Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Home and Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 1786, the ``National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2014.''

I want to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson for their leadership in bringing this bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, Houston is vulnerable to hurricanes that traverse the Gulf of Mexico and we have experienced powerful storms during the past decade.

Hurricane Ike heavily impacted Houston and nearby city of Galveston in 2008, causing $27.8 billion in damage, and killing 20.

Tropical storms in Texas are also known for being heavy rain producers as well as wind surge threats. For example, tropical storm Allison in 2001 dumped as much as 35 to 40 inches of rain, killing 41 people and causing $9 billion in damage.

We are currently in the 2014 hurricane season and forecasters are expecting one to two major hurricanes.

This bill amends the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004 to revise provisions governing the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) as well as designates the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as the entity with primary responsibility for Program planning and coordination.

Congress, under the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act of 2004, designated four agencies to compromise the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program including the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and National Science Foundation (NSF)

The federal agencies which compromised the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction will have the following respective responsibilities.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will have the primary responsibility for planning and coordinating the program, carry out research and development to improve model building codes, voluntary standards, and best practices for the design, construction, and retrofit of buildings, structures, and lifelines.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) will support research in engineering and atmospheric sciences and economic and social factors influencing windstorm risk reduction measures.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will support atmospheric sciences research to improve the understanding of the behavior of windstorms and their impact on buildings, structures, and lifelines.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will support the development of risk assessment tools and effective mitigation techniques, conduct public outreach and information dissemination, and promote the adoption of windstorm preparedness and mitigation measures.

The bill will also require the Committee to submit a progress report to Congress and to develop a coordinated budget for the Program which must be submitted at the time of the President's annual budget submission.

Finally, the bill allows the Director of NIST to establish an Advisory Committee on Windstorm Impact Reduction which shall be composed of at least 7 members. This advisory committee will offer assessments and practices of wind storm impact mitigation.

This coordinated effort will greatly increase the efficiency and effectiveness of federal efforts to save lives in Houston and around the country as well as mitigate property loss.

The reasons for supporting this bill are obvious, and I ask my colleagues in the House to vote for its passage.

Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Homeland Security Committee and former member of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I thank you for the opportunity to rise and speak in support of H.R. 5029, the ``International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2014.''

I would like to thank the Chairman Smith and Ranking Eddie Bernice Johnson of the Science, Space, and Technology House Committee for their work in advancing scientific cooperation around the globe that will benefit our domestic efforts to remain competitive and stong in a wide range of scientific fields.

The United States federal science agencies are already effective in collaborating with international agencies and organizations on Science and Technology (S&T), but this bill would ensure that there is a group that coordinates and looks for new opportunities to get involved with our international partners.

International cooperation in Science and Technology will help us answer scientific questions, and conduct elaborate research and development more quickly and efficiently.

According to the International Science and Technology Strategy for the United States Department of Defense, the non-U.S. component of global research and development is more than 60 percent of the total global investment and is expected to continue to outpace the U.S. contribution.

International collaboration would help us address global challenges on a broader scale and would give mutual enhancement of resources for both the United States and its partners.

A few enhancements would allow access to unique research laboratories and facilities, risk reduction through multiple technical approaches to solve difficult technical problems, improve the warfighting capabilities of all involved, and potentially enhance interoperability during coalition operations.

Our partnerships with Service-sponsored international offices in the U.K., Japan, Singapore, and Australia, along with our partners in South America, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom in the Technical Cooperative Program, and the NATO Research and Technology Organization, give us a broad range of resources to work with across the world.

We must continue to enhance and strengthen our foreign relationships in S&T to broker new research, identify mutually advantageous opportunities, and exchange information with potential partners regarding research interests.

The International Space Station, which was built 16 years ago, and continues to operate under the collaboration of several countries around the world, is one of many portrayals that show how international relationships can produce profound research and discoveries.

The European Council for Nuclear Research which conducts in-depth studies on Earth's fundamental matter and particles is another prime example of how foreign collaboration is beneficial and effective in producing elaborate research.

The Center for Disease Control's World Health Organization is also one of the best illustrations of foreign collaboration used to advance the efforts in finding cures for diseases and conducting vital research and studies for global health concerns.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in my support for H.R. 5029, and understand the importance of our international relationships involving Science and Technology, so that when successful, may lead to cooperative research, development and technology programs.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise to speak about H.R. 4195, the ``Federal Register Modernization Act,'' which modernizes the Federal Register.

I want to thank Chairman Darrell Issa and Ranking Member Elijah Cummings for their leadership and efforts in bringing this bill to the floor.

This bill will bring much needed transparency without compromising national security to the decisions, orders, and actions of federal agencies.

There are challenges to providing government information solely in digital format since there are constituents that lack access to technology or the skills necessary to locate information online.

Electronic documents can easily be changed and modified from original postings which challenges federal transparency.

Digital records can also challenge transparency by the capacity of systems to manage demand for accessing information online.

It would be good for transparency if we allow public and private achieving of federal registration content because constituents would have access to material in multiple ways.

This bill requires the Federal Register to be published (e.g., by electronic means), rather than printed, and that documents in the Federal Register be made available for sale or distribution to the public in published form.

This bill also revises the requirements for the filling of documents with the Office of the Federal Register for inclusion in the Federal Register and for the publication of the Code of Federal Regulations to reflect the publication requirement.

The Office of the Federal Register (OFR) of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) and the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) does a great job by informing citizens of their rights and obligations, documenting the actions of Federal Agencies, and providing a forum for public participation in the democratic process.

The Federal Register informs citizens by publishing the following entries:

Presidential Documents, including Executive orders and proclamations;

Rules and Regulations, including policy statements and interpretations of rules;

Proposed Rules, including petitions for rulemaking and other advance proposals; and

Notices, including scheduled hearings and meetings open to the public, grant applications, administrative orders, and other announcements of government actions.

Mr. Speaker, we need to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in Government decision-making.

We can ensure that transparency our constituents demand by making material more searchable and easier to access.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of H.R. 4195.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking member of this Appropriations Committee for their hard work and working together, Mr. Crenshaw and Mr. Serrano. These are important matters, and I thank them for the opportunity to present this amendment.

My amendment is a simple theory, but a very important one. This amendment provides $100,000 to the IRS taxpayer services account to assist parents who have lost dependent children during the tax year with assistance in filing income taxes and supports one-stop IRS tax preparation support for parents of deceased dependent children whose child's SS number has been stolen and used by identity thieves to steal tax refunds.

I am the founder and cochair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, and in many instances, we find in our work the issues of giving children incentives and worrying about children's health, but this is a very devastating posture for parents to be in.

At a hearing held by Chairman Sam Johnson on the Ways and Means Committee, a hearing on Social Security death records dated February 2, 2012, and I will read--the testimony of the statement said:

We will hear the heartbreaking story of one family whose 4-

year-old daughter had her identity stolen shortly after she

passed away. Only when their tax return was rejected by the

IRS did they learn that an identity thief had already filed a

return claiming their child as a dependent.

In an article regarding this terrible tragedy, it indicates that this little girl had fought for 33 months to fight brain cancer. The parents were overwhelmed with grief and medical bills. The mourning parents decided to file for a tax extension to get their paperwork in order, but within 24 hours of filing in October, the family's return was rejected. Someone had already fraudulently claimed their daughter's Social Security number.

My colleagues, I would ask that this amendment be considered because in actuality it deals with this very question; it provides more resources to address the question of protecting identity and the identity theft that occurs.

My amendment, as I indicated, increases it by $100,000. As parents and grandparents, most of us may not know the pain these parents are feeling, but we can do something to make a necessary obligation easier for them to fulfill.

The IRS operates a 1-800 help line and provides tax assistance at no charge to tens of thousands of families who prepare their own taxes. The funds provided in this bill are intended to be used to allow training to assist the IRS to do a better job of meeting the needs of parents who have lost a dependent child during the tax year or prior to their filing of taxes.

Just put ourselves in the shoes of this family whose little 4-year- old fought for 33 months and in their distress, with all of these overwhelming bills, to come and find this dastardly act of someone stealing the child's ID.

This amendment would address these cases where the Social Security number of a recently deceased child is stolen and is used by thieves to claim tax funds that should have gone to the family.

Identity theft is a terrible crime that violates the privacy of victims. All of us, no matter what committees we are involved in, in the Judiciary Committee which I sit on, Homeland Security, we are grappling with the issues of privacy and identity theft.

How many of us have had the impact of such, but it has not been as devastating, I would imagine, as the identity theft of your deceased child.

The crime first came to the attention of several House committees in 2011. As I made note of, Sam Johnson, the chairman of the Social Security Subcommittee on the Ways and Means Committee, had this issue in 2012.

They only need a Social Security number, a date of birth, and name of the child. This information would be found on medical records, school records, or other forms completed by parents in the course of registering a child for various activities.

This is a crime. This is a shame. My amendment would give some comfort to help the IRS to help these parents. I ask my colleagues to approve this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, let me say to my colleagues, I don't think there is much more that I can say than repeat the story of the 33-month fight by their little girl.

It is $100,000 that we are asking to help these parents who are desperate and mourning. I ask my colleagues to step a moment in the shoes of those mourning parents, to help avoid the identity theft that comes from a child because a child is dead and they have a Social Security number.

So I ask my colleagues, again, to support the Jackson Lee amendment. I ask both sides of the aisle to consider the pain of parents who experience this.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I want to again thank the chairman and ranking member of the subcommittee for the work that they are doing on

I yield to the gentleman from Florida.

I thank the gentleman very much.

With that, Mr. Chairman, let me thank the members of this committee.

As I indicated, this will be a good amendment to help the people of this great Nation continue their restoration of wealth and economic development. I ask for support of the Jackson Lee amendment.

With that, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I rise to speak on ``H.R. 4923, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015,'' under final consideration by the House.

I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their stewardship in bringing this legislation to the floor and for their commitment to preserving America's great natural environment and resources so that they can be enjoyed by generations to come.

As a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, and the former chair of the Transportation Security Subcommittee, I understand that the challenge of protecting our nation's vital assets such as transportation infrastructure requires the finest technology and the highest levels of intelligence. Nothing can bring us to our knees faster than something affecting our economic vitality.

One of the greatest engines our economy has is the Port of Houston, which hosts a $15 billion petrochemical complex, the largest in the nation and second largest worldwide? The Port of Houston petrochemical complex supplies over 40 percent of the nation's base petrochemical manufacturing capacity.

What happens at the Port of Houston affects the entire nation. The Port of Houston is critical infrastructure and the funding providing in the bill to address infrastructure needs and improvements are appreciated, but not sufficient to ensure that the nation's deep-water ports remain the best in the world.

Traffic at the Port of Houston accessed through the Houston Ship Channel has expanded dramatically. Today 2 million jobs depend on the Port of Houston. The Houston Ship Channel, which runs to the Gulf of Mexico, is the busiest channel in the nation with over 220,000 transits in 2013. We must look towards the future and make sure that port business destined for U.S. ports is retained.

Current levels of Army Corps funding barely address the operation and maintenance of our nation's ports and waterways. Nationally, the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund collects adequate funding to address current needs; unfortunately the Trust Fund does not fund new construction.

By 2016, our national ports will face a major competition when the Panama Canal's major expansion project is scheduled to be completed. The changes investments being made by the Government of Panama will mean that larger vessels that will pass through their canal will carry goods and supplies, destined for U.S. ports.

The real threat is that our ports, including the Port of Houston is that our waterways like the Houston Ship Channel is not dredged deep enough to handle the post Panama Canal water way upgrade that will be available in just 2 years.

The Panama Canal will be 50 feet deep, which will provide enough draft for navigation. The 50 feet deep ships are on track to become the norm and we must be forward thinking to meet the challenge of serving these vessels at our nation's ports.

This appropriations bill must significantly increase funding dedicated to the Corps of Engineers specifically the Civil Works Operations and Maintenance program.

Earlier this year an oil spill in the Port was extremely costly and the efforts to return the port to full capacity were heroic. The incident also highlighted the need modernization that would address rapid response capabilities at Ports that focus on restoration of waterways to full activity as quickly as possible.

The Port of Houston:

According to the Department of Commerce in 2012, Texas exports totaled $265 billion.

Is a 25-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities located just a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2012, ship channel-related businesses contribute 1,026,820 jobs and generate more than $178.5 billion in statewide economic impact.

For the past 11 consecutive years, Texas has outpaced the rest of the country in exports. The Port of Houston is the:

1st ranked U.S. port in foreign tonnage;

2nd ranked U.S. port in total tonnage;

7th ranked U.S. container port by total TEUs in 2012;

Largest Texas port with 46% of market share by tonnage;

Largest Texas container port with 96% market share in containers by total TEUs in 2012; and

Largest Gulf Coast container port, handling 67% of U.S. Gulf Coast container traffic in 2012

2nd ranked U.S. port in terms of cargo value (based on CBP Customs port definitions)

For these reasons, I reservations that this bill is all that Congressional should and could do to make sure that ports around the nation can keep pace with the global recovering economy.

In addition to these problems with the bill it also contains a number of riders that are problematic:

Obstruction of EPA's ability to clarify and define navigable water and specifying which of our nation's waterways are covered under the Clean Water Act.

Permanently prohibits the Army Corps of Engineers from modifying the definition of ``fill materials'' to include debris and overburden from mining and excavation projects to make them subject to the Clean Water Act.

Allows people to carry firearms on all Corps of Engineering lands

Finally, the bill faces strong opposition by the Administration, which means if it is passed in its current form it will not become law.

The Administration strongly objects to the funding level of $1.8 billion provided in the bill for renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and energy efficiency programs, a $546 million reduction below the FY 2015 Budget request. This reduced funding level will stifle Federal investment in innovative clean energy research and development (R&D) at a time of significant global competition and progress.

The Administration objects to funding reduction in the bill such as the $40 million reduction from the FY 2015 Budget request that would reduce the number of grants to academic investigators and funding for staff at DOE laboratories working on fundamental discovery science and research that underpins advances in clean energy.

Further, this reduction would also affect access to world class facilities used by researchers from all sectors to conduct R&D. The bill funds the international fusion project ITER, at a level $75 million above the FY 2015 Budget request. In light of schedule delays and management reforms underway, the Administration is concerned that the U.S. contributions would outpace the readiness of the project.

The bill provides the Corps of Engineers' bill $5.5 billion for works program, nearly $1 billion above the FY 2015 Budget request. The FY 2015 Budget focuses on investments that would yield high economic and environmental returns or address a significant risk to public safety. The Administration encourages the Congress to fund the civil works program at the requested level. The funding increase for the civil works program is provided primarily by decreases in other core priorities, including clean energy. The Administration also urges the Congress to permit the Corps to commence new starts in FY 2015.

The Administration strongly objects to sections 105 and 106 of the bill, which would prevent the use of funds to address deficiencies and regulatory uncertainties related to CWA regulations designed to protect important aquatic resources while supporting economic development.

Section 106 in particular would impact an important, ongoing Administration effort to provide regulatory clarity on which water bodies are covered by the CWA, which has been the subject of two Supreme Court cases in which the Court indicated the need for greater clarity regarding the statute's scope.

My service in the House of Representatives has focused on making sure that our nation is secure and prosperous. A central component of national security is the ability of our nation's international ports to move goods and into an out of the country.

With less than 50 legislative days remaining, I cannot support this bill and I ask that my colleagues in the House of Representatives work together to carefully manage our time and energy to make sure that the bills we past meet our obligations to the American public and can eventually become law.

Mr. Speaker, on July 10, 2014, I was unavoidably detained attending to representational activities in my congressional district and accompanying the President of the United States to Austin, Texas, and thus unable to return in time for rollcall Votes 379 through 392. I ask the record to reflect that had I been present I would have voted as follows:

1. On rollcall No. 379 I would have voted ``no.''

(McClintock Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, reducing the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account, the Nuclear Energy account, the Fossil Energy Research and Development account, the Departmental Administration account, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Salaries and Expenses account by $121.3 million collectively and applying the savings to the Spending Reduction Account)

2. On rollcall No. 380 I would have voted ``yes.''

(Bonamici Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, increasing the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy account by $9 million and reducing the Departmental Administration account by the same amount)

3. On rollcall No. 381 I would have voted ``no.''

(Speier Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, reducing the Fossil Energy Research and Development account by $30.9 million and applying the savings to the Spending Reduction Account)

4. On rollcall No. 382 I would have voted ``yes.''

(Titus Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, eliminating funding for the Yucca Mountain project at the Department of Energy and applying the $150 million savings to the Spending Reduction Account)

5. On rollcall No. 383 I would have voted ``yes.''

(Schiff Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, increasing the Advanced Research Projects Agency by $20 million and reducing the Departmental Administration account by the same amount)

6. On rollcall No. 384 I would have voted ``yes.''

(Quigley Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, reducing the Atomic Energy Defense Activities and National Nuclear Security Administration Weapons Activities account by $7.6 million and applying the savings to the Spending Reduction Account)

7. On rollcall No. 385 I would have voted ``no.''

(Chabot Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, zeroing out funding for the Denali Commission (a $10 million cut) and applying that savings to the Spending Reduction Account)

8. On rollcall No. 386 I would have voted ``yes.''

(Titus Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, striking Section 506 which prohibits funds from being used to close Yucca Mountain)

9. On rollcall No. 387 I would have voted ``yes.''

(DeLauro Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, prohibiting the awarding of contracts to ``inverted'' corporations that have changed their residence from the United States to the tax havens of Bermuda or the Cayman Islands, avoiding U.S. corporate taxes)

10. On rollcall No. 388 I would have voted ``no.''

(King (IA) Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, prohibiting the use of funds to implement, administer, or enforce the requirements in the Davis-Bacon Act)

11. On rollcall No. 389 I would have voted ``no.''

(Lankford Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, prohibiting the use of funds to prepare, propose, or promulgate any regulation or guidance that references or relies on the analysis contained in ``Technical Support Document:

The Social Cost of Carbon for Regulatory Impact Analysis--Under Executive Order 12866'')

12. On rollcall No. 390 I would have voted ``no.''

(Cassidy Amendment to H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015, prohibiting the use of funds by the Department of Energy to apply the report entitled ``Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States'' in any decision to export Liquefied Natural Gas from the U.S.)

13. On rollcall No. 391 I would have voted ``no.''

(Motion on Ordering the Previous Question on the Rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 5016 and H.R. 4718.)

14. On rollcall No. 392 I would have voted ``no.''

(H. Res. 661, Rule providing for consideration of both H.R. 5016, Financial Services and General Government Appropriations, 2015; and H.R. 4718, To Amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to Modify and Make Permanent Bonus Depreciation)

Mr. Chair, I rise to speak on ``H.R. 4923, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015,'' under final consideration by the House.

I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their stewardship in bringing this legislation to the floor and for their commitment to preserving America's great natural environment and resources so that they can serve and be enjoyed by generations to come.

My service in the House of Representatives has focused on making sure that our nation is secure and prosperous. A central component of national security is the ability of national to remain energy independent and that our international ports continue to move goods into and out of the country safely and efficiently.

I appreciate bipartisan support of two Jackson Lee Amendments the first increased funding for the Office of Minority Economic Impact in the Department of Energy and the second reprograms funds for Department of Energy's departmental administration to increase support for environmental justice program activities.

Unfortunately, the bill contains a number of riders that are problematic:

Obstruction of EPA's ability to clarify and define navigable water and specifying which of our nation's waterways are covered under the Clean Water Act.

Permanently prohibits the Army Corps of Engineers from modifying the definition of ``fill materials'' to include debris and overburden from mining and excavation projects to make them subject to the Clean Water Act.

Allows people to carry firearms on all Corps of Engineering lands.

The bill also faces opposition by the Administration which means if it is passed in its current form it will not become law.

The Administration strongly objects to the funding level of $1.8 billion provided in the bill for renewable energy, sustainable transportation, and energy efficiency programs, a $546 million reduction below the FY 2015 Budget request. This reduced funding level will stifle Federal investment in innovative clean energy research and development (R&D) at a time of significant global competition and progress.

The Administration objects to funding reduction in the bill such as the $40 million reduction from the FY 2015 Budget request that would reduce the number of grants to academic investigators and funding for staff at DOE laboratories working on fundamental discovery science and research that underpins advances in clean energy.

Further, this reduction would also affect access to world class facilities used by researchers from all sectors to conduct R&D. The bill funds the international fusion project ITER, at a level $75 million above the FY 2015 Budget request. In light of schedule delays and management reforms underway, the Administration is concerned that the U.S. contributions would outpace the readiness of the project.

The bill provides the Corps of Engineers' bill $5.5 billion for works program, nearly $1 billion above the FY 2015 Budget request. The FY 2015 Budget focuses on investments that would yield high economic and environmental returns or address a significant risk to public safety. The Administration encourages the Congress to fund the civil works program at the requested level. The funding increase for the civil works program is provided primarily by decreases in other core priorities, including clean energy. The Administration also urges the Congress to permit the Corps to commence new starts in FY 2015.

The Administration strongly objects to sections 105 and 106 of the bill, which would prevent the use of funds to address deficiencies and regulatory uncertainties related to CWA regulations designed to protect important aquatic resources while supporting economic development. Section 106 in particular would impact an important, ongoing Administration effort to provide regulatory clarity on which water bodies are covered by the CWA, which has been the subject of two Supreme Court cases in which the Court indicated the need for greater clarity regarding the statute's scope.

With less than 50 legislative days remaining, I ask that we carefully manage our time and energy to make sure that the bills we passed meet our obligations to the American public and can eventually become law.

Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, July 10, I was unavoidably detained in my State on official business until 8:00 p.m. tonight, and I would like to indicate how I would have voted had I been present.

On rollcall vote No. 379, under the bill H.R. 4923, Energy and Water Appropriations Act, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall vote No. 380, I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall vote No. 381, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall vote No. 382, I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall vote No. 383, I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall vote No. 384, I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall vote No. 385, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall vote No. 386, I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall vote No. 387, I would have voted ``yes.''

On rollcall vote No. 388, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall vote No. 389, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall vote No. 390, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall vote No. 391, I would have voted ``no.''

On rollcall vote No. 392, I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, it is our job to work on behalf of the American people, and in H.R. 4923, I am very pleased to note that two Jackson Lee amendments passed that I think will expand the opportunities for small businesses and promote the environment.

One amendment, of course, increased funding for the Office of Minority Economic Impact to be able to reach out to small businesses, MWBEs, in order to create jobs, a challenge that the American people asked us to meet.

My second amendment that was accepted in a bipartisan manner reprograms funds for the Department of Energy's departmental administration to increase support for environmental justice. That is very important to very many sites in the 18th Congressional District, from northeast to southeast.

As you well know, Mr. Speaker, I also was able to get an amendment in the bill dealing with the Department of the Interior and set up an office on minority business and contracting and outreach for jobs.

We must create more jobs. We must help create more jobs, and leading out by this Nation to create more jobs is very important.

I am also pleased that the dredging funding that the Houston Port needed was put in this bill, joined by my colleagues from the Houston delegation. Now the Houston Port will be able to continue to serve as one of the largest ports in the world.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I am delighted that this legislation had these elements in it. I look forward to the bill going to the Senate so that we can come back and vote for this bill.

Madam Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I rise in support to H.R. 803, the ``Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.''

I support this bipartisan legislation because it will modernize existing federal workforce development programs and prepare workers for the global economy of the 21st century.

This bill represents a bicameral compromise between the SKILLS Act passed by the House in March 2013 and the workforce training bill reported by the Senate HELP Committee in July of the same year.

The Senate passed this bipartisan agreement on June 25, thus passage by the House today will send the bill to the President's desk for his signature.

Madam Speaker, by 2022, the United States will need 11 million workers with postsecondary education to stay competitive in the global economy.

Currently, 52 percent of adults between the ages of 16-65 in the United States lack the literacy skills necessary to succeed in postsecondary education and work.

Additionally, individuals with disabilities have the highest rate of unemployment of any group, and more than two-thirds do not participate in the workforce at all.

Madam Speaker, we need to help put more Americans back in the workforce.

This legislation will support access to real-world education in fields that are in demand locally and help more workers, including those with disabilities, across the country find a good job or train for a new career.

This bill invests in America's competitiveness by:

1. Providing adult education and workplace skills, such as English Literacy and Civic Education Program for adult learners;

2. Supporting programs and training for disconnected youth, Native Americans, migrant, and seasonal farm workers; and

3. Strengthening vocational rehabilitation programs to assist individuals with disabilities to enter the workforce.

In addition to helping workers attain the skills for 21st needed for the jobs of the 21st century, this bill will create a more streamlined workforce development system that will better coordinate services by:

1. Eliminating 15 existing programs;

2. Applying a single set of outcome metrics to every federal workforce programs;

3. Creating more strategic state and local workforce development boards; and

4. Eliminating the ``sequence of services'' to allow local areas to better meet the unique needs of individuals.

Madam Speaker, in Houston, Texas, we have three centers which help the economically disadvantaged learn a career, earn a high school diploma or GED, and find and keep a good job: Gary Job Corps Center, Job Corps, and Workforce Solutions.

H.R. 803 will provide much needed assistance to these centers and enable them to continue their good work of providing the technical and job training skills that will enable adults, dislocated workers, and youth residents to succeed in the workplace.

Madam Speaker, this bipartisan legislation will prepare workers for the 21st century workforce, while helping businesses find the skilled employees they need to compete.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of H.R. 803.

Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for their stewardship in bringing this legislation to the floor and for their commitment to preserving America's great natural environment and resources so that they can serve and be enjoyed by generations to come.

My amendment increases funding for DOE Office of Minority Impact by $500,000, which should be used to enhance the Department's engagement with minorities programs and other related activities.

Mr. Chair, the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity is a paean to Energy Secretary Moniz's holistic view of diversity, which recognizes that participation via equal access is critical to our commitment to ensuring that the Department works for all Americans--particularly to improve the lives of low income and minority communities as well as the environment at large.

Twenty years ago, on February 11, 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, directing federal agencies to identify and address the disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their actions on minority and low-income populations.

I need to take time to highlight the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity in the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity because STEM education has become my calling card.

The Department of Energy seeks to provide equal access in these opportunities for underrepresented groups in STEM, including minorities, Native Americans, and women.

Mr. Chair, women and minorities make up 70 percent of college students, but only 45 percent of undergraduate STEM degree holders.

This large pool of untapped talent is a great potential source of STEM professionals. As the nation's demographics are shifting and now most children under the age of one are minorities, it is critical that we close the gap in the number of minorities who seek STEM opportunities. I applaud the Secretary's commitment which will increase the nation's economic competitiveness and enable more of our people to realize their full potential.

Mr. Chair, there are still a great many scientific riddles left to be solved--and perhaps one of these days a minority engineer or biologist will come-up with some of the solutions.

The larger point is that we need more STEM educators and more minorities to qualify for them.

The funding provided by this amendment will help ensure that members of underrepresented communities are not placed at a disadvantage when it comes to the environmental sustainability, preservation, and health.

Through education about the importance of environmental sustainability, we can promote a broader understanding of science and how citizens can improve their surroundings.

Through community education efforts, teachers and students have also benefitted by learning about radiation, radioactive waste management, and other related subjects.

The Department of Energy places interns and volunteers from minority institutions into energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The DOE also works to increase low income and minority access to STEM fields and help students attain graduate degrees as well as find employment.

The other offices within the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity are the Minority Business and Economic Development, the Minority Education and Community Development, Civil Rights, Diversity and Inclusion, Council on Women and Girls, and Minority Banks.

With the continuation of this kind of funding, we can increase diversity, provide clean energy options to our most underserved communities, and help improve their environments, which will yield better health outcomes and greater public awareness.

But most importantly businesses will have more consumers to whom they may engage in related commercial activities.

We must help our low income and minority communities and ensure equity for those who are most vulnerable in our country.

I ask my colleagues to join me and support the Jackson Lee Amendment for the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity Program.

Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairman Simpson and Ranking Member Kaptur for shepherding this legislation to the floor and for their commitment to preserving America's great natural environment and resources so that they can serve and be enjoyed by generations to come.

My amendment increases funding for DOE departmental administration by $1,000,000 which should be used to enhance the Department's Environmental Justice program activities.

Mr. Chair, the Environmental Justice Program is an essential tool in the effort to improve the lives of low income and minority communities as well as the environment at large.

Twenty years ago, on February 11, 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, directing federal agencies to identify and address the disproportionately high and adverse human health or environmental effects of their actions on minority and low-income populations.

A healthy environment sustains a productive and healthy community which fosters personal and economic growth.

Maintaining funds for environmental justice that go to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Minority Serving Institutions, Tribal Colleges, and other organizations is imperative to protecting sustainability and growth of the community and environment.

The funding of these programs is vital to ensuring that minority groups are not placed at a disadvantage when it comes to the environment and the continued preservation of their homes.

Through education about the importance of environmental sustainability, we can promote a broader understanding of science and how citizens can improve their surroundings.

Importance of DOE's Environmental Justice Program Activities

Funds that would be awarded to this important cause would increase youth involvement in STEM fields and also promote clean energy, weatherization, clean-up, and asset revitalization. These improvements would provide protection to our most vulnerable groups.

This program provides better access to technology for underserved communities. Together, the Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture have distributed over 5,000 computers to low income populations.

The Community Leaders Institute is another vital component of the Environmental Justice Program. It ensures that those in leadership positions understand what is happening in their communities and can therefore make informed decisions in regards to their communities.

In addition to promoting environmental sustainability, CLI also brings important factors including public health and economic development into the discussion for community leaders.

The CLI program has been expanded to better serve Native Americans and Alaska Natives, which is a prime example of how various other minority groups can be assisted as well.

Through community education efforts, teachers and students have also benefitted by learning about radiation, radioactive waste management, and other related subjects.

The Department of Energy places interns and volunteers from minority institutions into energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. The DOE also works to increase low income and minority access to STEM fields and help students attain graduate degrees as well as find employment.

Since 2002, the Tribal Energy Program has also funded 175 energy projects amounting to over $41.8 million in order to help tribes invest in renewable sources of energy.

With the continuation of this kind of funding, we can provide clean energy options to our most underserved communities and help improve their environments, which will yield better health outcomes and greater public awareness.

In fiscal year 2013, the environmental justice program was not funded. For fiscal year 2014, we ask that money be appropriated for the continuation of this vital initiative.

We must help our low income and minority communities and ensure equality for those who are most vulnerable in our country.

I ask my colleagues to join me and support the Jackson Lee Amendment for the Environmental Justice Program.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute and remember the late Diana Hobby, wife of former Texas Lt. Governor William P. Hobby, Jr. and one of the most accomplished and public spirited women in the history of the great State of Texas.

Diana Hobby died on Friday, July 4, 2014, in Houston, Texas after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease and cancer, with her beloved husband and four children at her bedside.

Diana Poteat Stallings Hobby, was born April 22, 1931, in New York, New York to Helen Poteat and Laurence Tucker Stallings and raised in North Carolina.

She was a brilliant student, graduating from the Chatham Hall School in 1948 and with honors from Radcliffe College in 1952 where she was also admitted to Phi Beta Kappa--the oldest honor society for Liberal Arts and Sciences in the United States.

On September 11, 1954, she married the love of her life, the dashing William P. ``Bill'' Hobby, the future Lt. Governor of Texas, who

was then an ensign in the U.S. Navy, and moved to his duty station in Washington, DC.

The young couple lived in Washington until 1957 during which time Diana earned an M.A. in English Literature from Georgetown University and worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1957, the couple moved to Houston, Texas, when Bill's father, former Texas Governor William P. Hobby, Sr., fell into declining health, necessitating Bill Jr. to assume managerial control of his publication, the ``Houston Post.''

Diana Hobby supported and helped her husband greatly during this time, serving as the book editor of the Houston Post from 1957 to 1971.

While in Houston, Diana Hobby earned her Ph.D. in English Literature from Rice University and served as Associate Editor of Studies in English Literature from 1979 until her retirement in 1991.

Diana Hobby, a noted scholar of the great Irish poet, William Butler Yeats, had a great passion for the English language and literature. She was a lifelong supporter of libraries and the humanities in Texas.

Diana Hobby also served on the board of directors for many organizations such as St. John's School, Memorial Park Conservancy, Friends of Hermann Park, Harry Ransom Center, Texas Institute of Letters, Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute in Alpine, and the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts in Virginia.

Diana Hobby was also passionate about natural beauty and environment conservation. She was a founding member for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and served on the selection committee for the Johnson Highway Beautification Awards.

Diana Hobby is survived by her husband of 60 years, William P. Hobby, Jr.; their four children Laura, Paul, Andrew and Kate; and many grandchildren.

Together with her husband, Lt. Governor William P. Hobby, Jr., Diana has truly left a legacy of excellence in education, in the arts, and in literature that continue to yield benefits to the Houston community and the State of Texas.

I ask that the House observe a moment of silence in memory of my friend, Diana Poteat Stallings Hobby, one of the great ladies in the history of Texas.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and the former ranking member and chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4812, the Honor Flight Act of 2014.

H.R. 4812 authorizes the collaboration between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Honor Flight Network, as well as other non-profit organizations that transport veterans to visit memorials, to ensure continued expedited and dignified passenger screening for veterans travelling to Washington, D.C. to visit memorials and other tributes to their bravery, heroism, and sacrifice in the cause of freedom.

Mr. Speaker, thousands of veterans across the country fought to protect the freedoms we take for granted and to keep our nation safe. They are deserving of our gratitude for the valor and courage they displayed in risking their lives to keep us free and to liberate captive peoples in other lands.

They are veterans of World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf Wars--Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom.

With each passing day, the number of World War II and Korea veterans declines by the hundreds. For many of these heroes, one of their last wishes is to visit the national war memorials in Washington, D.C.

Honoring and facilitating that request is the least we can do for those who did so much for us.

TSA works with the Honor Flight Network in expediting the screening process for veterans visiting the national war memorials, saving the veterans' time and showing them their due respect and appreciation.

The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to transporting veterans on charter flights operated by commercial airlines to Washington, D.C. to visit memorials built in honor of their service.

Currently, the Honor Flight Network gives priority to WWII veterans and those from any war who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

The Honor Flight Network plans to expand the program in the future to include the veterans who served during the Korean and Vietnam Wars, followed by veterans of the wars in the Persian Gulf.

Mr. Speaker, my home state of Texas has the second largest number of veterans of any state in the nation, with just over 1.6 million veterans. My home city of Houston is proud to be the residence of more than 300,000 veterans.

I strongly support the bill before us because I strongly support the efforts of TSA and the Honor Flight Network in making real the dreams, and in many cases the last wishes, of thousands of veterans who wish to visit the memorials dedicated by the nation in their honor.

I urge all members to join me in supporting H.R. 4812 so that our veterans continue to receive the security accommodations they need and deserve as they travel to Washington, D.C. to view the national memorials consecrated by their sacrifice in defense of our country.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I rise in strong support to H.R. 4653, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2014.

I support this bipartisan legislation which reauthorizes the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for five years.

First created in 1998, USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan Federal government commission that monitors the universal right to freedom of religion or belief abroad, reviews the facts and circumstances of religious freedom violations based on international standards and makes policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State and Congress.

Mr. Speaker, if we are going to have religious freedom then it is important that we protect it. Everywhere we look, the choice of worship is being challenged.

For example, we are reminded that significant threats to religious freedom persist across the globe.

In Iraq the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is gaining territory in Iraq and threatening the very existence of ancient faith communities in the region,

In addition to the crisis in Iraq, religious minorities are marginalized and imperiled in Egypt and Syria; the government of Vietnam severely restricts religious activities of all faiths, as does the government of China; and religious minorities such as the Ahmadiyya Muslims face governmental and social harassment in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

Since its inception, USCIRF has been an invaluable watchdog for global religious freedom conditions.

USCIRF commissioners are routinely called upon to testify before Congress and provide expert policy recommendations on how to most effectively advance this fundamental human right in U.S. foreign policy.

Religious freedom is America's first freedom, part of its history and identity as a nation. It also is a core human right recognized by international law and treaty; a necessary component of U.S. foreign policy and America's commitment to defending democracy and freedom globally; and a vital element of national security, critical to ensuring a more peaceful, prosperous, and stable world.

USCIRF champions this issue both at home and abroad and its voice is needed as much today as it has ever been.

I urge you to join me in cosponsoring this bipartisan legislation to reauthorize USCIRF.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 588, which expresses the strong opposition of the House to the current practice of the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) of suspending the issuance of exit visas for Congolese children adopted by loving American families.

On September 27, 2013, the Congolese Government inexplicably and inexcusably suspended the issuance of exit permits to children who were seeking to depart and begin new and more hopeful lives in the country of their adoptive parents.

All children deserve a safe, loving, and permanent family.

It is unjust, cruel, and inhumane to punish innocent children for actions they did not commit and had no control over.

UNICEF estimates that there are over four million orphans living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 800,000 of which are double orphans, meaning that they have lost both of their parents. In many cases entire families have been decimated by violence.

Thus, if these innocent children are to have any chance for a normal life, there is a major need for international adoptions.

The recent action by the DRC Government jeopardizes both the adoption process and the long term safety of these children.

Mr. Speaker, there are few nations with more persons willing and eager to open their homes and their hearts to the orphaned children of the DRC.

There are, right at this moment, scores of American citizens currently in the DRC who are being forced to remain in the country for months while they wait for the government to approve exit permits for their adopted children. These delays serve no useful purpose and unnecessarily impede the children's adjustment to their new life and brighter future in America, including enrolling in school, adapting to the culture, and learning the language.

Mr. Speaker, the actions of the Government of the DRC are particularly disturbing given the fact that the United States is one of the DRC's largest and most generous supporters, as evidenced by the estimated $274 million in bilateral aid $165 million in emergency humanitarian assistance it provided in fiscal year 2014.

I agree that it ought to be the policy of the United States to help the Democratic Republic of Congo ``focus on helping the country become a nation that provides for the basic needs of its citizens.''

That is why the government of the DRC must discontinue its current practice of needlessly delaying or suspending the issuance of exit visas to children so they can be united with their adoptive families who will love and cherish them and provide for their basic needs.

H. Res. 588 calls upon the U.S. Government to recognize a child's rights and ask the Congolese government to:

1. Resume processing and issuing exit permits;

2. Prioritize the processing of inter-country adoptions that occurred before the suspension; and

3. Expedite the processing of children who are deemed medically fragile.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, I would like to share the pain and anxiety of one Texas family resulting from the DRC Government's arbitrary suspension of exit visas for adopted children.

The mother of this family wrote my office yesterday. This is what she said:

I am writing today to inform you of the tragic situation my

family is in with our legally adopted children not being

allowed to come home from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Our sweet children, Josias (18 months) and Mercy (20

months), were adopted over a year ago and have had U.S. visas

since December 2013.

Sadly, they are still waiting for us to come get them and

bring them home because the Congolese government is not

allowing any adopted children to leave the country to be

united with their families.

In September 2013, the DRC government issued a suspension

on the issuance of exit letters for all internationally

adopted children, initially claiming the suspension would

last ``up to a year.''

They have now indicated the suspension will likely go on

much longer and that we may not ever be granted an exit

letter for our children.

This has been a heartbreaking situation for our family as

each day that our children are stuck in the DRC their lives

are in danger.

Several children have died of malaria during the suspension

and many more have become very ill due to unsanitary living

conditions and limited access to medical care and their lives

are now in jeopardy.

Adoption is an important tool for protecting children and if the only barrier preventing these children from going home is signature on an exit visa, then the United States should stand with the children and insist that the government of the DRC act in the best interests of the children.

I urge all members to join me in supporting H. Res. 588 so that we can end the suffering and heartbreak currently experienced by so many American families and their adopted children from the DRC. It is the right thing to do.