Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia, and I congratulate him and Mr. Chabot for this legislation. I am glad that this is one of the early bills that we are moving forward. It sets the tone for this Congress, and it sets the tone for bipartisanship. It also sets the tone for the Democratic-led Congress on the continuation of working on the idea of ensuring that justice is truly rendered.

This bill, H.R. 498, the Clean Up the Code Act of 2017, essentially repeals many unused statutes currently in the criminal code. Mr. Speaker, you have to pay a fine, but some of them even have jail time. It is right in line with the concept of ending mass incarceration just to incarcerate.

It is well-known that this Nation has the largest number of people incarcerated in Western civilization, some 2 million-plus, added to, of course, by a number of individuals who are being held in detention centers across the Nation. It is emblematic of what is terribly wrong with our criminal justice system and sheds light on why it is imperative to have an overhaul of our Federal Criminal Code while addressing the ripple effects it creates within our criminal justice system.

We had a task force entitled the Over-Criminalization Task Force in the Judiciary Committee which made an effective start on looking at Federal laws across the Nation to find out how we can best secure and safeguard the American people, bring justice to those who have done wrong, but also provide, if you will, a pathway of reasonableness as it relates to nonviolent crimes, crimes that don't have a major impact such as the concept of utilizing the Smokey Bear theme, if you will.

We began our journey several Congresses ago to work in a bipartisan way to address the ills of our criminal justice system, as I have indicated, and I look forward to having the Over-Criminalization Task Force reestablished.

As this bill seeks to promote, we must take initiatives to clean up our Federal Criminal Code, which in large part criminalizes many acts that can easily be addressed in other forms such as smaller fines. When we over-criminalize, we place an undue burden on the taxpayers and create long-term human costs on families and other communities. What we do is we create a criminal offense and we create a criminal record.

We should penalize where necessary to ensure public safety and security and hold accountable those criminals who have done major damage and who would tend to offend, where appropriate. But we should also look for ways in which we could enhance our communities, human relations with civilians and law enforcement, and promote an entirely new approach to our criminal justice system.

For all of the foregoing reasons and as well to suggest that Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl would prefer being left alone as opposed to being held up in a criminal court as a reason for that particular offender being held to a fine of a large amount or jail time, I think this is an important bill and an important step.

I congratulate the authors, both the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson)

and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot). I look forward to supporting this legislation, and I ask my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support H.R. 498, the ``Clean Up the Code Act of 2019.''

This legislation essentially repeals many unused statutes currently in the criminal code.

It is emblematic of what is terribly wrong with our criminal justice system and sheds light on why it is imperative to have an overhaul of our federal criminal code, while addressing the ripple effects it creates within our criminal justice system.

We began our journey several Congresses ago to work in a bipartisan way to address the ills of our criminal justice system through our Over-criminalization Task Force, which I intend to re-establish in this Congress.

As this bill seeks to promote, we must take initiatives to clean up our federal criminal code, which in large part, criminalizes many acts that can easily be addressed in other forums.

When we over-criminalize we place an undue burden on the taxpayers and create long term human costs on families and on our communities.

We should penalize where necessary to ensure public safety and hold accountable criminals where appropriate.

We should also look for ways in which we could enhance our communities, human relations with civilians and law enforcement, and provide an entirely new approach to our criminal justice system.

For all the foregoing reasons, I support this bill and ask my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 676, critical legislation that expresses the unified opposition of Congress to any attempt by the President to withdraw from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States to remain a member in good standing of NATO and its commitment to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty and its principle of collective defense.

In the aftermath of World War II, the greatest conflict in all of human history, the United States, Canada, and their Western Europe allies founded the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) on April 14, 1949 in Washington, D.C.

Founded on the principle of collective defense, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty states that, ``The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.''

In the 69 years since the Treaty's ratification, Article 5 has only been invoked once, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, when NATO members came to the aid of the United States.

NATO sent seven planes with 830 crewmen from 13 countries to protect American skies until May 2002, marking the first time in American history that the continental United States was protected by foreign forces.

NATO allies and partners have stood with the United States in joint operations in the Western Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere around the world.

Until the current President took office, every American president since the treaty's signing in 1949--Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama--has publicly reaffirmed the American commitment to Article 5.

American presidents have affirmed this nation's commitment to come to the aid of any NATO member that is under attack.

That is the symbolic meaning of the immortal words spoken by President Kennedy in

West Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate in 1963: ``Ich bien ein Berliner.''

Mr. Speaker, the principle of collective defense is the core of NATO's founding treaty and the NATO alliance has been the backbone of American national security and foreign policy for nearly 70 years.

The strength and solidarity of this western alliance kept Western Europe whole, prosperous, and free and paved the way for the collapse of the Soviet Union and the liberation of the nations of Eastern and Central Europe, many of which have now been integrated into NATO.

The Constitution of the United States grants Congress the sole power to declare war, but Article 5 does not increase the chance of war.

Rather, NATO is a bulwark against the outbreak of war because it deters aggression by any adversary.

As a result, NATO is the most successful military alliance in world history, successfully deterring the outbreak of a third world war, seeing the Cold War to a victorious conclusion, and protecting the principle of territorial integrity.

This is why I strongly support H.R. 676, which reaffirms the commitment of the Congress to Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

The legislation also expresses support for the agreement reached at the 2014 NATO Wales Summit calling upon each NATO member nation to allocate at least two percent of its gross domestic product to defense by 2024.

The legislation also expresses congressional support for robust United States funding for the European Deterrence Initiative, which increases the ability of the United States and its allies to deter and defend against Russian aggression.

Finally, H.R. 676 provides that no funds are authorized to be appropriated, obligated, or expended to take any action to withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty signed on April 14, 1949, in Washington, D.C., between the United States of America and the other 15 founding members of the North Atlantic Treaty 16 Organization.

I urge all Members to join me in affirming the commitment of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty, which has kept the peace on the European continent for nearly 70 years and continues to serve as a bulwark and deterrent to Russian aggression and its long-held strategic objective of splitting the Western Alliance that has done more than any other collective enterprise in history to preserve and maintain international peace.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, we are opening the government. Democrats have voted every day for the last 2 weeks to 3 weeks on opening the government.

I ask a simple question: To those who are out working today, what would they think of working a full day's work with no pay?

My good friend and colleague wants to put this in percentages, just a small amount of folks who are out and are being devastated. But if you ask any American as they get up and go to work and they work that full, hard day and they get no pay, I think they understand this is an enormous crisis--the longest shutdown on policy, ever.

Senator McConnell has not put one single bill on the floor of the House to open the government. So it is not partisanship; it is not rancor. It is not tension; it is people who understand what it means to not get a paycheck if you are in the Coast Guard in a faraway place, if you are an air traffic controller, if you are Secret Service.

And thank you to the Speaker, who realized the enormity of security for the State of the Union or any other large event, which many people know might be coming in February.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Appropriations Committee and the chairwoman from New York for being able to recognize that our job is to open the government, but we have no partners, and we didn't shut it down.

Now, my friend talks about border security. I am on Homeland Security. I have been to the border more times than I can imagine. I know my border friends. I know the border States. And we have a way forward.

In a bipartisan letter, Texas Members of Congress, House and Senate, used the term ``critical infrastructure'' or ``tactical infrastructure.'' But if you want to secure the border, you can have the moneys for opioid, gang, trade, and child exploitation investigations, Customs officers at our ports of entry, first responder funding, and Coast Guard cutters, including icebreakers. That is the way forward, but it is ridiculous to do as we have done.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to say we are grateful for the Financial Relief for Federal Employees Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to make sure that we know that people are hurting and that we should understand their pain.

So I want to acknowledge as a cosponsor and salute Mr. Cox, who has introduced the Financial Relief for Federal Employees Act. Members are working, Democratic Members are working to provide some pathway for achieving some resources, by way of borrowing, for the Federal Government. So we are working.

We must open the government now.

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support for H.R. 268, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provides funding for disaster recovery and provides for a short term continuing resolution that would reopen the government.

My thanks to the leadership of Chairman McGovern for allowing the inclusion of a short-term Continuing Resolution that would reopen the Federal government and allow back pay to over 800,000 federal employees.

A compassionate and commonsense amendment by Chairwoman Lowey to the Disaster Supplemental will end the Trump Shutdown, reopen the government through February 8, and immediately provide back pay to all impacted federal workers.

The Federal Government can reopen allowing the Congress and the White House time to negotiate on border security and an agreement on immigration policy.

I can attest to the importance of Emergency Disaster Supplemental Appropriations to the efforts of communities to recover following Hurricane Harvey.

Texans, especially those living in the Houston area impacted by Hurricane Harvey continue working towards recovery, which would not have been possible without Federal emergency appropriations.

We are in the midst of a government shutdown that is unnecessary and wasteful and would impede the use of the very funds provided by this bill.

Americans who have been affected by natural disasters caused by Hurricanes Florence and Michael and the California wildfires must be able to count on a federal government that is fully open and operating.

This appropriation measure also includes much needed funds for Puerto Rico, which was not provided with sufficient funding to effect the recovery following the catastrophe caused by an inadequate response by the White House to the disaster.

Caught in the crosshairs of the government shutdown are 800,000 hardworking government employees who want nothing more than to do an honest day's work, and be fairly remunerated for their efforts.

More than anyone else, this government shutdown imperils their financial freedom and security, which makes our country less strong.

Mortgage and rent payments are going unpaid; credit ratings are being damaged; families are being made more insecure.

This situation requires each member of the House to vote for the Rule and the underlying bill to reopen the government, while providing vital assistance to fellow Americans recovering from major disasters.

Instead of President Trump ending his shutdown, he is threatening to take Emergency Supplemental funding provided by the 115th Congress to assist with Hurricane Harvey Army Corps projects to address flooding risks posed by future storms, and divert the funding for the construction of his border wall.

Those disaster funds were appropriated for recovery efforts associated with Hurricanes Harvey, Jose, and Maria.

This President is so easily consumed by concerns over a wall to the point that he cannot see real threats such as the vulnerability of coastal communities to powerful hurricanes.

The people along the Texas Gulf Coast face real threats from hurricanes that are increasingly more violent, and result in catastrophic losses.

The only defense against hurricanes is improving resilience and survivability of communities from wind, storm surge and rain.

For this reason, I ask my colleagues to join me in voting for the Rule for H.R. 268.

Mr. Chair, I can attest to the importance of Emergency Disaster Supplemental Appropriations to the efforts of communities to recover following a disaster.

Texans impacted by Hurricane Harvey and are working towards recovery are grateful for the appropriations provided by Congress to address Emergency Supplemental Appropriations.

We are in the midst of a government shutdown that is unnecessary and wasteful.

Caught in the crosshairs of the government shutdown are eight-hundred thousand hardworking government employees who want nothing more than to do an honest day's work, and be fairly remunerated for their efforts.

More than anyone else, this government shutdown imperils their financial security, which makes our country less strong.

Mortgage and rent payments are going unpaid; credit ratings are being damaged; families are being made more insecure.

This situation requires answers, and resolution for hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans caught in the middle.

President Trump instead of ending his shutdown is threatening to take Hurricane Harvey Army Corps funding and divert it for the construction of his border wall.

He plans to divert funds appropriated for Hurricanes Harvey, Jose, and Maria recovery to pay for his border wall is outrageous and immoral, and an affront to the millions of Americans affected by real disasters that have struck the homeland.

We need to ensure that the President cannot undermine the disaster recovery projects and programs that Congress has approved and funded by diverting funds for construction of his border wall vanity project.

This President is so easily consumed by concerns over a wall to the point that he cannot see real threats such as the vulnerability of coastal communities to powerful hurricanes.

The people along the Texas Gulf Coast face real threats from hurricanes that are increasingly more violent, and result in catastrophic losses.

The only defense against hurricanes is improving resilience and survivability of communities from wind, storm surge and rain.

We improve coastal resilience against hurricanes by completing Army Corps of Engineer projects that are paid for previously under separate appropriations bills that are now law.

The President wants to use his authority under a National Emergency Declaration to erroneously gain access to the funding so desperately needed for Hurricane Harvey recovery and other disasters.

Declaring a national emergency for purely political reasons is antidemocratic, petulant, dangerous and unbecoming of the President of the United States.

The president and his staff have been routinely and repeatedly corrected and rebuked for their attempts to spread false and misleading information about the state of our southern border.

They have wrongly claimed that the lack of a border wall at the southern border is a major source of drugs coming into the United States, when in fact it is ports of entry.

They disregarded the fact that border apprehensions are at a 45 year- low, and have been dropping since 2000.

Having been defeated legislatively by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, now the President according to a story in the New York Times would like to pay for his immoral border wall by diverting funds that the Congress has appropriated for disaster relief, such as Hurricane Harvey to help citizens in my home state of Texas; victims of Maria in Puerto Rico and other hurricane victims; and victims of deadly wildfires in California.

I support this Disaster Appropriations bill in order to help rebuild communities devastated over the last year by deadly disasters.

Now the President needs to open the Government in order to stop the disaster occurring among our out of work federal employees.

Madam Speaker, I think it is important for us to know what just happened today.

Democrats stood on the floor, unanimously, to open the government. Democrats stood on the floor, unanimously, to be able to provide for desperate Americans suffering from devastating floods, hurricanes, and wildfires.

Yes, we helped our friends in the Northern Mariana Islands for our good colleague to stand on the floor and to have amendments that would provide Medicaid for his constituents. Democrats stood for the humanity of Americans.

Democrats are also standing for our Coast Guard, members who are on the front lines everywhere around this Nation and in our seas stopping drugs and saving people.

Democrats are simply asking that there be humanity in this Congress, in this House, for those who understand TSAs are trying to do their job without food or gas.

Democrats are asking for Senator McConnell to put our bills that were just passed to open the government on the Senate floor and to act like there is leadership in this Nation, to send them to the President.

Mr. President, sign the bill to open the government now and stand for what America is: a nation that cares.

Mr. Speaker, today reflects two interesting commemorations. First, it is the actual birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who lost his life in a fight for justice for public employees. I wonder what he would say on this day while we are in the longest shutdown that is really against the Nation's proud and needed Federal employees across the Nation.

I think it is important for my colleagues to reflect that 80 percent of those impacted who work for the Federal Government are outside of the Capital of the United States.

The second commemoration is a founder's day for Alpha Kappa Alpha. That is the group of young women who organized in a segregated America at Howard University to stand for service to the Nation. They were African American young women. As I have said, in a segregated Nation, in the midst of Jim Crow-ism, these women stood up to be servants of change and good business.

As I mention this, I do it because of where we are today. It is important to note the tragic impact that we cannot see that are not the headlines of Federal employees, their families, but even those who are not Federal employees impacted by the lack of service, such as a disabled woman who may not get her payments from HUD and may be evicted from housing that she desperately needs.

So why are we here? It is interesting that for the 2 years that the President has served after convincing every voter in America that any wall will be paid for by the country of Mexico, our neighbor and our friend, he never found a pathway for that to happen, because it was a fantasy, untrue, and it would never happen.

But in the 2 years that he had the Presidency, the Republican Party, the House and the Senate, he never made an issue of this wall. But when the Nation wanted a change and elected Democrats to the House of Representatives in the majority, all of a sudden in the close of the Mueller investigation and a number of other investigations going forward, indictments of various collaborators and close associates of the White House, all of a sudden the wall becomes a major national issue, rather than the crisis of dealing with the needs of the American people from gun violence, to jobs, to dealing with our disasters, it is that.

But, yet, we have worked as Democrats in the House to get the government open and to stop the Trump shutdown. When we first were sworn in, we voted on every bipartisan bill that the Senate had voted on to open the government. That was the week of January 3. We then, in the last week, voted for every Republican appropriations bill in order to send to the Senate for the government to be open.

Then there were ideas of extending the homeland security funding for a short period of time to February 8, 3 weeks. We supported that. We were even eager to hear from the Senator from South Carolina to open the government and then begin the negotiations.

None of these suggestions were taken. In fact, the suggestion of the Senator from South Carolina, a Republican, was rejected out of hand on this past Monday.

The President has not been able to provide his own solutions. He has not understood smart border security means we can sit down and devise ways to ensure more personnel, to be able to make sure there are TSO officers, Border Patrol officers, Customs and Border Protection, laptops, technology, drones, and scanners.

That is what the American people believe in. That is what the American people believe in. The American people are smart. They know that we can find a solution, and they also know the solution comes in many forms, an infrastructure of some sort.

Those of us on the border States have been to the border. It is our home. We have seen the 700 miles of border infrastructure. We have seen construction going on.

I just came back from the border again. I am from Texas. I was there in the space where Felipe, the little boy who died, came across. He came across with family members. They turned themselves in seeking asylum. More courts and more judges we need to ensure--

So there is a solution. In the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, I would simply say: let us be a peace finder, and let us be a warrior for justice and find the peace and solve the problem. Open the government to this White House.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 135 the ``Federal Employee Anti-Discrimination Act of 2019,'' which will strengthen the policies governing federal agencies' management of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) programs by amending the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002.

Equal Employment Opportunity programs enable federal employees or applicants who believe they have been the victims of discrimination to file a complaint about the alleged discrimination.

I support this legislation because it works to expand accountability within the federal government as federal agencies take appropriate disciplinary action against federal employees who have been found to have committed discriminatory or retaliatory acts.

In 2012, federal employees and applicants for employment filed nearly 16,000 EEO complaints; most of which were handled accordingly, but some federal agencies still have not met the standards of a model EEO program set forth by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

This legislation would require each federal agency to ensure its EEO program is not under the control of the agency's human resources or general counsel offices and that the head of the program reports directly to the agency head.

Madam Speaker, this bill would also expand the notifications that agencies are required to provide when discrimination is found to have occurred, and it would require agencies to track and report whether necessary disciplinary action has been taken.

Additionally, H.R. 135 would prohibit policies, forms, or agreements that prohibit or restrict an employee from disclosing to Congress, the Office of Special Counsel, or any Inspector General any information that relates to any violation of any law, rule, or regulation or any instance of waste, fraud, or abuse.

Fighting discrimination is a commitment the federal government needs to make, beginning with their own employees at home and abroad.

Men, women, of every race and religion deserve the same representation and protection under the United States government, and in order to fulfill the requirements of their job to the best of their ability, their right to not be discriminated against needs to be upheld.

In 2013, Texas employers received almost 10 percent of the nation's federal employment discrimination, harassment and retaliation allegations, at about 9,000 total charges.

I support this legislation because I support the rights of federal employees to feel safe and represented in their working environments, and obtain the correct protection they desire and deserve.

For these reasons, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 135 to strengthen the policies surrounding work place discrimination in the federal government.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman. I beg to differ with my good friend from Iowa. I do believe that we are all created equal with certain inalienable rights. What I would say to him is that Western civilization is what we all are. There is no denigrating of Western civilization. It is what America is.

We are the greatest leader of Western civilization. We are the greatest leader of the free world. But what we are speaking about is, of course, the words ``white nationalism'' and ``white supremacy,'' for it is clear that the FBI makes a direct point between dehumanizing and derogatory comments, which come from white nationalists and white supremacists, to the idea that it generates, as you have heard here on the floor of the House. It generates the death of Dr. Martin Luther King. It generates Charlottesville. It generates Charleston, South Carolina. It generates hateful acts that result in death.

This is the kind of tolerating of this that we cannot suffer and the intolerance that we cannot suffer. Because the idea of white nationalism, as superior to others, and white supremacy indicates that somebody else might die.

This resolution is an important resolution to affirm to this Congress and this Nation that we believe that we all are created equal and, as Dr. King said, that, ``We shall overcome.'' And, some day, we shall overcome.

Madam Speaker, I can't even account for this historic and devastating Trump shutdown.

When I say I can't account, I can't believe that the government is now in the mix of a shutdown that has such far-reaching proportions of impact, negative impact: not only my constituents who work for so many Federal agencies, from TSOs to Border Patrol, to Customs and Border Protection, to air traffic controllers, but those around the Nation-- the two Federal employee family that is now going into their son's scholarship fund, the young mother who now needs food assistance, those who are on the SNAP program, those who live in public housing, those who are disabled.

Is there any empathy or sympathy in the White House to begin intelligent and informed negotiations, allowing us to negotiate border security after the fact but open the government now so that people can be paid?

Madam Speaker, people are asking me whether their healthcare coverage is going to lapse because they are not being paid. People are asking about whether or not the credit scores that are impacted by not being able to pay your bills, how they are going to make amends for that; about the mortgages or the rent to landlords who are being insensitive.

Madam Speaker, the bottom line: Open the government, Mr. Trump, for the American people.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 116, the ``Investing in Main Street Act of 2019.''

H.R. 116 amends the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase the amount that certain banks and savings associations may invest in small business investment companies, subject to the approval of the appropriate Federal banking agency.

Texas has, for a historical fourth time, been ranked by CNBC as the number one spot for ``America's Top States for Business.''

WalletHub also recognized Texas as a small business friendly state by ranking Texas as the best state to start a business overall and giving Texas first place in the business environment category which looks at average growth in number of small businesses, growth of business revenues, five-year business survival rate, and job growth, amongst other categories.

Houston alone has almost 120,000 small business.

This makes Houston ninth nationwide and second statewide for total number of small businesses.

These small businesses enjoy calling home the 13th friendliest city in the nation for small business owners.

Over 99 percent of the businesses in Houston are considered small.

4.0 GPA is one of the many Houston small business success stories.

Founded by Henry Keculah, Jr. in 2016, 4.0 GPA's mission is to provide all students, regardless of their socioeconomic background, with the opportunity to attend an institution of higher education.

Henry, Jr. was one of five 2018 Upstart Award Finalist.

Upstart awards recognize African-American entrepreneurs who run successful companies and also give back to their communities.

H.R. 116 is common sense legislation that supports small business like 4.0 GPA, and even the Chamber of Commerce has written in support of it.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 116.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my support for H.R. 430, the``TANF Extension Act of 2019,'' which extends the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and related programs.

The bill authorizes activities outlined in part A of title IV and section 1108(b) of the Social Security Act to continue through June 30, 2019, in the manner authorized for fiscal year 2018.

This extension is necessary so society's most vulnerable do not fall through the cracks.

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program provides critical funding to states' anti-poverty efforts.

It helps ensure that families in poverty with children can meet their children's basic needs.

The TANF program, which is time limited, assists families with children when the parents or other responsible relatives cannot provide for the family's basic needs.

The Federal government provides grants to States to run the TANF program.

These State TANF programs are designed to accomplish four goals:

To provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives;

To end the dependency of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage;

To prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; and

To encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

States have broad flexibility to carry out their programs.

The States, not the Federal government, decide on the design of the program, the type and amount of assistance payments, the range of other services to be provided, and the rules for determining who is eligible for benefits.

These social safety net programs provide necessary government assistance to help Americans families maintain a basic standard of living, and are a safety net for the poorest of the poor.

Millions of Americans, despite working two jobs, depend on these programs just to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads for their families.

In addition, the vast majority of full-time workers live paycheck to paycheck.

In fact, 70 percent of Americans rely on at least one means tested federal program throughout their lives.

America, one of the richest countries in the world, should be able to help families caught in, to use the celebrated LBJ biographer Robert Caro's famous phrase, the ``tentacles of circumstance.''

However, we have an Administration that is sensitive to the plight of every day Americans.

This Administration seeks to implement an agenda that reveals a patently racist and inaccurate portrayal of poor people as lazy ``Welfare Queens'' who would rather depend on the government than pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but nothing could be further from the reality that millions of Americans face.

Mr. Speaker, the President should know that it is unreasonable and it is cruel to expect the poorest people to pull themselves up by their bootstraps when they do not have boots.

Our nation's social safety net programs already fail to help all of the families in need:

Only 1 in 4 poor families with children receive TANF;

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) only provides $1.40/per meal; and

Housing assistance reaches just 1 in 5 eligible families.

That is because the federal government has failed to raise the minimum wage in almost a decade, so even if you work a full-time minimum wage job, you are still living in poverty.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus are here to tell the American people, do not be fooled.

Donald Trump says this is about a ``poverty trap,'' but the real trap is not raising the minimum wage.

Employers should be highly motivated to pay their employees a fair amount so that every American can enjoy the opportunity to live with dignity, with proper nutrition and proper health care.

A salary that is not commensurate with the current cost of living prevents people from enjoying life with dignity, and that is NOT what the American dream is about.

The President opposes increasing the minimum wage and eliminating labor protections for middle and lower income workers in the African American community.

Mr. Speaker, raising the minimum wage to just $12 per hour would save $53 billion in SNAP benefits alone.

Wage gaps are larger today than they were in 1979.

For example, African American men's average hourly wages were 22.2 percent lower than those of white men in 1979 and declined to 31 percent lower by 2015.

Young African American women have been hardest hit since 2000.

Average wealth for white families is seven times higher than average wealth for African American families.

Worse still, median white wealth (wealth for the family in the exact middle of the overall distribution) is twelve times higher than median African American wealth.

Wage gaps are growing primarily because of discrimination and racial differences in skills and worker characteristics.

Declining unionization has also had a role in the growing black-white wage gap, particularly for men newly joining the workforce.

African Americans have been disproportionately affected by the growing gap between pay and productivity.

Not only are the President's policies divisive along racial and cultural lines, they also serve to further increase economic inequality due to their clear design in favor of the wealthiest among us at the expense of everyone else.

Trump's billionaire tax heist robs the U.S. Treasury of $1.5 trillion in resources that could be invested in economic growth in underserved communities.

The President has proposed doubling down on the war on drugs, which drains the African American labor pool.

The President has taken every opportunity to harm health care for African-Americans from sabotaging the American Care Act to ending Medicaid as we know it.

Trump also wants you to believe that he wants a bipartisan infrastructure plan.

Do not be fooled.

Trump's review of ``welfare programs'' is an immoral attempt to gut the programs that provide a basic standard of living for Americans struggling to make ends meet, all to pay for

massive tax cuts to himself and the richest 1 percent.

Instead, he should raise wages and invest in job training programs to prepare Americans for the work of the future.

Mr. Speaker, our nation still has a long way to go before we achieve economic equality for all its citizens.

The President and Congressional Republicans should work with Democrats to put more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans.

At the end of the day, our constituents should be able to support their children with one full-time job.

Ultimately, we need to give families the tools they need to rise out of poverty, not undercut programs that keep them afloat.

Madam Speaker, as I entered Bush Intercontinental Airport today, terminal B was shut down, shut down because, of course, we do not have enough TSA officers, as the terminals were shut down in Miami.

I understand the circumstances and the difficulties of these working people in this crisis of no paycheck and no opportunity to pay their bills.

At the same time, a headline in our local newspaper, ``Coast Guard families left `in a fog,' ''--families who have little babies with medical conditions, who cannot pay their bills. The reason, of course, is the Coast Guard comes under Homeland Security.

And a President who has the audacity to say they can adjust, let them adjust, where is the heart? Where is the recognition that we are jeopardizing our skies with air traffic controllers who are overworked and working overtime with no pay, TSA officers? I came home on Friday and gathered with those.

What about a Federal employee couple who has indicated that they have no ability to pay their bills and are taking money from their son's scholarship fund?

Mr. President, open the government.

Finally, let me say to Mr. King, it is shameful, your words, and I would offer that I join all of my colleagues in seeking censure.

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be able to speak on the floor, and I thank you for your leadership.

I thank the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), chair of the Oversight and Reform Committee, for his leadership. I thank my colleague from Texas as well.

I would say only that we can't say it enough. Thank you, Chairman Cummings, for saying that they are payless today; they are no check today; they are no money today; they are no more money today; they are broke today. 800,000 hardworking Federal employees, but they are families, small businesses, all of those who work every day to contribute.

As I go home today, I will be meeting with, today and tomorrow, Federal employees. I want them to know that my office is open to be able to help them, 35,000-plus employees in Texas, Federal employees-- 9,000 in the Treasury, 5,700 in Homeland Security, now some 51,000 screeners--who are not getting their dollars.

I have to pause for this one. The Coast Guard is not being paid. The very people that the President went to the border to celebrate that they are trying to stop the multitudes of criminals, most of them under 10 years old, the Coast Guard on the waters of this Nation, the Coast Guard that rescued 1,000-plus in Katrina and that rescued desperate Houstonians in Harvey, are not being paid. They are military that is not being paid because they are under Homeland Security.

This bill is crucial to ensure that those hardworking Americans get paid; that they can use their personal leave; that no matter what happens, they will get reimbursed; and that we will make sure that we will not wait on their pay period, but they will get it immediately.

Right now, it is crucial for us to pass this bill to ensure the integrity of all of us.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 24, the ``Government Employees Fair Treatment Act,'' which provides for retroactive pay for nearly 800,000 federal workers who have been furloughed as a result of the government shutdown proudly caused by the President of the United States.

I support this bill because it is the right thing to do.

The men and women who have been furloughed because of this manufactured crisis are not responsible for the `Trump Shutdown'.

They did not vote to reject the clean continuing resolution passed by the Republican Senate but rejected by the President that would have resolved the crisis and made this legislation unnecessary.

The dedicated men and women of the federal civilian workforce, like those who serve in the Armed Forces, have not spent their professional lives trying to sabotage the Affordable Care Act or conjuring an imaginary crisis on the southern border or pursuing policy initiatives that harm America's allies and benefit its adversaries, especially Russia.

Instead, these loyal and committed public servants are motivated by their paramount interest in serving the American public without fear or favor and, for the last 20 days, without any guarantee that they would be compensated for their labor.

And yet, they gladly and willingly serve, some risking their lives to keep us safe.

Others stand watch monitoring weather systems and providing information necessary to protect the public from hurricanes and tornadoes and wildfires or conducting research to find cures for disease or that will yield technological innovations or help us mark and measure the far reaches of space.

Others work to secure the borders and homeland, ensure the safety of our food and water, serve our seniors and children, provide training and support for those looking for work, and protecting our environment and keeping watch over our treasures--our national parks and monuments, including this magnificent Capitol where the people have sent us to their business.

Madam Speaker, the men and women of the federal workforce do the people's business.

They serve everyone equally.

They do not single out some persons to serve and ignore others.

We should follow their example and the best way to do that is for the Senate to pass and the President sign into law the clean continuing resolution passed by the House on January 3, 2019; legislation that is identical to bill the Senate passed 98-0 in the last Congress.

That is the best way to keep faith with all persons who serve the American people as employees of the federal government, and those who depend upon the services they provide.

Madam Speaker, holding harmless the federal employees who have been furloughed by this unnecessary government shutdown is a matter of simple justice.

I urge all Members to join me in voting for S. 24.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this special order to speak against the devastating cuts being proposed for the Farm Bill's Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP).

The $20.5 billion cuts would remove 2 million Americans from the food assistance program, and 210,000 children would lose access to free school meals.

The House Democrats' bill, is virtually identical to legislation that has already passed the Senate on a 92-6 vote, will reopen these agencies and stop some the worst impacts of the Trump Shutdown on families, businesses, and communities.

It provides $23.235 billion in discretionary funding, $225 million above the FY2018 enacted level. In addition, it provides the latest estimates for mandatory programs required by law--including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Child Nutrition Programs. It will ensure that the Department of Agriculture and the FDA are both able to operate through September 30.

This bill rejects President Trump's proposed budget cuts to agriculture, rural development, and conservation programs. It includes funding for rural broadband that President Trump had proposed eliminating.

Finally, the bill rejects President Trump's proposed elimination of Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, both which provide lifesaving food assistance overseas.

For one in six Americans hunger is real and far too many people assume that problems with hunger are isolated in small pockets of the country. That is not the case--hunger is persistent and the impacts real for millions of people who struggle to find enough to eat.

According to Feeding America:

In 2016, 46.2 million people were in poverty, 1.1 million people are food insecure in the Houston area, 2.4 million rural households face hunger;

Three-quarters of the counties with the highest rates of food insecurity are in rural areas;

86% of the counties with the highest rates of child food insecurity are rural;

In 2017, there were 39.7 million people in poverty.

There are 3.7 million Texans at risk of losing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits if the Trump Shutdown does not end.

The more important statistic is how many other Americans will have their local grocery store put at risk of closing or having reduced supplies of groceries to serve their customers because of the economic chaos that will ensue if SNAP benefits across the nation are ended due to the shutdown.

Most Americans have no idea how SNAP, Women, Infants and Children's (WIC) Food and Nutrition Service and other federal food subsidy programs contribute to the affordability of food found in grocery stores.

For grocers, convenience stores and other food retailers, the suspension of funding for the food-stamp program, or SNAP, comes at a time when they cannot afford to lose sales.

Over 3,500 grocery and convenience stores operate on a 1% profit margin, with the proposed cuts to the SNAP program, these stores will experience a large decrease in profit.

There is no feasible way to absorb any kind of decrease in sales.

The abrupt end of SNAP, WIC and other Federal food subsidy program funding that is spent at local grocers would be devastating to all large grocery store chains.

In 2016, more than 52% of SNAP dollars, or $33 billion, were redeemed at big-box stores such as Walmart Inc. and Target Corp., up from 47% in 2015, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show.

Big retailers routinely notice a bump in sales around the time states disperse SNAP money to recipients each month.

Walmart generates roughly $13 billion in annual sales from SNAP transactions, accounting for around 18% of the money spent through the program nationwide.

Some retailers serve regions where more than one-third of shoppers buy groceries with food stamps, without this money most of these stores will not be able to maintain the diverse food choices that are usually available to their consumers.

The retailer with the highest risk of lost sales is Walmart which receives roughly 56% of its food sales.

Dollar General, gets about 5 percent of its sales from SNAP benefits and their traffic slowed tremendously during the last government shutdown, they can't afford the same outcome this year.

President Trump has previously demonstrated a hostility towards the SNAP program in his proposal that retailers pay a fee for authorization to accept food stamps.

The government's overall SNAP spending declines when the economy improves and fewer people rely on the program and this means that grocery store customers are instead using funds from employment or other sources instead.

A government shutdown will have a depressing effect on grocery store sales and compounding this will be a cut in SNAP and WIC funds.

Government low wage workers will be seeking SNAP and WIC assistance as they work to cope with not being paid.

Dean said cutting benefits when people's financial situations are not improving could mean they use money they otherwise would have spent on needs like clothing or even medicine to make up for the gaps in their food budget. So there's still an impact to the overall economy, she said.

A report by the USDA in 2010 also said that boosting SNAP benefits during economic downturns starts a ``multiplier process'' in transactions and consumption. It found that boosting SNAP expenditures by $1 billion was estimated to increase economic activity by $1.79 billion.

Unfortunately, benefits cannot be increased as a direct consequence of the shutdown.

SNAP offers nutrition assistance to millions of low income individuals and families. SNAP is the largest program in the American domestic hunger safety net.

If the Trump Shutdown extends for weeks or months, the damage to the food economy may not be easily repaired.

The Child Nutrition Programs, including School Lunch, School Breakfast, Child and Adult Care Feeding, Summer Food Service and Special Milk will continue operations into February according to the Department of Agriculture.

We cannot afford to create food deserts and greater hunger in our country.

While prices for agricultural products are not expected to be significantly altered in the short term, an extended shutdown coupled with ongoing trade tensions could impact the ability for farmers to operate in the domestic and international marketplace.

The following USDA activities have been shut down during the government funding lapse:

Provision of new rural development loans and grants for housing, community facilities, utilities and businesses.

All recreation sites across the U.S. National Forest System, unless they are operated by external parties under a recreational special use permit.

New timber sales.

Most forest fuels reduction activities in and around communities.

National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) statistics, World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, and other agricultural economic and statistical reports and projections. Investigation of packers and stockyards related to fraudulent and anti-competitive activities.

Assistance for the control of most plant and animal pests and diseases unless funded by cooperators or other non-appropriated sources.

Research facilities except for the care for animals, plants and associated infrastructure to preserve agricultural research. Provision of new grants or processing of payments for existing grants to support research, education, and extension.

ERS Commodity Outlook Reports, Data Products, research reports, staff analysis, and projections. The ERS public website has been taken offline.

Most departmental management, administrative and oversight functions, including civil rights, human resources, financial management, audit, investigative, legal and information technology activities.

Mandatory Audits (Financial Statements, FISMA, and potentially Improper Payments) will be suspended and may not be completed and released on the date mandated by law.

Farm loans and some farm payments (including direct payments, market assistance loans, market facilitation payments for those producers who have not certified production, and disaster assistance programs).

The Agriculture Industry has been harmed by the tariff battles that President Trump started and continues to wage.

Funding was put in the Farm Bill that passed in December to offer some relief that will not come until the shutdown ends.

I ask my Colleagues to join me in voting for the passage of this bill.

President Trump needs to end this shutdown now.