Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, January 27, 2018, we observed International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a day in which we take time from our busy lives to remember and mourn the millions of souls lost in the Holocaust, the worst example of man's inhumanity to man in human history.

Nearly 73 years have passed since the end of World War II but for those who survived, and the descendants and relatives of those who perished, the Holocaust is not ancient history but a reminder of the evil that can be unleased when humans give into their worst instincts and appetites.

The Holocaust's magnitude of destruction numbered more than 12 million deaths, including 6 million Jews and 1.5 million children (more than \2/3\ of European Jewry).

A haunting quote in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum refers to the story of Cain and Abel:

``The Lord said, `What have you done? Listen! Your

brother's blood cries out to me from the ground (Genesis

4:11).' ''

The Holocaust forces us to confront uncomfortable questions such as the responsibilities of citizenship and the consequences of indifference and inaction, and the importance of education and awareness.

The Holocaust is a testament to the fragility of democracy.

We must resolve to resist prejudice and intolerance in any form.

It fills me with grief to know that the leaders of nations can destroy their own, as did the Nazi regime; yet I hope that we can continue to strengthen the means by which we can pursue justice.

And I am saddened, outraged, and embarrassed that the current President of the United States could think it proper to characterize, as he did on August 15, 2017, as ``very fine people,'' persons who adhere to the ideology of the Nazi regime and deny the existence of the defining crime of the 20th Century, the murder of 6 million persons for no reason other than they were Jews.

Before that date, never before in history had a President of the United States, the nation that led the alliance that defeated Nazism and fascism in the greatest conflict in world history,

ever publicly defended or tried to normalize neo-Nazis or White Supremacists.

But the vast majority of American do not share the current President's view and reject the suggestion that there is a moral equivalence between those who advocate racial separation and white supremacy and those, like the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP, who are unalterably opposed to that evil, racist ideology and are united in this prayer and promise: Never Again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak on the need for prompt and effective disaster recovery for the United States.

I consider it a high priority to maintain the efficacy of our country's disaster recovery procedures, to help ensure the safety of the American people.

In 2017, this nation saw a very anemic response to disaster recovery from this Administration.

Four months ago, Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 hurricane, devastated the island of Puerto Rico, destroying infrastructure and leaving the island without power.

Puerto Rico, which produces more pharmaceuticals by dollar value for the nation than any of the 50 states or any foreign country, has been key to the supply of these intravenous (IV) saline bags and solution routinely used in hospitals and clinics.

Hurricane Maria halted production at Baxter International Inc., a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant that produces 43 percent of IV saline fluids for U.S. hospitals.

This year's flu season has been uncharacteristically aggressive, which makes the shortage of medical supplies caused by Hurricane Maria all the more problematic.

The American Hospital Association has urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take ``any and all steps possible'' to resolve worsening shortages of small-volume saline solutions--sterile suspensions of drugs and lifesaving nutrients administered intravenously.

The FDA has responded by relaxing regulations on the importation of medical saline solutions from other nations.

Saline solutions are fundamental to patient care in hospitals, as over 200 million IVs are administered annually in the United States.

Critical small-volume saline solutions include: (1) Sodium Chloride 0.9 percent a solution that is used to absorb and transport nutrients, maintain electrolyte balance, and maintain blood pressure, and (2) Dextrose 5 percent, a form of glucose injected into a vein through an IV to treat low blood sugar, insulin shock, and dehydration.

Had it not been for our allies allowing IV saline to be sent to the U.S., we could have been in the midst of a public health crisis.

The lack of response by this Administration to Hurricane Maria is another example of how this Administration is failing the American people.

Another example of the shameful disaster recovery response of this Administration is the handling of the Hurricane Harvey, which devastated the nine-county, 9,444 square mile Texas Gulf Coast.

The effects of Hurricane Harvey have long outlasted the storm itself.

This Administration has not risen to the task of producing an effective recovery plan for the largest housing disaster to strike the U.S. in our nation's history.

Hurricane Harvey damaged at least 203,000 homes, of which 12,700 were irreparably destroyed.

There are 18,000 families who were impacted by Hurricane Harvey still living in hotels and motels six months after the crisis, with no resolution in sight.

A staggering 889,425 people, post Hurricane Harvey, have registered for assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The first tranche of emergency funding approved by Congress has yet to be distributed to Texas by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development because the agency has not published in the Federal Register the rules governing how housing funds made available may be allocated between state and local entities.

Each of this President's immediate predecessors has had to navigate our nation through many disasters.

President Bush had September 11th and Hurricane Katrina.

President Obama inherited the near-total collapse of our nation's financial system, but thanks to his exceptional leadership, the Dow Jones is consistently breaking records, the economy continues to expand, and our American families are more financially stable.

Mr. Speaker, a prerequisite of leadership is the ability to solve problems and make critical decisions.

President Trump lacks the ability to inspire the nation and the fortitude to overcome adversity.

As we consider the President's assessment of the State of the Union, one fact has become abundantly clear: this Administration cannot handle disaster recovery.

This Administration's failure to effectively implement proper disaster recovery has left thousands of Americans with no clear path to reclaiming their lives.

Mr. Speaker, this February we recognize and celebrate the 40th commemoration of Black History Month.

This month we celebrate the contributions of African Americans to the history of our great nation, and pay tribute to trailblazers, pioneers, heroes, and leaders like the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama; Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall; U.S. Senator Blanche Kelso Bruce; U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan; U.S. Congressman Mickey Leland; Astronauts Dr. Guion Stewart Bluford, Jr. and Mae C. Jemison; activists, intellectuals, authors, and artists like Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, James Baldwin, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Gwendolyn Brooks just to name a few of the countless number of well-known and unsung heroes whose contributions have helped our nation become a more perfect union.

The history of the United States has been marked by the great contributions of African American activists, leaders, writers, and artists.

As a member of Congress, I know that I stand on the shoulders of giants whose struggles and triumphs made it possible for me to stand here today and continue the fight for equality, justice, and progress for all, regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.

The greatest of these giants to me are Mrs. Ivalita ``Ivy'' Jackson, a vocational nurse, and Mr. Ezra A. Jackson, one of the first African- Americans to succeed in the comic book publishing business.

They were my beloved parents and they taught me the value of education, hard work, discipline, perseverance, and caring for others.

And I am continually inspired by Dr. Elwyn Lee, my husband and the first tenured African American law professor at the University of Houston.

Mr. Speaker, I particularly wish to acknowledge the contributions of African American veterans in defending from foreign aggressors and who by their courageous examples helped transform our nation from a segregated society to a nation committed to the never ending challenge of perfecting our union.

A few years ago about this time, I was honored to join my colleagues, Congressmen John Lewis and Congressman Charles Rangel, a Korean War veteran, in paying tribute to surviving members of the Tuskegee Airmen and the 555th Parachute Infantry, the famed ``Triple Nickels'' at a moving ceremony sponsored by the U.S. Army commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

The success of the Tuskegee Airmen in escorting bombers during World War II--achieving one of the lowest loss records of all the escort fighter groups, and being in constant demand for their services by the allied bomber units--is a record unmatched by any other fighter group.

So impressive and astounding were the feats of the Tuskegee Airmen that in 1948, it helped persuade President Harry Truman to issue his famous Executive Order No. 9981, which directed equality of treatment and opportunity in all of the United States Armed Forces and led to the end of racial segregation in the U.S. military forces.

It is a source of enormous and enduring pride that my father-in-law, Phillip Ferguson Lee, was one of the Tuskegee Airmen.

Clearly, what began as an experiment to determine whether ``colored'' soldiers' were capable of operating expensive and complex combat aircraft ended as an unqualified success based on the experience of the Tuskegee Airmen, whose record included 261 aircraft destroyed, 148 aircraft damaged, 15,553 combat sorties and 1,578 missions over Italy and North Africa.

They also destroyed or damaged over 950 units of ground transportation and escorted more than 200 bombing missions.

They proved that ``the antidote to racism is excellence in performance,'' as retired Lt. Col. Herbert Carter once remarked.

Mr. Speaker, Black History Month is also a time to remember many pioneering women like U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm; activists Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks; astronaut Mae C. Jemison; mathematicians like Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson; authors Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Gwendolyn Brooks; all of whom have each in their own way, whether through courageous activism, cultural or intellectual contributions, or artistic creativity, forged social and political change, and forever changed our great Nation for the better.

It is also fitting, Mr. Speaker, that in addition to those national leaders whose contributions have made our nation better, we honor also those who have and are making a difference in their local communities.

In my home city of Houston, there are numerous men and women who are great because they have heeded the counsel of Dr. King who said:

``Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You

only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.''

By that measure, I wish to pay tribute to some of the great men and women of Houston:

1. Rev. F.N. Williams, Sr.

2. Rev. Dr. S.J. Gilbert, Sr.

3. Rev. Crawford W. Kimble

4. Rev. Eldridge Stanley Branch

5. Rev. William A. Lawson

6. Rev. Johnnie Jeffery ``J.J.'' Robeson

7. Mr. John Brand

8. Ms. Ruby Moseley

9. Ms. Dorothy Hubbard

10. Ms. Doris Hubbard

11. Ms. Willie Bell Boone

12. Ms. Holly HogoBrooks

13. Mr. Deloyd Parker

14. Ms. Lenora ``Doll'' Carter

As we celebrate Black History Month, let us pay tribute to those who have come before us, and pay forward to future generations by addressing what is the number one issue for African American families, and all American families today: preserving the American promise of economic opportunity for all.

Our immediate focus must be job creation, and enacting legislation that will foster and lay the foundation for today's and tomorrow's generation of groundbreaking activists, leaders, scientists, writers and artists to continue contributing to the greatness of America.

We must continue to preserve the American Dream for all.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand here in celebration of the heroic and historic acts of African Americans and their indispensable contributions to this great Nation.

It is through our work in creating possibilities for today and future generations that we best honor the accomplishments and legacy of our predecessors.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 534, the Protecting Young Victims From Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, but I thank my colleagues here in the House, Congresswoman Brooks and Congresswoman Frankel of Florida.

In Michigan, there was a volcanic action. One might call it the ``Nassar volcano.'' It acted, and there was no reaction. It was deadening silence. No one responded to the volcano that kept pouring poisonous lava in the way of young, beautiful athletes.

I would hope and wish that I was not on the floor today with my colleague from Texas having to discuss this life-changing experience for these young athletes who wanted to do nothing else but to make their families proud first, maybe exceed, and be able to adhere to their faith, determination, and resolve and make their Nation, their State, their school proud of them, young girls, women, who, heretofore, Mr. Speaker, had been held back or told that this sport was not for them.

I am reminded of the women's hockey team, and I heard a young hockey player indicate that her grandmother said that hockey was not for girls.

All they wanted to do was to make us proud. All they wanted to do is to show the strength of women and the resolve of women. That is why I think this bill not only is important, Mr. Speaker, but it is timely to come today; but all of us would have wished, with no condemnation, that we had it 5 years ago or 10 years ago.

But remember what I said: the volcanic action was faced with deafening silence, for those who knew and for the girls who wanted to make us proud thought that the best way to resolve it or to handle it was to embrace it, accept it, suffer, and still make us proud.

That is why I believe this bill is crucial, and I am very glad to be on the floor with the two House sponsors, and I thank Senator Feinstein for her efforts, because this bill would prevent the sexual abuse of minors and amateur athletes by requiring the prompt reporting of sexual abuse to law enforcement authorities.

This is a reasonable and important measure that is intended to protect young athletes--and listen to the sound of the volcano--from abuse and preserve the sanctity of sports associated with the U.S. Olympic Committee, the organization responsible for preparing and training young athletes who might one day represent our Nation competitively all over the world.

How proud we are as we sit and view them on the Nation's televisions, the Summer Olympics and the Winter Olympics that are about to start. How shameful it is that we have to have this legislation to protect them and, as well, the deadening silence at Michigan State University and Dr. Nassar. I guess the only words that he could say are how ashamed and embarrassed and sorry he is.

Eons and eons and eons of young women now live with that pain. Children deserve to fully enjoy the innocence of their youth by exploring the curiosities of the world, taking pleasure in the art, participating in sports free of abuse.

Yes, I am going to defend the parents. I know some of them are overly eager. We have seen them at Little League, and we have seen them at football competition for little ones and middle school and high school, and they are overly enthusiastic. You can't condemn a parent for being proud of their child. And if that child wants to be engaged in sports, you can't condemn that parent for trying to get

them the best doctor and best instructor. Those parents were not protected--deafening silence.

Sexual abuse of children and youth is an abhorrent practice that is intolerable in any context, and we must take appropriate measures to eliminate it from youth sports. Young people look to adults to protect them and keep them safe. We all have a responsibility to do so. With S. 534, we have an opportunity to ensure that individuals abide by this duty.

Certain other professionals, such as doctors, dentists, social workers, psychologists, teachers, and daycare workers, are already bound by law to report suspected abuse to law enforcement. Finally, S. 534 will require the same of adults who interact with young athletes in connection with sports activities organized by the national governing bodies of various sports.

The urgent need for this legislation is best illustrated by the horrible abuse and exploitation of numerous young gymnasts at the hands of Dr. Larry Nassar, who victimized young athletes participating in USA Gymnastics over the course of 20 years--20 years, two decades.

All of our hearts should break. In those 20 years, there were lives ruined. They will never be the vibrant, excited young women that they were as they entered this wonderful experience of showing their prowess, their genius, and their strength. The stories of abuse and suffering of these young women are heartbreaking.

Many complaints of sexual and emotional abuse by Nassar and others went unreported for years, allowing coaches, instructors, and doctors to repeatedly victimize gymnasts as young as 6 years old. The shocking failure of anyone to report accusations to law enforcement or even keep track of complaints internally made it possible for some of these predators to commit multiple horrific acts over time. We entrust the care of our children and young athletes to those we hope will uphold the trust and not abuse it.

One of the more than 150 girls and women victimized by Dr. Nassar was recently quoted as saying:

He has everything he needs to be an incredible leader. He

has the personality, the skill, and the knowledge, and he's

using it to prey on people. What a waste.

Last week, a Michigan judge sentenced Nassar to a prison sentence of up to 175 years. The judge called Nassar's assaults on scores of girls and women under the pretense that he was treating them as ``precise, calculated, manipulative, devious, despicable.'' She also indicated what a debasing human being he was and is.

We must continue to do more to help protect our young athletes, and this bill will greatly assist in that effort. However, I must note a concern with a change the bill before us would make to the Senate- passed version of S. 534.

The bill unanimously passed by the Senate would authorize funding to be provided to the U.S. Center for Safe Sport in the amount of $1 million for each of the next 4 years. Unfortunately, the version of the bill before us strips this funding authorization. I believe we should have taken up the Senate bill without amendment.

Safe Sport is charged with important responsibilities under this bill with respect to receiving and investigating all allegations of abuse and setting policies to prevent future abuse, so this bill has taken out that language from the Senate.

It is critical that we ensure that the center is provided the resources for those things to be done immediately. By doing so, I hope we will prevent the type of abuse and suffering perpetrated by the people like Larry Nassar.

In a recent open letter from the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association to athletes everywhere, they wrote:

The goal of Olympianism is to place sport at the service of

the harmonious development of humankind, womankind, with a

view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the

preservation of human dignity. Now we must ask: How can

athlete dignity be preserved when the responsible

institutions fail so in their oversight?

In an apology letter to Team USA from the United States Olympic Committee issued last week, the committee admitted that they had failed these young athletes.

Frankly, I believe that whole committee and system should be overhauled, reviewed, inspected, and changed. While the USA Gymnastics scandal is unfortunate, let it be an example and an incentive to prevent such abuse from happening in the nooks and crannies of this Nation, in the villages and cities and counties where young people who are starry-eyed and ready to accept the leadership of an adult are ready to show their proudness as well as their talent, their strength, and their resolve. I hope that we will never end that here in America.

Mr. Speaker, accordingly, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation. I hope we will see fit to fund it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Frankel), the cosponsor of the House bill, and I thank her for her leadership on these issues.

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

Mr. Speaker, as we have listened to various speakers, I am glad that we are joined by men and women of the United States Congress. All of us have indicated the sadness in which we do this now.

But I think it is also important to take note of the fact of individuals who have to be held responsible. We know that the president of the university was asked to resign, or in fact has resigned. As we go forward, there will be others as well.

This should be the clarion call, even as this legislation is passed and signed by the President, for all of these agencies and associations that run sports for children to do their own vetting and internal assessment of individuals who are not there for the benefit of children but are there for the benefit of themselves.

156-plus women were molested by this doctor. One of the victims said something that stops your breath. This could have been stopped in 1997, more than 20 years ago.

So this legislation should move swiftly to the President's desk.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, when I read the quote from the accuser who said this could have been stopped in 1997, the article's headline was that eight times Larry Nassar could have been stopped. Eight times. So it is important to take note of this legislation as a clarion call, and these words are most important.

This provision makes it unlawful for an adult who is authorized by a national governing body, a member of a national governing body, or an amateur sports organization that participates in interstate or international amateur athletic competition to interact with a minor or amateur athlete at specific events to fail to report as soon as possible child and sexual abuse to local law enforcement or another agency.

Many times members of the Judiciary Committee don't like wide nets. We have a responsibility to adhere to the Constitution. But we are the committee that has the responsibility of upholding the rule of law. And to all of those who are now in this wide net, that is the rule of law: to be able to protect our children against massive sexual abuse as they pursue their dreams.

Just a comment, the requirement would arise on a person that learns of the facts that give reason to suspect that a child has suffered an incident of child abuse, including sexual abuse; and, therefore, those who can say or attempt to say, ``I couldn't understand what the child was saying; it wasn't clear,'' but if they got a sense that there was a problem, they come under that net. I believe that that is appropriate.

Let me also indicate that there is a long list of sheroes who have been impacted by Dr. Nassar. My constituent stated, on January 16, a former Olympic gymnast who wowed the world, Simone Biles, said that she was abused by Dr. Nassar.

The long list of Dr. Nassar's victims include U.S. Olympic gymnasts McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, and Gabby Douglas. They represented the country and made us proud. And can you imagine? They were abused. Let me thank the many organizations that have worked hard to advance this legislation, including Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, RAINN, the Nation's largest antisexual violence organization. They have been magnificent.

I include in the Record a number of letters, Mr. Speaker, because each day approximately 600 individuals are affected by sexual violence, most of whom are children or parents seeking support, and they are served by this organization.

The first letter I include in the Record supporting this legislation is from RAINN, which urges the House of Representatives and others to pass this legislation so that it can move quickly into the position to be signed by the President.

Mr. Speaker, every 2 minutes in America, someone is sexually assaulted; every 8 minutes, that individual is a child.

Let me include in the Record a letter from the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association, and I would like to call out their names. These are all athletes: Dick Fosbury, track and field; Willie Banks, track and field; Allison Baver, speedskating; Carol Brown, rowing; Candace Cable, Paralympic track and field; Caryn Davies, rowing; Gary Hall, Sr., swimming; Micki King, diving; Carol Lewis, track and field; John Naber, swimming; Bill Toomey, track and field; Iris Zimmerman, fencing.

U.S. Olympians & Paralympians

Association.

An open letter from the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians

Association to athletes everywhere:

We hear you.

We have heard your many stories detailing the sexual and

emotional abuse you endured while training and competing in

pursuit of your goals and your dreams. We applaud your

individual and collective courage and conviction in coming

forward and telling all . . . and calling out those who

abused your trust.

We are both appalled by the actions of those who hurt you

and deeply saddened by your suffering. For those whose

stories we haven't heard (and may never hear), we respect

your decision and your privacy . . . but also acknowledge the

pain you feel in silence.

We are united in saying that there is no place for abuse in

sport--at any age, at any level, in any venue. As Olympic and

Paralympic alumni, we want you to know we are a family that

stands strong for the ideals of the Olympic and Paralympic

movements.

When we, as athletes, returned from past Games, we shared

an understanding that ``The goal of Olympism is to place

sport at the service of the harmonious development of

humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society

concerned with the preservation of human dignity.'' Now we

must ask how can athlete dignity be preserved when the

responsible institutions fail so in their oversight?

So what shall we do? We shall continue to advocate for

education and safe sport, to teach young boys and girls to

recognize the signs of abuse and provide a safe place to

speak without repercussion. Parents, coaches and trainers

need to be educated to recognize the signs and learn how to

behave properly in coaching situations. We shall support

Title IX, the U.S. Center for SafeSport and pending federal

legislation to protect our athletes.

For any of you who are currently in need (or know someone

who is), the newly created and independent U.S. Center for

SafeSport is available for confidential 24/7 reporting and

crisis support:

SafeSport.org

24/7 SafeSport Crisis Helpline 866-200-0796

We know the power of commitment to a belief and to goals;

our goal is that your experiences are never repeated.

Together, we shall seek to create a way of life based on the

joy of effort.

Together in sport,

United States Olympians and Paralympians Association

Executive Committee

President Dick Fosbury--Track and Field, 1968

Willie Banks--Track and Field, 1980/1984/1988

Allison Baver--Speedskating, 2002/2006/2010

Carol Brown--Rowing 1976/1980/1984

Candace Cable--Paralympic Track and Field, 1980/1988/1992/

1996, Alpine Skiing, 1992; Nordic Skiing,1994/1998/2002/2006

Caryn Davies--Rowing, 2004/2008/2012

Gary Hall Sr.--Swimming, 1968/1972/1976

Micki King--Diving, 1968/1972

Carol Lewis--Track and Field, 1980/1984/1988

John Naber--Swimming, 1976

Bill Toomey--Track and Field, 1968

Iris Zimmerman--Fencing, 2000

Mr. Speaker, likewise, I include in the Record a letter, dated November 16, 2017, from the CWLA, Child Welfare League of America, an organization that worked on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence. They have worked along with RAINN and have emphasized that the Nation's youngest have been impacted by this dastardly series of actions.

DC Coalition Against

Domestic Violence,

Washington, DC, November 20, 2017.

Hon. Paul Ryan,

Speaker of the House,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Susan Brooks,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Kevin McCarthy,

House of Representatives.

Hon. John Thune,

U.S. Senate.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Minority Leader,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Lois Frankel,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Steny Hoyer,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Dianne Feinstein,

U.S. Senate.

Dear Speaker Ryan, Leader Pelosi, Ms. Brooks, Ms. Frankel,

Mr. McCarthy, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Thune, and Ms. Feinstein:

The DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence urges the House

of Representatives to pass the Protecting Young Victims from

Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act.

This bipartisan legislation is imperative to respond to the

numerous disclosures of child sexual abuse by our nation's

youngest and most accomplished athletes while they were

training for the U.S. Olympics. Intervention and prevention

measures through this legislation are desperately needed to

keep our children safe and hold offenders and entities

accountable for their actions and their silence.

Authorization and funding for the U.S. Center for Safe Sport

will be the first significant step toward this goal.

We ask the House of Representatives to swiftly and

expeditiously pass this legislation to protect our young

athletes and show them they are valued and deserve to excel

in their chosen sport without fear of and violence from those

they trust.

Thank you for your commitment to ending sexual abuse,

please do not hesitate to contact our office if we can be of

further assistance in this charge.

Sincerely,

Karma Cottman,

Executive Director.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from Professor Emeritus Howard M. Rubin from DePaul University who speaks about sexual abuse. ``My wife, Barbara Blaine, knew the lasting damage that is caused when a child is abused having been a child victim.''

DePaul University

College of Law,

Chicago, Illinois, November 16, 2017.

Re: SB.534/ HR 1973--Protecting Young Victims from Sexual

Abuse Act of 2017

Senator Dianne Feinstein,

Senator John Thune,

Representative Susan Brooks,

Representative Lois Frankel.

Dear Lawmakers: I am writing to enthusiastically support

S.534/HR 1973 and to express my appreciation for your work in

drafting and advancing this legislation. In the wake of the

deluge of sexual harassment scandals breaking on a daily

basis, the American public is crying out for recognition of

women's rights, and the rights of victims of sexual abuse and

harassment.

While there is no way to quantify the struggles of one

victim against another a young victim's childhood is

indelibly harmed by sexual abuse. My wife, Barbara Blaine,

knew the lasting damage that is caused when a child is abused

having been a child victim. For her entire adult life she

fought selflessly and tirelessly to ensure the safety and

well-being of survivors, to prevent children from suffering

abuse, and to hold accountable those responsible. Abusers and

their enablers utilizing their power and status as shields

against prosecution and retribution were dragged out into the

light of justice and accountability by Barbara's ceaseless

crusade as advocate.

One of Barbara's passions was confronting unfair statute of

limitations. They protected abusers and punished young

victims unable to confront their abuse till later in life.

The language in S.534 that extends statute of limitations for

victims of child sexual abuse pertaining to federal crimes is

a tribute to her efforts.

Barbara cast a bright light against the darkness, but

tragically, her flame was snuffed out far too soon. She left

this world suddenly and before she could finish her life's

work. It is upon us now to stoke the embers left in the wake

of that lifetime, that her legacy might live on forever

through S.534, and cast such a spark so as to permanently

light the way towards justice for those who have been abused.

I would consider it an honor to be included in the list of

supporters for S.534.

Sincerely,

Howard M Rubin,

Professor Emeritus.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the National Children's Alliance, which has been working with other advocacy groups and, again, has done longstanding work against child abuse, supporting this legislation.

National Children Alliance,

Washington, DC, November 20, 2017.

Hon. Paul Ryan,

Speaker of the House,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Kevin McCarthy,

U.S. House of Representatives.

Hon. John Thune,

U.S. Senate.

Hon. Susan Brooks,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Minority Leader,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Steny Hoyer,

House of Representatives.

Hon. Dianne Feinstein,

U.S. Senate.

Hon. Lois Frankel,

House of Representatives.

Dear Speaker Ryan and Leader Pelosi:

Dear Congressman McCarthy and Congressman Hoyer:

Dear Senator Thune and Senator Feinstein:

Dear Congresswoman Brooks and Congresswoman Frankel: The

National Children's Alliance, in cooperation with numerous

other advocacy groups, encourages the House of

Representatives to pass the Protecting Young Victims from

Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act (S.534).

Having recently passed the Senate, this bipartisan

legislation seeks to address the numerous reports of

childhood sexual abuse that have occurred against our

nation's young athletes. The recent press surrounding the

United States' Olympic trainees only serves to heighten the

need for a strong legislative response.

The NCA's longstanding work on child abuse leads us to

believe that this legislation will increase the

accountability of U.S. Olympic organizations and help ensure

that incidences of this nature are not repeated. In

particular, authorization and funding for the U.S. Center for

Safe Sport is one of the critical provisions of this bill

that will actively enhance U.S. Olympic organizations'

responsibility in these matters. It establishes an office for

education and outreach to develop the appropnate training,

policies, and procedures to combat and prevent the emotional,

physical, and sexual abuse, of young athletes competing in

athletic activities sponsored by national governing bodies

and Paralympic sports organizations.

We hope that the House of Representatives will take swift

action and stand with us in ensuring that our young athletes

are protected as they stave to compete on behalf of our

nation.

Thank you for your consideration of our youth.

Sincerely,

Teresa Huizar,

Executive Director,

National Children's Alliance.

CHILD USA: Let's End Child Abuse and Neglect said

in a letter, which I include in the Record: ``This bill would shine much needed sunlight on the problem of abuse in sports. It will protect children in the future.''

Mr. Speaker, I also include in the Record a letter from the United States Olympic Committee, dated January 24, 2018.

United States Olympic Committee,

Colorado Springs, CO, January 24, 2018.

To Team USA: The athlete testimony that just concluded in

the Nassar hearings framed the tragedy through the eyes of

the victims and survivors, and was worse than our own worst

fears. It was powerful because of the strength of the

victims, survivors and parents, who so eloquently and

forcefully told their stories and so rightfully demanded

justice. The USOC should have been there to hear it in

person, and I am deeply sorry that did not happen.

The purpose of this message is to tell all of Nassar's

victims and survivors, directly, how incredibly sorry we are

We have said it in other contexts, but we have not been

direct enough with you. We are sorry for the pain caused by

this terrible man, and sorry that you weren't afforded a safe

opportunity to pursue your sports dreams. The Olympic family

is among those that have failed you.

I know this apology is not enough. We have been working on

taking steps at the USOC and mandating changes among National

Governing Bodies to ensure this does not happen again. Our

next steps will be these:

1. We Must Change the Culture of the Sport. This was the

primary recommendation of the independent Deborah Daniels

Report on USA Gymnastics and the athlete testimony underlined

its importance. We heard athletes describe being unsure or

unaware of how to report abuse and to whom, and sometimes

even what constitutes abuse. We heard athletes describe being

afraid or discouraged from reporting abuse. We heard athletes

describe feeling hurt, betrayed, discounted and alone. Since

October of last year, we have been engaged in direct talks

with USAG leadership on this fundamental point. New

leadership at the board level is critical and you recently

saw three USAG board resignations. Further changes are

necessary to help create a culture that fosters safe sport

practice, offers athletes strong resources in education and

reporting, and ensures the healing of the victims and

survivors. This includes a full turnover of leadership from

the past, which means that all current USAG directors must

resign.

2. We Must Change the Governance Structure of the NGB. We

need to help USA Gymnastics better support its mission, which

is to provide the best resources and safest environment for

athletes to train and compete. We have strongly considered

decertifying USAG as a National Governing Body. But USA

Gymnastics includes clubs and athletes who had no hand in

this and who need to be supported. We believe it would hurt

more than help the athletes and their sport. But we will

pursue decertification if USA Gymnastics does not fully

embrace the necessary changes in their governance structure

along with other mandated changes under review right now.

3. We Must Know Who Knew What and When. The USOC has

decided to launch an investigation by an independent third

party to examine how an abuse of this proportion could have

gone undetected for so long. We need to know when complaints

were brought forward and to who. This investigation will

include both USAG and the USOC, and we believe USAG will

cooperate fully. We will make the results public.

4. We Must Support Safe Sport Victims and Survivors. Team

USA safe sport assault victims and survivors need access to

testing, treatment and counseling. The USOC will devote

substantial funds to help provide these resources to victims

and survivors. We are working on the details of how this

funding will become available to athletes and will

communicate them soon.

I hope that all members of Team USA remember that the USOC

ombudsman office is always available to provide free,

independent and confidential help to athletes with concerns

or questions about safe sport or other matters. Contact

information, along with other helpful athlete resources, are

here.

In order to bring even more focus and urgency to these

important points, the USOC board of directors has mobilized a

board-level working group chaired by independent board member

Susanne Lyons.

Finally, I invite any member of Team USA to communicate

with me or Ms. Lyons directly if there is more that you think

the Olympic family can or should be doing for you and your

families.

Sincerely,

Scott Blackmun,

Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Poe for his longstanding work on these issues, the two House cosponsors, and the Senator, and I want to end with, with that volcanic action, there was no reaction, a deafening silence. Let us, with the passage of this bill, begin the journey of commitment, along with our acknowledgment of the Me Too movement that we will never be silent again.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 534, the ``Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act''.

This bill will help prevent the sexual abuse of minors and amateur athletes by requiring the prompt reporting of sexual abuse to law enforcement authorities.

This is a reasonable and important measure that is intended to protect young athletes from abuse and preserve the sanctity of sports associated with the U.S. Olympic Committee--the organization responsible for preparing and training young athletes who might one day represent our Nation competitively all over the world.

Children deserve to fully enjoy the innocence of their youth--by exploring the curiosities of the world, taking pleasure in the arts, and participating in sports--free from abuse.

Sexual abuse of children and youth is an abhorrent practice that is intolerable in any context, and we must take appropriate measures to eliminate it from youth sports.

Young people look to adults to protect them and keep them safe. We all have a responsibility to do so. With S. 534, we have an opportunity to ensure that individuals abide by this duty.

Certain other professionals--such as doctors, dentists, social workers, psychologists, teachers, and daycare workers, are already bound by law to report suspected abuse to law enforcement. S. 534 will require the same of adults who interact with young athletes in connection with sports activities organized by the national governing bodies of various sports.

The urgent need for this legislation is best illustrated by the horrible abuse and exploitation of numerous young gymnasts at the hands of Dr. Larry Nassar, who victimized young athletes participating in USA Gymnastics over the course of 20 years. The stories of abuse and suffering of these young women are heartbreaking.

Many complaints of sexual and emotional abuse by Nassar and others went unreported for years--allowing coaches, instructors, and doctors to repeatedly victimize gymnasts as young as six years old.

The shocking failure of anyone to report accusations to law enforcement, or even keep track of complaints internally, made it possible for some of these predators to commit multiple, horrific acts over time.

We entrust the care of our children and young athletes in the hands of those we hope to uphold that trust and not abuse it.

One of the more than 150 girls and women victimized by Dr. Nassar was recently quoted as saying, ``He has everything he needs to be an incredible leader. He has the personality . . . the skill . . . the knowledge. And he's using that to prey on people . . . what a waste.''

Last week, a Michigan judge sentenced Nassar to a prison sentence of up to 175 years. The judge described Nassar's assault of scores of girls and women, under the pretense that he was treating them, as ``precise,

calculated, manipulative, devious and despicable.''

We must continue to do more to help protect our young athletes, and this bill will greatly assist in that effort. However, I must note a concern with a change the bill before us would make to the Senate- passed version of S. 534. The bill unanimously passed by the Senate would authorize funding to be provided to the U.S. Center for Safe Sport in the amount of $1 million for each of the next five years.

Unfortunately, the version of the bill before us strips this funding authorization. I believe we should have taken up the Senate bill, without amendment. Safe Sport is charged with important responsibilities under this bill--with respect to receiving and investigating allegations of abuse and setting policies to prevent future abuse. It is critical that we ensure that the Center is provided the resources for those things to be done immediately and effectively.

By doing so, I hope we will prevent the type of abuse and suffering perpetrated by people like Larry Nassar.

In a recent open letter from the U.S. Olympians and Paralympians Association to athletes everywhere, they wrote: ``The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity. Now we must ask how can athlete dignity be preserved when the responsible institutions fail so in their oversight?''

In an apology letter to Team USA from the United States Olympic Committee issued last week, the Committee admitted that it had failed its young athletes.

While the USA Gymnastics scandal is unfortunate, let it be an example and incentive to prevent such abuse from happening again.

Accordingly, I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.

The ``Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse Act'' is a necessary measure to ensure young athletes in this country are able to pursue their athletic dreams in safe environments, free of the fear of being victimized by predators.

I thank the many organizations that have worked hard to advance this legislation, including Rape Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the Nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization.

I'd like to enter into the record a letter from RAINN, which indicates survivors are reaching out to its National Sexual Assault Hotline in record numbers, at a 21 percent increase.

Each day approximately 600 individuals affected by sexual violence are served, most of whom are children or parents seeking support.

For the foregoing reasons, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask support of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, just a couple of hours ago, the Republicans on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence voted to release the Nunes report. At the same time, they voted not to allow the rebuttal offered by the Democrats to be released.

All I can say, Mr. Speaker, as a Member who has been through impeachment of the Federal judiciary and a President, not one time did I see any sidetrack opportunities or efforts to dismantle that ongoing investigation.

We are not in an impeachment proceeding. We have a special counsel that is attempting to provide for the American people a detailed and thoughtful investigation.

Why the rule of law has been so obliterated by our Republican friends and the idea of democracy and the protection of the institutions of this Nation have been undermined, I am shocked.

The American people are not clamoring for the destruction of the FBI, nor are they clamoring for the destruction and undermining of Special Counsel Mueller's report.

Let us stand for the principles of democracy and the Constitution. This kind of undermining is dastardly and embarrassing.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for his leadership in galvanizing all of us, and I thank my colleagues for very eloquent messages on the floor of the House regarding Janus v. AFSCME Council 31.

Let me acknowledge Lee Saunders and the AFSCME family, who have been champions in fighting for the rights of all labor, and that is why we are on the floor of the House today, because we wanted to, in our way as legislators, join in this magnificent fight for constitutional rights of the First Amendment.

And let me take issue with the 1977 Supreme Court case Abood v. Detroit Board of Education and turn the Fourth Amendment back to supporting those workers who, in fact, want to associate and participate in unions.

Let me also thank my colleague Chairman Richmond of the Congressional Black Caucus for galvanizing us as well in this effort.

We offered a resolution to honor Echol Cole and Robert Walker. On February 1, 1968, it will be 50 years that these two sanitation workers in Memphis were killed in a horrific accident when the compactor on their sanitation truck malfunctioned. The key is that these individuals had no rights, no benefits. They had no death benefits. They had no protection for their families. They had nothing. And that is why this Supreme Court decision is so crucial and why I hope that the Supreme

Court of the United States will rule in favor of AFSCME against this wrongheaded approach to those who are trying to speak on behalf of those who support the rights of workers.

The Supreme Court cases did the flip of the First Amendment and suggested that the First Amendment of those who disapproved unions was being violated. I believe that the Supreme Court got it completely wrong and that the First Amendment rights of those who move positively to be part of a union could be argued vigorously that their rights are being violated. Not only their rights are being violated, but their rights to have a liveable wage and to work in a safe and protected workforce and workplace. That is what I think the real question is as to why those who want to be in a union must be defeated by the constitutional premise of the First Amendment.

My First Amendment is to join the union and to secure the rights and benefits of those. I hope that the Supreme Court will look to the fact that union members who desire to have fees selected and utilized for the union deducted from their salary have every much a right to the First Amendment. You can opt out, but you should not deny those members the right to the First Amendment to have their voices heard.

In particular, it is important to note the benefits that have come about to the African-American community. And that is the African- American community has seen increasing wages. African-American union workers earn up to $10,000 or 31 percent more a year than nonunion workers. In 2011, nearly 20 percent of employed African Americans worked for the State, local, or Federal Government compared to 14 percent of other groups. And African Americans are less likely than other groups to work in the private sector.

So let me say this about why I stand here to support the unions and their right to the First Amendment to deduct fees to be able to express their rights. Let me just quickly say as I close: Do you know among the many things that unions have helped us get are weekends, all breaks at work, paid vacations, family medical leave, sick leave, Social Security, minimum wage, civil rights, overtime, child labor laws, and workman's comp?

Mr. Speaker, I believe that this is an important discussion because so many good elements of saving lives, so much so that those dear sanitation workers would not have lost their life, came about from the sacrifice of unions, and we should provide them with the First Amendment right.

Let me salute Clara Caldwell who will be honored by our union brothers and sisters in Austin, Texas, and let me say the right thing for the Supreme Court to do is rule on behalf of the unions and their rights to the First Amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record points about African Americans and Labor Unions, facts about Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, and 36 reasons to thank the union movement.

African Americans and Labor Unions

1. Historically, the path to the middle class for African

Americans was through a union job.

2. African-American workers are more likely to be union

members.

3. Unionized workers promote greater income equality and

prevent wage discrimination.

4. African American union workers earn up to $10,000 or 31%

more per year than non-union members.

7. Few African Americans are self-employed--only 3.8%

reported being self-employed in 2011--making them almost half

as likely to be self-employed as Whites (7.2%).

8. Unionized workers are more likely to receive paid leave,

more likely to have employer-provided health insurance, and

are more likely to be in employer-provided pension plans.

9. Unions play a pivotal role by ensuring workers have

continued educational access for their current roles as well

as encourage workers to pursue higher education.

10. Nationally, 77 percent of union employees in 2009 were

covered by pension plans that provide a guaranteed monthly

retirement income. Only 20 percent of non-union workers are

covered by guaranteed (defined-benefit) pensions 20%.

11. Union workers are 53.9% more likely to have employer-

provided pensions.

12. When unions are strong and able to represent the people

who want to join them, these gains spread throughout the

economy and the overall community.

13. Workers who form unions are able to boost wages, which

helps attract and retain staff.

14. When non-union companies increase their wages, it gives

all workers more purchasing power.

15. Communities with a strong middle class have sufficient

tax revenues to support schools, hospitals and roads.

16. Historically, pensions, social security and personal

savings ensured that workers could retire with dignity.

17. With the current recession and the attack on pensions,

many workers are left to depend on social security and their

personal savings alone.

18. Many African American elders find themselves in a

precarious situation after decades of work.

19. Union members played a critical role in the civil

rights struggles of the past and that involvement continues

today.

20. When Martin Luther King Jr. was jailed for civil

disobedience, unions and union members frequently came to his

aid with the legal and financial help he needed.

21. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin both union leaders

help to organize the March on Washington in 1963 and in

countless cities around the country.

22. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed while in

Memphis to aid striking sanitation workers.

23. Today, labor unions are still on the forefront of

efforts to ensure that the gains of the past are maintained

and to fight for those still denied opportunity and equality.

Facts About Janus v. AFSCME Council 31--Source: AFSCME

Facts of the Case

In 1977, the Supreme Court, in Abood v. Detroit Board of

Education, upheld against a First Amendment challenge a

Michigan law that allowed a public employer whose employees

were represented by a union to require those of its employees

who did not join the union nevertheless to pay fees to it

because they benefited from the union's collective bargaining

agreement with the employer.

Illinois has a law similar to that upheld in Michigan. The

governor of Illinois brought a lawsuit challenging the law on

the ground that the statute violates the First Amendment by

compelling employees who disapprove of the union to

contribute money to it. The district court dismissed the

complaint on the grounds that the governor lacked standing to

sue because he did not stand to suffer injury from the law,

but two public employees intervened in the action to seek

that Abood be overturned. Given that Abood is binding on

lower courts, the district court dismissed the claim, and the

Seventh Circuit affirmed dismissal for the same reason.

Legal Question Presented:

Should the Court's decision in Abood v. Detroit Board of

Education should be overturned so that public employees who

do not belong to a union cannot be required to pay a fee to

cover the union's costs to negotiate a contract that applies

to all public employees, including those who are not union

members?

Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 threatens our union and all

working families. This case, which will come before the

Supreme Court in February, represents a huge threat to our

union. As a local leader, you are critical to how we defend

and protect our union, our members and public services in the

face of this threat.

This lawsuit aims to take away the freedom of working

people to join together in strong unions to speak up for

themselves and their communities. In February, the U.S.

Supreme Court will hear the case and a decision is expected

by the summer.

What are fair share fees, and why are they important?

Unions work because we all pay our fair share and we all

benefit from what we negotiate together. Fair share fees

provide public service workers with the power in numbers they

need to negotiate better wages, benefits and protections that

improve work conditions and set standards for everyone.

Each public service worker chooses whether or not to join a

union, but the union is still required by law to represent

and negotiate on behalf of all public service workers--

members and non-members alike. All employees receive the wage

increases, benefits and workplace rights negotiated through

the union.

The corporate special interests behind this case want to

take away our ability to build strength in numbers. That is

why they want the Supreme Court to rule that workers can

receive all the benefits of a union contract without

contributing anything in return. All workers should chip in

their fair share to cover the cost of representing them.

Is anyone ever forced to join a union or pay for politics?

No. The simple truth is that no one is forced to join a

union and no one is forced to pay any fees that go to

politics or political candidates. That is already the law of

the land. Nothing in this case will change that. This case is

about taking away the freedom of working people to join

together, speak up for each other and build a better life for

themselves and their families by undermining their ability to

form strong unions.

What is the real impact of this case?

When working people have the freedom and opportunity to

speak up together through unions, we make progress together

that benefits everyone. The wealthy elite behind this case

are trying to use the highest court in the land to take away

our freedom to create the power in numbers to secure better

lives

for ourselves, our families, our communities and our country

by undermining our ability to form strong unions.

If fair share fees are struck down, employees who benefit

from the gains that the union makes will not have to pay

anything toward the cost of that representation. If the

billionaires and corporate CEOs behind this case get their

way, they will take away the freedom of working people to

come together and build power to fight for the things our

families and communities need: everything from affordable

health care and retirement security to quicker medical

emergency response times.

What is this case really about?

The case aims to erode the freedom to form unions to

improve our lives and the communities we serve. Real freedom

is about making a decent living from our hard work; it's also

about having time to take a loved one to the doctor, attend a

parent-teacher conference and retire in dignity. The

corporate special interests behind this case do not believe

that working people should have the freedom to negotiate a

fair return on their work.

Who is behind this case?

The National Right to Work Foundation is part of a network

funded by corporate billionaires to use the courts to rig the

rules against working people. For decades, these wealthy

elites have used their massive fortunes to gain outsized

influence to chip away at the progress unions have won for

all working families. Now they want the highest court in the

land to take away our freedom to come together to protect

what our communities need: a living wage, retirement

security, health benefits, the ability to care for loved ones

and more.

How do unions benefit our communities?

People in unions continue to win rights, benefits and

protections for all working people and their communities.

When public service workers belong to strong unions, they

fight for staffing levels, equipment and training that saves

lives and improves the public services our communities rely

upon. And when union membership is high, entire communities

enjoy higher wages.

36 Reasons To Thank the Union Movement

1. Weekends

2. All breaks at work, including your lunch breaks

3. Paid vacation

4. FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act)

5. Sick leave

6. Social security

7. Minimum wage

8. Civil Rights Act Title VII (prohibits Employer

Discrimination)

9. 8-Hour work day

10. Overtime pay

11. Child labor laws

12. Occupational Safety & Health Act (OSHA)

13. 40 Hour Work Week

14. Worker's Compensation (Worker's Camp)

15. Unemployment Insurance

16. Pensions

17. Workplace Safety Standards and Regulations

18. Employer Health Care Insurance

19. Collective Bargaining Rights for Employees

20. Wrongful Termination Laws

21. Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967

22. Whistleblower Protection Laws

23. Employee Polygraph Protect Act (Prohibits Employer from

using a lie detector test on an employee)

24. Veteran's Employment and Training Services (VETS)

25. Compensation increases and Evaluations (Raises)

26. Sexual Harassment laws

27. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)

28. Holiday Pay

29. Employer Dental, Life, and Vision Insurance

30. Privacy Rights

31. Pregnancy and Parental Leave

32. Military Leave

33. The Right to Strike

34. Public Education for Children

35. Equal Pay Acts of 1963 & 2011

36. (Requires employers pay men and women equally for the

same amount of work)

37. Laws Ending Sweatshops in the United States

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to the rule suspending the rules providing legislation be considered in regular order, what is frequently referred to as a ``martial law'' rule.

I oppose the rule because it is irresponsible and further confirmation of the inability of this President and congressional Republicans' inability to govern.

In accepting his party's presidential nomination, the current President loudly, boldly, and ridiculously declared: ``I alone can fix it!''

One year later, on the anniversary of his inauguration, which by the way was witnessed by one of the smallest crowds in history, the verdict is in.

The President cannot fix anything; he is not leading the nation and he has failed at his primary and most basic obligation: managing the executive branch of the government and taking care the laws be faithfully executed.

But the President's failure is not his alone, it is shared with Republican acolytes in the House and Senate, who from Day 1 of this Administration has lived in fantasy world where facts and truth and science and good public policy do not matter.

This President and our Republican friends across the aisle persist in the mistaken and false belief that the American people are clamoring to take away affordable quality healthcare for millions of Americans, to virtually eliminate taxes on the multinational corporations and the top one-percent, to deprive 9 million children of health insurance, and to deport 800,000 law-abiding and patriotic Dreamers from the land they love and only country to which they have ever pledged allegiance.

Mr. Speaker, the reason we are now in this mess of the Republicans' making is because they consciously chose not to work with Democrats to come to a necessary bipartisan agreement to lift the Budget Control Act (BCA) spending caps, giving appropriators the direction they need for full-year funding bills.

The reason given for passing each of the prior Continuing Resolutions was that the extra time was needed to reach a comprehensive agreement to fund government operations in a fair and balanced way.

Yet, even with the extra time, Republicans made no progress during any of the previous extensions.

This should not be surprising; the House GOP is carrying the water for the president, who a few months ago said ``we need a big beautiful shutdown.''

Mr. Speaker, I will not support a CR that does not include full funding for disaster recovery for the areas affected by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and the California wildfires, extends additional health access for veterans, provides funding to combat the opioid epidemic, and protects pensions.

And most important, I will not support a CR or budget agreement that does not address and resolve the crisis the Republican Administration has inflicted on 800,000 Dreamers and their families, including 124,000 Dreamers in my home state of Texas.

Instead of acting responsibly to address these issues and fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, House Republicans continue wasting time.

Mr. Speaker, the CR proposed by Republicans included a six year reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health coverage to nine million children, and which Republicans allowed to lapse on September 30, 2017.

This is not a meaningful extension.

In contrast, making CHIP permanent would not only provide long-term stability for families, providers, and states, it would save $6 billion according to the Congressional Budget Office.

CHIP, which enjoys broad public, could have been reauthorized months ago in a stand-alone bill but Republicans chose instead waste months on efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and enact unpaid-for tax cuts for the wealthy.

I know firsthand about the important work done through CHIP.

My state is home to the Texas Children's Hospital, and any of my colleagues who believes it is acceptable to play politics with children's health clearly does not appreciate the work done there.

This CR included additional tax cuts totaling over $26 billion, including a two year delay of the medical device and Cadillac taxes, and a one year delay of the health insurance tax.

At the same time, the CR failed to address numerous other expired and expiring health priorities, from funding for community health centers to waiving caps on therapy services for seniors on Medicare, to preventing cuts to safety net hospitals.

Mr. Speaker, despite controlling the House, Senate, and the White House, Republicans have not funded the government for the entire year, even though we are already four months into the fiscal year.

Democrats, meanwhile, have done the work with which we were tasked.

I am a member of the Budget committee and we Democrats proposed a budget that:

Respected the needs of all Americans, including those who serve bravely in the Department of Defense;

Honored the sacrifice of our heroes in uniform;

Protected programs like CHIP, made investments in infrastructure and ensured that Americans have access to quality healthcare.

Because the President and congressional Republicans refused to work with Democrats and compromise on how to provide relief from the BCA's sequester level spending caps, they are lurching from CR to CR-- degrading the readiness of our military and preventing government agencies from properly serving the American people.

This is not a responsible way to govern.

Republicans need to work across the aisle with Democrats and get our work done--including upholding the long-standing precedent of agreeing to parity when providing relief from sequester caps.

I urge all Members to reject this Rule and start focusing on the real needs and interests of the American people.

Mr. Speaker, day three of this shutdown, thousands and thousands of Federal employees not working. The leader of the Republicans in the Senate has moved with some offer that would hopefully be something to start with, but I applaud the Democratic leadership in the other body because they have been focusing on what we want, and that is parity, national security parity for children's healthcare and federally qualified health clinics and veterans.

But the people who have imploded this, of course, are the President and his staff, with vulgarity and then breaking up a deal last Friday.

So, if we are serious, we need to be able to work on what the issues are, and that is domestic spending to have parity to ensure that the families of our soldiers are, likewise, provided for.

I support the national security needs of this Nation, as a Homeland Security member since the tragic and heinous terrorist act of 9/11. I believe national security goes with providing for their families. When are we going to do that and provide for innocent DREAMers who have done nothing but come to this country to be able to do what is right?

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 4872, the End the Shutdown Act of 2018, a continuing resolution that would immediately open and reopen the government with a clean CR while negotiations continue on a budget agreement that adheres to the parity and on other critical issues so that we can end the Trump shutdown.

Mr. Speaker, parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary inquiry is the utilization of the words ``illegal immigration'' being used against the well-stated policies of the United States dealing with respecting people who come to this country.

My question is the terminology being used to indict Democrats, the Democratic Party, and it is maligning hardworking Americans who came from an immigrant background.

Mr. Speaker, first of all, to the men and women of the United States military, how shameful it is to use you. You will be paid. And it is important to note that the Democratic Party, our leadership, is focusing on making sure your families are taken care of.

This is a debate about ensuring domestic spending so that you have education dollars for your children--sadly, some of our soldiers are on food stamps--the CHIP program to be fully funded and made permanent, and veterans benefits to continue.

It is shameful.

When I was growing up, the way to use language against a person running for office was for them to be called an ``N lover'' or for them to advocate for integrated schools or use the race card.

Now, today, the person who has the highest office in the land is using the race card; and, sadly, congressional Republican Members and leadership are using it by way of illegal immigration in a political ad that has just come out to say that we are responsible for killings by illegal immigrants.

DREAMers are not illegal immigrants. They are Americans. They are soldiers. They are doctors and lawyers. They are my neighbors. They are my interns.

And I am saddened by this. I want the American people to know that the best moral stance to be is where the Democratic leadership is because we are standing for all of America, and we will continue to do so.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 4872, the End the Shutdown Act of 2018, a continuing resolution that would immediately reopen the government through Tuesday while negotiations continue on a budget agreement that adheres to parity and on other critical issues to stop the Trump shutdown.

Mr. Speaker, maybe my good friend was not able to keep his eyes awake last night to see that a bipartisan group of Members in the other body voted resoundingly to defeat this insignificant and this shallow CR that you sent to the other body. Maybe you were not able to see that.

So what I will say to you is that I join with my whip in a 4-day CR, because maybe you have just forgotten the fact that the most catastrophic storm hit Texas, and then others went on to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and Florida.

No one has heard one word about those who are suffering with housing that still looks like this, or those houses that are under water. Maybe you don't know that the children who need children's health insurance need the clinics that you gutted.

I would ask you, if you really have any kind of compassion, to read Mr. Steele's comments, who indicated, as a former chair of the Republican National Committee, that those who are at fault for shutting down the government is a Republican President, Republican House, and Republican Senate.

You can't do your job. Democrats are trying to do their job for the American people. You shut the government down. Worry about those who are suffering from hurricanes.

Where is your compassion?

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for his leadership in serving on this committee, and I thank Mr. Cohen for his very eloquent explanation.

Let me say that I stand with these women, Jenny R., Kathy L., Lindsey, and Taias, women who have experienced the tragedy of losing a child, wanting a child, and wanting the protection of Roe v. Wade. I stand with these women.

I rise today to again ask the question: Why do we divide over the wonderment of birth?

I am reminded of H.R. 2175, passed in 2002, the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which was widely supported.

Now, we come on the eve of a failed administration in its first year to stand as if we are doing something for those who are coming here-- and I have great respect for their position of pro-life--but it doesn't mean that we must undermine the Constitution, add mandatory minimums, make up needs where there are no needs. That is what this particular bill does.

This amendment to H.R. 4712 is clearly involving and intruding into a process between the mother, the doctor, the family, and her God. There is no evidence of lawbreaking that has been uncovered that necessitates congressional involvement.

Abortion is a proven safe, legal, and humane practice. It has to be that way under the law. But we are in the middle of violating the Constitution and the Supreme Court cases by passing this legislation: up to 5 years in prison, a threat of financially crippling lawsuits, and, of course, shutting down those health facilities that we absolutely need.

Let me be very clear: we should be dealing with this shutdown that the Republicans are planning and moving forward. The reason we should be dealing with the shutdown is because law enforcement officers have no money, our clinics have no money.

Madam Speaker, passing by the Capitol Police, it made me think of my own law enforcement officers in Houston, Texas. Because we do not have a budget, we do not have appropriations, we are about to shut down the government. We have a CR. There is no funding for police officers. There is no funding for the desperate people who have been impacted by Hurricanes Harvey, Maria, and Irma. No funding whatsoever.

I salute the Senate and the Senate Democrats for standing firm for those people. There are no moneys for federally qualified health clinics. There are no moneys for children's health insurance.

You are not doing your job, and here we are trying to create mandatory minimums on a bill that is not necessary. I believe we should try to keep this government open with the right kind of law.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 4712, the ``Born- Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.''

First of all, the majority's failure to govern and address the priorities of the American people is staggering as we are faced with a fourth continuing resolution finding ourselves four months into the fiscal year.

The majority has yet to come up with a long term spending bill rather than an incomplete stop gap that only covers the government until February 16.

Republicans have wasted time creating the GOP Tax Scam and now Republicans are still wasting time debating this anti-women bill once again while there is no DACA solution and hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have grown up in this country and greatly contribute to society are facing unfair deportation.

I strongly oppose this latest attempt by the Republican House majority to limit women's rights to safe and legal abortions.

H.R. 4712 amends the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act--a 2002 law that the pro-choice community did not oppose.

This bill, however, adds penalties to the law and an entirely new section in which Congress attempts to intrude directly into medical practice of abortion care for anti-choice ideological purposes.

Anti-choice lawmakers say this new bill is necessary because some babies ``survive'' abortion procedures.

They cite the now-discredited videos attacking Planned Parenthood as their evidence.

Of course, such allegations are untrue: newborns already have many legal protections, and there is no similarity between safe, legal abortion care and infanticide.

This bill is a solution in search of a problem.

No evidence of lawbreaking has been uncovered that necessitates congressional involvement.

Abortion practice is safe, legal, and humane; any evidence of wrongdoing can and should be handled under existing law.

If there is ever a case of harm or mistreatment of newborns, then of course, it should be investigated and prosecuted.

No such case exists here.

That makes it even clearer that H.R. 4712 must have other purposes; we believe the bill's true goals are to inflame the public with outrageous accusations, to interfere with medical care, and to intimidate doctors out of practice.

This legislation is consistent with the assaults that the Trump Administration and anti-abortion members of Congress in both the House and Senate have been undertaking throughout the 115th Congress and show no signs of ending.

The bill intrudes into medical practice, its mandate is so broad and the penalties so severe--up to five years in prison and the threat of financially crippling lawsuits--that one can only conclude that H.R. 4712 hopes to intimidate abortion providers out of practice.

This interference in medical care could also cause tremendous additional grief to some families making difficult decisions in heartbreaking cases.

We would not tolerate similar intrusion by politicians into any other medical specialty; abortion care is no different.

Finally, it is important to put this legislation into the proper context.

We are in the midst of an unprecedented assault against reproductive rights: this bill is just one in a litany to restrict a woman's right to choose while using women as political pawns with an extremist, anti- choice base.

Instead of spending time attempting to roll back women's constitutionally protected rights, this House should be advancing legislation that will reform our truly broken immigration and criminal justice systems.

The bill before us is offered for a simple purpose; to sensationalize opposition to abortion and serve as a political decoy to shut down our government.

The United States Supreme Court ruled over 40 years ago, in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 (1973)), that a woman's constitutional right to privacy includes her right to abortion.

Since this landmark decision, abortion rates and risks have substantially declined, as have the number of teen and unwanted pregnancies.

Restricting all access to reproductive and women's health services only exacerbates a woman's risk of an unintended pregnancy and fails to accomplish any meaningful overthrow of Roe v. Wade.

In recent years, state policymakers have passed hundreds of restrictions on abortion care under the guise of protecting women's health and safety.

Fights here in Congress have been no different.

In my state of Texas a law that would have cut off access to 75 percent of reproductive healthcare clinics in the state was challenged before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2014 and 2015.

On October 2, 2014, the Supreme Court struck down as unconstitutional a Texas law that required that all reproductive healthcare clinics that provided the fail range of services would be required to have a hospital-style surgery center building and staffing requirements.

This requirement meant that only 7 clinics would be allowed to continue to provide a full spectrum of reproductive healthcare to women.

Texas has 268,580 square miles only second in size to the state of California.

The impact of the law in implementation would have ended access to reproductive services for millions of women in my state.

In 2015, the State of Texas once again threatened women's access to reproductive health care when it attempted to shutter all but 10 healthcare providers in the state of Texas.

The Supreme Court once again intervened on the behalf of Texas women to block the move to close clinics in my state.

It seems every month we are faced with a new attack on women's access to reproductive health care, often couched in those same terms.

But we know that's not really the case.

If my colleagues were so concerned about women's health and safety, they would be promoting any one of the number of evidence-based proactive policies that improve women's health and well-being.

Instead, they are attacking Planned Parenthood in a back-handed attempt to ban abortion.

That is their number one priority. This is certainly not about protecting women's health, it's about politics.

Just as the 1988 Human Fetal Tissue Transplantation Research Panel (or the Blue Ribbon Commission) sought to separate the question of ethics of abortion from the question ethics of using fetal tissue from legal elective abortions for medical research when laying the foundation for the 1993, NIH Health Revitalization Act (which passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support), we must separate the personal views of abortion from the legal issues of federal compliance.

Namely, the NIH Health Revitalization Act prohibits the payment or receipt of money or any other form of valuable consideration for fetal tissue, regardless of whether the program to which the tissue is being provided is funded or not.

A limited exception, and crux of the applicable issue of legality, lies with provision allowing for reimbursement for actual expenses

(e.g. storage, processing, transportation, etc.) of the tissue.

Planned Parenthood repeatedly maintains and supports that their affiliates involved with fetal tissue research comply with this requirement.

In fact, of the 700+ affiliate health care centers across the country, only 4 Planned Parenthood affiliates currently offer tissue donation service and of those 4, only 2 (California and Washington) offer fetal tissue donation services--that's 1 percent of all Planned Parenthood service centers.

The California affiliate receives a modest reimbursement of $60 per tissue specimen and the Washington affiliate receives no reimbursement.

It is worth noting that fetal tissue has been used for decades.

Since the 1920's researchers have used fetal tissue to study and treat various neurological disorders, spinal cord injuries, diabetes, immune deficiencies, cancers and life-threatening blood diseases.

One of the earliest advances with fetal tissue was to use fetal kidney cells to create the first poliovirus vaccines, which are now estimated to save 550,000 lives worldwide every year.

The most widely known application in the field of human fetal tissue transplantation has been the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

Many of our other common vaccines, such as polio, measles, chicken pox, rubella and shingles, have been developed through the use of fetal tissue or cell lines derived from fetal tissue.

When looking at the 1 percent of health care providers involved in fetal tissue donation and research, and no clear credible proof of illegal activity, it is obvious that attacks on Planned Parenthood are wholly misguided.

Planned Parenthood has one of the most rigorous Medical standards and accreditation processes in the country.

It is the only national provider that has developed a single set of evidence-based Medical Standards and Guidelines that define how health care is provided throughout the country.

Guidelines are developed and updated annually by a group of nationally-renowned experts, physicians, and scientists, including medical experts from Harvard and Columbia.

Planned Parenthood affiliates must submit to accreditation reviews that include 100 indicators (or high level areas of review) and over 600 individual Elements of Performance (or measures for review). Half of these relate to the provision of medical care and patient safety.

Violations of mandatory reporting regulations are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

It is no secret that the Center for Medical Progress is an extreme anti-choice organization with a goal of outlawing legal abortion procedures in this country.

To achieve that goal, they have shamelessly targeted Planned Parenthood and the funding that provides healthcare services to millions of women every year.

They continue to use deceptive tactics and secret videos to try and undermine Planned Parenthood.

Just like Live Action, the Center for Medical Progress is not a group that can be taken credibly.

The Center for Medical Progress is simply recreating a history doctoring and manipulating video intended to create misimpressions about Planned Parenthood.

It is a coordinated effort by anti-choice forces--not only on Planned Parenthood or a woman's right to choose, but on women's health care across the board.

Hundreds of thousands have already spoken up, including leading groups and communities such as the growing voice of our millennial generation.

My colleagues should be doing more to connect our youth and women to services that help them reduce their risk of unintended pregnancies and STD's, and improve their overall health through preventative screenings, education and planning, rather than restricting their access to lawfully entitled family-planning and private health services.

I urge all Members to vote against this bill.

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear to my colleagues and the American people why there is a major debate in the other body.

This is not a shutdown campaign. What we need to understand is that this is not a shutdown for illegal immigration. I am offended by that terminology.

The DREAMers have status. Their status was taken away by the President. What we are trying to do is ensure individuals who are in the United States, in the United States military, teaching, and committed to this Nation, have dignity.

Relatives of my friends on the other side of the aisle may have come in undocumented or without status. Therefore, this is not about illegal immigration. It is about dignity and respect for people here in the United States.

It is about my constituents who are suffering after Hurricane Harvey with no heat and their homes not being rehabilitated because we do not have disaster supplemental funding.

It is about federally qualified health clinics, Mr. Speaker, that will be shut down because we have no funding--zero--in the CR so babies can go and get care.

Finally, it is about the Department of Education, teachers, and our law enforcement, whom we have such respect for.

This shutdown is not a campaign; it is a high calling to save this Nation. I stand with them.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1660, Global Health Innovation Act, because it encourages the continual research and development of new global health strategies and promotes transparency between our Federal agencies and the United States Congress.

Under H.R. 1660, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) would be required to report to Congress on the development and use of global health innovations in USAID programs, projects, and activities.

This annual report would have to include a thorough description of:

The extent to which global health innovations include drugs, vaccines, and mobile technologies, as well as related service delivery improvements and behavior changes;

How innovation has advanced USAID's efforts to combat HIV/AIDS, end preventable child and maternal deaths, protect communities from infectious diseases, and further its Global Health Strategic Framework;

Progress made toward health product development goals;

How USAID's investments in innovation relate to its goals;

How USAID leverages investments to improve health innovation, develops affordable global health products, and advances health innovations in development;

USAID's collaboration with other federal agencies; and

How USAID is coordinating global health innovation activities between its Global Development Lab, Center for Accelerating Innovation and Impact, and Bureau for Global Health.

The report would have to be submitted within 180 days of the bill's enactment, and then annually for four years.

The critical research and development of global health technologies has facilitated the development of life-saving technologies saving countless lives across the globe.

Ultimately, the goal of H.R. 1660 is to support a long-term program to develop these much needed health technologies and innovative easy- to-use health solutions for low resource environment.

I have always been an advocate for the protection of women and children.

This bill would help to stifle the spread of infectious diseases in underdeveloped countries, and work to find new and improved ways to fight infection for those who cannot fight themselves.

So I stand for H.R. 1660; and I ask my colleagues to stand with me in support of this bill, and the pursuit of improved global health.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3445, African Growth and Opportunity Act and Millennium Challenge Act (``AGOA and MCA Modernization Act''), because it provides assistance to certain sub-Saharan African countries to improve their economies and foster trade with the U.S.

I have long supported trade ties between the United States and sub- Saharan Africa, as I believe this trade relationship would be mutually advantageous for both parties involved.

In 2016, 39 of the 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa were designated as AGOA-eligible, according to the House Foreign Affairs Committee's report on the bill.

Top imports to the U.S. under AGOA include energy products, transportation equipment, and textiles, according to the International Trade Administration.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) is a foreign aid agency that provides grants to lower-income countries for specific projects to promote economic growth.

It invests in countries through compacts--which have ranged from $66 million in Cape Verde to almost $700 million in Morocco and Tanzania-- as well as smaller ``threshold agreements'' that help countries become eligible for a compact, according to the committee report.

It has distributed $10.8 billion through compacts and $583.6 million through threshold agreements.

With Africa's consumer spending expected to reach one trillion dollars, now is the time to accelerate this important trade relationship.

The AGOA program and the MCC would have new responsibilities and reporting requirements under an amended version of H.R. 3445.

Under H.R. 3445, the president would have to establish a website for AGOA that includes information about technical assistance provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development's regional trade hubs and links to U.S. embassies in AGOA countries.

After each U.S.-Sub-Saharan Africa Trade and Economic Cooperation Forum, H.R. 3445 would require the president to publish the outcomes and an assessment of progress made by members and the private sector toward meeting previous commitments.

Under H.R. 3445, the State Department would have to direct U.S. embassies in sub-Saharan Africa to promote AGOA and link to the AGOA website on their websites.

The president would be directed to:

Develop policies and encourage the provision of technical assistance to facilitate trade cooperation among AGOA countries;

Train businesses and government officials on how to access AGOA benefits; and

Provide capacity building for African entrepreneurs and trade associations.

H.R. 3445 would set new requirements for AGOA's website and outreach work.

H.R. 3445 would modify country eligibility criteria for MCC compacts and allow countries to enter into concurrent compacts.

According to a committee summary, H.R. 3445 would redefine and stabilize movement between the low income and lower middle income candidate country pools, consistent with authorizing language that has been carried in annual appropriations bills since FY 2012.

According to the committee report, countries would be eligible for assistance if their per capita income does not exceed the lower middle income country threshold established by the World Bank's International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is $4,035.

Countries would be eligible for low income assistance if their per capita income is among the 75 lowest countries.

Otherwise, they would still be eligible for lower middle income assistance.

The formula under current law is not based on an income ranking.

If changes in a country's income caused it to move between categories, its assistance level would change after two subsequent fiscal years.

H.R. 3445 would also require countries to demonstrate a commitment to supporting civil society to be eligible for participation.

Before being selected for participation, the MCC would have to report to its governing board on the country's treatment of civil society and any laws it has that regulate the freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and internet use.

The reports would be required before the board approved compacts for the next seven years.

A country's improvement on criteria that were relevant to its initial compact would be considered when determining eligibility for a subsequent, non-concurrent compact.

We should support the efforts of the AGOA program as it provides assistance to sub-Saharan African countries, improves these countries' economies, and helps to facilitate trade between these countries and the U.S.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 3445.