Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Ranking Member of the Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, I rise in support of H.R. 3488, the ``Preclearance Authorization Act of 2014.''

The legislation before the House today is the product of regular order, having been considered and approved by the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security in May and the Full Committee on Homeland Security in June.

H.R. 3488 stipulates the conditions under which the Secretary of Homeland Security may establish and conduct preclearance operations.

It is imperative that as we seek to ``push out our Nation's borders'' through preclearance and other programs, we do so in a risk-based manner that is mindful of impacts to our economy and the traveling public.

That guiding principle is what prompted me to introduce legislation last November, H.R. 3575, the ``Putting Security First in Preclearance Act.''

I am pleased that several of the provisions and policy goals contained in my legislation have been incorporated into the bill before the House today.

During subcommittee consideration of H.R. 3488, I offered two amendments that were adopted.

The first amendment requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to report to Congress on the anticipated homeland security benefits associated with establishing preclearance operations at a foreign airport.

As the Department of Homeland Security seeks to expand preclearance operations to potentially high-risk airports around the world, we should have a full understanding of the homeland security benefits associated with opening such facilities.

My second amendment, also adopted during subcommittee consideration of the bill, requires that any country seeking to enter into a preclearance agreement with the United States submit lost and stolen passport information to INTERPOL or another source that is searchable by the United States.

The tragic loss of Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 in March brought into focus a number of vulnerabilities in the international aviation arena, not the least of which is gaps related to lost and stolen passports.

On April 4th, the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security held a hearing on the vulnerabilities of passport fraud.

One of the major takeaways from that hearing was the need for more countries to regularly submit information about lost and stolen passports to INTERPOL.

The provision in H.R. 3488 requiring countries seeking to open Preclearance facilities to submit information on lost and stolen passports to INTERPOL will serve as an impetus for bringing would-be international partners into the fold and make the INTERPOL database more complete.

Enactment of H.R. 3488 will ensure greater Congressional oversight of the process associated with commencing preclearance operations and ensure the economic interest of U.S. airlines are considered when new Preclearance facilities are contemplated.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of H.R. 3488.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I rise in support of H.R. 4007, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program Authorization and Accountability Act is a step forward in securing our nation from potential terrorist attacks or threats to the homeland.

I want to acknowledge the work of Chairman Rogers and Ranking Member Thompson that resulted in this bill being considered by the Full House.

During Full Committee consideration of H.R. 4007, two Jackson Lee Amendments were unanimously agreed to for inclusion in the bill.

The first Jackson Lee Amendment directs the Secretary to: establish an outreach plan to facilitate collaboration between the Department and the owners and operators of small chemical facilities for the purpose of assisting them with the development of physical security best practices.

This collaboration will begin with established relationships, which exists among local and state authorities; and small chemical facility owners and operators.

The Secretary will create opportunities to incorporate Regional Directors and Protective Security Advisors within the collaborative framework that is developed with the full cooperation and input of small chemical facility owners and operators who elect to participate.

Large chemical facilities will have access to nearly unlimited resources to meet their own security needs, but smaller chemical facilities may not have the resources to protect themselves from similar terrorist threats.

The second Jackson Lee Amendment creates opportunities for small chemical facility operators and owners to gain more insight or guidance on improving their facility's physical security.

The third Jackson Lee Amendment allows the Secretary Homeland Security to consult with the Government Accountability Office to investigate the feasibility and applicability of a third party accreditation program that would work with industry stakeholders to develop site security plans.

This amendment would allow chemical facility owners and operators to devise challenging tests, and exercises that pit their knowledge against what terrorists may attempt to do should their facility become a target.

These amendment's will assist chemical facility security experts in thinking of potential threats before terrorists do so that they may take steps to eliminate them before terrorists could exploit discovered vulnerabilities.

Since September 11, 2001, security experts have warned of vulnerabilities that exist should terrorists plan to attack a chemical facility located within the United States or far worse use unlawful access to a facility, pipelines, or transit routes to steal chemicals for an attack.

The 18th Congressional District which I serve is home to some of the world's largest Chemical producers which employ thousands of Houston area residents to provide the nation with products are vital to our nation and its economy.

Chemicals are a vital and common presence in the lives of all of our nation's citizens, but we often forget how dangerous they can be under the wrong conditions.

On April 17, of last year the small town of West Texas felt the power and destructive force of ammonium nitrate when an accidental fire ignited what is believed to have been between 140 to 160 tons of the chemical.

This was no terrorist attack, but a very tragic accident.

The accident in the town of West Texas reminded all of us who represent districts that count chemical plants or their owners and operators as constituents--that these facilities should have the resources necessary to protect their property from potential terrorists' threats or attacks.

H.R. 4007 reestablishes the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) Program, under which the Secretary of Homeland

Security (DHS) is required to: establish risk-based performance standards designed to protect covered chemical facilities from acts of terrorism; require such facilities to submit security vulnerability assessments and develop and implement site security plans; review and approve or disapprove each such assessment and plan; arrange for the audit and inspection of covered chemical facilities to determine compliance with this Act; and notify, and issue an order to comply to, the owner or operator of a facility not in compliance.

The legislation is based upon feedback and information the Homeland Security Committee and the Committee on Energy and Commerce received through countless meetings with industry stakeholders, the regulated community, first responders, union representatives, the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, and the Department of Homeland Security itself.

Among the benefits H.R. 4007 provides are:

Greatly improved coordination and communication between DHS and the owners and operators of chemical facilities.

Enhanced information sharing with the first responders who put themselves in harms way dealing with chemical facility incidents, like the tragedy at West, TX.

A more workable employee-screening methodology, that allows facility owners and operators to implement procedures that make sense and ensure maximum security.

The elimination of the problem of ``outlier'' chemical facilities (currently, there are thousands of facilities still unknown to DHS) to ensure no facility remains ``off the grid''.

The certainty that chemical infrastructure security will no longer hang in the balance with each year's appropriations cycle.

Ensures that whistleblower protections available to facility workers who report security issues to DHS are clearly articulated in all CFATS media and materials.

Greater Department accountability through mandatory biannual GAO audits of the CFATS program to provide for informed and thorough Congressional oversight.

I ask my colleagues from both side of the aisle to support this bipartisan bill, which received strong support from the Committee on Homeland Security.

Hon. Michael McCaul,

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington, DC.

Hon. Patrick Meehan,

Chairman, Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure

Protection and Security Technologies, Washington, DC.

Hon. Bennie Thompson,

Ranking Member, Committee on Homeland Security, Washington,

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 4263, ``The Social Media Working Group Act of 2014,'' would establish within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a social media working group.

The Social Media Working Group would provide guidance and best practices to the emergency preparedness and response community on the use of social media technologies before, during, and after a terrorist attack.

Today, people are relying more on Internet enabled communications to engage and be engaged in communications.

Since September 11, 2001, our nation has committed resources toward the preparation of our first responders and citizens in preventing, mitigating and responding to terrorist events.

As these efforts continue, we must keep up with the times. Part of that requires that Congress makes sure that the Department of Homeland Security and especially the Federal Emergency Management Agency can engage citizens in ways that they receive and send information.

In 2012, smartphones, most particularly phones running Apple Computer's iOS and the open source Android operating system, accounted for at least 40 percent of the mobile devices used in the United States.

In the first quarter of 2012, mobile phone consumers spent over $109 billion, while consumers of landline-telephone service spent $64.4 billion.

The Federal Communication Commission reports that this trend is expected accelerate as United States consumers participate in a worldwide trend towards mobile communication devices and away from traditional means of receiving and sending information.

Electronic tablet computers and e-readers, the other fully enabled portable Internet devices, smartphones are increasingly a resource for people to access information, share content, and communicate their views.

Social media is quickly emerging as a major source of information that citizens rely upon to receive news and engage government.

The number of people using social networking sites has nearly doubled since 2008.

In a 2011, a Pew Internet Center Research Project reported that 79 percent of American adults said they used the Internet and 59 percent of all Internet users say they use at least one of social networking service, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram.

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

Will the gentlewoman yield?

Let me just indicate that I have just arrived and I wanted to support all of the bills, including yours.

If I might just make one comment about the preclearance bill, which we have all worked very hard on. I want to thank Mr. Payne and Mrs. Brooks for their leadership, and just make the point that we have worked in a bipartisan manner in Homeland Security very effectively.

I also wanted to make mention in particular of the bill that I worked on extensively, H.R. 3488, the Preclearance Authorization Act, and to indicate that this is a bill in which the Secretary of Homeland Security may establish and conduct preclearance operations. It is imperative, as we seek to push out our Nation's borders.

So we have had a vigorous discussion about how you utilize these preclearance sites. I think it comes to mind with some of the sites in the Middle East. And in light of where we are today, with TSA having to put in place new requirements because of the potential threat, I think this is a very positive step, as I do of all the bills, including ones dealing with interoperability, which we dealt with during the tragedy of 9/11.

I want to again thank Ranking Member Payne and the full committee chair and ranking member for their leadership.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 4289, the ``Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Act,'' which will help ensure the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) achieves cross- component interoperability.

This bill implements several recommendations contained in a 2012 report of the DHS Inspector General on the status and quality of interoperable radio communications.

A major finding of the report is that DHS has spent over $430 million in the past 9 years for communication purposes but it still does not ``have interoperable communications for daily operations, planned events, and emergencies.''

The IG report also found that 99% (478 out of 479) of radio users surveyed could not find the DHS common channel because the components did not ``effectively inform them'' of the correct channel.

That is why it is important that we vote today to implement the following specific recommendations from the report:

1. Create a structure with the necessary authority to ensure that the components achieve interoperability.

2. Create a structure with the necessary authority to ensure that the components achieve interoperability.

Because the mission of DHS is to ensure that our homeland is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards, effective communication within the organization is crucial.

According to the IG, the reason for this lack of communication is that DHS's efforts to achieve department-wide interoperable communications capability have been undermined by excessive reliance upon on Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) and voluntary participation by communications task forces and working groups.

This means that various agencies within DHS do not have a standardized set of policies regarding radios and the department's leadership has not been successful in enforcing adherence to those policies by all department components.

Although the IG urged DHS to implement a stronger enforcement structure, DHS has not adopted this recommendation, insisting instead that its existing structure is effective.

Plainly, it is not.

H.R. 4289 follows the recommendation from the report and ensures that DHS can achieve cross-component interoperability by:

Directing the Undersecretary to submit to Congress a strategy for achieving Department-wide interoperability within 120 days of enactment.

Report to Congress within 220 days, and biannually thereafter, on the progress of efforts to implement the Department-wide interoperability strategy.

Since its founding, the Department of Homeland Security has overcome many challenges as an organization but much more progress must be made regarding effective inter-operable communication between the federal, state, and local agencies.

Athough not a panacea, H.R. 4289 is a step in the right direction because it will help improve DHS' overall functions so that it can more effectively protect our people.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, over the last week, besides wishing this wonderful Nation a happy birthday over the Fourth of July, I spent time in Brownsville, Harlingen, and McAllen visiting the detention centers. Most importantly, I saw the faces of innocent children who have come because of fear for their lives.

In a hearing in Homeland Security, I listened to State officials and to a bishop from El Paso who indicated that the world is watching. These children need our help. They are not America's enemy. They are not a threat to national security.

I want to thank those many cities who have offered places. I believe the President is right to seek the amount of money to enforce the border and to provide more judges, more immigration lawyers, and resources for these cities for these children. I believe that we have it in our heart to do it, and we can protect the border.

I will say as well, Mr. Speaker, that children come in all sizes. I want to say that the crisis in Nigeria with the kidnapped girls still remains on our minds--#bringbackourgirls. Let us put an end to the terrorism of Boko Haram, and let us help children wherever they are.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the enactment of the G.I. Bill.

Seventy years ago this past Sunday, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the bill that transformed American economic and social life and changed forever the way we live and work.

The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the ``G.I. Bill,'' opened the doors of higher education to millions of the veterans who risked their lives to save the world for freedom in World War II.

Before World War II, college and homeownership were, for most Americans, an impossible dream. Because of the G.I. Bill, millions who would have flooded the job market instead opted for education.

In the peak year of 1947, veterans accounted for 49 percent of college admissions and by the time the original G.I. Bill ended on July 25, 1956, 7.8 million of 16 million World War II Veterans had participated in an education or training program.

Millions also took advantage of the G.I. Bill's home loan guaranty and from 1944 to 1952, the federal government backed nearly 2.4 million home loans for World War II Veterans, which was then the largest expansion in home ownership in American history.

Upon signing the G.I. Bill on June 22, 1944, two weeks and two days after D-Day, President Roosevelt stated:

This bill gives emphatic notice to the men and women in our

armed forces that the American people do not intend to let

them down.

* * *

For they have been compelled to make greater economic

sacrifice and every other kind of sacrifice than the rest of

us, and are entitled to definite action to help take care of

their special problems.

The lawmakers that passed the G.I. Bill had no idea the remarkable effect this bill would have in establishing a thriving middle class America. The legislation that they passed provided opportunity for individuals to succeed. It was an investment in our people and many Americans took that opportunity and thrived.

The lesson in this is if you give average Americans an opportunity to succeed, then they will take advantage and do extraordinary things.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Howard Henry Baker, Jr., a great American, a man who personified civility and bipartisanship; one of the most passionate advocates for good governance, fiscal responsibility, and global security; a man who served his body with distinction in the Armed Services and the United States Senate. Senator Baker died at his home in Huntsville, Tennessee, today, June 26, 2014, at the age of 88.

Born November 15, 1925, in Huntsville, Tennessee, Howard Henry Baker, Jr., the son of Howard Henry Baker, Sr. and Dora Ladd Baker, was heir to a distinguished political tradition. His grandfather was a judge and his grandmother was the first woman to serve as sheriff in Tennessee.

His father, Howard Henry Baker, Sr., represented eastern Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1951 until his death in 1964, whereupon he was succeeded by his wife and Howard Baker's stepmother, Irene Bailey Baker.

Howard Baker was educated at The McCallie School, a military academy in Chattanooga, and Tulane University in New Orleans. During World War II, he trained at a U.S. Navy facility on the campus of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee in the V-12 Navy College Training Program.

He was commissioned as a lieutenant, junior grade, and served on a PT boat in the South Pacific as World War II was ending. After his discharge, Howard Baker attended the University of Tennessee College of Law, from which he graduated in 1949 and embarked upon a highly successful career in the private practice of law.

Howard Baker began his political career in 1964 when he sought and won the Republican nomination to fill the unexpired term of the late Senator Estes Kefauver but was defeated in the special election by Ross Bass. Undaunted, he came back two years later to capture the Senate seat, this time defeating former Tennessee Governor Frank Clement, who had defeated Senator Bass in the Democratic primary.

In winning the race, by the decisive margin of 56-44 and supported by a coalition of African Americans, young persons, and moderates, Howard Baker became the first Republican elected to the Senate from Tennessee since Reconstruction. He was reelected in 1972 and 1978, serving 18 years in total before retiring from the Senate in 1984 at the end of the 98th Congress.

In the Senate, Howard Baker's record marked him, as he described himself, as ``moderate to moderate conservative.'' He supported fair housing and voting rights legislation, and was a leading advocate of the Clean Air Act. He also was instrumental in the bitter but ultimately successful fight to ratify the Panama Canal Treaty.

Howard Baker also was a young man in a hurry. Upon the death of his father-in-law and mentor, the great Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen, whose daughter, Joy, he had met and married in 1951, Howard Baker sought the post of Senate Republican Leader.

He was narrowly defeated by Senator Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania. But after the retirement of Senator Scott in 1976, Howard Baker was elected by Republican Leader by his colleagues and Senate Majority Leader in 1980 when Republicans regained the Senate for the first time since 1954 in the wake of the 1980 landslide election of Ronald Reagan.

Howard Baker is perhaps best known for his service as the Vice- Chairman of Senate Select Committee on Presidential Campaign Activities, better known as the Senate Watergate Committee. He is remembered for asking the question: ``What did the president know and when did he know it?''

That question would go on to become a national catchphrase and a part of the nation's cultural lexicon.

In 1980, Howard Baker was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination won by Ronald Reagan. After retiring from the Senate in 1984, he considered a second run for the presidency but put aside those personal ambitions in 1987 to accept President Reagan's request to serve as White House Chief of Staff at the nadir of the Reagan Administration brought on by the Iran-Contra scandal.

As Majority Leader, Howard Baker supported Reagan's supply-side economic program of massive tax cuts for the wealthy and draconian cuts to Great Society programs. In response to the resulting massive structural deficits, Howard Baker helped broker the deal and shepherd to passage legislation in 1982 that raised taxes. He also worked with President Reagan and House Speaker Thomas P. ``Tip'' O'Neill to put Social Security on a sound financial footing for 75 years.

For his lifetime of service to our nation, Howard Baker was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Reagan in 1984. But his service to our nation did not stop there. In 2001, Howard Baker was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 27th Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Japan in which capacity he served until February 17, 2005.

In 2007, he joined with former congressional leaders Tom Daschle, George Mitchell, and Bob Dole to found the Bipartisan Policy Center, a non-partisan organization that promotes bipartisanship solutions to the major challenges facing the nation.

In 1996, after the death of his first wife, Joy Dirksen, he married Nancy Landon Kassebaum from Kansas. In 2001 he was appointed U.S. ambassador to Japan and served faithfully.

Mr. Speaker, Howard Baker was a legislator's legislator. Our prayers and condolences go out to his widow, former U.S. Senator Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker, to his son Darek and daughter Cissy, and to his family and loved ones.

Howard Baker touched so many lives in so many helpful ways that he will always be remembered as one of the finest public servants of the 20th century.

I ask that the House observe a moment of silence in memory of the distinguished senator from Tennessee, Howard Henry Baker, Jr., the ``Great Conciliator of the Senate.''

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to set a standard for answering the call of 500,000 to 800,000 jobs being created by 2020 that addresses the work in our ongoing and growing energy industry.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the Natural Resources Committee chairman, Mr. Hastings, and Ranking Member DeFazio for their leadership on diversifying our employment base. I also want to wish the chairman well as he moves on to other endeavors. He will be missed on his insight.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 9 to H.R. 4899. The Congress has an affirmative duty to increase diversity in Federal Government as there is an undeniable lack of participation for veterans, women, and minorities in regards to employment, entrepreneurial, and ownership opportunity.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 9 to H.R. 4899 directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an office of energy employment and training to create economic opportunities that support the agency's hiring and training of veterans, women, and underrepresented minorities. It sets the standard for the private sector.

Mr. Chairman, as a Member of Congress from Houston, the energy capital of the Nation, I have always been mindful of the importance of having strongly advocated for national energy policies--really, all of the above--and to make our Nation energy independent, preserve and create jobs, and keep our Nation's economy strong.

The recent increase in production of unconventional oil and natural gas has provided a lift to the U.S. economy, and Americans are seeing the benefits not only because of the jobs created, but also because household incomes have gone up. It is up to us to have the regulatory structure that protects the

environment but also provides the opportunity for growth and creates jobs.

Mr. Chairman, I would be remiss if I did not point out that both the chairman and ranking member have been resolute in their pursuit of the expansion of opportunities in the energy industry. I share that commitment with them, and this amendment is an example of what happens when Members work in good faith across the aisle to find viable solutions.

In this amendment, veterans, minorities, and women recognize that they are significantly underrepresented in the oil and gas industries at all levels and severely underrepresented in the senior managerial, professional, board, and ownership ranks. U.S. competitiveness requires that this Nation increase the number of successful underrepresented minorities in STEM education and careers, which is more essential than ever.

A pipeline of qualified veterans looking for employment will play a key role as the energy industry seeks quality, highly skilled workers. I am committed to honoring our obligations to our Nation's veterans and utilizing the talents of veterans to help the government meet today's dynamic challenges.

Mr. Chairman, the Office of Energy Employment and Training will provide an opportunity to align military and utility job classifications, identify veterans with their desired basic skills, access military personnel during the off-boarding process, and hold training programs.

It is interesting to note that in 2013, the number of STEM jobs in North Dakota increased by 37.2 percent as a direct result of the oil and gas boom in that State.

Mr. Chairman, I hope my colleagues will support this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman for his astute reflection on the work that we have done and I have done over the years. I introduced H.R. 70 and H.R. 3710 that dealt with coastal restoration and the utilization of training for our young people and our veterans.

So as I conclude and thank the chairman for his acknowledgment, along with the ranking member, of their work on the committee dealing with diversification, the Jackson Lee amendment will help prepare a diverse population of workers from across the country with diverse backgrounds to enter in exciting and rewarding careers in American energy jobs.

Our Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Centers of Excellence, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions, and women colleges and universities will become engaged by a direct pipeline into the Department of the Interior that will foster collaboration, mentorships, and partnerships through effective job training that will yield employment opportunities. The Department of the Interior will be responsible for fostering diversity in management, employment, and business activities. It will be the light at the end of the tunnel creating a pathway for the 800,000 jobs.

Mr. Chairman, at this time, I would like to put into the Record the Employment Outlook for African Americans and Latinos In the Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Industry.

[An IHS Report, Nov. 2012]

Employment Outlook for African Americans and Latinos in the Upstream

Oil and Natural Gas Industry

(Prepared for the American Petroleum Institute, API)

key findings

Oil and natural gas will remain as the main source of fuel

for decades to come as other forms of energy also become

commercially viable. In fact, in early November 2012, the

International Energy Agency (IEA) projected that the United

States will become the world's top oil producer by 2020 and

that North America would be in a position to export more oil

than it imports by 2030.

These findings underscore the critical importance of the

analysis and findings of a new IHS report entitled Employment

Outlook for African Americans and Latinos in the Upstream Oil

and Natural Gas Industry (2012). Principal findings of the

new IHS report Include:

More than 500,000 jobs projected to be created by 2020 and

over 800,000 jobs created by 2030 in the upstream oil and

natural gas industry under pro-energy development policies.

Job growth would be geographically diverse. Over half of

the job growth, 417 thousand jobs, is expected in the Gulf

region. The East region is expected to contribute nearly 140

thousand job opportunities and the Rockies region nearly 116

thousand job opportunities. The West, Alaska, and Central

regions will combine to contribute approximately 138 thousand

job opportunities.

Central to this analysis is workforce training critical to

the projected U.S. petroleum industry growth to keep the

nation at a competitive advantage and to provide the energy

the nation depends upon. African Americans and Hispanic

Americans represent a critically vital and available talent

pool to help meet the demands of the projected growth and

expansion. For African Americans and Hispanics to be

competitive for the 800,000 potential new jobs it will

require:

Significant improvement in minority preparation in Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related

disciplines at the primary and secondary school levels--a

national priority;

Significant improvement in high school completion rates for

Hispanics and African Americans;

Secondary and post-secondary staff (i.e., principals,

deans, teachers, faculty, counselors) should be trained to

inform their students on the workforce opportunities in the

petroleum industry, specifically in the regions identified,

and the training required;

An increase the labor force participation rates of African

Americans and Hispanics;

Sixty-two percent of the job growth are estimated to be in

blue collar jobs that would require a high school diploma and

some additional training such as community college vocational

degrees and certificates;

Twenty-one percent of the job growth will require training

in engineering (petroleum, etc.), geoscience fields,

management, business, and finance, and as technicians;

Partnerships between higher education and industry,

especially at the community college level would yield near

term positive results;

Hispanic and African American students with high school

diplomas and some additional training at community colleges

in skills related to the oil and gas industry are immediately

competitive for current job opportunities;

African American and Hispanic students who successfully

complete college degrees related to the oil and natural gas

industry, e.g., petroleum engineering, would be highly

competitive for workforce placement;

Wages in the upstream oil and natural gas industry, across

many professions, far exceed the national average wage rate;

Some portion of the job opportunities would be in

geographic locations away from segments of minority

populations and may require relocation;

Employment in the oil and gas industry can provide a

reliable means to a better than average quality of life for

Hispanics and African Americans for decades to come.

Both challenges and opportunities exist going forward.

Raising educational achievement for large segments of the

upcoming generation is resource intensive and will take

decades to achieve. However, the payoff of an increased

skilled labor pool would be enormous to society in general

and U.S. industry in particular. This report illustrates

that there are significant opportunities for African

Americans and Hispanics throughout the petroleum industry

currently and well into the future at each level of education

and training.

III. Minority and Female Employment in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical

Industries in 2010

employment by industry

The three segments of the U.S. oil and gas industry and the

petrochemical industry together employed a total of 1.2

million people in 2010 (see Table III.1).

The upstream segment, with employment of 721 thousand,

accounted for 60% of the total, followed by the downstream

segment with 23%.

African American workers held 98 thousand jobs in these

industries in 2010, accounting for 8.2% of total employment.

Their share within the petrochemical industry was 11.2%.

Hispanic workers held 188 thousand jobs across all four

industry segments--15.7% of the total. They accounted for a

higher share of employment in the upstream segment than in

the other segments.

Table III.1--AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC EMPLOYMENT IN THE OIL & GAS AND PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES BY SEGMENT:

2010 TOTAL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Petro-

Total Upstream Midstream Downstream chemicals ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total........................... 1,198,590 720,911 42,079 279,162 156,438 African American................ 97,789 57,886 2,262 20,043 17,598 Hispanic........................ 188,088 136,265 4,440 28,426 18,957

Minority Shares by Segment Total........................... 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% African American................ 8.2% 8.0% 5.4% 7.2% 11.2% Hispanic........................ 15.7% 18.9% 10.6% 10.2% 12.1%

Shares by Segment in Each Occupation Total........................... 100.0% 60.1% 3.5% 23.3% 13.1% African American................ 100.0% 59.2% 2.3% 20.5% 18.0% Hispanic........................ 100.0% 72.4% 2.4% 15.1% 10.1% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Employment by Gender

Women accounted for 19% of total employment in the combined

oil and gas and petrochemical industries. Their share is

higher in the downstream and petrochemical segments (25%) and

lower in the upstream and midstream segments (15-16%). (See

Table III.2.)

The female share of employment in these industries is much

lower for the Hispanic population--only 13%.

The incidence of female employment for the African American

population in the oil & gas industry generally mirrors the

nation-wide pattern for the industry, at a share of 19%. In

the midstream industry there is a higher female share.

So, in conclusion, Mr. Chairman, let me indicate that our task here is to create jobs. We understand that there are 300,000 vets that, in fact, may need unemployment insurance. We want them to have jobs, along with women and minorities, and so I would ask my colleagues to accept the Jackson Lee amendment, and I thank the committee.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank Natural Resources Committee Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member DeFazio for their leadership and commitment.

I also wish the Chairman well as he moves on to other endeavors. He will be missed.

Mr. Chair, I rise to speak in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment #9 to H.R. 4899, the Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America that Works Act of 2014.

Congress has an affirmative duty to increase diversity in the federal government as there is an undeniable lack of participation for veterans, women and minorities in regards to employment, entrepreneurial and ownership opportunities.

The Jackson Lee Amendment #9 to H.R. 4899 directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an Office of Energy Employment and Training to create economic opportunities that support the Agency's hiring and training of veterans, women and underrepresented minorities.

As the Member of Congress from Houston, the energy capital of the nation, I have always been mindful of the importance and have strongly advocated for national energy policies that will make our nation more energy independent, preserve and create jobs, and keep our nation's economy strong.

The recent increase in production of unconventional oil and natural gas has provided a lift to the U.S. economy and Americans are seeing the benefits not only because of the jobs created but also because household incomes have seen an increase as a result of lower energy costs.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that both the Chairman and Ranking Member have been resolute in their pursuit of the expansion of opportunities in the energy industry. I share that commitment with them--and this amendment is an example of what happens when Members work in good-faith across the aisle to find viable solutions.

We all know that while government may not be able to solve all problems--it can be a bridge to solving some--and ``the great mitigator'' for others.

Veterans, minorities and women are significantly underrepresented in the oil and gas industries at all levels and severely underrepresented in the senior managerial, professional, board and ownership ranks. U.S. competitiveness requires that this nation increases the number of successful underrepresented minorities in STEM education and careers, is more essential than ever.

A pipeline of qualified veterans looking for employment could play a key role as the energy industry seeks quality, highly skilled workers. I am committed to honor our obligations to our Nation's veterans; utilize the talents of veterans to help the Government meet today's dynamic challenges; and create a program worthy of emulation by the private sector.

The Office of Energy Employment and Training will provide an opportunity to align military and utility job classifications, identify veterans with the desired basic skills, access military personnel during the off-boarding process and hold training programs specifically for targeted veteran cohorts.

Underrepresented minorities seeking STEM jobs cannot solely rely upon advanced degree programs, but must be able to pursue a number of routes to good paying STEM jobs. A highly focused area for STEM education and job opportunities can be found in the oil and gas industry.

For example, 2001-13 the number of STEM jobs in North Dakota increased by 37.2 percent as a direct result of the oil and gas boom

in that state. North Dakota exceeded the nation in life, physical and social science technicians and the state is close to the national average for engineering technicians, physical scientists and life scientists.

Nationally, in 2010 there were 1.2 million people employed in the oil and gas industry of those persons only: 98,000 or 8.2% are African Americans; 188,000 or 15.7% are Hispanics; and 225,687 jobs or 19% are women.

The 2014 report prepared by the American Petroleum Institute states the oil and gas industry and petrochemical industry could create between 940,000 to 1.3 million employment opportunities between now and 2030.

Only a small fraction of these new jobs will come as a result of retirements.

The major factor for employment demands for the oil and gas industry is natural growth that will occur and investment by the industry and the influence of energy demand by a growing economy.

There a significantly larger number and variety of good paying jobs in the oil and gas industry. In 2011, the average oil field worker earned $35,590, slightly higher than the national average; those working in natural gas distribution earned an average of $38,870 per year. The states with the highest pay included Alaska, at $48,370; Montana at $45,870 per year; Wyoming, at $41,130; and North Dakota, at $40,340 per year.

Minorities comprise 26% of the oil and gas labor force in 2010 and that number is expected to grow to 325 by 2030. In 2010 women were 17% of the oil and gas labor force and their number is expected to drop to less than 15% in 2030.

The lower employment prospects for women are a direct consequence of the extreme level of underrepresentation in the energy sector.

A closer look at the employment prospects for minorities' reveals that African-Americans like are projected to experience a decline in employment in the oil and gas industry due to underrepresentation of African Americans.

The level of underrepresentation of minorities and women is reflected in oil and gas industry senior and professional ranks. Minorities comprise 15% of management and professionals working in the oil and gas industry and are projected to comprise 17% by 2030.

When compared to all blue collar jobs2-minorities make up 21% of the jobs, and in 2010 they comprised 38% of blue collar jobs.

Women do slightly better with a 24% in 2010, and are expected to hold this percentage of the blue collar job market to 2030.

Our booming energy sector has been one of the greatest American success stories in the last decade, and remains a bright spot in our economy as it continue to fuel job creation. To continue this success we need a diverse energy workforce that is equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of our new energy landscape.

The Jackson Lee amendment will help prepare a diverse population of workers from across the country with diverse backgrounds to enter into exciting and rewarding careers in American energy jobs.

Our Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Centers of excellence, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions and Women Colleges and Universities will become more engaged by a direct pipeline into the Department of Interior that will foster collaboration, mentorships and partnerships through effective job training that will yield employment opportunities.

In closing, I ask my colleagues, to support the Jackson Lee amendment that will address the ability and potential of people who are traditionally underrepresented in energy-production activities by creating an Office of Energy Employment and Training, which will oversee the hiring and training efforts of the Department of Interior's energy planning, permitting, and regulatory agencies.

The Department of the Interior will be responsible for fostering diversity in management, employment, and business activities.

Again, I thank Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member DeFazio for their outstanding leadership.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to raise the attention of my colleagues to several moments.

First, I would like to celebrate the passage of my amendment that just passed in legislation H.R. 4899, to create a job training and employment department or section in the Department of the Interior for veterans, minorities, and women. With 800,000 jobs on the horizon in the energy industry, this is an American job creator. I am excited about that amendment.

With sadness, Mr. Speaker, I rise to support my colleague, Congresswoman Wilson. We joined each other in a delegation to Nigeria, meeting with girls who had escaped from Boko Haram, and in the backdrop of the tragedy of the bombing of a mall and killing more people, it is time for Boko Haram to be stopped and the girls to be brought back.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, as I go down to the valley in Texas to address the question of those desperate children--this humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied children--we introduced legislation today to create 70 more immigration judges, so that they can be addressed. This is a crisis which America is dealing with, and we should recognize it as a humanitarian crisis.

Finally, let me say, Mr. Speaker, bring the girls back in Nigeria. Help the children that are coming across our border. Let us have a heart when it comes to children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to my constituent and longtime friend Reverend Dr. Samuel Howard Smith on his 50th anniversary as the Senior pastor of the Mount Horeb Missionary Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.

Dr. Smith is a father, grandfather, great grandfather, and a loving husband. He received Christ at the age of 22 and answered the call to the ministry at the youthful age of 27 in October of 1957. Due to a strong belief in God and an outstanding delivery of the Good News of Christ, Dr. Smith was led to Pastor the Morning Star Baptist Church of Houston, Texas in 1959. This uncompromising man later became the Pastor of Mount Horeb Missionary Baptist Church, also in Houston, Texas in 1964 where he has remained God's servant for 47 years.

Dr. Smith is a well known and respected teacher, preacher, and evangelist. His commitment to serving the community has taken the Gospel beyond the walls of the church and into the streets. He is known as ``God's Street Man,'' where no one on the streets is a stranger nor is anyone off limits to him. He believes that where every man is, so is his soul, and that each man must choose where he wants to spend eternity.

Dr. Smith is a Korean War veteran and has held leadership positions on the Evangelical Board of the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Gregory Lincoln Educational Center's ``I Have A Dream'', is a national instructor for the National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, a member of Houston's Baptist Ministers' Alliance, Houston Baptist Pastors and Ministers Fellowship and Ministers Against Crime.

Dr. Smith is a prolific man of God with a passion for street ministry and winning souls. He is the author of ``Taking IT to the Streets,'' a book on Christian Evangelism that emphasizes the importance of street evangelism in Christian Outreach ministry. Dr. Smith is an inspiration to all by setting remarkable standards for others to follow.

I take great pride in recognizing and honoring the Senior Pastor of the Mount Horeb Missionary Baptist Church, Reverend Dr. Samuel Howard Smith on the occasion of his 50th Pastoral Anniversary. Dr. Smith continues to shine to let God's glory shine through his solid leadership in the community. His tireless efforts to impact our world, and inspire others to do the same is deserving of the respect, admiration and commendation of the United States Congress.

Mr. Speaker, as the founder and cochair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I rise to talk

about children, the children in America who need more Head Start seats or the children in northern Nigeria who are being attacked and stolen away by Boko Haram who stole some 30 or 40 girls and some 31 boys.

I rise to talk about the children who are at America's border-- through no fault of their own and through no fault of this administration--a baby or children laying on the floor with a blanket. Some have taken to the political grandstanding of blaming the President and the President's administration.

The United Nations has indicated that this is a proportion of international humanitarian crisis. Fifty-eight percent of the children that were questioned were not here for immigration issues; they are displaced internationally--they were forcibly displaced.

It is our job to address this question. We should address this question with humanitarian response, with more processing centers. We should have more detention centers that are there for families and children, so they can be processed appropriately; more immigration judges; we must deal with more children's organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, First Focus, Children's Legal Defense Fund.

Let us not grandstand on these babies. They are here because they have been forced to leave a devastating condition in their country. Attacking the administration is wrong.

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

Mr. Chair, I thank the chairman very much. I thank the chairman and the ranking member of the committee and knowing how hard they have worked. I hope that this discussion today will emphasize a commitment to transparency and a commitment to consumers and a commitment to making the legislation responsive to consumers. So I thank you for the opportunity.

This legislation is to reauthorize and improve the operations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as well as address concerns from customers from another failure such as the MF Global and Peregrine Financial. It is a product of a multiyear process that included hearings and perspectives from market participants, end users, futures customers, and the CFTC.

The Jackson Lee amendment only seeks to improve this bill. If passed, it would require a study that will provide very basic information about firms regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The amendment simply requires the CFTC to do a report examining the number of entities regulated by them, the entity's size, practice models, and assets under management.

We must be quick to acknowledge that the dramatic failures of not just MF Global but several other venerated firms, such Bear Stearns, speak loudly to requiring more information for the consumer.

This amendment would also provide more insight as to how the industry works. My amendment gives 2 years for the agency to complete the first study. That is a very long time. Again, the report provides more information for the very consumers that we are trying to protect. That is more than enough time for the staff of the CFTC to comply with the amendment.

In that span of 2 years, a lot of things can change, but the gist of the amendment is to provide more transparency for the investors, as many on this floor have already spoken of. It is critical that investors know what is going on, particularly small investors who are not privy to the information that many of the larger entities are made aware.

My amendment, again, basic information via an agency study, much of which the Commission already has, and I am merely seeking to have it.

Let me just share just one aspect of this and then conclude. More importantly, in my conclusion, many of the residents of the 18th Congressional District have invested in homes, stocks, and education, to see it all flittered away because someone on Wall Street--France or Houston, even--pushed the wrong button generating a contra-trade when they meant to bid in the other direction. This is not what Americans want to see. This is a regulated entity. Transparency is viable.

Let me show you a letter that was sent from the trustee of MF Global to some poor person who, after 5 years, got their few dollars after this major bankruptcy.

Enclosed with this mailing is a check from the trustee in

payment of your allowed customer claim.

They got it 5 years later.

With this check the full net equity value, as established

in the Bankruptcy Court, of your segregated property, the

amount related to your trading on domestic exchanges or

``4(d) Property,'' will have been distributed to you. Your

former account number at MF Global appears on the check.

Please cash this check as soon as possible.

That is another frightening thing. You better hurry up and get the $25 or $40 that came.

To ensure proper and prompt processing.

I will include the letter for the Record here.

Epiq Bankruptcy Solutions, LLC

FDR Station, New York, NY, April 28, 2014.

Re In re MF Global Inc., Case No. (MG) SIPA.

Dear Claimant: Enclosed with this mailing is a check from

James W. Giddens, Trustee for the SIPA liquidation of MF

Global Inc., in payment of your allowed customer claim in the

SIPA proceeding. With this check the full net equity value,

as established in the Bankruptcy Court, of your segregated

property (i.e., the amount related to your trading on

domestic exchanges or ``4d Property''), will have been

distributed to you. Your former account number at MF Global

Inc. appears on the check.

Please cash this check as promptly as possible. To ensure

proper and prompt processing, please be sure to properly

endorse the check by signing your name and/or account number

in the appropriate location on the reverse side of the check.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of

my representatives at 1-888-236-0808 (inside the United

States) or 1-503-597-5173 (outside the United States).

Very truly yours,

James W. Giddens,

Trustee for the SIPA

Liquidation of MF Global Inc.

Mr. Chairman, and to my colleagues I believe that this is an important asset or aspect of helping to have more information for our consumers.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I thank you for this opportunity to briefly explain my amendment. It is simple and makes a significant improvement to the bill.

This bipartisan legislation to reauthorize and improve the operations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), as well as address concerns relating to protecting customers from another failure such as MF Global and Peregrine Financial.

It is the product of a multi-year process that included hearing perspectives from market participants, end-users, futures customers, and the CFTC.

The Jackson Lee amendment only seeks to improve this bill. If passed it would require a study that will provide very basic information about firms regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

The amendment simply requires the CFTC to do a report examining the number of entities regulated by them, the entity's size, practice models, and assets under management.

We must be quick to acknowledge the dramatic failures of not just MF Global and Peregrine but several other venerated firms such as Bear Stearns.

This amendment would also provide more insight as to how industry works.

The language of the Jackson Lee amendment gives two years for the agency to complete the first one.

That is more than enough time for the staff at the CFTC to comply with this amendment.

In that span of two years a lot of things could change but the gist of the amendment is to provide more transparency for investors.

It also asks that those firms rendered defunct like MF Global be included in the report.

It is critical that investors know what is going on--particularly smaller investors who are not privy to the information that many of the larger entities are made aware.

The MF Global bankruptcy hurt investors and potential investors. It is critical that firms increase their transparency and disclose information which consumers may use to make informed investment decisions.

The Jackson Lee amendment asks very basic information of these firms via an agency study--much of which the Commission may already keep account of--and I am merely seeking to have it in a report.

Again, the amendment simply requires the CFTC to do a report examining the number of entities regulated by them, the entity's size, practice models, and assets under management. It also asks that those firms rendered defunct like MF Global be included in the report.

And more importantly, many of the residents of the 18th District of Texas have invested in homes, stocks, and education--and to see it all flittered away because someone on Wall Street, France, or Houston even, pushed the wrong button, generating a contra-trade when they meant to bet in the other direction--is not what Americans want to see.

I urge my colleagues to vote for transparency, fairness and openness by supporting the Jackson Lee Amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman, and I certainly thank the chairman for his comments.

Right now the Veterans' Affairs Committee is meeting to find out more information on the dastardly knowledge of so many veterans who may have died on a secret list. I would imagine that they would have wanted, some years back, to have investigated, studied, and gotten more information about how veterans are treated in the veterans hospital.

I respectfully disagree with my friend and colleague. I do not think that this is a waste of the energy of this agency and I don't think we have enough information. Anytime I can stand on this floor and err on the side of the customer, the consumer, and stand up here and show a letter that is the ultimate result of a bankruptcy because the consumers didn't have all the information that they needed--and all we

are asking is over a 2-year period give us the number of entities, the size, practice models, and the assets under the management--I don't believe that that is too much.

Investigating precise issues is not giving the consumer a portfolio of knowledge. I disagree with my good friend, and I ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment.

Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

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

Mr. Chairman, again, I thank the chairman and ranking member of the Financial Services Committee.

My amendment is simple. It would preserve existing law where a legal challenge to a CFTC regulation is reviewed first by the district court. And then, following an opinion by a district court judge, an appeal, if any, is taken to the court of appeals.

Let me, first of all, refer my colleagues to the joint report by the Agriculture Committee where specifically it says that the general review provisions of the APA would apply, requiring parties seeking to challenge CFTC rules to file a claim before a U.S. district court.

And it goes on to give those particular details. Then it goes on to indicate that to follow the review provisions of the APA--this going into a district court--the CFTC's general counsel indicated that he would not object to a change.

I would make the argument that it is not the general counsel but it is the individual consumer who should have the opportunity in a district court--either in their district or in the District of Columbia--to be able to make a record and to ensure that all of the facts of the issue dealing with the rule are fully vetted. And that will happen if you have the opportunity to go first to the district court.

Preserving existing law where a legal challenge to a CFTC regulation is reviewed first by the district court and then followed by an opinion by a district court judge gives the opportunity for a full briefing--a robust record that can be developed along the legal issue and fact issues, and also it reduces the ability of the industry to undermine important Dodd-Frank derivatives.

In my earlier statement on the floor, I indicated that many of the little guys are in the commodities. Dealing with that, they need the opportunities to have, in essence, the double-check on rules that may impact their business.

With respect to Dodd-Frank and this authorizing legislation, let us not throw the baby out with the bath water.

We all remember the dark days of September and October of 2008. The financial markets needed to be bailed out. I do not want to see that repeated.

So, again, the amendment is simple. It goes back to existing law. I cannot imagine that the general counsel would oppose existing law. The statement says he didn't mind. But, again, didn't mind closing down further opportunities for consumers to have a record made on something that they may be opposing?

So I would ask my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I wish to thank the Chair and Ranking Member for their work on this bill. We all know that the Agriculture Committee is one of the hardest working--and also has one of the most diverse missions in Congress. I thank you for this opportunity to briefly explain my amendment. It is simple and makes a significant improvement to the bill.

My amendment modifies Section 212 on judicial review that on page 19, lines 15 through 17 strikes ``United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit or the United States Court of Appeals for the circuit,'' and replaces with ``United States District Court for the District of Columbia or the United States Court for the district.

Doing so would preserve existing law, where a legal challenge to a CFTC regulation is reviewed first by the district court, and then following an opinion by a district court judge, an appeal, if any, is taken in the court of appeals.

This process provides for a more robust development of legal issues and a broader record in any appeal, reducing the ease of industry to undermine important Dodd-Frank derivatives rulemakings.

With respect to Dodd-Frank and this authorizing legislation, Mr. Chairman, let us not throw out the baby with the bath water. We all remember the dark days of September and October 2008 when the financial markets needed to be bailed out. I do not want to repeat that.

And more importantly, many of the residents of the 18th District of Texas have invested in homes, stocks, and education--and to see it all flittered away because someone on Wall Street, France, or Houston even, pushed the wrong button, generating a contra-trade when they meant to bet in the other direction--is not what Americans want to see.

I urge my colleagues to vote for fairness and judicial economy, and preserve existing law by supporting the Jackson Lee Amendment.

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

I appreciate the chairman's commentary about the SEC. I am well aware that the SEC has driven itself to utilizing the Court of Appeals.

I would make the argument that there is a smaller investor that tends to engage in commodities, and, therefore, transparency and the opportunity to create a record is far more important in commodities.

I would also make the point that my amendment is supported by the Commodity Markets Oversight Coalition, which is asking for us to continue with existing law.

They, of course, include Airlines for America, American Baker's Association, California Black Farmers, California Independent Oil Marketers Association, Colorado Petroleum Marketers Association, Florida Petroleum Market Marketers Association, Maine Energy Marketers Association, the National Association of Oil and Energy Service Professionals, National Family Farm Coalition, among others, which I will include in the Record.

National Grange, New Jersey Citizen Action Oil Group, New Mexico Petroleum Marketers Association, North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association, Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire, Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa, Public Citizen, Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund, Wyoming Petroleum Marketers Association, to name just a few, who clearly just ask for a simple request: when there is a need to challenge the rules, allow a full record to be made at the district court level. Commodities is not in the same vain as the SEC.

I would argue that there is need for greater highlight in information, and that the Jackson Lee amendment should be accepted for that kind of transparency and treating small investors fairly and giving them the opportunity to fully pursue their position when it comes to a particular rule.

I would ask my colleagues to support the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

commodity marketer overnight coalition

Supporting organizations: Airlines for America; American

Baker's Association; American Feed Industry Association;

American Public Power Association; American Trucking

Associations; California Black Farmers & Agriculturalists

Association; California Independent Oil Marketers

Association; California Service Station and Automotive Repair

Association; Colorado Petroleum Marketers Association;

Connecticut Energy Marketers Association; Consumer Federation

of America; Florida Petroleum Marketers Association; Fuel

Merchants Association of New Jersey; Gasoline & Automotive

Service Dealers of America; Institute for Agriculture and

Trade Policy; Louisiana Oil Marketers & Convenience Store

Association; Maine Energy Marketers Association; Montana

Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association; NAFA

Fleet Management Association; National Association of Oil &

Energy Service Professionals.

National Association of Shell Marketers; National Family

Farm Coalition; National Farmers Union; National Grange;

National Latino Farmers & Ranchers Trade Association; New

England Fuel Institute; New Jersey Citizen Action Oil Group;

New Mexico Petroleum Marketers Association; New York Oil

Heating Association; North Dakota Petroleum Marketers

Association; North Dakota Retail Association; Ohio Petroleum

Marketers & Convenience Store Association; Oil Heat Council

of New Hampshire.

Oil Heat Institute of Long Island; Oil Heat Institute of

Rhode Island; Organization for Competitive Markets; Petroleum

Marketers & Convenience Store Association Kansas; Petroleum

Marketers & Convenience Stores of Iowa; Petroleum Marketers

Association of America; Public Citizen; Ranchers-Cattlemen

Action Legal Fund (R-CALF) USA; Utah Petroleum Marketers and

Retailers Association; Vermont Fuel Dealers Association; West

Virginia Oil Marketers and Grocers Association; Wyoming

Petroleum Marketers Association.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, on June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas and announced the freedom of the last American slaves; belatedly freeing 250,000 slaves in Texas nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Juneteenth was first celebrated in the Texas state capital in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau.

Today, Juneteenth remains the oldest known celebration of slavery's demise. It commemorates freedom while acknowledging the sacrifices and contributions made by courageous African Americans towards making our great nation the more conscious and accepting country that it has become.

This year, I introduced H. Res. 632 to Honor Juneteenth Independence Day. In introducing this Resolution, I acknowledge State Representative Al Edwards of Texas and all Houstonians who honor Juneteenth as well or all who celebrate this freedom day.

Last year, I introduced H. Res. 268--a Resolution observing the historical significance of Juneteenth Independence Day. As we celebrate the anniversary of Juneteenth, I ask that all of my colleagues join me in reflecting upon its significance.

Today, I will be reintroducing the Resolution to commemorate this year's celebration of Juneteenth.

Because it was only after that day in 1865 when General Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, on the heels of the most devastating conflict in our country's history, in the aftermath of a civil war that pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor and threatened to tear the fabric of our union apart forever that America truly became the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Not until 1979 when my friend State Representative Al Edwards introduced the bill did Juneteenth become a Texas state holiday. It was first celebrated as such in 1980.

Civil rights pioneer Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ``Freedom is never free,'' and African American labor leader A. Phillip Randolph often said ``Freedom is never given. It is won.''

We should all recognize the power and the ironic truth of those statements and we should pause to remember the enormous price paid by all Americans in our country's quest to realize its promise.

Juneteenth honors the end of the 400 years of suffering African Americans endured under slavery and celebrates the legacy of perseverance that has become the hallmark of the African American community and its struggle for equality.

Throughout the 1980's and 90's Juneteenth has continued to enjoy a growing and healthy interest from communities and organizations throughout the country.

Institutions such as the Smithsonian, the Henry Ford Museum and others have begun sponsoring Juneteenth-centered activities. In recent years, a number of National Juneteenth Organizations have arisen to take their place alongside older organizations--all with the mission to promote and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.

Juneteenth today, celebrates African American freedom while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.

As it takes on a more national and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten, for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride is growing. The future of Juneteenth looks bright as the number of cities and states come on board and form local committees and organizations to coordinate the activities.

Mr. Speaker, today is June 19, an ordinary day in the lives of many, many Americans. That is why it is important to come to the floor and wish so many in our Nation Happy Juneteenth. For some, that may be a foreign terminology. But we are now in the 149th year of the 1865 Emancipation Proclamation for several States in the Deep South.

Those who know their history would say the Emancipation Proclamation was in 1863. They are absolutely right. But it took 2 years for States like Texas, Louisiana, and many others to, unfortunately, receive notice that the slaves were free. Two more years my fellow Texans, African American slaves, had to languish in the abomination of slavery because someone failed to think it was important enough to reach those boundaries and say we were free.

So it speaks very loudly to the reason I am an advocate and a fighter that justice must be maintained no matter who you are in this country. Those in Texas that, as I speak, are commemorating and celebrating Juneteenth Freedom Day, are proudly acknowledging, not their fault that they did not know, not a joke, not humorous, but a sad statement which we in Texas and Southern States have turned into a joyful jubilee. We celebrate freedom wherever and however we can.

This Congress needs to be a promoter of freedom and justice. I join my colleagues in being appalled at the fact that we have not yet extended unemployment insurance for hardworking Americans. Let me say that again: unemployment insurance. It means that it is not a handout; it means that these are individuals who worked for weeks, months, years, decades. They have given back to America. Now they have fallen on difficult times.

Because of this leadership in this House of Representatives, we have not been able to put the extension of the unemployment insurance passed in the other body on the floor of the House. That means in my district that individuals who were rehabilitating themselves and were working and fell upon hard times because of the economy have no jobs and cannot get unemployment insurance.

When I met with some of them. A trained welder said, I want to work, I am between jobs, and he was literally driven to homelessness and walking the streets because we could not give him unemployment insurance based upon the fact that he has worked--or those who are now losing homes or not able to pay their rent.

Where is the mercy and justice? Are we following in the pathway of Juneteenth when we did not tell thousands upon thousands of slaves you were free? I thought America would not return to the devastation and dastardliness of injustice to anyone. Let us put unemployment insurance on the floor of the House and address the questions of Americans who have worked and contributed to society.

Then, Mr. Speaker, I would argue that there is an injustice going on in Iraq. I traveled to Iraq many times during the raging war. I saw the valiant soldiers, many of whom maybe after I left were part of those who were casualties. I had in my office the list of casualties in the 18th Congressional District. I would be very mindful of going back into that quagmire.

What I would say is that America does stand for justice and democracy. We should have the position to treat Sunnis and Shiites and Kurds freely and justly, and that they have to come together and treat each other with respect. We should call upon Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Jordan, and Yemen, we should give them support--the Arab League--to stand Iraq up and to tell this leader, who is a selfish leader, who is not in any way reflected on bringing people together, that he must bring people together. And we must say to the ISIS that the world will not stand for its violence and its horribleness.

And yes, we must say to those who are in the yesteryear, who were part of

last time's term, those who are former Vice Presidents and their extended relatives, that this is no time to cast dirt on President Obama, who has done an excellent job.

Americans come together when there is difficulty and tragedy. I am very disappointed in The Wall Street Journal article that wants to cast blame when people are dying in Iraq. Let's stand up and be united.

Just a few days ago, I came back from Nigeria, where the horrific Boko Haram is killing people and kidnapping girls. I ask my colleagues to please stand with us to not let the kidnapping of the Nigerian girls be a side story, Mr. Speaker.

As I close, I intend to introduce human trafficking legislation as a senior member of Homeland Security to address the question of the human trafficking of these girls, and girls and women of color, the highest population of those who are trafficked. We can do things together in America, and I ask us to stand together.

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

Let me thank the chairman of the subcommittee and, as well, the ranking member for the courtesy of your staffs and for the work that this committee is doing on behalf of our Nation.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today as the ranking member of Homeland Security's Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, working on human trafficking and smuggling, as I come from a city that has been called the epicenter of human trafficking--Houston, Texas. So I thank both the chairman and the ranking member for this opportunity to put forward this simple and straightforward amendment that affirms the example of the national goodness that makes America the most exceptional nation on Earth.

The amendment says that none of the funds made available by this act may be used in contravention of article II, section 2 of the Constitution.

I am joined on this amendment by Congressman Steve Stockman, Congresswoman Lois Frankel, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, and Congressman John Conyers.

Mr. Chairman, recently, I was proud to support House Resolutions 573 and 617, strongly condemning the ongoing violence and systematic gross human rights violations against the people of Nigeria that have been carried out by the militant organization Boko Haram, especially the April 15, 2014, kidnapping of more than 200 young girls who were kidnapped from the Chibok school by Boko Haram.

This is what the people of northeast Nigeria are facing every single day. Since 2013, more than 4,500 men, women, and children have been slaughtered by Boko Haram.

In addition, it took the United States 25 months after the first two Americans were attacked, and 1 year after the third and fourth Americans were targeted, before Boko Haram was designated a foreign terrorist organization.

It took the United Kingdom 16 months from the time its first citizen was killed by Boko Haram to legally brand them as terrorists.

It took the United Nations 33 months after the United Nations headquarters in Nigeria was bombed before Boko Haram was sanctioned as an al Qaeda-linked terror group.

On June 2, 2014, the European Union finally designated Boko Haram as a terror group.

NGOs have indicated that, in April, the average deaths were hundreds a week by Boko Haram, and later it was an average of 100 deaths a day.

So they couldn't do enough killing, killing of Christians and Muslims and journalists and health care providers and relief workers and schoolchildren. They had to kidnap 200 children, 200 girls.

The international community, working with the African Union, is assisting the government of Nigeria in locating and rescuing the missing girls, bringing an end to Boko Haram's reign of terror, and ensuring that they are brought to justice because of their crimes against humanity.

On May 21, 2014, the President notified the Congress that, pursuant to the authority vested in him by article 2, section 2, as the Commander in Chief, and to conduct foreign relations, that he had directed deployment of approximately 80 U.S. Armed Forces personnel to Chad as part of the U.S. efforts to locate and support the safe return of our 200 girls reported to have been kidnapped in Nigeria.

The President informed the Congress that these personnel would support the operation of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area. The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer needed.

My simple amendment indicates that nothing in this bill will contravene the President's authority while these girls are missing.

Mr. Chairman, four Members of Congress, over June 12 to June 16, went to Nigeria. We were in northeast Nigeria. We were in the Borno State, in Abuja. We visited with the victims, the girls who escaped from the Chibok school. They drove 2 days to meet with us to tell us of the outrageous violence, and how they were laid on the ground, and the Boko Haram, pointing AK-47s at their heads, said: Answer my questions or die.

Then we met a woman whose throat was sliced, and her husband, a police officer, was decapitated.

The enforcement, the military, and the police officers of Nigeria need our help.

No, this is not an encouragement or a suggestion at all for boots on the ground. It is a simple collaboration that will stop the siege of Boko Haram that is spreading across Africa and the surrounding area. It is almost like the unknowing understanding of the Taliban by many in America before 9/11.

Boko Haram is a disaster waiting to happen for the continent. In a state like Nigeria that is about to be 440 million people, that has a 7 percent growth rate, and is one of the most prosperous nations in Africa, it has 60 percent poverty, it has 10 million children out of school. And Boko Haram is burning hospitals, schools, Christian churches, mosques, and killing pastors and emirs.

So this amendment is to remind us, just as Hubert Humphrey said, ``People are the great issue of the 20th century.'' Now they are the great issue of the 21st century.

It is time to treat our boys and girls and women with respect.

As I close, I ask my colleagues to support the amendment, to stop the headlines like this, as Boko Haram continues to rage across Nigeria. I ask support for the Jackson Lee amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen and Ranking Member Visclosky for shepherding this legislation to the floor and for their devotion to the men and women of the Armed Forces who risk their lives to keep our nation safe.

Mr. Chair, thank you for the opportunity to explain my amendment, which is simple and straightforward and affirms an example of the national goodness that makes America the most exceptional nation on earth:

At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the

following:

Sec.__. None of the funds made available by this Act may be

used in contravention of Article II, section 2 of the

Constitution.

Mr. Chair, it was a proud occasion when the House passed H. Res. 573 and H.R. 617, resolutions strongly condemning the ongoing violence and the systematic gross human rights violations against the people of Nigeria carried out by the militant organization Boko Haram, especially the April 15, 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 young schoolgirls kidnapped from the Chibok School by Boko Haram.

Since 2013, more than 4,400 men, women, and children have been slaughtered by Boko Haram.

The victims include Christians, Muslims, journalists, health care providers, relief workers. And schoolchildren.

The international community, working with the African Union, is assisting the Government of Nigeria in locating and rescuing the missing girls, bringing an end to Boko Haram's reign of terror, and ensuring that its crimes against humanity are documented so its leaders can be held accountable.

On May 21, 2014, the President notified the Congress that pursuant to the authority vested in him by Article II, Section 2, as Commander in Chief and to conduct foreign relations, that he had directed the deployment of ``approximately 80 U.S. Armed Forces personnel to Chad as part of the U.S. efforts to locate and support the safe return of over 200 schoolgirls who are reported to have been kidnapped in Nigeria.''

The President informed the Congress that ``these personnel will support the operation of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft for missions over northern Nigeria and the surrounding area. The force will remain in Chad until its support in resolving the kidnapping situation is no longer required.''

The Jackson Lee Amendment simply makes clear that nothing in the bill contravenes the President's authority to take the actions just described which he has determined to be in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.

Boko Haram's outrageous conduct will not be tolerated or overlooked for not only is it a violation of the girls' human rights, it is also contrary to United States policy which supports and promotes equal access to education and economic opportunity for women and girls.

``People are the great issue of the 20th century,'' declared, then- Senator Hubert Humphrey in 1948.

Mr. Chair, the well-being of people remains the great issue of the 21st century.

And there is no better measure of any society than the way its treats its women and girls and boys and families.

Boko Haram understands that when Nigerian girls are educated, Nigerian women can succeed; and when Nigerian women succeed, Nigeria succeeds.

And that is why it is so important that the United States help Nigeria ensure that Boko Haram fails.

I urge my colleagues to support the Jackson Lee Amendment.