Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives 11282017 20171128

2768. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk house calendar 68, a bill to. 27 designate certain mountain peaks in the state of colorado as fowler peak and boskoff peak. I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks. Sorry, sir. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. Tipton, and the gentlewoman from california, mrs. Torres, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. Ms. Tipton i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. I yield myself such time as i may consume. Mr. Speaker the speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Tipton this bill would designate two unnamed peaks in colorado as fowler peak and boskoff peak. Charlie fowler and his partner, Christine Boskoff were longtime residents of colorado. Charlie fowler was one of north americas most experienced mountain climbers and was also an author, guide, filmmaker, photographer and advocate for the outdoors. Beginning in the mid 1980s, charlie worked full time as a mountain guide. Leading mountaineering expeditions in the United States and abroad. His photographs and articles were published in a variety of books and magazines and he was the author of many mountaineering guide books. He was awarded an award by the american alpine society. An honor given annually to an individual who has demonstrated the highest skill in the mountaineering arts and who throughout application of this skill, courage and perseverance has achieved outstanding success in the various fields. Christine boskoff began her career in 1993. Quickly rose in the sport of mountaineers. She went up mount everest. One of the worlds leading alpinist, a guide an adventure traveling sbreer, christine participated in numerous exhibitions in the United States and on five continents. They were also known for their fill an tropic work. Charlie promoted his sport by installing climbing walls in schools across southwest colorado. Christine was active in nonprofits organizations and supported the rights of porters, womens education and Global Literacy and gender equality. Sadly, charlie and christine were killed in an avalanche in november of 2006 while exploring a searies of summits in china. The naming of these peaks is a fitting tribute to charlie and christine, outstanding mountaineers and advocates for our nations treasured open spaces. I urge adoption of this measure and reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlelady from california is recognized. Mrs. Torres mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Mrs. Torres h. R. 2768 names colorado after Charlie Fowler and Christine Boskoff. Fowler and boskoff were world had been class rock climbers whose accomplishments left an enduring legacy on the sport. Sadly in 2016, the two set out to climb a mountain in a remote part of china near the Tibetan Border and never returned. This bill and the remaining of the peaks is a fitting tribute and i support its adoption. And with that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the lady yields back. The gentleman from colorado is recognized. Mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, i yield back my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 2768. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 having responded in the affirmative mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, i request the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. A sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this uestion will be postponed. For what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition . Mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h. R. 2615. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk Union Calendar number 216. H. R. 2615, a bill to authorize the exchange of certain land located in Gulf Islands National seashore, jackson county, mississippi, between the National Park service and the veterans of foreign wars, nd for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. Tipton, and the gentlewoman from california, mrs. Torres, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton thank you, mr. Speaker. I ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection, so ordered. The gentleman. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Tipton h. R. 2615, introduced by mr. Palazzo of National Park ks service be given to the veterans of foreign awars in Gulf Islands National seashore in jackson county, mississippi. This bill benefits both the v. F. W. Post and the park service. It provides the v. F. W. Post with permanent access to their buildings via a long driveway currently owned by the park service while also adding land to the Gulf Islands National seashore. Mr. Speaker, i urge adoption of the measure and reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlelady from california seek recognition . Mrs. Torres mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Mrs. Torres h. R. 2615 is a simple bipartisan bill that authorizes the exchange of two small parcels of land to provide needed access for veterans in mississippi. The veterans of foreign wars post 5699 is located to a portion of gulf island National Seashore. And while having a National Park in your back yard is a desirable condition, the post has found themselves land lock and in they of direct access to their facility. To solve this issue, the Gulf Islands National seashore Land Exchange act will exchange approximately two acres of land owned by the v. F. W. He acreage acquired by the v. F. W. Will establish a short driveway to the post while the land given in exchange to the federal government will be managed as part of Gulf Islands National seashore. This exchange is supported by both the v. F. W. Post and the National Park service and is a simple and longcal solution to a local issue. I am pleased to the see National Park service and the v. F. W. Working together to form a solution to this issue. This bill passed the house in the 114th congress, and i urge all members to support this commonsense bipartisan bill and with that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back. The gentleman from california is recognized. Mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, id now like to be able to yield two minutes to the gentleman from mississippi, mr. Palazzo. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from mississippi is recognized. Mr. Palazzo thank you, mr. Speaker. I want to thank my good friend from colorado for the time and for his positive comments as well as mrs. Torres in support of h. R. 2768. So i rise today in h. R. Of h. R. 2768, the Gulf Islands National seashore Land Exchange act. This is a National Park that draws millions of visitors to the islands in the northern gulf of mexico. The Gulf Islands National seashore includes the in ssippi Barrier Islands davis bay yue area. I am proud to have this sanctuary within my district. The Gulf Islands National seashore has been a part of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community since congress established the park in 1971. Since that establishment, the gulf island National Seashore has worked closely with the veterans of foreign wars post 5699. In fact, the post has served a road with the seashore for the better part of the last 30 years. The gulf island National Seashore Land Exchange act would make permanent a 30year easementes that provided an access road and driveway for the v. F. W. In exchange, the v. F. W. Will the National Islands Gulf Islands National seashore some of the land. They strongly support this Land Exchange but the department of interior needs congressional approval before it can make the Land Exchange official. That is why, mr. Speaker, i encourage the house to pass this bill as a suspension vote and i will also like to thank the subcommittee chairman, mr. Mcclintock, as well as chairman bishop and the committee on Natural Resources for their support and help in bringing this bill to the floor. This is also a noncontroversial bill, and i urge the senate to pass it without delay. With that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentlelady from california has yielded all time. The gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. All time having been yielded the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 2615. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, and the bill is passed and wowed the motion to reconsider is and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. For what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition . Mr. Tipton i ask the house suspend the rules and pass 1491 as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 1491 a bill to reaffirm the action of the secretary of the interior to take land into trust for the benefit of the santa ynez band of Chumash Mission Indians, and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. Tipton, and the gentlewoman from california, mrs. Torres, ach will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection, so ordered. I yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman may proceed. Mr. Tipton i rise in support of h. R. 1491 which would reaffirm the action placing approximately 1400 acres of land into a trust for the enefit of santa ynez band of Chumash Mission Indians in california. They have about 140 enrolled members with 138 acre reservation in ynez, california. The tribe constructed a casino and hotel resort pursuant to indian gaming regulatory act which has lifted the tribe from historic poverty to economic success. With other private investments in the region, the tribe has become one of the largest employers of the Santa Barbara county. In 2010, the tribe purchased 1400 acre track of land known as camp for, located about two miles from the reservation in an unincorporated area of sbashsbash area Santa Barbara area. The tribe intends to use the camp for tribal housing for the current and future members. At present, the landscape is mainly agricultural. In 2014, the burrow of Indian Affairs approved an application into trust under the regulatory procedures. However, the title has not been transferred to the United States pending the resolution of an administrative appeal filed by the Santa Barbara county and private citizens. On january 17, 2017, the department of interior dismissed appeals of the application and affirmed the 2014 decision. Despite dismissals of the appeal, the tribe and the county of Santa Barbara continue to work to address concerns with the trust acquisition. On november 1, 2017, the tribe and county entered into a longterm memorandum of agreement to protect mutual interest of both the tribe and the county. The bill, as amended, includes reference to this agreement in support of the county of Santa Barbara. I would like to thank the sponsor of this bill, the indians insular and Alaskan Native Affairs subcommittee chair, mr. Lamalfa, for his hard work on this legislation and id like to urge adoption of this measure and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlelady from california is recognized. Mrs. Torres mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady may proceed. Mrs. Torres this would clear the way for the indians to provide tribal housing for their members. Only 17 of the tribal members in descendents live in tribal housing. In 2010, the tribe purchased approximately 1,400 acres of ancestral land in an effort to provide suitable housing for the tribes members and their descendents. Even though this land was taken into trust in january of this year, a number of the parties continue to File Lawsuits appealing the decision. The chumash leadership has been forthcoming in their desire to acquire this land only for additional tribal housing and they have attempted to be Good Neighbors by engaging local elected officials and groups to mitigate any concerns, any and all concerns. It is a shame that it has almost taken a decade for this issue to be resolved, but we are now at a point where we can finally put an end to this process. Passage of h. R. 1491 will reinforce the secretary of the decision that put the land in trust and will also incorporate a memorandum of agreement between the chumash tribe and the Santa Barbara county board of supervisors in relations to the land. I want to congratulate the chumash leadership for their work and persistence on this issue and the board of supervisors for coming to this agreement. I also want to thank my friend and colleague from california, chairman lamalfa, for carrying this legislation, for not giving up and for moving it forward. And i reserve the balance of my time. The the speaker pro tempore the gentlelady reserves. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Tipton i yield three minutes to the gentleman from california, mr. Lamalfa. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Lamalfa first of all, im pleased to present this bill here tonight and im so proud of the effort to work bipartisanly with my colleague and friend, our Ranking Member of the committee, mrs. Torres and all the members of the committee, we have had such overwhelming support to move this bill along. Mr. Speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass the bill we have that settled. Ok. So indeed, this is a culmination of a lot of strong, bipartisan effort here in the committee as well as the community itself where we had sought consensus during the whole time, the several years i have been involved with this legislation and now as chairman of the subcommittee on Indian Affairs we have seen. The local consensus thats been built with local government, with the tribe, and my colleagues on the committee. So with the inclusion of language referencing the local agreement, the bill is supported santa ynez band of chumash indians and was reported out of committee by unanimous consent in september. Located in Santa Barbara county, as was pointed out by my colleagues, for thousands of years of report of recorded history, the chumash were corded in the earliest explorers. In the early 1800 theerks chumash became wards of the Spanish Mission in santa ynez and later lands were granted to them which included camp fort. The commission recognized the tribe continued to reside in the area, though only 99 acres were ultimately taken into trust for them at the time which is a fairly common problem for many tribes with various things that have happened to them such as derek in addition and desertification over the years, tribes end up on very small, narrow parcels of land that make it difficult for them to grow and prosper. So today, partly because of that, the chumash face a significant housing crisis as was pointed out, fewer than 17 of their members and descendants are table reside on the tribes existing reservation which con tists consists largely of hillsides and stream beds which is unsuitable for housing. So they use their own resources to purchase a parcel with the intent of constructing homes for their members. They applied to take it into trust administratively and after conducting a thorough public process, the bureau of Indian Affairs issued a notice of intent to take land into entrust in 214. Mr. Tipton id like to yield two minute two more minutes to mr. Lamalfa. Mr. Lamalfa thank you, mr. Tipton. They completed the process in 2017. On october 3124erks county ratified an agreement with the chumash, ensuring that any impacts of the housing on local infrastructure would be address and the department of interior approved the agreement on the same day. In order to allow the chumash to address their housing cry circumstances h. R. 1491 takes the following actions. It affirms and ratifies the action of the department of interior to take the parcel into trust on january 19, 2017. It codifies the agreement ratified in kt of 2017, addressing impacts to local infrastructure and services and by request of the chumash prohibits the operation of gaming facilities on the parcel this protects and respects rights of ways held by local stake holders this bill represents the culmination of years of effort on the part of chumash and others. Indeed the chairman of the subcommittee on indian and alaska native affairs, i believe this is the outcome of good faith by all parties and should be considered a model for maintaining positive working relationships between tribes and local governments. So i thank you again for your consideration and support of this bipartisan, noncontroversial measure. I reserve my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentleman continues to reserve. The gentlelady is recognized. Mrs. Torres i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Tipton i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 1491. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid n the table. For what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition . Mr. Tipton i move to suspend the rules and pass h. R. 3115 as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. Caller Union Calendar number 20 the clerk Union Calendar umber 206. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. Tipton, and the gentlewoman from california, mrs. Torres, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection, so ordered. The gentleman is recognized. Mr. Tipton i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman will proceed. Mr. Tipton this is a bipartisan bill that implemented land edges change to facilitate the exercise of certain mineral rights in the Superior National Forest in minnesota to provide Economic Growth in the area. Representative nolan will have more on thisment across the United States, people hold mineral estates underlying lands acquired by the National Forest under the weeks act. Without an agreement like the one in this bill their ability to exercise those valid, preexisting rights is in jeopardy. I note the Land Exchange authorized in this bill has undergone extensive Environmental Review under the review act of 1969 and was supported by the owhat ba ma administration. This is an equal value Land Exchange by holder of the mineral estate, foregos any equalization payment under the bill if the private land being squaped for swapped for the federal land is worth more. Finally the bill includes a net increase in the size of the Superior National Forest of 40 acres. No wonder the bill was supported by Ranking Members on the subcommittee on federal lands and the subcommittee of Natural Resources when it was considered in july. I commend congressman nolan, congressman peterson, congressman em effort and congressman lewis for working together to craft this commonsense resolution bill to minnesota. I urge adoption of the measure and reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. The gentlelady is recognized. Mrs. Torres i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady may proceed. Mrs. Torres the Mining Company will acquire land within minnesotas Superior National Forest to pursue the development of an Open Pit Mine while the Forest Service already approved the exchange, i understand several groups of concerned minnesotans have expressed concerns about the proposed development incruding the fondue lack band of a federalry federally recognized tribe whose reservation is downstream from the proposed mind. This is part of the tribes ancestral homeland and they have concerns that the conveyance would impact their retained rights to hunt, fish, and gather. Federal ownership protects these rights. As Ranking Member of the subcommittee on indian and native alaskan affairs, i think its important to listen to the nate i communities. I understand this is a primary concern for representative nolan and i look forward to hearing from him. Mr. Tipton i reserve. Mrs. Torres i yield five minutes to the sponsor of this legislation mr. Nolan. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Nolan mr. Speaker, members of the house, i rise in support 3115, the Land Exchange palumet mining and the National Forest service. What this involves, the Mining Company is giving up approximately 6,550 acres of forestland that is surrounded by old mining sites with no public access. And in return, they are giving additional 40, an acres, that are a wonderfully good deal for the taxpayers and the concerns of the environment, people who just look at the exchange. At the end of the day, the taxpayers get more land. Taxpayers get more value. 425,000, to be exact. Theres no cost to the taxpayers. The public gets more access to the land. They get more lakeshore property. More timber land. More wild rice land. And more wetlands. D if approved and if the mining project should ultimately go forward, by the way, its received the highest marks that any mining project has ever received from the e. P. A. After almost 12 years of review. The simple truth here is this is a good bill for the public and let me say, its important to note, there are some things this bill does not do. And i need to say that because theres some terrible misinformation floating around out there. Number one, it does not authorize a mining project. Lets make that very clear. Number two, it does not interfere with the state and the federal Environmental Review processes, procedures and permitting process. Most importantly, the preponderance of information coming into my office is concern for the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoeing area and rightfully so. An original sponsor of that before i took my 3 year hiatus. Theres no pristine area in the country, perhaps the world that needs to be protected. But let me show you something. For those of you who werent paying attention in science class, last Continental Divide which water north of that flows north and water to the south of that flows south. This project is south of the Continental Divide, so theres physically no way possible, short of a nuclear bomb or getting hit by a planet or something, that that water can flow into, in any way harm or damage the Boundary Waters. To be specific, right here, theres a 60yearold mining project, north shore mine, theyve been mining there for 60 years. And theres sulfur in that soil as well. Its never been caused any damage to the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe area. This is a good bill for the environment. Its good for jobs. Its good for the community. In no way can it in any way harm the Boundary Waters or i wouldnt be standing here today advocating for its purchase. Thank you, i urge my colleagues to adopt this important piece of legislation and i remind you it has good support from minnesota, our senators our governors, bipartisan support from our congressional delegation, chamewoferse commerce, the trade unions, its a good bill and i urge its adoption. And i reserve the balance of manufacture balance of my time i might have left. Thank you very much. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentlelady from california reserves. The chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from california. Mrs. Torres i yield three minutes to the gentlelady from minnesota, representative mccollum. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Ms. Mccollum i rise today in opposition to h. R. 3115, the Superior National ForestLand Exchange act of 2017. This bill mandates an exchange of more than 6,600 acres in the Superior National Forest for the construction of a massive, open pit, coppernickel mine this project is controversial with a majority of minnesotans who oppose the toxic sull fite mine or mining because it is a threat to our water quality, public lands, and Outdoor Recreation in our state. This legislation also raises serious due process concerns. There are four pending lawsuits challenging the Land Exchange based on existing environmental laws. And concerns about the appropriate appraisal values. Federal courts are still considering these suits but this legislation undermines the proper judicial review to expedite the construction of this mine. Finally this bill ignores the treaty rights of the Lake Superior chippewa, a federally recognized tribal nation. The Fond Du Lac Reservation is downstream from the proposed site and the tribal chairmen 20e8d congress this mine will, and i quote the tribal chairman, pose a direct threat to the water and the fish, the game and the wild rice on which the tribe depends. The National Congress of American Indians also strongly opposes this legislation. Due undermines legal process, environmental safeguards and the treaty rights of our native american brothers and sisters, and i urge my colleagues to vote no on h. R. 3515 and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from minnesota yields. The gentlelady from california reserves. The gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton reserves. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady from california. Mrs. Torres mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields. The question is will the house rulls and pass the bill h. R. 3115, as amend the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h. R. 3115, as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. The gentlelady. Mrs. Torres i request the yeas and nays. The speaker pro tempore the yeas and nays are requested. All those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays. Ill rise a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered are ordered. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. The speaker pro tempore for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition . Mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h. R. 995 as amended. The speaker pro tempore the clerk will report the title of the bill. The clerk h. R. 995, a bill to direct the secretary of agriculture and the secretary of the interior to amend regulations for racial appropriateness. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. Tipton, and the gentlewoman from california, mrs. Torres, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Tipton mr. Speaker, the United States is 241 years old. In that time the countrys seen an immense amount of change and growth. Over the course of history, laws and policies have been updated to be able to reflect this growth of the however, some decades old statutes and regulations still contain antiquated terms. Enacted in 2016, public law 114197 modernized antiquated ethnic terms found in the minority of Economic Impact of the department of energy in section 106 of the local Public Works Capital Development and investment act of 1976 for racial appropriateness. H. R. 995 would make similar changes to terms found in certain regulations of the department of agriculture and the department of interior. At this point i would like to insert into the record an exchange of letters with chairman conway of the agriculture committee, and we thank him and his staff for their cooperation in scheduling this bill. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Tipton i thank the sponsor of this bill, mr. Jeffries, and id like to be able to urge adoption of the measure and reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves. He gentlelady from california. Mrs. Torres mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Mrs. Torres thank you, mr. Speaker. This bill could not be more straightforward. H. R. 995 would require that usda and the department of interior to change the terminology used to describe the racial background or place of origin of people. These very outdated and offensive racial terms have no place in our federal regulations. Modernizing these terms should be a continuous effort across all agencies. I want to thank the gentleman from new york, mr. Jeffries, for his leadership on this issue by pushing this legislation forward. Mr. Speaker, i want to include for the record the phrases that this bill would change. Replacing the references to the term negro with black or africanamerican. Replacing the definition of negro with a definition of africanamerican as a person. Ving origins replacing the references of term of oriental with asian american. To replacing the references aleut with imo, native american. I think we need to move and pass this bill and finally address people as we should. I also want to bring attention to the title of the bill, 21st. Entury respect act mrs. Torres mr. Speaker, i also want to add that the bill was reported out of committee by unanimous vote. I want to read into the record representative jeffries remarks of h. R. 995, the 21st century respect act, a bipartisan bill that will remove outdated and offensive racial labels from the code of federal regulations. I thank Ranking Member grijalva and torres and chairman bishop and lamalfa for working with me to move this important bill expeditiously through committee. I also want to thank congressman chabot for his support and partnership. Words matter. They can cause great harm by making people feel lesser or other. And when words rooted in bigotry in our nations laws it signals that we as a country are legitimizing and normalizing bigotry. Unfortunately, there are still laws on the books that use old offensive racial terms to refer to our fellow americans. These terms come from areas where intolerance was acceptable and they have no place in modern society. For example, title 36 of the c. F. R. Still uses the term eskimo to refer to certain indigenous americans from alaska. People in many parts of the arctic consider eskimo a derogatory term because it was barbarism and violence. The 21st century respect act replaces eskimo with alaska native, a term embraced by the people it describes. Title 7 also includes the terms oriental and negro which are are disparaging today. H. R. 995 replaces those old labels with asian american, a Pacific Islander and black or africanamerican. Respectively. These new terms reflect americas growth and progress. Now more than ever we need to be conscious of the signals and messages that our words and actions are sending to our fellow citizens. As elected officials, it is our responsibility to lead by example and make sure that our laws and institutions reflect our best aspirations of unity and respect for americans of all backgrounds. Passing the 21st century respect act is a demonstration of our commitment to ensuring that every person who pledges allegiance to our flag feels valued and included by the ation it represents. I encourage all of my olleagues to support h. R. 995. These, mr. Speaker, are words from congressman hakeem jeffries, who is on his way. I reserve my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady reserves. The gentleman from colorado is recognized. Mr. Tipton thank you, mr. Speaker. I think the legislation that were seeing on the floor today demonstrates addressing a variety of issues. Be it on our public lands, needing that to be updated, private Property Rights to be able to be updated but probably is nothing more personal than the legislation that we are addressing at this particular moment, to be able to be respectful of individuals and how they are actually to be addressed. This legislation which is along time coming, much like mr. Jeffries coming to the floor, to be able to address this important piece of legislation for the house to be able to consider as we move forward with our business and with that, mr. Speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the entlelady from california. Mrs. Torres mr. Speaker, i yield one minute to mrs. Demings, representative demings. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Mrs. Demings thank you so much, mr. Speaker. I rise in support of h. R. 995, the 21st century respect act, which we all know is a bipartisan bill that will remove outdated and offensive racial labels from the code of federal regulations. Mr. Speaker, we all know that words matter. They matter. We all stand and recite the pledge of allegiance every day. Every day i take those words very, very seriously. Words do matter. It is time that we remove outdated and offensive language from any code, policy, law, regulation. Words like eskimo, words like oriental. Y god, words like negro. They matter. And as elected officials, we have a responsibility. Thank you so much, mr. Speaker. And i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleladys time has expired. The gentlelady from california reserves. The gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton i reserve, mr. Speaker. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentlelady from california. Mrs. Torres can you tell me how much time we have . The speaker pro tempore 11 minutes. Mrs. Torres i yield five minutes to mr. Jeffries. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. Mr. Jeffries i thank the distinguished gentlelady from california, for yielding, for her leadership. As well as for her support. In addition to Ranking Members grijalva, chairman bishop, chairman lamalfa, and the entire committee for moving this bill expeditiously to the house floor. And for their leadership and partnership in this regard. I also want to thank my good friend and fellow Judiciary Committee member, congressman chabot, for his support, leadership and cosponsorship of this legislation. Words definitely matter. They can cause great harm and division. Particularly when they are invetted in federal statute. So this step that were taking today as it relates to the 21st century respect act is important as a symbol from this congress, the peoples house, to the nation, that we can come together. That were all fellow americans. Hat outdated, antiquated and racially stereotypical terms like negro and eskimo and oriental are not appropriate at this time in america. They reflect a more divisive bygone era. Im thankful for all of my colleagues for coming together in this regard. Small but meaningful step an era otherwise characterized by great division. And perhaps an indication that we can come together as democrats, as republicans, as people of diverse racial backgrounds, to heal whatever divisions may remain in our society. So i thank all of my colleagues for their leadership and support and i yield back to the distinguished gentlelady from california, my good friend. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentlelady from california reserves. The gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton i reserve. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The gentlelady from california. Mrs. Torres i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The gentleman from colorado. Mr. Tipton i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bills a amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rule is suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Without objection, the title is amended. For what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition . Mr. Speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass hrment r. 2228, h. R. 228, the Law Enforcement Mental Health and wellness act of 2007, as with 2017, as amended. The clerk a bill to provide support for Law Enforcement Agency Efforts to protect Mental Health and wellbeing of Law Enforcement officers and for other purposes. The speaker pro tempore pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from virginia, mr. Goodlatte, and the gentlewoman from texas, ms. Jackson lee, each will control 20 minutes. The chair recognizes the gentleman from virginia. Mr. Goodlatte mr. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on h. R. 2228, currently under consideration. The speaker pro tempore without objection. Mr. Goodlatte mr. Speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized. Mr. Goodlatte today we are voting on h. R. 2228, the Law Enforcement Mental Health and wellness act. This bill is designed to equip local Law Enforcement agencies with information and resources to address Mental Health challenges faced by officers. Our police men and women report for duty every day, facing and responding to danger on our behalf. We often see them and we always appreciate them. However, we often dont consider the mental aspect of the challenges facing our officers who put themselves in harms way to protect our communities. Today we consider the toll their jobs take on their psychological wellbeing. Every day these brave men and women face some of the highest stress situations one can imagine. When officers hang up their badges at the end of a shift, they cannot easily hang up the lingering effects of their high stakes encounters. As this stress accumulates, it can lead to serious physical and Mental Health problems. Research has shown time and again that Police Officer Occupational Stress is directly correlated to heart disease, divorce, alcohol abuse, and major psychological illnesses. Including acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders. Over 900,000 men and women serve as sworn Law Enforcement officers in the United States. Each year more of them die from suicide than from gun fire and Traffic Accidents combined. Many departments have started Mental Health programs as preventive measures. These programs have been successful in reducing the number of Police Officer suicides from 300 in 1998 to 126 in twelve. But in departments where Mental Health and Wellness Programs remain absent, these problems continue. We must address this gap. H. R. 2228 directs the department of justice in consultation with the departments of defense and Veterans Affairs, to equip local Law Enforcement agencies to address Mental Health challenges faced by Police Officers. It also permits d. O. J. s office of Community Oriented policing services to award grants to peer mentoring pilot programs and directs the attorney general to make recommendations on how to make these and other programs more effective. Mr. Speaker, we all recognize the profound challenges faced by Law Enforcement in this country. Today we also acknowledge the unseen toll that these challenges can take on the health of these brave men and women. I would like to thank mrs. Brooks of indiana for introducing this bill and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for this important step in providing Law Enforcement agencies with the resources to treat severe mental and physical stress. Our men and women in blue deserve the appreciation and support of all of us. Mr. Speaker, i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. The chair recognizes the gentlelady from texas. I jackson lee mr. Speaker, rise to reserve to utilize such time as i may consume. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Ms. Jackson lee but i rise as well to wish and hope that all of my colleagues and americans had a wonderful thanksgiving. And again to thank the men and women of the United States military for their service. It is particularly noteworthy that they serve in this time, when families are gathered. I thank mr. Goodlatte for collaborating on this legislation and i rise in support of h. R. 2228, the Law Enforcement Mental Health act of 2017. Ensuring the Mental Health and wellbeing of our Law Enforcement officers is paramount to the safety of our communities and the people our officers take a solemn oath to protect. Im also very pleased to acknowledge val demings, a colleague, and as well a member of the Homeland Security committee of which i serve. E are better off for the experience, commitment and professional career that she had as a Law Enforcement officer and chief. Shes one of the cosponsors of this legislation and i look forward to hearing from her. Let me also take note of the fact that texas experienced a depth of sadness over the Holiday Weekend when we lost one of our department of Public Safety officers who was killed by a perpetrator during the thanksgiving weekend. We pray for him and his family. H. R. 2228 is intended to provide support for Law Enforcement Agency Efforts, to protect the Mental Health and wellbeing of Law Enforcement officers. I support this legislation as a good first step toward Congress Addressing the various matters surrounding the Mental Health of our Law Enforcement officers. We must recognize that Law Enforcement officers play a special role in our communities with exceptional responsibilities to protect and serve. Where they see encounter and respond to horrendous situations that are both dangerous, stressful and often lifethreatening. Imagine those officers who came upon that scene sunday morning in texas a few weeks ago, where 27 texans were murdered in church and 20 were injured. Imagine churches that are frightened about worshiping. And imagine as i left my hometown, houston, that there were Law Enforcement officers who were gathered to meet with pastors to give them comfort. They are there for us. As well, for example, Law Enforcement officers have had to respond to several recent tragedies which include the Pulse Night Club shooting in orlando, florida, where 49 people were killed. And 53 others wounded. The killing of five officers and the wounding of nine other officers along with two civilians in dallas. The San Bernardino shooting, 14 innocent employees. The las vegas massacre, where a gunman killed 58 innocent concert goers and injured nearly 500 others. And again most recently, as i indicated, on november 5, the deadliest mass shooting by an individual in texas, the fifth deadliest mass shooting in the United States, as well as the deadliest shooting in an american place of worship in modern history, where 26 were gunned down in sutherland springs, including an 18monthold child and a pregnant mother and where 20 others were injured. These horrific occurrences have become all too common in our todays society. These chilling tragedies continue to affect us all. Imagine the impact they have collectively on our on our Law Enforcement officers with whom these traumatic situations remain long after the threats are reduced. Everyone has returned home and communities they serve have regained a renewed sense of safety. Imagine that officer that comes upon horrific Traffic Accident that kills a family. Imagine their pain and their concern. Requiring these officers to continue to serve without providing them an effective avenue to process the da day the day to day crisis does an injustice to them. That is why this is a very Important Initiative and im really excited to support it. I want to also raise, for my colleagues, that ive been a long standing advocate for helping Police Officers. As we have worked together with the chairman of the committee and other members of the committee. And i want to make mention of the Law Enforcement trust and integrity act, which takes a comprehensive approach to addressing policing issues, including recognition of the importance of sustaining Mental Health Mental Wellbeing of our officers. This piece of legislation addresses tragedies where weve seen actions take place and countless unfortunate incidents have happened. Maybe because of the lack of deescalation. So this bill, which i hope we can move along, as this bill that we have the underlying bill requires the attorney general to perform an initial analysis of existing Law Enforcement accreditation standards and to recommend areas for development. That gives training, it also takes into account Mental Health needs. And funding needs. It authorizes the attorney general to make grants to states, units of local government, indian tribal governments to study Law Enforcement Agency Management and operations and to develop pilot programs to implement best practices. It requires the attorney general to study the prevalence and impact of any law, rule or procedure that allows a Law Enforcement officer to not be able to answer the questions posed as quickly as possible by any of the authorities investigating situations. It authorizes appropriations for expenses related to criminal and Civil Enforcement activities by the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department and requires the department of justice to establish a task force to assist local investigations and it requires each federal, state and local Law Enforcement agency to report to the attorney general on the actions in that particular department. To help that department assess its own work, require the department of justice to cooperate with the national Law Enforcement officers memorial fund, something that was very important to me, to provide a distinctive medallion to be issued to the survivors of Law Enforcement officers killed in he line of duty. As well, this is in sync with the task force that was held in the last administration that offered to discuss ways to improve policing and to help our individual Police Officers. We want to be partners for safety and security and Community Police relations and we want them to have good health and the ability to serve their public in a good health mindset. Under todays bill, the attorney general shall review current Mental Health practices and services of federal agencies and report to congress, develop resources to educate Mental Health care providers about the Law Enforcement culture across the board and develop evidencebased therapies as a result. I believe with this legislation if passed it will create an atmosphere where Law Enforcement officers will be comfortable sharing their thoughts or assessments or best practices. Under this bill, the underlying bill, they shall conduct case studies designed primarily to address officers Psychological Health and wellbeing and submit such a report to congress. The attorney general shall also consult with the secretary of Homeland Security and head of federal agencies to examine the Mental Health needs of federal Law Enforcement officers and the expanding of peer programs. Ensuring resources to protect the privacy of officers, that is extremely important and report these findings to congress no late than one year after enactment. Mr. Speaker, the key to all this is to build the trust between community and police and Police Community and Police Families and families of those who come within the range of the Law Enforcement. If we can all work together, we can trust each other, we will have a better system of justice. It is a good first step, this bill, and i look forward to working as well on other Law Enforcement bills including the Law Enforcement and integrity bill that i just so noted. With that i reserve my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady reserves. The gentleman from virginia. Mr. Goodlatte mr. Speaker, at this time its my pleasure to yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from indiana, mrs. Brooks, the chief sponsor of the legislation. The speaker pro tempore gentlelady. Mrs. Brooks the speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized. Mrs. Brooks i want to thank the gentleman for his many, many years of support for Law Enforcement. I also want to thank the gentlelady from texas for her support of this bill and for leading the voice today to talk about trust between Law Enforcement community and the communities in which they protect and i believe that this bill will go a long way in helping our Law Enforcement and the communities in which they serve to protect should recognize the types of trials and tribulations that our Law Enforcement officers face every day. Also want to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who, before coming to congress, were leaders in the Law Enforcement communities, including the gentlelady from florida, who i believe we will hear from, who day in and day out served and protected their own communities. I introduced the Law Enforcement Mental Health and wellness act because our nations Law Enforcement officers often deal with the unthinkable. They daily face situations that can be hard to process, impossible to forget. The work our nations Law Enforcement officers undertake put incredible strains on them, on their families, places them in situations that increase their chances of developing mental disorders. Between 7 to 19 of Police Officers have symptoms of ptsd. In comparison, only 3. 5 of the general population experience ptsd. Furthermore, the suicide rate for our nations Law Enforcement officers is double the rate which officers are killed by violent felons. In the Fifth District of indiana, boone county sheriff mike nielson desperately and publicly pleaded for a better Mental Health service after his daughter, also a Police Officer, tried to take her own life. She was struggling with ptsd after responding to a case involving the murder of a mother and her 4yearold son. Our Police Officers face a culture of silence when it comes to Mental Health challenges, and we know they need better access to Mental Health services to allow them to cope with these horrific types of unforgettable situations. As a former deputy mayor of indianapolis, responsible for Public Safety, i know firsthand the struggles our law nforcement Community Members have. The Police Department began a pilot programs that provides Mental Health services to officers including counseling and referrals to doctors, psychologists, clinicians to get them the help they need. And that Program Actually inspired this bill. Recognizing the tremendous work already been doing by the Veterans Administration and the department of defense that have done on behalf of our Nations Service members, this bill will require the Justice Department to consult with this federal the federal agencies to determine which Mental Health practices they developed that would be most useful in the Law Enforcement setting. We also have to encourage our officers to share their experiences with their colleagues who can understand and empathize with them about the traumatic events they experience while serving in the line of duty. To that end, this bill establishes a Grant Program within Justice Department to establish peer mentoring Mental Health and wellness pilot programs within state, local and tribal Law Enforcement agencies. Mr. Speaker, this is an issue that affects the Law Enforcement Community Across the country. I urge my colleagues and want to thank my colleagues in joining me in supporting this important proposal. Our nations Law Enforcement officers are duty bound to protect and serve, and its only fair that we work to protect them as well from the stress and trauma that they face to keep our communities safe. With that i thank you and yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back. The gentleman from virginia reserves. The chair recognizes the gentlelady from texas. Ms. Jackson lee i thank the gentlelady for her remarks, and we are working together to build that trust and to safely secure the community and our officers. With that in mind, as i indicated, mr. Speaker, im delighted to be able to yield to the gentlelady from florida who brings to the United States very important contributions as the Ranking Member on the criminal Justice Committee these voices are well needed, it is congresswoman val demings who is a former chief of police of the city of orlando, florida. I yield to her two minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. Mrs. Demings thank you so much, mr. Speaker. Thank you so much to the gentlelady from texas for being a leading voice on this issue. Mr. Speaker, i rise today in support of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and wellness act which i am proud to cosponsor with my friend and colleague representative susan brooks from indiana. I also want to thank all of my colleagues for their support on this very important issue. Our Law Enforcement officers respond to some of the most horrific scenes and situations. After 27 years in Law Enforcement, how well i know. They respond without regard to their own personal safety and they are the thin blue line that stands between a safe place and the dangers that lurk in our society. We should all thank god for the men and women who patrol our streets, our neighborhoods, our businesses, our schools, and our highways to keep us safe. Being a Law Enforcement officer is not just what they do. Its who they are. All the dangers, the unknowns, the graphic crime scenes, splitsecond life and death decisions, dont be fooled. There is no other job quite like it. The National President of the fraternal order of police said this, unlike many other professions, sometimes you cant leave the job at the office. Mr. Speaker, as a former Law Enforcement officer, i am proud to cosponsor the Law Enforcement Mental Health and wellness act. This important piece of legislation would ensure that agencies are better equipped and officers have the resources needed to effectively deal with the stress and Mental Health challenges associated with the job. Mr. Speaker, what an amazing opportunity we have to pass legislation to protect the Mental Health and overall wellbeing of the men and women in blue as they continue ms. Jackson lee i yield an additional 30 seconds. Mrs. Demings thank you so much. As they continue to protect and take care of us. With that i yield back. Thank you. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady yields back. The gentlelady from texas reserves. The gentleman from virginia reserves. The gentlelady from texas. Ms. Jackson lee my pleasure now to yield to a distinguished member of the Judiciary Committee, the subcommittee chair on intellectual property and Senior Member from new ork, jerry nadler, for three minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for three minutes. Mr. Nadler i flies strong support of the Law Enforcement Mental Health and wellness act. This bill would take a number of steps to help protect the Mental Wellbeing of those two take extraordinary steps to protect all of us. The office of Community Oriented policing services at the department of justice reports that Law Enforcement has an occupational fatality rate three to five times higher than the National Average for the working population. Officers respond to horrible situations that are dangerous, stressful and sometimes life threatening. In addition to protecting Law Enforcement officers from the physical hazards associated with doing their daily jobs, we must also do more to protect them from the mental and emotional difficulties resulting from their work. That is why i support this bill, which would initiate several efforts to help the Mental Wellness of our Law Enforcement officers. The bill calls for the collaboration of the Justice Department, the defense department, and the Veterans Affairs department to determine which Mental Health practices and services from the military agencies may be adopted to help civilian Law Enforcement. The bill would expand the allowable uses of existing Justice Department grants to include establishment of Mental Health and Wellness Programs within state, local and tribal Law Enforcement agencies. The bill would direct the Justice Department and the department of health and Human Services to develop educational materials for Mental Health providers about the culture of Law Enforcement agencies. And finally, the bill would consider improvements to crisis hotlines to better serve those in Law Enforcement who seek to use them. Although i am particularly proud of new yorks finest, i am glad that this bill will help Law Enforcement officers in every jurisdiction across the country. Their service certainly deserves the assistance this legislation will provide. Therefore, i ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill today, and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back. The gentlelady from texas reserves. The gentleman from virginia reserves. The gentlelady from texas. Ms. Jackson lee again, let me thank the two prior speakers, congresswoman demings and congressman nadler, for very insightful, very important remarks on this particular legislation. Id like now to yield to the distinguished gentleman, again, from new jersey, someone who i know has a passion for first responders, as we have worked together even more closely after the heinous tragedy of 9 11, i yield to the gentleman, mr. Pascrell, three minutes, from new jersey. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new jersey is recognized for three minutes. Mr. Pascrell thank you, mr. Speaker. Thank you to the gentlelady from texas. And, again, congratulations to the chairman who has distinguished himself in Law Enforcement since hes been here. As the cochair of the congressional Law Enforcement caucus and an original sponsor of h. R. 2228, i rise today in strong support of Law Enforcement, of this Mental Health and wellness act, and i want to join with so many of the organizations that have are supporting this. The fraternal order of police, the National Association of Police Officers, the major county this was of america, the federal Law Enforcement officers association, the National District attorneys association, and sergeants benevolent association. I was proud to have worked with my cochair, david reichert, and representatives susan brooks, val demings, doug collins on this legislation for the Law Enforcement community. We all agree that the brave men and women in Law Enforcement put themselves in difficult if not dangerous and sometimes lifethreatening situations every day. We teach officers how to handle every different situation, whether it is a domestic dispute, whether it is a hostage dispute, or any other, but we need to think about the officer who comes away from that particular experience with himself. Thats about it. Goes tome who his family home to his family. Its sluletly critical we provide our absolutely critical we provide our Law Enforcement officers with all the tools they need to effectively do their job. Ive consistently fought for new equipment, advanced technology to provide physical protection for Law Enforcement when theyre on duty. However we must also ensure Law Enforcement has the resources and support and training to address Mental Health issues as well. The stresses on Law Enforcement have continued to grow in recent years. This can have a big impact on officers physical and Mental Wellbeing. That is why officer Mental Wellness needs to be a priority from the day of hire to the day of retire. We know too many officers struggle with depression, suicidal thoughts, posttraumatic stress disorder. As cochair of the traumatic brain injury in the congress of the United States, myself and dr. Collins, who is the republican from pennsylvania, started out 20 years ago, we could fit the number of people in a telephone booth. We just about knew what we were talking about. And that has changed how we approach our military forces on the field. Ms. Jackson lee i yield the gentleman 30 more seconds. Mr. Pascrell thank you. According to the badge of life, a group that studies posttraumatic stress disorder among police, weve heard tonight of how many suicides were talking about. Tragically many Police Officers with ptsd are not even aware they have the problem. Often they remain on their beat during the job without help or support. By discussing the importance of improfblinging an officers Mental Health, we can improving an officers Mental Health, we can reduce the stigma around Mental Health issues and the Law Enforcement community. I think that this bill will between he connections local Mental Health professionals and Law Enforcement. Thank you. The speaker pro tempore the gentlemans time has expired. The gentlelady from texas reserves. The gentleman from virginia reserves. The gentlelady from texas. Ms. Jackson lee mr. Chairman, et me as we know that they do. They may not yield to it. May not know it. Go right into serving whether they are fire or police, they go right into serving the community. And therefore this legislation will be enormously helpful for them. This is a good first step to helping to enhance the Mental Health or mental well being of our Law Enforcement officers. These officers endure stressful events on our behalf in the interest of protecting our communities. We will all benefit from the effective implementation of this legislation. Therefore i support this bill even as i encourage us to continue our work in additional legislation to help foster better coordination between our Police Officers and the communities they serve. One final point that ive listened to officers and they have said to me with all they deal with, coming upon a circumstance where a child has been injured or killed is one of the most devastating experiences they have had to have. Just imagine that this Mental Health bill will work on all the issues they have to address. I ask my colleagues to support the underlying legislation. Which is the Law Enforcement Mental Health and wellness act, h. R. 2228. With that, i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentlelady the speaker pro tempore the gentleman from virginia. Mr. Goodlatte i want to again thank the gentlewoman from indiana, mrs. Brooks, and the gentlewoman from florida, mrs. Demings, for their leadership on this issue. I will say again how much i appreciate the work of the gentlewoman from texas on a whole host of Law Enforcement and criminal Justice Reform issues. And its my hope that well move a great many of these reforms through this house in the very near future. You certainly have my support for working together in a bipartisan way to accomplish that. This piece of legislation is a great step in that direction. You cant expect Law Enforcement to keep all of us safe, if were not looking out for their Mental Health, which i can only imagine how stressful the job is. Ive had the opportunity to do several ridealongs over the years with Police Officers in my district and they have my utmost respect. I hope that every member of this house will vote for this important legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. The question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h. R. 2228, as amended. Those in favor say aye. Those opposed, no. In the opinion of the chair, 2 3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed and, without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. Pursuant to clause 12a of rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately 6 30 p. M. Today