Floor Statements

Madam Chair, today women make up nearly half of our workforce. Sixty-four percent of mothers in the United States work outside the home. Many are the sole family wage earner. Their wages pay for rent, for groceries, for childcare, for healthcare. But even though it is 2019, too often, equal pay for equal work is not a reality.

On average, White women earn 80 cents on the dollar compared with White men in substantially equal jobs. The wage gap is even more pronounced for women of color in nearly every line of work, regardless of education, experience, occupation, industry, or job title.

This has severe and long-term consequences for the lives of working women, families, and for our economy. With the Equal Pay Act, title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and more recently, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, we have made some progress in reducing inequities for women in the workplace. But, unfortunately, loopholes and insufficient enforcement tools have allowed wage discrimination to persist.

For example, a lack of easily accessible data on hiring and wages has made it difficult to detect, let alone prevent, wage discrimination. And even when wage discrimination is discovered, working women face significant barriers to fulfilling the heavy burden of proof for holding discriminating employers accountable.

Last month, I was honored to chair the hearing on persistent, gender- based wage discrimination. We heard witnesses describe the barriers to detecting wage discrimination and holding employers accountable. But most importantly, we heard how the Paycheck Fairness Act will provide workers with the tools they need to help close the gender pay gap and achieve wage equality.

Several States have already acted to address pay inequities, including bipartisan efforts in my home State of Oregon. It is time for Congress to step up and address persistent wage discrimination nationwide.

By passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, we have the opportunity to end discriminatory pay practices that contribute to keeping women and families in poverty. We have the opportunity to finally make equal pay for equal work a reality.

Madam Chair, I include in the Record a letter from AARP outlining support for the Paycheck Fairness Act because the bill will strengthen financial security for women while in the workforce, and later enhance retirement income security.

Madam Chair, I also include in the Record a letter from the AAUW in support of the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Madam Chair, today, we have this opportunity. Let's pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and make equal pay for equal work a reality.

Madam Speaker, climate change is not a distant threat; it is reality. In the Pacific Northwest, our families and communities are facing acidic oceans; unhealthy, smoky air; decreased snowpack; droughts; and extreme weather patterns.

Recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the U.S. Global Change Research Program make clear: human activity is contributing to climate change. The science supporting these reports is convincing and alarming, but there is hope. We have the opportunity and, in fact, the imperative to take action that will protect our planet and grow our economy.

I am honored to serve on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, and I will work with my colleagues to reduce emissions, to transition to 100 percent clean energy, to create good-paying jobs, rebuild our Nation's infrastructure in a sustainable and resilient manner, invest in clean and efficient transportation systems, and support frontline communities, particularly communities of color and low-income communities, that have often faced a disproportionate share of the burden of our past inaction.

The future of our planet and the health of our communities depend on the actions we take today. For our children, our grandchildren, and future generations to come, let's not wait.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to be on the House floor on February 25, 2019 for the vote on H.R. 539. My flight from Oregon was delayed because of weather conditions. If I had been present for the vote, I would have voted in favor of the Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act. This bill would expand the National Science Foundation's Innovation Corps program to give scientists and engineers the tools to commercialize their research. I support this effort to help researchers bring their innovations to market, and I commend the House on the bill's passage.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act.

This year, my State of the Union guest was Alexandria Goddard, a young activist who helped organize Portland's March for Our Lives.

Alexandria led thousands of Oregonians in a march to demand that Congress take action to prevent gun violence.

By passing this bill we are heeding the call of the hundreds of thousands of students who marched for their lives.

They know--and we know--that this bill will save lives because it requires a background check for nearly all firearm sales and transfers.

The evidence shows that Oregon and the other states that have already passed comprehensive background checks have 35 percent fewer gun deaths, and 47 percent fewer women shot by their intimate partners.

Congress is finally doing more than offering thoughts and prayers.

We are acting. We are acting for Parkland, for Sandy Hook, for Umpqua Community College, and for the hundreds of thousands of victims and survivors around the country.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote yes on H.R. 8.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for this resolution to terminate the President's declaration of a national emergency on February 15, 2019. No such emergency exists on the U.S.- Mexico border. The President is using this declaration as a false pretense to divert taxpayer money, primarily away from the Department of Defense, toward the construction of a wasteful, ineffective wall along the southern border. This declaration is an unacceptable abuse of power that circumvents the constitutional authority of Congress. For these reasons, I am a cosponsor of this resolution to terminate the declaration pursuant to the provisions of the National Emergencies Act.

I support taking action to make sure we have the appropriate personnel, equipment, facilities, and resources to protect our borders from criminal activity like trafficking in drugs or people. Building this wall is not a good investment and it will not stop crime or illegal immigration along our southern border. Instead of building walls, we should instead build bridges to those who are fleeing violence and legally seeking asylum in our country. I urge my colleagues to join me in rejecting the President's abuse of power by supporting this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for this government spending bill negotiated by the bipartisan Conference Committee. Although the bill is not what I would have drafted, and I recognize that we still have much work to do in the area of humane immigration reform, we simply cannot have another painful, costly, and unnecessary shutdown. The members of our Coast Guard, TSA, and other federal agencies are still recovering from the most recent shutdown. They deserve certainty, and they need to know that they can continue working and that they will be paid on time. The President must also act responsibly and fulfill his duty to federal workers and those who rely on government services by signing this legislation.

This bill includes many victories I am proud to support; it delivers a pay raise to federal workers to keep pace with the cost of living, invests in the Census to provide a fair and accurate count for underrepresented communities, and dedicates $17 billion in new infrastructure funding to improve our roads, bridges, and mass transit. The legislation increases investments in small business initiatives for minority and women-owned businesses, which will create jobs. The bill also rejects the Trump Administration's attacks on the environment by denying deep cuts to programs that protect clean water, clean air, and public lands.

As with any compromise, I have serious reservations about some of the provisions in this bill--particularly regarding immigration enforcement. I appreciate that our conferees were able to prevent the wasteful inclusion of any increased funding for an ineffective border wall and include humanitarian assistance funding for migrants, but the House must continue to push for smarter, more compassionate use of resources for border security and immigration enforcement. I am concerned that this bill gives the Department of Homeland Security too much leeway to continue the unchecked targeting and detention of immigrants who pose no threat to public safety, rather than focusing enforcement efforts on high-priority criminals.

I continue to support having the appropriate personnel, equipment, facilities, and resources to address crime and trafficking on our borders, but immigration enforcement should not be militarized and operate with impunity. We can treat individuals in a humane and just manner and still prevent crime, reduce trafficking, and keep our country safe. People fleeing violence in their home countries and seeking asylum in the United States need to be protected, not threatened with more persecution. We must enact commonsense changes to improve accountability and protect the fundamental rights of immigrants--especially those legally seeking asylum. I will keep pushing for rigorous oversight of ICE and reforms to our immigration enforcement system.

This legislation is the product of good-faith negotiations between bipartisan leaders in the House and Senate. I am hopeful that this result demonstrates the futility of chaotic brinksmanship, and I hope that we can learn from this experience to resolve differences through dialogue and trust in the legislative process.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Maryland for yielding time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the rule and the Disaster Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2019, which will provide relief and recovery assistance for those affected by natural disasters.

I am pleased that this bill includes $150 million for commercial fishery and fishery resource disasters declared by the Secretary of Commerce.

Oregon's commercial salmon fisheries were devastated in 2016 and 2017 when they saw more than a 70 percent decline in their salmon catch compared to the 5-year average.

Despite considerable Federal and State investment in Chinook salmon recovery, many factors outside of the control of the fishing industry, including drought and changing ocean conditions exacerbated by climate change, continue to impede salmon populations. In Oregon, the 2016 salmon catch levels were so low that they measured among the worst nationwide fisheries disasters of the year. And 2017 was even worse, at less than half of the 2016 value.

These disastrous salmon seasons have already hurt the distressed economies of the coastal communities that rely on the commercial fishing industry.

I have heard from salmon fishermen like Jeff Reeves. He fishes, he farms, and he logs to make ends meet. He scraped, and he invested $200,000 in a boat. Then the back-to-back disaster seasons arrived, and he had to sell it.

As Jeff points out, fishermen are small business owners, and a bad season can be devastating for their livelihoods.

I was proud to lead my Oregon colleagues in calling on Secretary Ross to declare a disaster declaration for ocean troll Klamath River fall Chinook salmon fisheries, and I was glad to see that the secretary issued that declaration last fall.

The $150 million included in this bill will allow those hard-hit communities that depend on fisheries revenue, like those in the Pacific Northwest, to seek Federal assistance and begin the recovery process.

I thank Chairman McGovern and Chairwoman Lowey for their leadership, and Mr. Raskin, as well, on this commonsense bill to support communities affected by natural disasters across the country. I urge all of my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, a TSA agent along with his wife had to sell plasma to make ends meet.

A Federal law enforcement employee just received an eviction notice after trying to explain the shutdown to his apartment manager. In a few days, he and his family will be kicked out of their apartment if they do not receive a paycheck in time to pay their rent.

A counselor at a Federal prison is already working under stressful conditions and not being paid. She and her coworkers wonder how they can make their Federal student loan payments when they aren't getting paychecks.

Members of the Coast Guard are working hard every day in dangerous conditions to keep our coastal communities safe, not knowing how they will pay their rent or other bills without their next paycheck.

Air traffic controllers work in a very complex field that requires concentration and dedication to keep the skies safe, and they are expected to do that without getting paid.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because these Oregonians and hundreds of thousands of people across the country like them are suffering as a result of President Trump's government shutdown.

For 20 days, the President has held the American people hostage over his campaign slogan to build a wall along the southern border, a wall that he promised Mexico would pay for. In those 20 days, I have seen firsthand how harmful this shutdown has been for Oregonians.

I have spoken with individuals from Astoria, Sheridan, Portland, and beyond who are worried: How are they going to pay their rent? How are they going to afford childcare or continue to pay their student loans if their paycheck does not come through on Friday?

Missing even one paycheck can have catastrophic consequences. It is far too high a cost for these dedicated Federal employees to pay for a policy fight that they did not start and have no power to end. This is unconscionable.

Hardworking Oregonians should not lose their homes or be forced to sell plasma because the Federal Government is shut down, especially when they are continuing to report to work and protect our country without pay.

Since taking the majority last week, the House has taken swift action to reopen the government. We have passed bipartisan bills to fund government operations and pay workers who have been furloughed.

The American people have been held hostage long enough. It is past time for the President to abandon his ill-conceived border wall and reopen the Federal Government before more people are hurt.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5509, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act. I thank Majority Leader McCarthy for introducing this good legislation. In the interest of time, I will be placing extended remarks in the Record today.

I rise in support of H.R. 5509, the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act. I thank Majority Leader McCarthy for introducing this good legislation.

Building a STEM workforce that can meet the demands of our continually evolving economy is one of the most pressing challenges we face today. With a persistent and widening STEM skills gap, companies in all sectors continue to struggle to meet their needs for skilled technical workers. We must do more to ensure we are preparing a workforce that can keep pace with these demands, and not just in the near term.

Apprenticeships are a promising approach to bridging this gap. By investing in education and on-the-job training for their workers, employers can develop a workforce equipped with skills tailored to their specific needs. After completing an apprenticeship program, workers are on the path to a long-term, well-paying career.

H.R. 5509 directs the National Science Foundation to provide grants for developing or improving associate, certificate, and applied learning programs at community colleges and universities in partnership with employers. This bill also directs NSF to support research on the skilled technical labor market. These are important steps in the right direction.

In order to build a strong skilled technical workforce we must do more to expand access to these careers. Women make up nearly half of the workforce but only 6 percent of apprentices. I am glad this bill highlights the need for better outreach and I look forward to exploring what more can be done to ensure women and other underrepresented minorities have the

same opportunities to benefit from apprenticeships.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 7, the NASA Enhanced Use Leasing Extension Act of 2018. In the interest of time, I will be placing extended remarks in the Record. Let me just say that this is a commonsense bill to extend an authority that helps NASA more efficiently manage its assets.

I rise in support of S.7, the ``NASA Enhanced Use Lease Extension Act of 2018''.

Enhanced use leasing, or ``EUL'' allows the National Aeronautics and Space Administration--NASA--to enter into agreements with state and local governments, academia, private sector entities, and other Federal government agencies to lease non-excess and underutilized properties at

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2200, the National Integrated Drought Information System Reauthorization Act of 2018.

The NIDIS program has grown tremendously since its creation in 2006, and this reauthorization will aid in continuing its mission to provide a drought early warning system by coordinating and integrating drought research through key Federal, State, local, and Tribal partnerships.

This bill also includes a reauthorization of the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act, which Senator Nelson and I introduced this Congress with bipartisan support.

This bill provides valuable resources to better understand, detect, assess, monitor, and respond to both marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms and hypoxia events.

Updating this program and investing in research on harmful algal blooms and hypoxia will help Oregonians and people across the country who are facing the dangerous effects of exposure to harmful algal blooms in drinking water sources, oceans, and lakes.

Recently, we have seen harmful algal blooms cut off access to clean drinking water for residents of Salem, Oregon, and they have stifled recreational activities on the Willamette River. Harmful algal blooms in the marine environment produce dangerous toxins that make Oregon's prized Dungeness crabs toxic and deprive fishing communities of income.

As co-chair of both the House Oceans Caucus and the House Estuary Caucus, I am pleased to reauthorize the research programs that help us better predict and guard against harmful algal blooms in marine and freshwater systems.

Additionally, this bill contains provisions to reauthorize funding for programs from the Weather Research and Forecasting and Innovation Act of 2017, which I fully support.

Other language in this bill regarding NOAA's Earth prediction innovation center, computing resources, and our next-generation satellite architecture, though valuable, is completely new to this body and is deserving of robust, discussion which has been missing.

Though I am supportive of the NIDIS, the algal blooms bill, and the Weather Act programs that are reauthorized in this legislation, I would like to note that we have not had a hearing, a markup, or any substantive discussion of these programs in the House of Representatives this Congress.

These critical issues do warrant such discussion, given the number of Americans affected by either drought or toxic algal blooms and hypoxia events, and all Americans benefit from NOAA programs that provide timely and accurate forecasts.

I look forward to the Science, Space, and Technology Committee providing a forum to discuss these significant issues next Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I do thank Chairman Smith. I have been on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee my entire time in Congress, and I thank him for his years of leadership and service to the committee.

Even though Chairman Smith and I have not always agreed on every issue, he has been always willing to listen and to work with me and my colleagues on my side of the aisle on bills like the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017, which we worked on for several years together and is now law.

So, again, I thank Chairman Smith for his years of service to the committee. I wish him well in the new chapter of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on December 6, a Rwandan court will decide the fate of human rights activist Diane

Rwigara, who faces up to 22 years in prison for speaking out against President Paul Kagame's government, and for running against him to be president.

The politically motivated charges against Diane seek to quash any criticism of the ruling party, which has gone largely unchallenged for more than 23 years.

Americans know that freedom of speech is essential to democracy. They know that we must protect our right to question our leaders and, importantly, encourage that freedom around the world.

I am sponsoring Diane's case as part of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission's Defending Freedoms Project, because as Diane faces a prolonged jail sentence, she is still calling on fellow Rwandans to resist fear and speak for their country,

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in calling for justice for Diane.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 1768, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act. This bill will reauthorize seismological research and warning systems through Fiscal Year 2022.

Congress established the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) to carry out a longterm, inter-agency earthquake research program. NEHRP focuses on earthquake warning, hazard reduction, and minimizing loss after earthquakes. Earthquake early warning systems can provide several additional seconds of warning before the strongest ground shaking arrives, enough to save lives and protect critical infrastructure.

In Northwest Oregon, it is not a question of if, but when, an earthquake along the Cascadia Subduction Zone will hit our state. The U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with the University of Oregon, the University of Washington, Caltech, and University of California, Berkley, developed ShakeAlert, an early earthquake warning system. The technology has been tested and is proven to work effectively. Federal investments in these programs are critical. Although it is difficult if not impossible to know when and where the next large earthquake will occur, we must do everything that we can to prepare ourselves and our communities to mitigate destruction and save lives. Reauthorizing NEHRP is an important step in recognizing the science behind earthquakes and other natural disasters such as tsunamis and landslides.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, the Endangered Species Act was passed to increase protections for and provide for the recovery of vanishing wildlife.

Unfortunately, in recent years we have seen countless attacks on the ESA and science-based decisions, and this bill is no exception. This bill would hastily remove Endangered Species Act protections for all gray wolves in the lower 48 States without a rulemaking process or the opportunity for judicial review.

Although the population of gray wolves has started to recover, it is now only 5 percent of the number that existed historically. Scientists are just beginning to understand the role of gray wolves in the larger ecosystem, and listing and delisting decisions should be based on science, not politics.

Mr. Speaker, there are so many more important things we need to be doing today. Today, instead of undermining the Endangered Species Act, we should be reauthorizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, passing the Violence Against Women Act, and the list goes on.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge my colleagues to oppose this bill.

Mr. Speaker, it is National Apprenticeship Week and Women in Apprenticeship Day, and I want to highlight the potential for apprenticeships to get people into good-paying jobs.

When I visit communities across northwest Oregon, I hear from many Oregonians who feel left behind and left out of the economic recovery. Far too many families are still struggling to make ends meet.

Their wages are stagnant, and they feel overwhelmed by rising rent prices, barriers to transportation, and skyrocketing costs of childcare. They can't save for retirement or for their kids to go to college. They need access to good-paying jobs so they can support themselves and their families.

Workforce development programs can assist them, particularly assisting those who have barriers to employment. Good workforce policies can help them access the education, training, credentials, and support services they need to secure living-wage jobs. Good workforce policies create opportunities for employers to align training with the skills they need.

As we recognize National Apprenticeship Week and Women in Apprenticeship Day, we must commit to strengthening apprenticeships and work-based learning programs. Investing in these programs will help more people access better-paying, stable careers and provide our businesses with a workforce that will improve productivity and efficiency.

In the district I represent, the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center, or OMIC, is bringing together industry leaders like Boeing with local colleges, including Portland Community College, Oregon Institute of Technology, Oregon State University, and Portland State University, to develop a registered apprenticeship program. This collaboration will result in growth, innovation, and efficiency in advanced manufacturing and a more skilled workforce.

OMIC is a tremendous opportunity for Oregonians and exactly the kind of partnership that brings value to our communities and to our economy. I was proud to help secure funding for OMIC through the Economic Development Administration, and I look forward to seeing its continued growth and the opportunities it will bring to northwest Oregon and our region and our future manufacturing workforce.

Although some employers recognize the importance of recruiting and training all working people, across the country, the representation of women in the trades remains quite low. In Oregon, we are leading the way. Women's participation in registered apprenticeship programs is more than double the national average, demonstrating the value of organizations like Oregon Tradeswomen, with the mission dedicated to promoting success for women in the trades through education, leadership, and mentorship.

We can help increase the presence of programs like Oregon Tradeswomen across the country by increasing funding for the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations grants, and, of course, by supporting the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

To help Oregonians and many other Americans who still face job insecurity, we must expand work-based learning to industries that lack established apprenticeship programs, like healthcare and technology, especially in startups.

Unfortunately, small- and medium-sized businesses often do not have the resources to establish work-based learning programs on their own. Industry partnerships like those at OMIC solve this challenge by bringing together employers, educational institutions, training providers, and local organizations to support the creation and expansion of work-based learning programs that benefit workers and the economy as a whole.

I have worked with my colleague from Georgia, Congressman Drew Ferguson, to introduce the Promoting Apprenticeships through Regional Training Networks for Employers' Required Skills, or PARTNERS, Act.

This bipartisan bill would use existing dollars to invest in industry partnerships to help businesses recruit workers, develop training curriculums, and provide workers with access to tools, work attire, transportation, childcare services, and mentorship support. These support services help businesses retain employees and help workers balance caring for and providing for

their families while they are learning new skills.

The PARTNERS Act and funding for the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act are two pieces of the greater need to invest in apprenticeships and other paid on-the-job training programs.

During National Apprenticeship Week, I stand ready to continue the fight for policies that can help more people access better-paying jobs and meet the demands of our local employers.