Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman who represents the U.S. Virgin Islands for her constant leadership and consistently allowing us to come to the floor to speak to our colleagues and, hopefully, the American people on important topics.

I can't think of a topic more important than this one that really represents, when I say this one, the question of healthcare for Americans.

Might I say that the healthcare statement or framework was issued about 12 noon on Thursday. As you well know, we worked through Friday, and I left about 12 noon, landed in Houston, and went directly to the Legacy Community Health clinic on Lyons Avenue in Fifth Ward, Texas. That was a federally qualified health clinic that was able to be constructed in the neighborhood of Barbara Jordan and Mickey Leland by the Affordable Care Act and to bring healthcare to senior citizens living across the street access, easy access to healthcare.

There was 40, 50, 60, 70 people who came. We walked down the street to ask that this President and the Senators leave our healthcare alone. But more importantly, the disabled community came. I want to personally thank them.

There were children, there were pastors, there were doctors, there were good people there, but there was the blind, there was the deaf community, there were people in wheelchairs, and they cried. And one of them said: Please don't take my Medicaid healthcare away; and please allow me to continue to live independently, because I have at least the healthcare.

Of course, the Senate did not listen. The President today said that he hopes that the Affordable Care Act will crash and burn. And we know that polls are showing that they increasingly think their healthcare will get worse. But polls are showing that 51 percent of Americans believe and support the Affordable Care Act.

I want to spend the remaining moments of my life here on the floor-- not my life, but my time on the floor. I hope to the Lord that it is not the remaining time of my life, but I am so overwhelmed by this bill, I know that some people will lose their lives.

So I am going to include in the Record an article entitled ``Center for American Progress Coverage Losses Under the Senate Health Care Bill Could Result in 18,100 to 27,700 Additional Deaths in 2026.''

[From the Center for American Progress, June 22, 2017]

Coverage Losses Under the Senate Health Care Bill Could Result in

18,100 to 27,700 Additional Deaths in 2026

(By Ann Crawford-Roberts)

One Republican member of Congress, defending the GOP health

care plan--the American Health Care Act (AHCA)--suggested

that concerns that the loss of health care coverage leads to

death are overblown. However, the scientific literature on

the effects of insurance coverage on mortality shows that the

coverage losses from the AHCA would result in tens of

thousands of deaths.

The secret Senate bill was finally released today, and it

is broadly similar to what passed in the House: It ends

Medicaid expansion and makes further deep cuts to the

program; eliminates the individual mandate; and reduces

funding that helps low-income Americans afford health

coverage. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has not yet

released its score of the Senate bill, although it is

expected to do so early next week.

The CBO, however, has released a score of the House's

version of the AHCA, which is largely similar to the Senate

bill. The score projected that, by 2026, 23 million more

Americans would be uninsured under the House bill compared to

the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Mr. Speaker, this is what we are confronting. These are not numbers that anyone would print just to create hysteria. These are truthful numbers.

Now, let me answer the question. The critics keep saying that we are crumbling. I said to you the President said: crash and burn. That is not the case, that insurers appear to be fleeing the Affordable Care Act's health insurance exchanges or State-based, online marketplaces where people can buy individual health insurance.

The fact that one-third of counties are projected to have just one insurer

on their ObamaCare exchanges this year has been a popular talking point among Republicans, including President Trump, trying to gain or gin up support to replace the Affordable Care Act.

The stat was echoed in a recent editorial by Tom Price. Though some insurers are still deciding whether to participate in ObamaCare exchange, the complaint about lackluster insurer participation is valid.

In recent weeks alone, Aetna pulled out, leaving its participation in ObamaCare limited. But the real issue is that we have been strangling these insurance companies.

They leave out that the insurers might be less likely to exit if more States had expanded Medicaid under ObamaCare.

Mr. Speaker, I include this article in the Record, ``Why So Many Insurers Are Leaving ObamaCare.''

[From The Atlantic, May 11, 2017]

Why So Many Insurers Are Leaving Obamacare

And the answer, of course, is a litany of ways that the Republicans have extinguished the very essence of it.

But I just want to close by bringing to the attention of my colleagues Ryan Smith. He has a mental health generalized anxiety disorder. He has got a beautiful picture with, it looks like, his mom and him. And it says: Without the ACA, I would not have been able to move and find a new job.

He has generalized anxiety disorder. He is a young man with a job who worked for the Michigan House of Representatives, and he was diagnosed in 2013. Because of the Affordable Care Act, he keeps his job.

Then we have, how TrumpCare will kill me before cystic fibrosis. I am 34 years old. If I was a Canadian, there would be a good chance I would live for 17 more years, but, in the Americas of Donald Trump and Paul Ryan, that is not going to happen.

At 2, I was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. And this individual indicates: I got married. I hope one day to have children. But without the Affordable Care Act, they too may lose their lives.

ObamaCare saved my life. What now? This was a gentleman, lying in bed with my dog, recovering from the most recent surgery, when the news alert went off on my iPhone after midnight. Breaking news: the Senate has just taken a major step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act. Fear, that is what I and millions of Americans felt.

This is a breast cancer survivor, and she is worried about being able to survive.

So there are many stories like this, and there are stories of the disabled and senior citizens who may be thrown out of nursing homes and children who are very sick who may, because of a preexisting disease, not have insurance.

I am glad to be with you on the floor, and I think I will end by saying, my commitment is to see that this never

happens to the American people; that whatever the shenanigans and negotiating that are going on in the Senate--and I respect the other body, but whatever is going on to pass a bill that may kill people, or cause people to lose their lives under the medical system, or, in fact, throw people off of insurance, I believe we have a moral obligation to stand in the gap and stand against this.

I really would lift up my hand to my friends, Senators and others, I lift my hand. Let us sit down to the negotiating table together, and let us save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my colleague in strong opposition to the issue of repealing, revising, and replacing the Affordable Care Act presented by the Republicans.

Tonight, after seven years of claiming to have a workable replacement for the Affordable Care Act, the Senate, just as House Republicans before them, showed their hand; and it is empty.

Senate Republicans have finally released their draft version of the House-passed American Health Care Act and it is clear why they kept it behind closed doors all this time.

Today, the Congressional Budget Office and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) completed their estimate of the direct spending and revenue effects of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, which is the Senate amendment in the nature of a substitute to

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in commemoration of Caribbean American Heritage Month, which celebrates and recognizes the significant contributions made by Caribbean Americans that have strengthened our country and made it better.

This month also marks the 55th anniversaries of independence for the Caribbean nations of Jamaica and of Trinidad and Tobago.

Although a half century has passed since they gained their independence, the struggle they waged to win their freedom still stands as a testament to the ideals of our own great nation.

I am privileged to represent a large segment of Houston, Texas, which is home to more than 300,000 Americans of Caribbean heritage, making it one of the largest, most diverse, and vibrant Caribbean-American communities in the nation.

Mr. Speaker, Americans of Caribbean heritage have made a positive impact on virtually every aspect of American life, including the arts, science, business, education, athletics, military, and government.

For example, in the area of government and public affairs America has benefitted from the contributions of Colin Powell, a former Secretary of State and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice; former Members of Congress Mervyn Dymally of California, and Shirley Chisholm of New York, and current Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York; and Kamala Harris, the Attorney General of California.

Caribbean Americans have enriched American art and culture with the legendary performances of Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson, Nia Long, and Cuba Gooding, Jr.; the writings of authors W.E.B. DuBois and Malcolm Gladwell; the music of Beyonce Knowles, Lenny Kravitz, Rihanna, and Wyclef Jean; and the prowess of great athletes like Carl Lewis, Tim Duncan, Patrick Ewing, Sandra Richards-Ross, and Ndamukong Suh.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that in October, in the city of Houston, will be venue of the 6th annual Caribbean American Heritage Month Festival, which celebrates the rich culture of the Caribbean with a showcase of beautiful costumes, music, food, and enjoyment for all.

I also wish to recognize the leadership of the Caribbean American Heritage Foundation of Texas, which works to assist Texas Caribbean Organizations achieve their goals and to advocate on behalf of the peoples of Caribbean descent.

I congratulate the Caribbean American Heritage Foundation of Texas, the Caribbean Heritage Organization in my home city of Houston, and the many community organizations

and volunteers across the nation for their efforts in making Caribbean American Heritage Month the success that it is.

During this month I hope all Americans will join with me in celebrating the remarkable history, culture, and contributions of Caribbean Americans to our nation's past and future.

Mr. Speaker, healthcare should not be partisan.

I have on my jacket a sign that says ``Restore the Vote'' to give opportunities to Americans to vote because Republicans have decided that TrumpCare and healthcare is partisan. We need to be able to ensure that everyone has the right to vote.

Today, they issued a mean healthcare bill that is meaner than the House bill. Trillions of dollars are cut from Medicaid, from children and senior citizens. Subsidies are not given to all of those given under the Affordable Care Act. Hospitals will crumble; federally qualified clinics will close; and emergency room doctors, of whom I had the chance to speak to just a few hours ago, indicated 140 million Americans go to emergency rooms, or have gone, for their healthcare. The Affordable Care Act eased that.

But, now with this monstrosity of a bill that undermines and throws Americans off healthcare--23 million and growing--then it really does say that elections do matter and that this is a sinister Republican plan to undermine the American people.

It is time for us to come together, not partisan, but nonpartisan, to fight for our lives and fight for our children and fight to save the Affordable Care Act.

Let's do it now.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2484, the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 which expresses that the United States should be a global leader in promoting the meaningful participation of women in efforts directed at conflict prevention, management, and resolution.

This bill directs the President to develop and submit to Congress a Women, Peace, and Security Strategy that will:

1. Be aligned with other nations' plans to improve and encourage women to participate in peace and security over processes, conflict prevention, peace building, and decision making; and

2. Lay out goals and evaluation plans to measure strategy effectiveness.

Additionally, H.R. 2484 directs that employees and contractors of the Department of State, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development that personnel deployed to countries or regions at risk or emerging from violent conflict be provided training in conflict prevention, mitigation, and resolution.

This training will allow those deployed to these regions to collaborate and support women who live in these conflict ridden communities to develop peace and security strategies.

As a member of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, I understand the importance of women's security and its role in conflict prevention and resolution.

This is why in the 114th Congress I introduced H. Res. 528 that seeks to create a Victims of Terror Protection Fund for the displaced refugees, migrants and victims of Boko Haram's terror in the region, many of which are women and children.

One reason women play such a critical role in the peacebuilding process is because they constitute half of every community.

Educating women and men to work in tandem is an imperative step toward instilling peace in communities and mending broken bonds.

An important aspect of H.R. 2484 is the inclusion of training personnel who work firsthand in these conflicted regions regarding international human rights laws and the protection of trafficked people.

Nearly 21 million people have fallen victim to human trafficking globally, and more than half of them are women and girls.

These numbers are staggering, and victims who have been liberated from this awful slavery require special consideration and support to overcome the horrors they have experienced with the aid of women peacekeepers.

Women serve as incredible advocates for peace as central caretakers of the family and have already played prominent roles in peace processes in the Horn of Africa.

Overall, H.R. 2484 makes an important contribution by requiring the agencies that focus abroad to collaborate on incorporating women in the peacebuilding processes.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2484, the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 2132, ``Traveler Redress Improvement Act of 2017,'' which requires the implementation of a redress process and review of the Transportation Security Administration's intelligence-based screening rules for aviation security.

The DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) provides a redress process for individuals who have been denied or delayed airline boarding, entry into or exit from the United States at a port of entry or border crossing, or have been repeatedly referred for additional (secondary) screening.

I thank the Committee for accepting the Jackson Lee Amendment to H.R. 2132, which extends the time for GAO to submit its report from 180 days to one year.

The Jackson Lee Amendment gives GAO additional time to do its work after TSA concludes its work on the Privacy Impact Assessment for the Secure Flight program.

In 2015, there were 178 days when TSA screened more than 2 million passengers in a single day.

George Bush International and William P. Hobby Airports are essential hubs for domestic and international air travel for Houston and the region.

Nearly 40 million passengers traveled through Bush International Airport (IAH) and an additional 10 million traveled through William P. Hobby (HOU).

Persons who routinely undergo secondary screening or incur delays in boarding flights only have the DHS TRIP as their sole means of redress.

DHS TRIP is a single point of contact for individuals who have inquiries or seek resolution regarding travel difficulties that may be caused by watch list issues, screening problems at ports of entry, and situations where travelers believe they have been unfairly or incorrectly delayed, denied boarding or identified for additional screening at our nation's transportation hubs.

H.R. 2132 requires TSA, to report within 18o days on the implementation of the redress process to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

TSA is also required to review and update the Privacy Impact Assessment Act for the Secure Flight programs in order to make sure this assessment reflects the operation of the DHS TRIP.

As an added measure to ensure DHS TRIP has the most up to date information, the TSA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Intelligence Analysis must conduct a comprehensive review of TSA's intelligence-based screening rules every 120 days.

Once this review is completed, the Office of Intelligence Analysis of TSA has 48 hours to notify relevant DHS offices if there is any change, update, implementation, or suspension of any rule or method.

Reviewing the screening rules allows TSA to keep the methods that are used for security as up to date as possible and to ensure that air travelers are treated fairly.

I am a strong proponent of privacy, civil liberties, and due process.

The Federal Privacy Act assures that when agencies use electronic databases to collect, retain, process, or make decisions regarding-U.S. citizens that their privacy is protected.

I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to vote in support of H.R. 2132.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 625, the Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism Act of 2017, or the ``REPORT Act.''

The REPORT Act bridges an information and preparedness gap that has for too long clouded the information Congress receives about acts of terrorism that happen in our homeland.

The REPORT Act requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Attorney General, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and, if appropriate, the head of the National Counterterrorism Center, to submit an unclassified report to Congress, within one year of the completion of an investigation of act of terrorism in the United States.

This report will include a statement of the facts regarding the act of terrorism; identify any possible national security gaps that could prevent future acts of terrorism, and any recommendations for additional homeland security improvement measures.

The report will help Congress to enact legislation to effectively address security gaps in our national security efforts.

The REPORT Act fosters accountability, collaboration, and preparedness.

Acts of terror and violence have been at the forefront of the American collective memory for more than a decade now.

Americans have become accustomed to hearing about attacks all across our homeland and around the world.

The Bookings Institute labeled 2016 as the year of the ``Lone Wolf'' terrorist.

Radicalized individuals acting on their own pose a strategic and institutional threat to our national security.

This phenomenon requires us to think creatively and collectively to be prepared to address the idiosyncratic aspects of this new wave of terror.

The REPORT Act relies on our current security structure to prepare us for the future.

Attacks such as the attack on LGBT people of color in Pulse, the attacks in the City of San Bernardino, and recent attacks in London highlight the importance of collaboration and sharing of knowledge to prevent more attacks from happening.

This common sense bill relies on our current expertise to prepare for the future.

Mr. Speaker, we share the responsibility with the President to keep Americans safe and this bill is a step towards improving the way we go about protecting the American people.

I support the REPORT Act and urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 2283, the ``Department of Homeland Security Morale, Recognition, Learning and Engagement Act,'' which will amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

This bill requires the Chief Human Capital Officer to develop and implement policies related to leadership development, employee engagement, and career progression.

The CHCO must evaluate strategic workforce planning efforts, identify methods for managing and overseeing human capital programs, and maintain a catalogue of available employee development opportunities.

It is imperative that employees be aware of the opportunities available for them no matter what their current title or role may be.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will also authorize the Chief Learning and Engagement Officer to assist the Chief Human Capital Officer on employee development and will also authorize the Employee Engagement Steering Committee.

The Employee Engagement Steering Committee will be comprised of representatives from across the Department as well as representatives from employee labor organizations.

Having a committee that is representative of the Department's workforce will ensure that a diverse voice is representative in any decisions made that will affect employees.

The Steering Committee will identify factors that have a negative impact on employee engagement and morale and will monitor components' efforts in addressing morale.

The Component heads are tasked with developing and implementing a component-specific action plan that addresses employee engagement and advances the overall Department action plan.

This bill will authorize the Secretary to establish an annual employee awards program to recognize non-supervisory DHS employees who have made significant contributions to the Department.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will also require the Secretary to provide an independent assessment of DHS programs to Congress.

Congress must ensure that programs are working in the way that they were created to.

This bill is endorsed by the National Border Patrol Council, the National Treasury Employees Union, and the American Federation of Government Employees.

These organizations have recognized that this bill is a step forward in the right direction which helps employees of the Department have a higher morale.

DHS was ranked low in best places to work in a recent poll conducted.

Recognition and employee engagement is important to reduce turnover, improve team culture, and increase employee performance.

I urge my colleagues to also support this bill and help create a Department of Homeland Security that is professional, efficient, effective, and employee friendly.

Mr. Speaker, five years ago, on June 15, 2012, President Obama signed the DACA initiative radically changing the lives of thousands of young immigrants by giving them the opportunity to earn degrees, legalize their status and be able to openly contribute their talents to make our country a better place.

President Obama's DACA allows thousands of young people the opportunity to dream of a better place, a safer home, and a brighter and more prosperous future.

Immigrants in our nation are now under siege by a divisive and misguided political rhetoric that dehumanizes their immigrant experiences by relying on hateful stereotypes.

As the DACA program and its beneficiaries come under attack, we must work together to responsibly reform our broken immigration system to ensure that families in immigrant communities can live in this nation freely and without fear.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, over 68,000 people in Harris County benefit from the DACA initiative.

DACA beneficiaries and immigrants live among us; they are our neighbors, our family members, our classmates, and our friends.

Mr. Speaker, Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the nation and immigrants are essential to create Houston's beautiful mosaic

of diversity that makes it one of the most dynamic and vibrant cities in America.

America is a land of opportunity for those who are willing to work hard and abide by the laws.

We must assure that DACA beneficiaries continue to enjoy the opportunity to pursue their American dreams.

We are a better country for doing so.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to wish our colleague Congressman Steve Scalise a full and speedy recovery in the wake of this most recent act of senseless violence.

Wednesday morning, June 14, 2017, a deranged assailant launched an unprovoked attack against several Members of Congress, who along with some staff members, were practicing at Simpson Park in Alexandria, Virginia for the 56th Annual Congressional Baseball Game, an event designed to build amity across the aisle and raise funds for charity.

Among the five persons wounded was Congressman Steve Scalise, the Majority Whip, who sustained serious injuries and remains in critical condition.

Our hearts and prayers are with Congressman Scalise and his family. Our thanks and appreciation go to the first responders who rescued and treated the wounded, and the U.S. Capitol Police officers who subdued the shooter and neutralized the threat of this vicious attack.

Mr. Speaker, the damage from this mass shooting would have been much greater if not for the heroism, courage, professionalism, and skill of the U.S. Capitol Police Special Agents David Bailey and Crystal Griner, who swiftly responded to sound of gunshots and both of whom were struck and injured in the line of duty.

Mr. Speaker, it is no exaggeration to say that political discourse is too charged, too inflammatory, too uncivil these days, and I urge all of us in positions of leadership and influence to exercise calm and restraint and to be mindful of the impact of our words and rhetoric on others.

But we also cannot ignore that Wednesday's attack constitutes the 154th mass shooting in our country since the beginning of the year, or that the too easy access to guns helps to make these terrible attacks possible.

Today, however, is not the day to debate gun violence prevention policy, but the occasion to wish Congressman Scalise a speedy recovery and a Happy Father's Day: and to hope he will soon be reunited with his wonderful wife Jennifer and their two children, Madison and Harrison.

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I indicated to all those who would ask that it was a day of reflection and prayer, to give comfort to those who needed to have comfort, and to reassert over and over again that when tragedy strikes, we are family.

When tragedy strikes Americans from the East to the West Coast, to the North to the South, whether it be manmade or natural disasters, hurricanes or tornadoes, terrible floods that we have experienced in different regions of the country, mass shootings, the horrific loss of life of children in Connecticut, the tragic Sandy Hook story that will live forever, the Pulse Nightclub, Virginia Tech, Columbine, and places beyond, San Bernardino, that, in actuality, we recognize that we are, in fact, family.

So I think it is important to raise up those who are still in the hospital, and the staff member who was released, in prayer, and to be able to explain to the American people how precious our democracy is.

Before I do that, I do want to praise our Capitol Police, Officers Griner and Bailey, and I want to express my deepest prayers for Majority Whip Scalise, who is a neighbor. Those of us in the southern region, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and beyond, we are neighbors. We have that southern thing going on. Texas might argue a little bit that they have got a little western thing going on, but we are neighbors.

So many of our constituents travel back and forth between Louisiana and Texas--particularly, my city of Houston--and we welcome them. We wish our deepest prayers and a hardy and speedy recovery for Majority Whip Scalise, and we thank him for his service to the Nation.

We also recognize two that are wounded--a staff member and volunteer--who just came to be helpful. That

is the way we perform here. People who say: Send me. I will help you do this. You have got an event; I will come over and help.

That is the preciousness of this country and what is admired by people around the world. But I think it is also important to explain democracy.

Democracy generates great passions by Members of Congress, House, and Senate. If we went back over the ages and we were able to read the papers of those who were on this floor when we were a much smaller country, it was high and shrill because of their passion about democracy, because they wanted to put together a country that would respect people because they fled persecution, and they didn't want us to be a nation that would persecute.

So I think as we go forward, it is important to engage our constituents in the beauty of democracy and in the beauty of disagreement without being disagreeable and let them know that we welcome acting on their behalf. But violent acts or taking things into your own hands, let us calm our communities all over the Nation. Let us give them a sense of the beauty of our disagreement, because we have managed to keep this democracy sacred for so many years.

Let us not allow our good friends in the media, whom I respect with the highest esteem because they are a product of the First Amendment, let us not jump immediately into blaming this one or that one.

So many of us have seen the tragedies of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, the assassination of Martin Luther King, and the terrible tragedy of Gabrielle Giffords, who maintained her dignity and love of the institution and has taken on a cause that she believes in and is still fighting as an American.

So now we have the opportunity not to raise up who this person was who is now deceased--we don't know his mental state, what his condition was, or why he was out. That it one issue. Let the investigation go forward. And whatever it is, let us still come together and say that we will disagree and not be disagreeable, and we will not encourage or rise up or try to not explain what democracy and love is all about.

Mr. Speaker, I leave this podium by saying: Love prevails over hate; and I know that the love that is being generated toward those who are wounded and being cared for is going to cause them to have, I pray to God, a speedy recovery.

And I say today: God bless all of you, and God bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, as we reflect on our colleagues and pray for their speedy recovery, let me stop for a moment to pay tribute to a very special time in certain parts of the United States now being celebrated, really, across the land.

As I go home this weekend, we will be celebrating, commemorating Juneteenth. As President Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, my constituency's ancestors did not hear of the freeing of the slaves until more than 2\1/2\ years later when Major Granger landed in Galveston to announce that the slaves were free and emancipated.

It is a serious time to honor those and the legacies of all of those who gave to this country, and we celebrate it with excitement and honor and dignity.

Today, or this weekend, I am excited that we will rededicate the Emancipation Park. We will name the street Emancipation Street. We are delighted that the OST/Almeda TIRZ donated $33 million, along with foundations, to the city of Houston and community dollars.

We will acknowledge those who bought the land, some many, many years ago, and this restoration will give the opportunity, not only for those in the Third Ward, where I am privileged to represent, and all of those heroes and sheroes, but it will be a park that will welcome everyone, from not only around the community and the city, but it will welcome those from across the Nation.

Today, I introduce a Juneteenth resolution honoring Juneteenth with 51-plus sponsors. I am proud to acknowledge that, yes, we got the news late, but we celebrate freedom and we recognize that America is at her greatest because we are free, and freedom is cherished.

To all the fathers across the land, to my husband and relatives, and in memory of my late father, Ezra C. Jackson, I honor those who celebrate Father's Day as well on Sunday. Happy Father's Day.

Mr. Speaker, I believe it is important when we have an opportunity to discuss issues in a more deliberative manner to rise to the floor to remind Americans, who every day get up and work and provide the engine to this economy, of the destructive behavior that is about to begin in the United States Congress.

The Affordable Care Act, ObamaCare, took 3 years-plus to engage with every health professional, Americans across the Nation, tens upon tens upon tens of hearings, and individual engagement with people who were sick and families who had lost loved ones because of lack of insurance.

I remember hearing from parents whose children had died because they had no insurance, one mother of a young professional lawyer who had, unfortunately, steered toward drugs but had gotten himself rehabilitated but had developed hepatitis. Because he had no insurance, he wound up dying in the emergency room. There were endless stories like that.

But the Affordable Care Act came in and provided dollars for preexisting conditions. It set a table of essentials that no health insurance could deny you the right to be covered, whether you were pregnant, whether or not you had a preexisting condition. They couldn't deny you hospital coverage.

I don't know if Americans are realizing or our colleagues know that in days past, before the Affordable Care Act, you could be sold an insurance boondoggle that, when you got to the emergency room or the hospital and had to be admitted, they would say you have no coverage. That is the lifesaving aspect of the Affordable Care Act.

I don't want anyone to be disabused of the fact that, after the House passed this heinous, terrible, dangerous, devastating bill, it would go away. The Senate now is going to pick up the same TrumpCare bill that will provide higher costs with less coverage; that will include 23 million people losing their coverage; and as well, that will gut the priorities and the protections for preexisting conditions. If you have asthma, if you are pregnant, you won't be covered. And then, of course, there is a crushing age tax where those who are 50 and older may be paying $12,000 or more for their coverage in healthcare; and as well, it steals from Medicare and jeopardizes the Medicare trust fund.

Let it be very clear: that is the same pathway of the Senate bill, which is then going to come back to the House. The Republicans continue to undermine the very needs of the American people.

Now, let me explain why insurance companies are closing in various States like Ohio.

It is not ObamaCare. It is the Republicans refuse to come together with Democrats and fix it. It is the devastating, destructive executive order from the administration that refuses to pay subsidies. The subsidies allowed working and middle class Americans to have insurance. And the insurance industry, the health insurance industry said, it is too unstable a market--not because of Americans, not because of people who are buying insurance, but because, directly from the White House, they have undermined it by stopping the payment of subsidies between the White House and the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

What kind of mercy is that? Where is the kindness and the love and the honoring of the pact we make with the American people that we will stand as their protectors? Where is the basis for how we fought so hard under President Obama and finally got what had not been secured in a century: health insurance for Americans?

Yet we also face a devastating, unstable government. The firing of Director Comey, the testimony under oath that says, by Director Comey, that he felt directed to end the Flynn investigation. I know that doesn't put food on the plates of Americans or their children, but it is the integrity of government.

Where are the investigations in this House? Where are the fact- finding investigations in this House?

The rumor that is now proliferating that a distinguished professional like Mr. Mueller, a former Director of the FBI who served Republican and Democratic Presidents, there is a rumor that the special counsel will be fired.

We are always told in our neck of the woods in Texas that where there is smoke, there is fire. Mr. President, are you going to begin Watergate all over again? The Saturday Night Massacre?

This House needs to begin its investigation now, and this is a need to begin to move on directing the Judiciary Committee to begin an investigation of the facts. It warrants it because we have to clear the air before we can sit down at the table and do the work that needs to be done.

In the midst of all of this, a destructive bill is being prepared in the Senate that is going to kill the healthcare of all Americans. It is time for all of us to wake up and take our government back.

Mr. Speaker, I rise with great jubilation and excitement to recognize and congratulate the Catholic Charities as they celebrate this day, June 12, being an historic day in Texas because it has been named as Texas Women Veterans Day.

The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston wants to ensure that the Texas legislators who supported this are, in fact, congratulated. And we are grateful that it was signed into law.

Texas has the highest number of women veterans of any State in the country--last year, 183,597--and these heroes and sheroes could soon have a special day when the State will annually recognize their sacrifices.

June 12 now has historic significance. On June 12, 1948, the Women's Armed Services Integration Act was passed nationally, allowing women to serve as regular members of the military.

``We are delighted that this special population that has bravely served our Nation will be honored in this important way,'' says Cynthia N. Colbert,

Catholic Charities president and CEO. ``We serve women veterans through several programs, and we love having the opportunity to recognize those who have served and sacrificed for all of us.''

So this is a great day. Thank you Texas and the legislators who sponsored it. I look forward to working with legislation to ensure we have a national day here in the United States.

But to the staff of Catholic Charities, those who travel to Austin and all of those who recognize that we must honor these veterans as the heroes and sheroes of the Nation, congratulations. You have a day, June 12. Now, forever, we will honor you on this day.

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

Well, first of all, it is my honor and privilege to thank Congresswoman Plaskett for her ongoing leadership in speaking to our colleagues and the American people. Let me take a moment of personal privilege to say to her that, over the weekend in Texas, I was with a number of individuals from the Virgin Islands, and it certainly was my first task to tell them of the excellent representation that they were getting by her leadership on so many issues.

But to you, I want to say that we were at the commissioning of the USS Gabrielle Giffords, and proudly so. The commander of that ship is from the Virgin Islands, so there was a contingent of individuals from all over the country for recognizing the commander and his wife. Let me say that I made sure that those sailors knew who was supporting them as well. It certainly was a great honor to former Congresswoman Giffords, and there wasn't a dry eye as we did that. So I just wanted to add that and thank you for your indulgence of that.

If I might, let me also acknowledge my colleague on the floor, Congresswoman Val Demings, and Floridians who are here, just to make note of the commemoration of the tragedy at the Pulse Nightclub.

This is the area in which the Congresswoman policed, if you will, and her spouse still there leads the community in law enforcement. I will honor to those who lost their lives, but to the recognition that terrorism and hateful acts are not to be accepted by any of us.

As a good friend of mine, a Muslim, said yesterday as we stood against hateful acts against Muslims around the world, and particularly around the United States, he said that the way that we deal with this danger is to love in recognition of the human dignity of all.

To the LGBTQ community, my deepest sympathy and recognition in this month that we honor and have Pride Month that we recognize your deep involvement in this country and your right to human dignity. So I thank Congresswoman Plaskett for allowing me to engage in that statement.

Let me say that I would hope that none of us would have wanted to be on the floor tonight to talk about the changing face of America since the election of the President of the United States but, in fact, to recognize that there has been a surge in discrimination throughout this Nation.

The roots of racial extremist violence against peaceful Black communities runs deep in American history: from this country's dark path of chattel slavery; to the southern lynch mobs that sought to permanently disenfranchise the Black vote; to the church bombing that killed four little Black girls in Birmingham; to the dismantling of an entire economic district in Tulsa; and to the senseless stabbing, just a few weeks ago, of a bright, young man by the name of Richard Collins

Mr. Chair, I rise today to speak in opposition to H.R. 10, the ``Financial CHOICE Act of 2017''.

I agree with Ranking Member Maxine Waters by calling this bill the ``Wrong'' CHOICE Act. H.R. 10 is a misguided anti-regulatory bill that will only diminish national efforts to protect and secure the financial stability of our nation.

H.R. 10 is ill-conceived, destroying key financial regulations and consumer protections put in place by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

H.R. 10 aims to deregulate a financial system that has failed to regulate itself in the past leading to the financial crash of 2008.

The nation still feels the reverberations of that crisis to this day.

We all remember the foreclosures, the neighborhoods and communities financially devastated, the jobs lost, and the retirements deferred.

Americans lost $13 trillion in household wealth, 11 million Americans lost their homes, and the unemployment rate climbed to 10 percent.

This bill is inherently paradoxical because it claims to promote self-accountability on Wall Street, by taking away governmental regulations on financial institutions, but that is not the nature of the beast.

As evidenced by a very recent past, if given the opportunity, Wall Street runs rampant with greed and disregard for the citizens of our country.

After the 2008 financial crash, Congress enacted legislation to protect those that are most vulnerable and to help the country regain its rightful place in the economic system.

H.R. 10 attempts to halt the progress made to protect our economy and puts our entire nation's economy at risk of another crisis by launching an attack against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), an institution designed to ensure a financial crash such as the 2008 crisis does not occur again.

CFPB is an effective government institution that has returned nearly $12 billion to consumers cheated by banks and other financial institutions.

This bill strips the bureau's ability to stop unfair and abusive practices perpetuated by financial institutions by removing the bureau's political independence, threatening its funding and crippling its ability to ensure Americans' financial welfare.

Taking away CFPB's power is harmful to consumers and small investors, those whose life savings and futures depend on the protections that Congress provides.

People of color and low-income families remain especially vulnerable to the abuse perpetuated by financial institutions.

Houston, home to some of the most diverse population in the nation, would see direct consequences. H.R. 10 would risk the livelihood of many living in Houston.

The ``Wrong'' CHOICE Act abandons hard working people and aids Wall Street in the abuse of hard working Americans, jeopardizing the financial stability of the entire nation.

The ``Wrong'' CHOICE Act will drag us back to the days when lax lending, predatory practices and profiteers on Wall Street take advantage of vulnerable American families.

We must not return to the days when massive taxpayer bailouts were the norm.

We must not put our financial stability in jeopardy of another financial meltdown.