies' science-based decision-making for species conservation.

I urge my colleagues to support science-based decisions for endangered and threatened species and oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, the beauty and wonderment of this Nation is that every single person born in this country has the privilege of living under the flag of the United States of America.

Today, I rise to reinforce our love of country, our love of our soldiers and our veterans, but also our love of justice.

I am introducing today the Chyna Gibson stop transgender murder epidemic act of 2023 to respect those who are different.

This particular bill will provide a commission to understand why so many women or so many trans have been killed over the last decade.

It will establish a commission to study and develop proposals to combat the epidemic of the murdering of nonconforming gender expansive and transgender women of color. The duties of the commission shall be to document and research issues regarding gender nonconforming, gender expansive, transgender women of color face, including, but not limited to, limited access to healthcare and limited access to housing.

I simply want to say, Mr. Speaker, that we live in this beautiful country. I want this commission to tell us the truth and to protect people who deserve to be protected and to live their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Colorado for his leadership, and the manager of our friends on the other side of the aisle.

The United States military, each and every soldier, each and every member of every single branch, take an oath when they leave their loved ones and accept the responsibility of dying for this country. If you have been able to fight on a battlefield and become a veteran, you still have taken that oath and you were willing to die for this country.

With the enormous cuts that are facing our soldiers, our families in this military construction legislation, let me make it plain for my colleagues. They will deny those who take an oath, Active Duty, their families, job opportunities. They will deny them housing.

Has anyone been to bases and seen some of the military housing that needs absolute either rebuild or rehab?

Have you understood the importance of food assistance, particularly to veterans' families depending on that?

Do they know how important it is for the soldiers to feed their families, to keep roofs over their heads?

Do they know how important it is to provide education and training opportunities for those who leave the United States military?

Let me remind you of the importance of their oath, and then let me remind you of the hard-earned work that this Congress did with President Biden to provide the PACT Act. The proposed cuts would have drastic consequences for the PACT Act. That is the bill that recognizes the toxicity that our brave men and women were in while they were fighting battles. That exposure fund could lead to slashing the medical care resources in the fund by 86 percent and fully abandoning the toxic exposure fund next year.

Are we defaulting on our commitment to those who took the oath to die for this Nation? I think that is worthy of shame.

Cities will be vulnerable when their veterans do not have the resources that are necessary for them to have.

Mr. Speaker, can you imagine the burden on local cities?

Our veterans are homeless. Our veterans are suffering, many times from PTSD, and if we do not have the kind of support services for them that this legislation provides, where are we in terms of the kind of housing and other assistance that they may need?

I just simply ask my friends on the other side of the aisle, we stand here on the floor, I am fighting for the cities and the States that receive these dollars ultimately, because that is where the people are.

I do want to oppose the bills that are endangering our endangered species, S.J. Res. 9 and H.R. 4366. I oppose endangering our endangered species.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to H.R. 4366, Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024.

This is a bill that appropriates funding for our military, the Department of Veteran Affairs, and other related agencies for fiscal year 2024.

I strongly oppose this bill's realignment of military construction funding from priority projects to other less relevant projects.

The level of funding allocations in this bill does not help the Veteran Affairs to support key priorities of its Administration such as ending veteran homelessness, increasing access to mental healthcare, and providing suicide prevention services, as well as investments in other critical areas, including caregiver support programs, overdose prevention, and treatment programs.

While it is important to make annual adjustments to bills such as this, our national strategic planning cannot be based on vague predictions; it must present a concrete plan that goes beyond the current year.

This Congress, and other relevant elements of the U.S. government should focus on a real integrated strategy that considers all aspects of national security spending while also helping to protect our veterans.

Any reckless policies that attempt to claw back billions in funding for veterans' medical care would have negative impact on our veterans and put their healthcare in jeopardy.

This bill should reflect efforts by the Congress to secure protection for adequate funding to ensure that the Department of Veterans Affairs will be able to continue to spend those essential resources for veterans' medical care.

Doubling down on the Default on America Act by cutting over $142 billion in funding does nothing but hurts our veterans, farmers, and their families by denying them access vital programs that they rely on.

Surprisingly, Republicans do not want to end there; recent reports indicate that they want to go up to over $159 billion in funding cuts, and even as high as $189 billion with their insatiable desire for drastic cuts in funding for programs that support American families.

Republicans need to stand by their word and let this House and the American people know where they stand on their support for veterans.

Any radical cuts in funding by Republicans to the Department of Housing and Urban Development would be devastating to more than 50,000 veterans who rely on the Housing Choice Vouchers for their housing needs.

Cutting funding to the Department of Labor by as high as 30 percent would result in more than 4,200 veterans losing the job training, counseling, and job readiness services they so desperately need; a group that is already either experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

Earlier versions of Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that Republicans supported in subcommittee provided for the transfer of $4.5 billion in critical funding for veterans' medical care to other purposes.

The Republican-backed bill, if passed, could have resulted in drastic cuts to dedicated funding for veterans exposed to Agent Orange, burn pits, and other toxic substances.

Republican proposed cuts would have drastic consequences for the PACT Act Toxic Exposures Fund and could lead to slashing the medical care resources in the Fund by 86 percent, and fully abandoning the Toxic Exposures Fund next year.

I, along with my Democrat colleagues, will continue to work with veterans' organizations to ensure that this bill does not pass with these unreasonable cuts to critical programs and services that veterans across the country depend on.

Congress cannot renege on the pledge and promises that are contained in the PACT Act; to provide the necessary, dedicated, funding; this bill requires nothing short of full funding for the Toxic Exposures Fund.

Even with all these necessary measures, the 2024 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies funding bill still

falls short of our commitment to veterans, servicemembers, and their families.

This Committee should not pass a bill that cuts military construction by billions of dollars in effort to cut down on the entire process of funding the government.

Through the PACT Act, the Biden administration continue to deliver its promise to better serve and better take care of our veterans of all wars who have been exposed to harmful chemicals like Agent Orange, burn pits, and other toxic substances.

That funding for toxic exposures should not have to compete with other discretionary priorities; it should complement other funding sources.

In addition to these drastic cuts, Section 258 of H.R. 4366 would prevent the VA from using funds to implement, administer, or carry out the Interim Final Rule (IFR) published on September 9, 2022, which expanded access to abortion for certain veterans, a provision which also prevents the VA from providing needed care to veterans when the health of the woman is endangered.

Our country must ensure that the department of Veteran Affairs is able to provide access to abortions, especially in instances where the life or health of the pregnant veteran would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term, or when a pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

Sections 414, 415, and 417 of this H.R. 4366 further outline provisions that seek to limit efforts by the Federal Government to implement a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty, inequality, and diversity.

In its current state, this bill would prevent the Veteran Affairs from using funds to display any but the listed flags, intended to prevent the Veteran Affairs from displaying flags demonstrating support for historically marginalized groups such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex veterans.

This would indiscriminately undermine same sex marriage while also unduly complicating the routine business of the Department to provide healthcare and other services for veterans.

The President's budget proposal presents a viable solution to provide desperately needed funding for construction projects and the military construction bill must prove to support the President's commitments to our veterans.

Any real, pragmatic progress in Veteran Affairs' infrastructure backlog requires dedicated investment in our facilities outside the normal discretionary funding streams.

It is my sincere hope that this military construction appropriation would ensure the quality of care at Veteran Affair's facilities for our veterans and Veteran Affairs employees.

As our military leadership has indicated, 30 percent of our military infrastructure worldwide remains in poor condition; cutting funding for military construction is not a viable solution to this problem.

With the present need to address recruitment and retention problem that currently faces our military, and to ensure a major quality of life issue for our servicemembers, we cannot afford these senseless cuts to military construction funding.

I cannot support the passage of this military construction bill because our nation cannot to backtrack on our commitment to our servicemembers and their families.

Mr. Speaker, I speak in opposition to S.J. Res. 9, a resolution that provides for congressional disapproval to legislatively de-list the lesser prairie-chicken from protection under the Endangered Species Act.

Specifically, this bill calls on Congress to disapprove the rules submitted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service relating to protections for endangered and threatened wildlife and plants.

The population and habitat of the lesser prairie-chicken, an endangered southwestern prairie grouse, is under growing threat.

Originally numbering in the millions, the population of this bird has decreased by as much as 97%, and it now only inhabits 16% of its former habitat.

Aerial survey results from 2012 through 2022 estimate a 5-year average lesser prairie-chicken population of 32,210 across the five- state region in Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, as well as my state of Texas.

The conversion of natural grasslands to agriculture, energy development, fire suppression, drought, and the use of herbicides to kill Shinnery Oak habitat are all ongoing challenges that cause habitat loss and fragmentation.

Additional harm is caused to these birds' habitats by fencing, power wires, and other tall structures that entice perching by predatory animals.

The lesser prairie-chicken is a sign of healthy prairies and grasslands because it requires huge, undamaged natural grassland parcels to support self-sustaining populations.

This makes them a crucial indicator of the general well-being of America's grasslands, a treasured and iconic terrain.

It is essential that we work together to uphold the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which is responsible for the recovery of iconic species like the bald eagle.

I urge my colleagues to support science-based decisions and join me in opposing this bill, S.J. Res. 9.

Mr. Speaker, I speak in opposition to S.J. Res. 24, which relates to the endangered species status of the Northern Long-Eared Bat.

S.J. Res. 24 is a resolution of congressional disapproval to legislatively down-list the Northern Long-Eared Bat from ``endangered'' to ``threatened.''

Not only would this downgrade the Northern Long-Eared Bat's status today, but it would effectively block the species from being moved up to a higher endangered threat level, no matter how close the species comes to extinction.

It would be irresponsible to use extreme legislation, not science, to down-list the Northern Long-Eared Bat, thereby effectively scaling back its protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Without ESA protections, states, industries, and other entities will have little incentive to conserve or recover the Northern Long-Eared Bat.

It is highly likely that the bat populations would likely dwindle further towards extinction.

Moreover, by using the Congressional Review Act Process, this Congress is effectively limiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from making similar future listings for this bat species.

This move would prevent the agency from using its discretion to take the necessary measures for species conservation and will impede long term recovery efforts.

Ultimately, Congressional action in this arena gives industries, not science, the upper hand in species listings.

It is clear that some of my colleagues are doing the bidding of the timber and agriculture industries, despite the consequences that Northern Long-Eared Bat extinction could have on biodiversity and long- term agriculture and timber industry practices.

Down-listing this species would be especially dangerous in the current moment because the Northern Long-Eared Bat population is actively under threat from white nose syndrome, a deadly fungus that has caused a rapid decline in bat populations.

The Northern Long-Eared Bat's current endangered status provides adequate protections while wildlife scientists work to address the underlying causes of white-nose syndrome.

More broadly, Congress should not be interfering with the work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under its Endangered Species Act authority.

Species populations are constantly fluctuating based on environmental factors, invasive species, climate change, and other emerging threats.

To remain up to date, the ESA requires periodic study and updates to ensure protections align with the best available science.

By blocking future up-listing decisions, using the Congressional Review Act undercuts the ESA's inherent flexibility and agencies' science-based decision-making for species conservation.

I urge my colleagues to support science-based decisions for endangered and threatened species and oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise today to salute our friend and patriot, Joyce Hamlett.

It is a surprise for some of us who wish that the news was not accurate, but I cannot miss an opportunity to call her a historic figure in this House.

Joyce made history as being named the custodian, the protector, of the mace. I can assure you, she handles this historic responsibility with grace, firmness, leadership, patriotism, and a love of country.

I do want to say that Joyce was a hero on January 6, 2021. It was Joyce's face that we looked at to get the original charge of getting to safety, of ensuring that the doors were closed. I heard her voice, and I saw her pointing, giving instructions to make sure that as Members finally discovered that we were under attack, we would be safe. She did not move to protect herself. She stood fast to ensure that Members had the right information to be able to be taken to or rush to safety.

Her family loves her. We don't realize that she has a wonderful responsibility of her grandchildren, and they have grown up under her. I have watched that happen.

Mr. Speaker, finally, let me say this: We will lose a great American. I hope as she goes in another direction, there will be others blessed by this grande dame, if you will, and this great American, a person who will always love this institution.

We will always love Joyce Hamlett and respect her for her service to the Nation.

God bless her, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, on the occasion of Stevie Wilcox's retirement from the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Agency, family, friends, and colleagues gathered on Friday, July 21, 2023, to recognize his dedication, commitment, and professionalism in the defense of a grateful Nation.

Stevie Wilcox's service in the U.S. Air Force ended in 2005 as a senior non-commissioned officer (E-7 MSgt). He served the first 10 years at Andrews Air Force Base until he transferred to Okinawa, Japan from 1994 to 1998.

He was later transferred to Bitburg, Germany, where he served from 1998-2002. Stevie's dedication to the armed services began early, as he grew up as a military dependent. Prior to his service, he moved to Camps Springs, Maryland in the summer of 1976 and graduated from Central High School in 1979.

After retiring from military service, Stevie Wilcox decided to work at TSA because he experienced 9-11 in real time while on Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D.C.

Stevie Wilcox embodied the agency motto, ``The Work of a Nation. The Center of Intelligence.'' Because of his efforts, lives were preserved--missions accomplished--hope restored. And I thank him for his service to the United States of America.

Stevie Wilcox was recruited to the TSA Travel Protocol Office to help establish assistance for the wounded warriors who traveled through the Nation's airports along with the Military One Source.

Stevie Wilcox Worked for TSA from 2005 to 2023 during which time he distinguished himself as a person of merit, intellect, diplomacy, and professionalism in all matters under his responsibility.

I would like to commend him for taking this path to government service. As President Kennedy once said, ``The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender or submission.''

On behalf of the constituents of the Eighteenth Congressional District of Texas, I take great pride in recognizing Stevie Wilcox on his retirement, for his commitment and dedication to serving the citizens of the United States, and he is most deserving of the respect, admiration, and commendation of the United States Congress.

Madam Speaker, I stand today to reinforce the importance of the reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, because it is particularly important to realize that to move this Nation, we must make sure that we protect our passengers and our flight crew.

Besides the almost $4 billion in airport improvement dollars, in addition to reinforcing the training and the protection of our crews, reinforcing pilots' doors, making sure we have diversity and reach out to all over the Nation to build the aviation industry by reaching out and training new pilots, as well as ensuring that passengers are dignified or treated with dignity and have the respect of airlines.

This is a bill that should have the ability to move forward out of this House, but I am unhappy about how the pilots were treated in terms of their opposition to the raising of the age. I will continue to work with the Senate to ensure that we listen to our pilots. I listened, and I hope that we will finally have an FAA bill that will really be securing growth and robust leadership in the American aviation community.

We must respect our pilots. They get us off the ground, they get us to our destination, and they get us back on the ground. We will continue to work and fight for our pilots and their issues.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman very much for yielding time. Let me first say that the administration enthusiastically supports the work of Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen for the great work that they have done.

This is good for America. This is good for Houston, Texas, and it is good for Texas. I have two airports in the region, including Hobby International Airport and Bush Intercontinental Airport, and Ellington Field that see some commercial flights.

It is good that we will get between $3.35 billion and $4 billion to help in the airport funding program of which I saw about 40 to 80 million come to our Bush Intercontinental Airport in the last couple of weeks.

It is important to have the flexibility to deal with environmental issues, and, of course, it is extremely important to have a $45 million training program for a pipeline for pilots, aviation maintenance, and aviation manufacturing. Why? Because schools like Texas Southern University that uniquely has one of the only HBCUs training of pilots program will be able to do more and fill that pipeline with pilots.

In addition, we respond to the assaults that have been occurring against employees and crew, and respond by an employee assault prevention response plan, which is extremely important.

We did this during 9/11, but now we are looking at more secondary cockpit barriers that will be more important. As well, we want to make sure that we have a task force of air carriers.

This bill is for airlines and airports, but it is for the traveling public, as well. It deals with air law enforcement, aviation labor unions, and others to be able to work together.

I am excited about the Bessie Coleman Women in Aviation Advisory Committee to encourage more young women to become pilots, as we need more pilots every single day.

The matter that I worked on as a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, finally we set standards for foreign aircraft repair stations, so that when our American airlines are overseas, they are subject to the same standards of American repair stations. We were very concerned about that after 9/11.

Mr. Chairman, let me dwell on an amendment that I offered to get through the backlog of pilots that are now well after they have been off for some medical reason and the backlog of getting them back into the stream of flying is taking long. We need to look at that because these are perfectly able pilots, but they are still on medical leave.

I also want to ensure that we have mental health relief for our pilots, like 29-year-old Chris Daniel, who was doing well, but after the pandemic began experiencing depression. Chris' doctor suggested treatment for his depression, but as a pilot, he was too afraid to go.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in America Aviation Act of 2023.

The Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act helps maintain America's gold standard in safety, fosters innovation, strengthens and diversifies the U.S. aviation workforce, and invests in resilient and sustainable infrastructure.

This is an important bill that I offered an amendment to help improve through the Rules Committee, the Jackson Lee Amendment.

While the Rules Committee did not make my amendment in order, it is important to highlight what it would have done and what is still needed to assist and strengthen aviation in our country.

In particular, the Jackson Lee Amendment would do the following:

Implement the creation of the Aviation Medical Innovation and Modernization Working Group and a report on recommendations from the Working Group on the evaluation of the conditions an Aviation Medical Examiner can issue. Improve and reform to the Special Issuance process, including whether, after initial medical certification by the FAA, renewals can be based on a medical evaluation and treatment plan by a pilot's treating medical specialist with concurrence from the pilot's Aviation Medical Examiner, in addition to other measures that will help ease the process and remove the backlog for when pilots return from medical leave.

It would pilot a mental health task group to develop and provide recommendations related to supporting the mental health of aircraft pilots.

Finally, my amendment requests a report that would provide recommendations for best practices in detecting, assessing, and reporting mental health conditions and treatment options as part of pilot aeromedical assessments.

The Jackson Lee Amendment would have strengthened this legislation by keeping the health and safety of airline pilots at the forefront.

Mr. Chair, let's help our pilots be strong medically and mentally, and let's make this the best aviation system in the world.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record an article from Scientific American.

[From Scientific American, Nov. 22, 2022]

We Need To Change the System That Keeps Pilots From Seeking Mental

Health Care

(By William R. Hoffman)

By 29 years old, Chris Daniel felt he had it all: a wife,

two beautiful children and fulfillment of his lifelong dream

of becoming a U.S. airline captain. But in the spring of

2022, after years of flying, Chris knew something was not

right. Shadows from his past

were reemerging, strained by post-COVID travel demand and

long, taxing weeks on the road. Years earlier, Chris's

physician had suggested that his low mood and trouble

sleeping might be symptoms of mild depression. But like many

pilots, he balked at the idea. If a doctor diagnosed

depression or if he sought help, Chris assumed he would never

be able to fly again. Seeking help seemed unthinkable because

losing flying was akin to losing everything; being a pilot

was who he was.

Chris's story is not unusual. While mental health symptoms

are common in airline pilots, getting help can affect their

ability to work in a big way. Airline pilots are required to

meet certain medical standards in order to maintain an active

flying status, and disclosing a new symptom or condition to

the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) puts them at risk

of losing, usually temporarily, their ability to work and

fly. This is particularly true for mental health symptoms.

The FAA bars pilots from the cockpit if they report seeking

regular talk therapy for even mild anxiety or depression;

this may last for months and sometimes even years based on

the assumption they pose an unacceptable risk to safety. In

fact, pilots find themselves among only a handful of

professions that require disclosure of any encounter with the

health care system, including mental health visits.

While it makes sense to ground a pilot in distress, the

current system often fails to recognize the dynamic and often

situational nature of mental health symptoms and often drives

pilots from seeking care. Time off the job can have negative

repercussions such as loss of pay and need for recurrent

training, and the expenses of additional medical evaluations

required by the FAA often fall onto the pilot. All of these

together result in a population of pilots working the fleet

who are suffering in silence and fearful to get the help they

need. We must rethink the system that drives pilots from

attending to their mental health and change what seeking

mental health care services means in aviation.

Data my group and others have gathered are beginning to

reveal the scope of this problem. Our findings demand

attention. In our recent study of more than 3,500 U.S.

pilots, 56 percent reported behavior that we classify as

avoiding health care (for example, getting health care

outside the traditional system to avoid its documentation)

specifically because they feared the loss of their clearance

to fly. Interestingly, 26 percent of pilots reported that

they had withheld information during their FAA health

checkups for the same reason: the fear of losing their

medical clearance. This is sometimes called ``losing their

wings.''

In a sister study, more than half of pilots in our sample

had something they felt needed to get checked out--maybe it

was mental health related, perhaps a knee injury, or even

just a rash--but waited or decided against it because they

worried about their career. While our studies focused on

overall health care, we suspect this finding also applies to

mental health.

Many pilots have reasonably good access to health care.

This includes health insurance, paid time off and sometimes

other union protections. Instead, these data suggest a

barrier exists because pilots are asked to weigh the benefits

of seeking help against the professional costs that they

alone bear. How bad does mild anxiety need to become to

warrant a prolonged absence from work? For most pilots,

very bad.

The growing demand for pilots in our travel-hungry, COVID-

endemic world is likely to make this problem more

complicated. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics projects

18,100 new pilot jobs each year for the next decade,

precipitated by the continued growth of air travel. As

compensation has soared in 2022, more is being asked of

pilots, including longer and more frequent trips to keep pace

with passenger demand, This is in the context of other

airline professions--such as maintenance and administrative

staff--facing major personnel shortages, placing further

strain on a system already operating at its limits. Higher

demand on pilots can lead to additional time away from family

and friends, leading to an even greater need for mental

health care services. Simply put, pilots' need for mental

health care is likely to only grow in the coming years.

While on the surface it might seem that increasing the pool

of pilots would ease the situation, more pilots won't fix the

existing challenges in the system. Flight training programs

are expanding, and some airlines are taking the unprecedented

step of establishing their own training programs. But, while

class sizes are growing, they are being filled by a younger

and more diverse generation of student pilots who may not be

as willing as their predecessors to quietly suffer. In fact,

emerging data suggest the willingness of current pilots (who

are still largely in the 40-to-60 age range) to avoid health

care for job security may not be as true for the next

generation.

``Younger pilots are different from past generations and

are more willing to identify as needing help when it comes to

their mental health,'' John Dulski, 21, an aviation student

at the University of North Dakota and advocate for aviation

mental health reform, told me during a recent phone call.

``Many are more willing to choose to get care at the risk of

stepping away from flying.'' The answers to why such a

phenomenon is occurring remains an open question that our

research group is trying to understand. Could it be related

to social media lowering the stigma of mental health or the

influences of growing up through the pandemic? We hope future

research will reveal the answer.

A new generation of Gen Z airline pilots more open to

stepping away from flying to seek mental health care services

may only further strain the shortage of pilots. But more

importantly, it should call for industry to rethink what it

means for an airline pilot to be mentally fit and what

services they should be able to receive while still working

the fleet. We can all agree that safety in aviation should be

the foundation for meaningful change. Certainly, a pilot with

a severe mental health condition shouldn't be flying. But the

opportunity lies for pilots with mild symptoms. These are

high performing professionals who are perhaps facing one of

life's usual stressors--a divorce, a family death or even

just the chronic stress of the job. How might we rethink a

system that enables this group to seek mental health care

services in hopes of sidestepping a diagnosis that could go

on to fully pull them from flying?

One answer is clear. The FAA should change policy to permit

pilots with mild symptoms to seek professional regular, and

if needed prolonged, talk therapy without loss of their

medical certification. Such a change would have major

benefits for people on both sides of the flight deck door,

including treatment to prevent symptom worsening, and regular

pilot assessment by a professional mental health provider.

Recognizing that mental health is on a dynamic spectrum and

that many pilots could benefit from talking to a professional

mental health provider at some point in their career has the

potential to keep pilots flying healthy while also increasing

safety in the system. Pilot unions and airlines should fuel

this movement by raising awareness about the problem their

pilots face and by lobbying for an alliance of stakeholder to

determine how best to safely enact this change. While credit

is due to the FAA for recently making several positive policy

changes related to mental health, there is still work to do

and time is of the essence.

Chris Daniel never did get help for his mental health

symptoms, and despite an excellent flying record, he died of

suicide in June 2022. While we believe suicide is relatively

rare among pilots, this extreme outcome is in part why we

must create positive change. With the use of appropriate

supervision and reevaluation, aviation's safety culture

should shift to thinking of mental health care services as a

marker for wellness and prevention instead of risk and

disease. This change would not only benefit pilots, but also

the 2 million U.S. passengers who trust the aviation system

every day.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak on the rule for H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024.

This is an important measure that for over 60 years, Republicans and Democrats have come together to support investments authorized in the NDAA that will help address the changing global landscape and prepare the country for future challenges and threats.

I along with my colleagues have offered a number of robust and thoughtful amendments in furtherance of a process that has generally been bipartisan work on behalf of America's national defense.

However, I am dismayed that this year, my Republican colleagues in the majority have refused meaningful consideration of the majority of amendments offered by my Democratic colleagues.

While I am grateful that one of my amendments was made in order, the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075 (No. 136 as reported in the Rule) and included in the En Bloc package No. 3, it is beyond disappointing and disgraceful that my additional 19 amendments were not made in order-- and particularly ones I have offered for many years and have been made in order.

With respect to my amendment that was made in order, I ask for a favorable vote on the En Bloc package No. 3 in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075 would require that a report be submitted within 220 days of the NDAA's passage detailing our national capacity to provide disaster survivors with short term housing.

In the aftermath of emergencies and national disasters, victims have much on their minds.

Homes, properties, businesses, and livelihoods may have been damaged in the disaster, and families, friends, and community members may be mentally and physically affected by the disaster, not to mention additional challenges as they seek to return to work and school.

As these communities begin to face the long process of recovery and rebuilding, short term housing is one of the first things disaster survivors need to get back on their feet.

Unfortunately, my constituents and I are no stranger to these kinds of disasters.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area, affecting over 100,000 homes across the city. In the aftermath of the storm, finding temporary housing was one of the biggest challenges to recovery for many survivors.

Short-term housing was difficult to coordinate due to the sheer number of Houstonians affected.

As such, it is crucial that Congress have a strong understanding of our current capabilities and, specifically, our ability to provide these survivors with short term housing before disaster strikes.

If voted on favorably, this report will not only inform us of our current capacity to provide housing but will also better equip Congress to respond to disasters and support survivors in the future.

In addition to this amendment, I offered the below listed amendments.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1010 condemns the actions of Boko Haram and directs the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on efforts to combat Boko Haram.

Since 2009, Boko Haram has subjected women and girls to unbearable and severe forms of abuse, including sexual slavery, sexual violence, forced marriages, forced pregnancies, and forced conversions.

The United Nation's Human Rights Council report on violations and abuses committed by this despicable organization reveals the negative impact of such violent acts on the affected communities and individuals.

And this year, in March of 2023, Boko Haram displaced at least 3,000 people in fighting along Nigerian border towns and villages.

In April of this year, Boko Haram militants also destroyed hundreds of homes in Cameroon.

Despite regional coordination efforts by the African Union in creating Multinational Joint Task Force to fight Boko Haram, this violent organization continues to commit gross human rights abuses and serious violations of international humanitarian law, resulting in ongoing casualties and further destruction of property.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1010 would have supported efforts by the African

Union and other international entities to effectively counter the atrocities of this organization.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1084 directs the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress a report on the actions taken to protect members of the Armed Forces of the United States from armed attacks conducted by militants and terrorists in pursuit of bounties and inducements by the agencies, organizations, or entities aligned with the Russian Federation.

In 2020, there were reports that Russia was placing bounties on American soldiers.

Although these reports have not been confirmed, we must be prepared to contend with such threats.

The lives of our Armed Forces should be valued and protected from our Nation's adversaries.

It is important that we use our resources to ensure the safety and well-being of America's service members, as their bravery and valor are vital for America's success. It is our duty to ensure that our troops can return to their families.

That is why I introduced an amendment to ensure that a report is made detailing the actions taken to protect Armed Forces members from armed attacks. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1084 would have ensured that we take a stand against attacks on our military and continue to protect men and women serving this country.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1099 requires the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on the programs and procedures employed to ensure students studying abroad through Department of Defense National Security Education Programs are trained to recognize, resist, and report against recruitment efforts by agents of foreign governments.

Tens of thousands of American students study abroad each year, with hundreds of them going through the Department of Defense's National Security Education Programs.

This past year, the National Security Education Program enrolled 108 Boren fellows and 210 Boren scholars, in addition to those enrolled in the organization's seven other study abroad programs. Protecting these students in their time abroad is a priority; hence, the need for the Secretary of Defense to ensure students know how to detect foreign intelligence and recruitment efforts.

Generating awareness about risks that study abroad students could face overseas will safeguard America from being targeted by foreign governments. Security measures offered by my amendment, Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1099, would have continued to protect America's future by preventing foreign intelligence services from acquiring tools to inflict harm on America.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1108 requires the Secretary of Defense to evaluate the threat to national security posed by domestic terrorist groups and organizations motivated by a belief system of white supremacy.

Since 2010, white supremacists have carried out at least 17 lethal attacks, resulting in no fewer than 77 deaths. White supremacist attacks account for more than half of all fatalities from domestic terrorism, per the FBI.

As such, the FBI has deemed that white supremacists ``pose the primary threat'' in domestic terrorism. FBI reports have identified these racially-motivated extremists as part of a transnational movement facilitated by online networks.

Due to the FBI's assessment of a rising threat of domestic violence rooted in white supremacy, it is essential that Congress be thoroughly informed on this matter.

This amendment and the report it commissions will provide valuable information and an up-to-date, detailed evaluation of the potential domestic violence threat these groups pose moving forward.

In this way, Congress can better create meaningful policy solutions that enshrine national security and safety for all. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1108 offered an important proactive approach to combatting domestic terrorism.

Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak on the rule for H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024.

This is an important measure that for over 60 years, Republicans and Democrats have come together to support investments authorized in the NDAA that will help address the changing global landscape and prepare the country for future challenges and threats.

I along with my colleagues have offered a number of robust and thoughtful amendments in furtherance of a process that has generally been bipartisan work on behalf of America's national defense.

However, I am dismayed that this year, my Republican colleagues in the majority have refused meaningful consideration of the majority of amendments offered by my Democratic colleagues.

While I am grateful that one of my amendments was made in order, the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075 (No. 136 as reported in the Rule) and included in the En Bloc package No. 3, it is beyond disappointing and disgraceful that my additional 19 amendments were not made in order-- and particularly ones I have offered for many years and have been made in order.

With respect to my amendment that was made in order, I ask for a favorable vote on the En Bloc package No. 3 in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075 would require that a report be submitted within 220 days of the NDAA's passage detailing our national capacity to provide disaster survivors with short term housing.

In the aftermath of emergencies and national disasters, victims have much on their minds.

Homes, properties, businesses, and livelihoods may have been damaged in the disaster, and families, friends, and community members may be mentally and physically affected by the disaster, not to mention additional challenges as they seek to return to work and school.

As these communities begin to face the long process of recovery and rebuilding, short term housing is one of the first things disaster survivors need to get back on their feet.

Unfortunately, my constituents and I are no stranger to these kinds of disasters.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area, affecting over 100,000 homes across the city. In the aftermath of the storm, finding temporary housing was one of the biggest challenges to recovery for many survivors.

Short-term housing was difficult to coordinate due to the sheer number of Houstonians affected. As such, it is crucial that Congress have a strong understanding of our current capabilities and, specifically, our ability to provide these survivors with short term housing before disaster strikes.

If voted on favorably, this report will not only inform us of our current capacity to provide housing but will also better equip Congress to respond to disasters and support survivors in the future.

In addition to this amendment, I offered the below listed amendments.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1401 requires an annual report on maternal mortality rates for military members and their dependents.

Women make up about 17 percent of the active military population. As such, their specific health needs are a critical piece of force readiness and the well-being of U.S. troops. In order to ensure military readiness, it's important that the full scope of women's health care needs are understood and provided for. The knowledge gained through this report will best equip the creation of meaningful policy and standards of care for women in the military.

Despite generally lower rates of maternal and infant mortality compared with the United States overall, per a 2019 report generated as a result of my request to do so in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232), the continued monitoring and reporting on these rates is crucial and highly relevant--particularly in light of the heightened attacks on women's reproductive health and the recent Supreme Court's decision effectively overturning Roe v. Wade.

Maternal and infant health are important indicators of the overall health of a Nation. More than 40 percent of active-duty service women reported a pregnancy since joining the military and 16 percent reported a pregnancy within the prior year. Beyond those directly serving in our military, this report would also support the needs of the pregnant dependents of those in the military and ensure that they also receive the standard of care they deserve. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1401 would have ensured a proactive approach to enshrining maternal health, especially for our military families.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1403 authorizes a $10 million increase in funding for increased collaboration with NIH to combat Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple negative breast cancer is a specific strain of breast cancer for which no targeted

treatment is available. The American Cancer Society calls this particular strain of breast cancer ``an aggressive subtype associated with lower survival rates.''

I offered this amendment in hopes that through a coordinated effort DOD and NIH can develop a targeted treatment for the triple negative breast cancer strain. Breast cancers with specific, targeted treatment methods, such as hormone and gene-based strains, have higher survival rates than the triple negative subtype, highlighting the need for a targeted treatment.

Breast cancer accounts for 1 in 4 cancer diagnoses among women in this country. It is also the most commonly diagnosed cancer among African American women. The American Cancer society estimated that in 2019, over 33,000 new cases of breast cancer would occur among Black women, with about 6,540 breast cancer deaths expected to die from the disease.

Today, Black women are 40 percent more likely than white women to die from breast cancer. Black women are also 12 percent less likely to survive five years after a breast cancer diagnosis. One reason for this disparity is that African American women are disproportionally affected by triple negative breast cancer.

And in my district, the statistics are even more shocking for Black women. In Houston, the breast cancer death rate for black women is nearly double than average. Several preventable factors contribute to this. Namely, that Black patients are 1.5 times more likely to be uninsured than white patients and are simply unable to obtain and receive access to lifesaving treatment. In fact only 54 percent of Black women, in Houston, receive annual breast cancer screenings. This is unacceptable. We must do better in making sure all those inflicted by this deadly cancer have access to treatment and opportunity to live their lives to the fullest.

For these individuals and the tens of thousands of survivors and their daughters the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1403 is desperately needed.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1404 provides authorization for $2.5 million increase in funding to combat post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

This amendment is intended to address the urgent need for more post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment and counseling facilities servicing veterans living in some of the more distressed areas of our country. We can never do enough to honor our wounded veterans.

The Congressional Research Service puts the number of troops deployed since 2000 suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at nearly 67,000. Rates of PTSD among Veterans are twice as high as PTSD rates among the general population.

Of the six million Veterans served by the VA in Fiscal Year 2021, 10 percent of men and 19 percent of women were diagnosed with PTSD. This number does not take into account those suffering from depression or anxiety.

When wounded troops return home, the treatment they receive is more befitting a second-class citizen than a hero. This is unacceptable for a country that has the resources to provide Veterans and members of the Armed Forces with World Class Care.

In 2013, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Department of Veterans Affairs treatment of mentally ill veterans is so inadequate, it is unconstitutional. The decision said, ``many veterans with severe depression or post-traumatic stress disorder are forced to wait weeks for mental health referrals and are given no opportunity to request or demonstrate their need for expedited care.''

Increasing the number of medical facilities specializing in post- traumatic stress disorder located in underserved urban areas is the first step Congress can take to providing veterans with the services they need.

Access to post-traumatic stress disorder treatment is especially important since veterans living in such areas are less likely to be diagnosed and treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. For those of us whose daily existence is not lived in harm's way, it is difficult to imagine the horrific images that American servicemen and women deployed in war zones see on a daily basis.

The courageous men and women of the Armed Forces brave IEDs, attacks, injury, and horrific violence to protect the safety and security of the United States, and we must, in turn, care for them when they return home. We must make this a priority and increase the number of medical facilities specializing in PTSD located in underserved urban areas.

These soldiers can be certain that Members of Congress will ensure that they receive the necessary treatment to guarantee that their adjustment back into society is a successful one. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1404 would have helped to ensure that no soldier is left behind.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1508 directs the Secretary of Defense to carry out a study and report to Congress on service-related injuries and medical conditions that occur post-enlistment and the determination of disability ratings based on age, race, gender, ethnicity, type of injury, and other functions as relates to the 50 percent or higher disability rating requirement for Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) for military personnel or veterans, who are eligible for both VA disability payments and military retirement pay.

Since its inception on January 1, 2004, the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP) has made it possible for military retirees to receive both military retired pay and Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation.

Under the CRDP eligibility rules, however, a military retiree may be entitled to CRDP only if they are a regular retiree with a VA disability rating of 50 percent or greater, among other considerations.

This rating requirement may be significantly impacted by the discretionary powers of VA disability examiners who often make rating decisions largely based on judgment calls.

This may have negative consequences for certain groups of people who are misconceived to have higher tolerance for pain compared to other races or groups.

The result is certain groups disproportionately receiving higher disability ratings for low tolerance for pain as compared with others.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1508 would have ensured that the Secretary of Defense carries out a study to assess bias and discrimination in the VA disability rating system for compensation and pay (VA claim) examinations and to determine whether the judgement component of these examinations, often at the discretion of the examiners, is sometimes biased against certain races who are considered to have higher tolerance for pain.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1511 directs the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Education and professionals in the field of psychology with expertise in pediatric and adolescent mental health, to conduct an assessment of evidence-based strategies that may be used to reduce the security threat posed by active shooter incidents at public elementary schools and secondary schools located on the grounds of federal military installations without being apparent to students as law enforcement or security measures.

This amendment further directs that not later than 180 days after NDAA enactment, the Secretary shall submit to Congressional defense committees a report on this assessment.

I offered this amendment because, while I applaud the Pentagon's Inspector General's efforts at commencing a comprehensive research project on how various law enforcement agencies of our military branches have responded to active shooter incidents and violence in the workplace on military installations over the years, I still believe that more needs to be done to protect our kids in the classroom on every military base.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1511 would have prioritized the students' mental, emotional, and psychological health and development in the planning and implementation of active shooter trainings and the disruption and trauma it can impose on children in and of itself.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1513 requires the Secretary of Defense to audit current practices regarding administration of sexual harassment claims and submit a report no later than 180 days after passage detailing efforts to prevent sexual harassment and protect service- members, and compiling data and research on sexual harassment prevalence in the military, cases reported, legal proceedings, and convictions.

In 2021, sexual assaults surged in the military, with 8,886 cases reported, from 7,816 in 2020.

A 2022 survey estimated that 35,875 active-duty service members experienced ``unwanted sexual contact'' in 2021. These are very concerning numbers and major action is needed.

Currently, the Department of Defense is required to provide an annual report on sexual assault in the military, including data and planned actions for improvement.

While we deeply appreciate the ongoing cooperation and determination to address sexual harassment concerns, we are long overdue for a thorough audit of current practices regarding the handling of sexual harassment claims.

To ensure accountability and effectiveness, it is important that the sexual assault claims process is thoroughly evaluated.

The knowledge gained through the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1513 would help equip the creation of meaningful policy and standards for accountability against sexual assault in the military and ensure that we continue to effectively protect the men and women that serve this country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on the rule for H.R. 2670, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2024.

This is an important measure that for over 60 years, Republicans and Democrats have come together to support investments authorized in the NDAA that will help address the changing global landscape and prepare the country for future challenges and threats.

I along with my colleagues have offered a number of robust and thoughtful amendments in furtherance of a process that has generally been bipartisan work on behalf of America's national defense.

However, I am dismayed that this year, my Republican colleagues in the majority have refused meaningful consideration of the majority of amendments offered by my Democratic colleagues.

While I am grateful that one of my amendments was made in order, the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075 (No. 136 as reported in the Rule) and included in the En Bloc package No. 3, it is beyond disappointing and disgraceful that my additional 19 amendments were not made in order-- and particularly ones I have offered for many years and have been made in order.

With respect to my amendment that was made in order, I ask for a favorable vote on the En Bloc package No. 3 in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1075 would require that a report be submitted within 220 days of the NDAA's passage detailing our national capacity to provide disaster survivors with short term housing.

In the aftermath of emergencies and national disasters, victims have much on their minds.

Homes, properties, businesses, and livelihoods may have been damaged in the disaster, and families, friends, and community members may be mentally and physically affected by the disaster, not to mention additional challenges as they seek to return to work and school.

As these communities begin to face the long process of recovery and rebuilding, short term housing is one of the first things disaster survivors need to get back on their feet.

Unfortunately, my constituents and I are no stranger to these kinds of disasters.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Houston area, affecting over 100,000 homes across the city. In the aftermath of the storm, finding temporary housing was one of the biggest challenges to recovery for many suIvivors.

Short-term housing was difficult to coordinate due to the sheer number of Houstonians affected. As such, it is crucial that Congress have a strong understanding of our current capabilities and, specifically, our ability to provide these survivors with short term housing before disaster strikes.

If voted on favorably, this report will not only inform us of our current capacity to provide housing but will also better equip Congress to respond to disasters and support survivors in the future.

In addition to this amendment, I offered the below listed amendments.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1051 directed the Secretary of Defense to submit a report on the naming practices recognizing African American service members in the Department of Defense.

Throughout the history of our Nation, from the Battle of Lexington through the Battle of Fallujah to Afghanistan and Iraq, Black soldiers have served honorably and answered the call to duty during our nation's time of maximum danger.

For over 200 years, African Americans have participated in every conflict that confronted this Nation.

Besides fighting the common enemies of this country with unmatched bravery and valor, Black soldiers also had to confront individual and institutional racism of their countrymen.

African American servicemembers have served with great valor and distinction in all branches of our nation's armed forces.

Since the revolutionary war, Black Americans have faithfully defended this Nation and built a legacy of courage, commitment, and professionalism.

Like any other group of Americans, Black soldiers have served the armed forces with great honor, distinction, and generational inspiration.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1051 would have ensured that the legacies of Black American servicemembers are duly recognized and honored.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1104 requires a report to be submitted to Congress within 240 days of NDAA enactment on the risks posed by debris in low Earth orbit and to make recommendations on remediation of risks and outline plans to reduce the incident of space debris.

Space debris encompasses both natural and artificial particles and this amendment would address the risk of man-made space debris. Man- made objects in Earth's orbit that may no longer serve a useful function can include nonfunctional spacecraft, abandoned launch vehicle stages, mission-related debris and fragmentation debris.

Space debris travels at speeds up to 17,500 miles per hour--fast enough for a small piece of man-made debris to damage a satellite or a spacecraft.

There are more than 20,000 pieces of debris larger than a softball orbiting the Earth. There are 500,000 pieces of debris the size of a marble or larger tracked by NASA, and there are many millions of pieces of debris that are so small they can't be tracked.

This amendment seeks a report on risks posed by man-made space debris, solutions for reducing risks, and strategies for reducing the incidence of more man-made space debris being introduced into space.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1104 would have addressed these challenges.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1402 requires the Secretary of Defense to ensure that military academy graduates undergo screening for speech disorders and be provided with their results.

Many officer positions and occupation specialists require successful performance on the speech test, so it is essential that military academy students are aware of their status as they shape their career path.

Under this amendment, military academy students would have the option of undergoing speech therapy to reduce speech disorders or impediments.

Thus, military academy students who do not perform successfully on the speech test have the opportunity to improve their performance and potentially go on to pursue the officer and specialist positions they seek.

Approximately 5-10 percent of all children stutter as they develop language skills. Boys are 2 to 3 times more likely to stutter than girls. And approximately 75 percent of children recover from stuttering, but the remaining 25 percent will experience life-long effects of stuttering.

I offered this amendment to help entrants into military academies find the right career fit for their military service after graduation.

I learned about the issue of stuttering and its implications for a successful military career through the experiences of a Legislative Fellow who once served in my D.C. office.

He was a 2016 graduate from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Operations Research and a veteran naval officer who was separated from the Navy in April 2019 because his speech fluency testing results did not meet the Naval Aviation community standards, and so he was disqualified from serving as an aviator.

At that critical juncture he was not informed about what careers he could qualify to fill that would not be impacted by the determination regarding his speech.

This Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1402 would have represented an important investment in military academy students, improving transparency and providing avenues for personal improvement, ensuring quality candidates for vital military leadership positions.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1405 removes bill language about Critical Race Theory, thereby rejecting any efforts to inject politics into the armed services.

In this way, my amendment affirms the importance of July 26, 1948, the date that President Harry Truman signed Executive Order 9981, creating the President's Committee on Equality of Treatment and Opportunity in the Armed Services.

This executive order desegregated the military and declared that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.

This was a major step forward and was the result of dedicated advocacy efforts from the NAACP and ACLU, as well as President Truman's own commitment to the issue.

The importance of this Executive Order and the change it brought about cannot be overstated. The diversity of the military and the equality of opportunity found there is one of the major strengths of the armed services.

It is crucial that the armed services continue their commitment to live out the promises of equality and opportunity enshrined in Executive Order 9981.

The current provisions of the NDAA which prohibit the use of federal funds for critical race theory are largely political in nature and represent a step away from the promises President Truman made of equality and opportunity in the military. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1405 would have ensured that these

political provisions are struck, thereby affirming the value of diversity and equality of opportunity throughout our military.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1406 requires a report be provided to the House and Senate Armed Services committee on the extent that readiness relies on electricity availability to bases, installations, and duty stations.

The report would provide an assessment on the military's reliance upon electricity service provided by transformers that manage power transmission from high power lines to end points. The assessment would evaluate supply chain issues impacting the availability of transformers and surplus transformers held in reserve by the military. The report would also assess the overall market supply and demand for transformers, and any risks that market availability issues of transformers pose to military readiness, to ensure recommendations on resolving any risk to readiness posed by supply chain issues with transformers. The report would also evaluate the extent if any that extreme weather plays on transformer supply. As such, Congress can be best informed on military readiness if supply chain issues with transformers persist. And Congress can ensure that the bases, installations, and duty stations of the armed services maintain the electricity they need to remain reliable and fulfill their function, even in times of crisis induced by natural disasters or supply chain issues. This Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1406 offered a proactive approach to military electricity supply and would have ensured informed responses when issues arise.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1509 helps to address military recruitment and retention needs by providing the following modifications to the J-1 Visa process:

J-1 Visa holders who have been legally admitted into the United States and have successfully completed 8 months out of a 12-month visa duration or 14 months out of an 18-month visa duration may pursue opportunities to join the military. If inducted into the armed services, they would qualify for permanent residency provided they meet other enlistment requirements, military fitness standards, have no criminal background, and are of good conduct during their period of enlistment and during which time they may pursue citizenship.

During the first years of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, many military experts expressed concerns that the constant deployments could negatively impact the force with the expectation that fewer young Americans would volunteer to serve in a wartime military. The expectations of these experts seem tenable given the current recruitment crisis following our full withdrawal from Afghanistan the summer of 2022.

With the current trend, this recruitment crisis shows no signs of abating anytime soon. As a result, we see shrinking numbers in all branches of our forces. To put this in perspective, the last fiscal year, the Army missed its recruitment goal by about 15,000 active-duty soldiers, roughly 25 percent of its target. Consequently, the army was forced to cut its projected active-duty end strength from about 476,000 down to around 466,000. Shrinking numbers is not caused by strategic choices but largely due to the lack of qualified volunteers. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1509 would have addressed this recruitment crisis with serious implications for our strategic position in this increasingly uncertain and dangerous world.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. l510 directs the Secretary of Defense to establish a task force 180 days after enactment that will report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees and make publicly available an annual report that explains the progress made over the history of the Department of Defense and its predecessor departments (Department of War) and experiences in integrating African Americans into the branches of the armed services and the civilian staffing of Pentagon offices and agencies.

The report shall provide information on the lessons learned about the social, cultural, legal, and logistical challenges faced, obstacles incurred, advances made, and the impact of integration on the warfighting capacity of the Nation.

In this way, the lessons of military integration can be drawn upon by policy makers charged with the important and necessary work of binding up the nation's wounds first inflicted with the governmental legalization and tolerance of slavery in the United States. The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1510 would have made this possible.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1512 requires the Chief of the National Guard Bureau, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to submit a report identifying the personnel, training, and equipment required by the non-federalized National Guard to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from natural and manmade disasters.

It is always hard to ever fully be prepared for what is to come whenever any form of disaster strikes. It therefore helps to know that the survival specialists of the Air National Guard are always equipped, ready, and quick to respond and assist the affected communities. Whenever a state of emergency is declared, it is because the authorities believe that the disaster that has occurred or is imminent, is severe enough to require State or federal aid to increase local resources to prevent and alleviate damage, suffering, and hardship to the affected communities.

The Air National Guard has an exceptionally unique role in aiding the prevention and recovery of these forms of disasters disaster. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1512 would have ensured that the Air National Guard was prepared to successfully fulfill their role in disaster prevention and recovery.

Jackson Lee Amendment No. 15l4 requires the Secretary of the Navy, not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, to submit to the congressional defense committees a report on desalinization technology's application for defense and national security purposes to provide drought relief to areas impacted by sharp declines in water resources.

Throughout the history of our Nation, the U.S. Navy has been a pioneer in national defense and security technology. The two main types of desalination systems on Navy ships, including reverse osmosis and distillation, produce up to 12,000 gallons of fresh, drinkable water a day.

The U.S. Navy has a unique opportunity to share resources and technology that lowers the cost of clean water production and use low- carbon energy sources. Now, as climate change becomes an increasing national security concern, desalinization technology could have rippling benefits for drought concerns here in the U.S. and around the world.

In one of the most unstable and geopolitical regions of the world, the Middle East and North Africa, water scarcity is a severe problem, with over 60 percent of the population having little or no access to drinking water. Currently, the region is heavily dependent on their current system of desalination, which is expensive and energy intensive. As many as 13 out of 22 Arab countries fall into the category of severe water scarcity and Navy desalination technology could make significant improvements in their process, addressing both climate change and security concerns.

Beyond addressing humanitarian concerns, this report will support needs here at home as water scarcity is a growing concern. New desalination technologies could give Americans an opportunity to be prepared for the next water crisis. Jackson Lee Amendment No. 1514 offered a proactive approach to protecting our national security and our planet as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong opposition to the Rule for H.R. 3941, ``Schools Not Shelters Act of 2023''.

This bill is an absurd measure to condemn the use of elementary and secondary school facilities that provide shelter for people caught up in emergencies, just like we do for other disasters.

Using the facilities of a public elementary or secondary school to provides shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States should not be politicized, as this is humanitarian issue and failure of our broken immigration system.

As a Member on the Homeland Security committee, and more specifically the Border Security and Enforcement subcommittee, I interact with those at the border and migrants frequently.

I believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to find a lasting solution to the current immigration crisis.

However, I think it is essential that migrants are brought and allowed into the country through legal immigration.

I am a strong proponent of humanitarian aid efforts in the immigration context, from preventing the breakup of individual families because of a wrongful deportation to ensuring that victims of civil wars and national disasters around the globe receive a temporary protected status under the U.S. immigration laws.

We should not condemn the use of public elementary or secondary schools provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States.

I acknowledge that school are places of learning and development for students, but there are time periods when school campuses are not being used, such as during school breaks.

Because of this, the space could be used for humanitarian aid purposes, such as allowing migrants to stay there while they wait for legal processing and paperwork to conclude.

Other exceptions need to be reviewed, such as whether migrants could stay at schools when school is in-session, but humanitarian aid should not be overlooked in the immigration context.

As a leading country on the global stage, it is our duty and responsibility to assist who we can in a legal manner.

More importantly when it comes to schools in America, we should be addressing critical issues that are truly impacting our educational system--namely, the hostile state takeovers of majority-minority school districts--as is what is happening in my district with the Texas Education Agency takeover of the Houston Independent School District.

State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures, layoffs, and no improvements in test scores.

The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined.

With data ranging back to the late 1980s, researchers found that most state takeovers don't translate to academic improvements.

We have to stop the State from intermeddling and overstepping into our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our communities,

That is why I have called upon President Biden and the Department of Education to investigate and take immediate I action to address the recent systematic and dangerous efforts underway by state and local officials in Texas seeking to undermine and undo decades of civils rights protections and advancements in educational institutions and student populations.

And so, I am here today to say that these are the issues that the American people truly care about and want us to be fighting for, for the protection and preservation of their educational rights .

Emergency response agencies have always used school facility sheltering to provide emergency services to affected individuals and communities; the use of these facilities as a

temporary shelter for migrants puts no students in danger.

These school facilities have always been used as emergency shelters during disasters such as weather-related events.

No colleges or public K-12 schools should lose federal funding because they provide temporary relief to migrants.

If Republicans are really concerned about measures needed to ensure school safety, they should support all measures that address gun violence prevention and mental health issues.

If my colleagues genuinely want to address students' safety, they should join with us to focus on the real causes of violent deaths in our country--guns.

Gun violence is decimating our families and communities--mass shootings in schools, places of worship, shopping malls, concerts, and urban neighborhoods.

A majority of Americans, including parents, teachers, students, and educational workers support common sense and meaningful actions that address the surging violence in our schools and colleges.

All that this bill does is to punish schools that Republicans think are helping migrants.

By singling out emergency use for migrants, this bill is only about Republicans' continuous opposition to any effort that provides support for the migrant community.

That is why I had offered the following amendments to be considered by the Rules Committee:

Jackson Lee Amendment 13 would simply prevent the enactment of H.R. 3941 until we actually address and enact comprehensive immigration reform in the United States such that the Federal immigration system operates efficiently and offers a fair, humane, and orderly pathway to citizenship.

Jackson Lee Amendment 15 would also prevent enactment of this bill until my bill the ``Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation (GRACE) Act of 2023'' is implemented such that the ``exceptional and extremely unusual hardship'' term as defined in Section 240A(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 12229b(b)) is amended, to include hardship resulting from separating a family member who is a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident or an individual lawfully admitted to the United States and a family member who is subject to deportation or removal from the United States.

A study on Facts and Fictions of Race and Family in U.S. Immigration Policy found that the United States governing framework of family sponsorship is rooted in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Celler Act.

The act eliminated the 1924 national origins quotas while maintaining the principle of numerical restriction by specifying annual caps as well as per-country limits on immigration.

Under the act, ``immediate family,'' specifically spouses, minor children, and the parents of U.S. citizens, are admitted without numerical quotas.

After that, there is a system of hierarchical preferences in which the claims of U.S. citizens are placed above those of legal permanent residents.

There is also a ranking of the family relationship that is based on assessments of familial proximity and of age, especially in the case of parents and children.

The dominant political narrative of the 1965 act at the time of its passage was one of national values, family unity, and the American commitment to ending racial discrimination.

However, according to the Washington Post, the Trump administration's immigration policies separated more than 5,400 children from their families, sending families to Mexico to await the chance to make asylum claims and seeking the chance to detain children indefinitely.

My amendment, the ``Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation Act'' or ``GRACE Act,'' would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish certain family separation as an exceptional and extremely unusual hardship.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted that ``highly stressful experiences, like family separation, can cause irreparable harm, disrupting a child's brain architecture and affecting his or her short- and long-term health.

This type of prolonged exposure to serious stress--known as toxic stress--can carry lifelong consequences for children.''

Just last year, two pediatricians wrote in the Houston Chronicle that ``this kind of stress makes children susceptible to acute and chronic conditions such as extreme anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, hypertension and heart disease.''

As we take into consideration the long term negative psychological effects of family separation as the result of immigration, it becomes abundantly clear that we cannot move forward until this cycle is stopped.

As a Member on the Homeland Security committee, and more specifically the Border Security and Enforcement subcommittee, I interact with those at the border and migrants frequently.

I believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to find a lasting solution to the current immigration crisis.

However, I think it is essential that migrants are brought and allowed into the country through legal immigration.

Under the Jackson Lee Amendment 15, the Immigration and Nationality Act would have no longer subjected human beings to extreme trauma by separating a family member who is a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or an individual lawfully admitted to the United States and a family member who is subject to deportation or removal from the United States.

And the Jackson Lee Amendment 16 strikes one word--``not'' from Sect. 2(a) such that it reads as follows:

In General.--As a condition on receipt of Federal financial assistance under applicable program by a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education, the facilities of the school or institution may [not] be used to provide shelter or housing for specified aliens.

Thus, my amendment strikes the very language preventing the use of school facilities for the purpose of providing shelter or housing to individuals as defined by section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)) who has not been admitted (as so defined).

I am a strong proponent of humanitarian aid efforts in the immigration context, from preventing the breakup of individual families because of a wrongful deportation to ensuring that victims of civil wars and national disasters around the globe receive a temporary protected status under the U.S. immigration laws.

We should not condemn the use of public elementary or secondary schools to provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States.

Whenever appropriate, space in our schools should be made available for humanitarian aid purposes, such as allowing migrants to stay there while they wait for processing and paperwork to conclude their legal residency status.

Other exceptions need to be reviewed, such as whether migrants could stay at schools when school is in session, but humanitarian aid should not be overlooked in the immigration context.

As a leading country on the global stage, it is our duty and responsibility to assist who we can in a legal manner.

More importantly, when it comes to schools in America, we should be addressing critical issues that are truly impacting our educational system--namely, the hostile state takeovers of majority-minority school districts--as is what is happening in my district with the Texas Education Agency takeover of the Houston Independent School District.

State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures, layoffs, and no improvements in test scores.

The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined.

With data ranging back to the late 1980s, researchers found that most state takeovers don't translate to academic improvements.

Republicans provide no evidence that the academic progress of students is negatively impacted simply by attending a school which houses migrants.

H.R. 3941 is distractive, it is uninformed, it is pointless, provocative, inflammatory, and at best, an absolute waste of time.

Using the facilities of a public elementary or secondary school to provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States should not be politicized, as this is a humanitarian issue and failure of our broken immigration system.

Instead of denying innocent people temporary humanitarian relief we should focus on stopping the State from meddling in and overstepping the boundaries of our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our communities.

Lastly, the Jackson Lee Amendment 19 was offered to add the word ``freeze'' to be included in the definition of ``specified disaster''.

This definition is particularly important to signify the dangers of deadly and disastrous weather conditions without snow.

In February 2012, my home state of Texas experienced an unprecedented deep freeze that crippled our state as temperatures dropped to as low as six degrees.

The freeze triggered the worst energy infrastructure failure in Texas state history, leading to shortages of water, food, and heat.

More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power, some for several days and at least 246 people were killed directly or indirectly, with some estimates as high as 702 killed during the crisis.

These Jackson Lee Amendments 13, 15, 16, and 19 would have ensured that unaccompanied minors and migrants in need of temporary relief may be provided emergency shelter or housing using institutional facilities where appropriate.

It is a shame that we not made in order, and that we here with such an offensive and counterproductive bill, and that we are spending time on ineffective efforts instead of focusing on real immigration reform and resolutions for our nation's broken pathways for citizenship.

The text of the material previously referred to by Ms. Scanlon is as follows:

An Amendment to H. Res. 597 Offered by Ms. Scanlon of Pennsylvania

At the end of the resolution, add the following:

Sec. 6. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the

House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the

resolution (H. Res. 178) affirming the House of

Representatives' commitment to protect and strengthen Social

Security and Medicare. The resolution shall be considered as

read. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on

the resolution and preamble to adoption without intervening

motion or demand for division of the question except one hour

of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and

ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or

their respective designees.

Sec. 7. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of

H. Res. 178.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong opposition to H.R. 3941, ``Schools Not Shelters Act of 2023''.

This bill is an absurd measure to condemn the use of elementary and secondary school facilities that provide shelter for people caught up in emergencies, just like we do for other disasters.

Using the facilities of a public elementary or secondary school to provides shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States should not be politicized, as this is humanitarian issue and failure of our broken immigration system.

As a Member on the Homeland Security committee, and more specifically the Border Security and Enforcement subcommittee, I interact with those at the border and migrants frequently.

I believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to find a lasting solution to the current immigration crisis.

However, I think it is essential that migrants are brought and allowed into the country through legal immigration.

I am a strong proponent of humanitarian aid efforts in the immigration context, from preventing the breakup of individual families because of a wrongful deportation to ensuring that victims of civil wars and national disasters around the globe receive a temporary protected status under the U.S. immigration laws.

We should not condemn the use of public elementary or secondary schools provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States.

I acknowledge that school are places of learning and development for students, but there are time periods when school campuses are not being used, such as during school breaks.

Because of this, the space could be used for humanitarian aid purposes, such as allowing migrants to stay there while they wait for legal processing and paperwork to conclude.

Other exceptions need to be reviewed, such as whether migrants could stay at schools when school is in-session, but humanitarian aid should not be overlooked in the immigration context.

As a leading country on the global stage, it is our duty and responsibility to assist who we can in a legal manner.

More importantly when it comes to schools in America, we should be addressing critical issues that are truly impacting our educational system--namely, the hostile state takeovers of majority-minority school district--as is what is happening in my district with the Texas Education Agency takeover of the Houston Independent School District.

State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures, layoffs, and no improvements in test scores.

The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined.

With data ranging back to the late 1980s, researchers found that most state takeovers don't translate to academic improvements.

We have to stop the State from intermeddling and overstepping into our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our communities.

That is why I have called upon President Biden and the Department of Education to investigate and take immediate action to address the recent systematic and dangerous efforts underway by state and local officials in Texas seeking to undermine and undo decades of civil rights protections and advancements in educational institutions and student populations.

And so, I am here today to say that these are the issues that the American people truly care about and want us to be fighting for, for the protection and preservation of their educational rights.

Emergency response agencies have always used school facility sheltering to provide emergency services to affected individuals and communities; the use of these facilities as a temporary shelter for migrants puts no students in danger.

These school facilities have always been used as emergency shelters during disasters such as weather-related events.

No colleges or public K-12 schools should lose federal funding because they provide temporary relief to migrants.

If Republicans are really concerned about measure needed to ensure school safety, they should support all measures that address gun violence prevention and mental health issues.

If my colleagues genuinely want to address students' safety, they should join with us to focus on the real causes of violent deaths in our country--guns.

Gun violence is decimating our families and communities--mass shootings in schools, places of worship, shopping malls, concerts, and urban neighborhoods.

A majority of Americans, including parents, teachers, students, and educational workers support common sense and meaningful actions that address the surging violence in our schools and I colleges.

All that this bill does is to punish schools that Republicans think are helping migrants.

By singling out emergency use for migrants, this bill is only about Republicans' continuous opposition to any effort that provides support for the migrant community.

That is why I had offered the following amendments to be considered by the Rules Committee:

Jackson Lee Amendment 13 would simply prevent the enactment of H.R. 3941 until we actually address and enact comprehensive immigration reform in the United States such that the Federal immigration system operates efficiently and offers a fair, humane, and orderly pathway to citizenship.

Jackson Lee Amendment 15 would also prevent enactment of this bill until, my bill the ``Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation (GRACE) Act of 2023'' is implemented such that the ``exceptional and extremely unusual hardship'' term as defined in Section 240A(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 12229b(b)) is amended, to include hardship resulting from separating a family member who is a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident or an individual lawfully admitted to the United States and a family member who is subject to deportation or removal from the United States.

A study on Facts and Fictions of Race and Family in U.S. Immigration Policy found that the United States governing framework of family sponsorship is rooted in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Celler Act.

The act eliminated the 1924 national origins quotas while maintaining the principle of numerical restriction by specifying annual caps as well as per-country limits on immigration.

Under the act, ``immediate family,'' specifically spouses, minor children, and the parents of U.S. citizens, are admitted without numerical quotas.

After that, there is a system of hierarchical preferences in which the claims of U.S. citizens are placed above those of legal permanent residents.

There is also a ranking of the family relationship that is based on l assessments of familial proximity and of age, especially in the caseof parents and children.

The dominant political narrative of the 1965 act at the time of its passage was one of national values, family unity, and the American commitment to ending racial discrimination.

However, according to the Washington Post, the Trump administration's immigration policies separated more than 5,400 children from their families, sending families to Mexico to await the chance to make asylum claims and seeking the chance to detain children indefinitely.

My amendment, the ``Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation Act'' or ``GRACE Act,'' would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish certain family separation as an exceptional and extremely unusual hardship.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted that ``highly stressful experiences, like family separation, can cause irreparable harm, disrupting a child's brain architecture and affecting his or her short- and long-term health.

This type of prolonged exposure to serious stress--known as toxic stress--can carry lifelong consequences for children.''

Just last year, two pediatricians wrote in the Houston Chronicle that ``this kind of stress makes children susceptible to acute and chronic conditions such as extreme anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, hypertension and heart disease.''

As we take into consideration the long term negative psychological effects of family separation as the result of immigration, it becomes abundantly clear that we cannot move forward until this cycle is stopped.

As a Member on the Homeland Security committee, and more specifically the Border Security and Enforcement subcommittee, I interact with those at the border and migrants frequently.

I believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to find a lasting solution to the current immigration crisis.

However, I think it is essential that migrants are brought and allowed into the country through legal immigration.

Under the Jackson Lee Amendment, 15, the Immigration and Nationality Act would have no longer subjected human beings to extreme trauma by separating a family member who is a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or an individual lawfully admitted to the United States and a family member who is subject to deportation or removal from the United States.

And the Jackson Lee Amendment 16 strikes one word--``not'' from Sect. 2(a) such that it reads as follows:

In General:--As a condition on receipt of Federal financial assistance under applicable program by a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education, the facilities of the school or institution may be used to provide shelter or housing for specified aliens.

Thus, my amendment strikes the very language preventing the use of school facilities for the purpose of providing shelter or housing to individuals as defined by section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)) who has not been admitted (as so defined).

I am a strong proponent of humanitarian aid efforts in the immigration context, from preventing the breakup of individual families because of a wrongful deportation to ensuring that victims of civil wars and national disasters around the globe receive a temporary protected status under the U.S. immigration laws.

We should not condemn the use of public elementary or secondary schools provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States.

Whenever appropriate, space in our schools should be made available for humanitarian aid purposes, such as allowing migrants to stay there while they wait for processing and paperwork to conclude their legal residency status.

Other exceptions need to be reviewed, such as whether migrants could stay at schools when school is in session, but humanitarian aid should not be overlooked in the immigration context.

As a leading country on the global stage, it is our duty and responsibility to assist who we can in a legal manner.

More importantly, when it comes to schools in America, we should be addressing critical issues that are truly impacting our educational system--namely, the hostile state takeovers of majority-minority school districts--as is what is happening in my district with the Texas Education Agency takeover of the Houston Independent School District.

State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures, layoffs, and no improvements in test scores.

The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined.

With data ranging back to the late 1980s, researchers found that most state takeovers don't translate to academic improvements.

Republicans provide no evidence that the academic progress of students are negatively

impacted simply by attending a school which houses migrants.

H.R. 3941 is distractive, it is uninformed, it is pointless, provocative, inflammatory, and at best, an absolute waste of time.

Using the facilities of a public elementary or secondary school to provides shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States should not be politicized, as this is humanitarian issue and failure of our broken immigration system.

Instead of denying innocent people temporary humanitarian relief we should focus on stopping the State from meddling in and overstepping the boundaries our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our communities.

Lastly, the Jackson Lee Amendment 19 was offered to add the word ``freeze'' to be included in the definition of ``specified disaster''.

This definition is particularly important to signify the dangers of deadly and disastrous weather conditions without snow.

In February 2012, my home state of Texas experienced an unprecedented deep freeze that crippled our state as temperatures dropped to as low as six degrees.

The freeze triggered the worst energy infrastructure failure in Texas state history, leading to shortages of water, food, and heat.

More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power, some for several days and at least 246 people were killed directly or indirectly, with some estimates as high as 702 killed during the crisis.

These Jackson Lee Amendments 13, 15, 16, and 19 would have ensured that unaccompanied minors and migrants in need of temporary relief may be provided emergency shelter or housing using institutional facilities where appropriate.

It is a shame that we not made in order, and that we here with such an offensive and counterproductive bill, and that we are spending time on ineffective efforts instead of focusing on real immigration reform and resolutions for our nation's broken pathways for citizenship.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman very much, and I want to join the stellar Members from so many different backgrounds to add another 2 minutes to that 30 minutes and emphasize that it is now 32 more minutes than we have had an opportunity to discuss gun violence--gun violence against our children.

I am reminded of the late John Lewis, and as I look to the front, Mr. Speaker, where you are, I am reminded of the overwhelming impact that gun violence had just a couple of years ago when he was alive, so much so that Members took to the floor--the actual floor--and sat down on the floor because the pain was so deep.

I remember the tear that President Obama shed as he had to speak about Sandy Hook. I remember going to Uvalde within days of 19 children and teachers being slaughtered. Yes, Mr. Speaker, they were slaughtered with an AR-15 that a young man was able to get online and have shipped to him without any background check of sorts and without any supervision. He was able to recklessly shoot his grandmother in the face and leave his house to go to an elementary school just a few blocks away.

One could not expect law enforcement initially to know what was going to happen. One thing we do know is that if that young man had not had an AR-15, those little babies in Uvalde, where parents are still in such abject pain, would still be alive.

We also know that as I worship with them, as I hug them, they have now become, through their own advocacy, absolutely incredulous that we in this country have not been able to pass bans on assault weapons. I support bills like the Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act, which impacted Kimberly Vaughan, a 14-year-old who died in Santa Fe because another young man was able to get guns that were left at home.

I think I am here as a mother and as a Member of Congress who has been here since Columbine. I remember being on the Columbine task force to see what we could do about guns. I have been through Sandy Hook, Parkland, Santa Fe, Virginia Tech, various churches, synagogues, and temples that have seen gun violence--and dance studios.

I don't know what it takes for this Congress to come together. No one is trying to take away anyone's firearms. The Second Amendment is constitutionally present. It is in place. None of the language in the Second Amendment prevents us from having a reasonable, safe regulatory scheme that will help save all of our lives.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman very much. As the vice chair of the gun task force and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, we are waiting and ready to take up bills as we did with the Protect our Kids Act and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. There is still a lapse of real bills that further need to be in place to change laws. The waiting period, the issue of universal background checks, and storage bills are really crucial to saving lives.

The last point I will make is that we often use mental illness. Let me say that we pray for people who suffer from mental health concerns, but other countries around the world have people who suffer from mental health concerns, and I do not label them in generality. These are human beings who fight every day to survive. That is not a good excuse for saying that is what is causing gun violence. It is not.

In tribute to my colleagues who come from cities like Chicago and other cities where there is handgun violence, individual violence, and domestic violence, you need to have a response to just plain gun violence. That means we have to debate on this floor and find a common solution.

A word to my colleagues in the name of the children who have died, the number one killer of our children in America, and in the name of places like Uvalde and Sandy Hook that comes to mind, Parkland and other places where children have died, we can minimally do something to help our children. Let's do real anti-gun violence legislation. Let's make our children safe.

Mr. Speaker, today, I speak out in support of my bill H.R. 52, the Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act.

This bill establishes best practices for safe firearm storage to protect Americans, especially children, from improperly stored or misused firearms.

The Kimberly Vaughn Firearm Safe Storage Act is named after one of the victims of a shooting rampage that took place on May 18, 2018, when a 17-year-old student went on a shooting rampage, killing 8 students and 2 teachers and wounding 13 others at Santa Fe High School in Houston, Texas.

The shotgun and pistol used by the perpetrator belonged to his father and were available to him at home.

In 80 percent of gunfire incidents at schools where the shooter is under 18, the shooter obtained the firearm from their home or the home of extended family or friends.

Texas is the state with the second most mass shootings this year so far with a total of 50, and the highest number of mass shooting deaths in the U.S.

Only 3 of 10 adults in households with children report storing all guns unloaded and locked up.

Safe storage practices are also important to keep firearms away from dangerous individuals.

In the last decade, nearly two million firearms have been reported stolen.

An estimated 47,000 guns are stolen each year in Texas alone.

Overall, at least 186,548 firearms were reported stolen in Texas over from 2007 to 2016, which is more than any other state in the nation.

America's gun epidemic is as deadly as ever.

The frequency of firearm violence can largely be accredited to the lack of safe firearm storage.

Previously part of the Protecting Our Kids Act in the 117th Congress with the addition of a tax credit program, the Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act is an exhaustive solution to improperly stored or misused firearms.

Firearm injury is the leading cause of death for children and young adults in the United States.

American children are twice as likely to be shot and killed as they are to die drowning.

However, there are more safety regulations for pools than gun storage.

An estimated 4.6 million minors live in homes with at least one unlocked, loaded firearm.

One in three U.S. households with children have firearms and firearms accounted for nearly 19 percent of childhood deaths in 2021, which is a 50 percent increase since 2019.

Securing firearms protects children in preventing unintentional shootings and firearm suicides.

The spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association noted earlier this year that, ``the NRA supports safe storage for every firearm owned in America, and we educate gun owners to keep firearms away from unauthorized users.''

This is a nonpartisan issue with a bipartisan solution.

On average, 9 minors are killed by improperly stored or misused guns every day.

In my home state of Texas, more than 4,000 Texans are shot and killed each year.

The Kimberly Vaughn Firearm Safe Storage Act is an important bill that will establish best practices for storing firearms.

In particular, the Attorney General is directed to establish voluntary best practices relating to safe firearm storage and publish them on a website and in print.

Second, it will require most weapons to have a clear written notice on the packaging that says, ``Safe Storage Saves Lives'' and how to obtain the best practices established by the Attorney General.

Additionally, the bill will provide grants to states and local governments with a ten-year, $10 million grant program to distribute safe storage devices.

Every year, almost 20,000 children are shot and killed or wounded by a firearm, and 3 million are exposed to gun violence.

The presence of unsecured firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional and intentional shootings.

It is long past the time to do something about the epidemic of gun violence in our nation--the nation that prides itself on protecting our children and the future generations.

If we want to protect the youth, we must start by learning how to effectively store guns in the homes that choose to have them.

The Kimberly Vaughan Firearm Safe Storage Act will help protect our children and adults from senseless gun violence through simple gun storage legislation.

I encourage my colleagues in the House and on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force to push this bill forward so we can promptly and proactively act on preventing firearm violence in America.