..

>> translator: in my school there are also a lot of gang members and everyone always knew who they were, which was a gang members. and we were always afraid to try and force us to join again. my grandmother told me if i follow a lot of gang members i should try to avoid them. everybody knows that if he refused to join again, they will kill you. [speaking spanish] >> translator: my mother fled many years ago because of the violence. i don't know all of the details, but i know better don't want to go back to my country because i don't want to die and i'm afraid of violence. [speaking spanish]

>> translator: in the united states i feel safer. with my mother, i don't have to be afraid every day of a gang members. i've a bicycle and i don't have to be worried about anything in the neighborhood because i know i won't encounter gang members. [speaking spanish] >> translator: i crossed the border from mexico into the united states in april of this year and i was immediately caught while we were crossing the rio grande. i was caught by u.s. immigration agents. it was around 1:00 in the morning. [speaking spanish]

>> translator: i walk 30 minutes to the immigration station where i was placed in a big room with 200 children. they were aged 10 and a. the room was very cold. i was shipping the whole time. the work any beds. they gave us dialogue which barely even kept us warm, and they gave us a cold sandwich, ham sandwich, twice a day. i was very hungry because it wasn't enough food. [speaking spanish]

>> translator: when some of the children didn't behave well, the officials punish them. a handcuffed and outside the room and the children outside were worse off because they couldn't use their body heat to keep from being so cold. [speaking spanish] >> translator: after this room i was taken to another big room. there were 200 people here again. it was very cold and i shivered a lot. there was only one bathroom for 200 people, and it was very ugly because all the children could see when i was going to the bathroom. we helped the -- we help each

other to have privacy. [speaking spanish] >> translator: the whole time i was there, children were crying. [speaking spanish] >> translator: i felt very mistreated. my time in the ice boxes was the worst experience of my life. i hardly slept for six days. the lights were on for 24 hours a day and they didn't allow us to sleep against they came in every two hours to count how many children were there. [speaking spanish] >> translator: and i felt very weak after being in the ice boxes for six days. [speaking spanish]

>> translator: please, don't mistreat children the way your government has mistreated me. [speaking spanish] >> translator: finally i want to ask you not to deport children like me, because it's very possible that you would deport them to violence. [speaking spanish] >> translator: thank you for listening to my testimony. >> thanks to all of you. [speaking spanish]

>> with that let me just -- that takes a lot of guts, and all of us really respect what you said in front of all these people. we are grateful for presenting your personal story so that the rest of the country puts a face on the reality we're dealing with, and i want to thank you for the tremendous contribution, this whole debate about what we're going to do next. i'm going to introduce my colleague and co-chair of the progressive caucus, keith ellison, so that he can make a comment and to the honor of -- [inaudible] that is with us today. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i simply want to thank all of you, saul, mayeli and dulce for coming here. it's very courageous, very brave

for you to tell your story. i know it's not easy, but you are helping us as members of the congress get facts and information that will allow us to make good decisions about how to handle unaccompanied children who come to the border. and just want to let you know that we're all very proud of you, and i know that you're going to be a doctor, you're going to be a pediatrician, you're going to be a lawyer, what if you want to be in this world. you can do it. and with the guts and determination that you've already showed, we are very sure that your future is very bright, and we take everything you said very seriously, and understand that you are here not just for

yourself but for all the other kids that you saw in the ice box. so thank you very much. and right now i'd like to turn the microphone over to democratic leader, nancy pelosi, who has been so compassionate around this issue, and many others. >> thank you very much, my colleague, congressman ellison, co-chair of the progressive caucus. to you and to raul grijalva, i thank you for bringing us together today to pay our respects to these young people for their courage, for sharing their experience with them. to them i say thank you. thank you for being here. thank you for honoring us with your presence. and i want you to know how important you are to was. this is quite a distinguished array of members of congress who are here representing the progressive caucus but also the hispanic caucus, the black black

caucus, the asian pacific caucus, the leaders in the congress on the subject of immigration, it also parts of comprehensive immigration reform. the argument that some make their because of what's happening on the border we should pass comprehensive immigration reform is upside down. because of what's happening on the border, we should even more quickly passed confidence of immigration reform. your campaign i love. have a heart, have a hard. yes, let's follow your message. let's follow the lead of the national conference of bishops to talk about baby jesus escaping violence as an infant, talked about sending children back into the circumstances you describe of sending a chill back into a burning building. so it's not just about having a hard. it's about having a soul. and the soul of our country is about respecting the dignity and worth of every person to the

soul of our country is about giving every person access to rights within our country. and when i arrived i was just telling congressmen she and congressman ellison about a mutual friend i saw yesterday who said we cannot have deportation without representation. i also think the groups who are here who advocate for proper representation. unfortunately, the bill that is, to us that we may be acting upon in a day or two, the supplemental, does not in my view have adequate resources for representation, especially of the children who need it even more. but if anyone on our soil, indeed does not have sufficient judges to deal with immigration cases before it. so again, knowing that putting the spotlight on this challenge through your firsthand experience is very valuable and important to us. raúl described the situation i

was terrible. i saw some of that myself in brownsville. many of our colleagues at visited there. i know congresswoman lofgren and our leader in the judiciary committee complained along with others about what we saw. and i think already we have seen some improvements in the situation, but we need to do so very much more. so we do appeal to our country and your colleagues to have a heart when it comes to people coming into our country. so i'm seeking amnesty and asylum to escape the violence in central america, or wherever they come from. but again, we do not yet have on the floor the proper opportunity to address those concerns. your testimony today takes us closer to a place where we can have a heart, and recognize the

soul of our country is about, and that is about respecting the dignity and worth and the rights of every single person. so thank you. thank you, dulce. thank you -- hope that i will pronounce it correctly, mayeli. thank you, saul, for your courage and for being here with us today. and thank you to those organizations whose advocacy is so important for helping us have a hard and honor our soul. thank you, mr. chairman. i yield back. >> thank you, madam leader, very, very important that you joined us, and we thank you very much. i want to open up the opportunity if any members have any questions for sometime of the young people, and/or their representative that are here. some of the people who signed the invitation letter, let me

help -- and helped convene this, let me begin with them, and turn for either a comment or a question, do jan schakowsky, do have a comment or question? >> well, i just want to thank our powerful witnesses for being here today. last week, i went to a shelter for unaccompanied children from the border that's in my district. and one of the things i don't understand is why was it so cold? why was it so cold? it doesn't need to be so cold here and i was told that one of the guards said to a child, this is where you wanted to come. in other words, you know, maybe you made a mistake making this

trip. so i hope by now, and i've heard by now that the situation is better, that there's real blankets for the children. but i apologize to you for the conditions that you met. and i heard from other children, too, that the worst part for them was when they got to the united states, that, you know, the trip, i think mayeli said it was okay. one of you said -- was a you, dulce or mayeli? that it was okay. once you got here, so i'm sorry about that. i also talked to a girl even younger than mayeli who told me, she was 10 years old, that when she was seven, she was in a house with her brother who is now 13, and some gang members came in and they asked for rent,

really security money, they couldn't pay and so she and her brother were in the house when every adult was shot and killed. and so she has finally made it to the united states where her father is, and we hope that she will be united. none of you should have to go back. none of you, now that you were here, she'd be treated with anything other than great respect. and today, with great gratitude for your coming here and telling us your story. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> why was it so cold? >> and another member that helped convene this hearing, and let me ask in this order, ms. barbara lee and -- if they

would comment or a question to the children. thank you. >> thank you very much. let me say thank you to all those who are here today for this very powerful hearing. and i want to just associate myself with all other marks that have been made. and cdu that, -- and say to you, first of all we appreciate your being here and seeing the united states of america as a refuge. from playing such terrible conditions -- fleeing. secondly, into listening to your testimony, i ask my colleagues

are you talking about america? is this america? where you fled and were treated as you were. and so i, too, want to just say to you that this country is a country that stands for liberty and justice for all, as our statue of liberty says, give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free. and so your powerful words and presents and testimony today really have reminded us of what we stand for and who we are as a country. and so i look forward to working with all of my colleagues here, and to find a way forward so

that you and all of the children will feel safe and secure, and reunited with your families. and just know that we as americans once again appreciate your voices and communicating with us the tragic realities of what takes place in your country. thank you again. >> i just would like to associate myself with many of the comments my colleagues have already made and certain want to thank my colleagues, congressman ellison and mr. grijalva for the leadership on this issue, and to thank the children that are here.

it took a lot of courage to come to this country and it certainly has taken a lot of courage to be here today to tell your personal store. so want to thank you for that. and i think that your stories and what you've described as to what happened to you when you got here is exactly why it is absolutely critical that our republican leadership brings up the president's request for a clean supplemental bill that would provide the resources that law enforcement needs, both border patrol and ice and others to help prevent the worsening of your experiences here they are telling us that they're going to run out of money very soon, which means that as you described, you didn't have enough food. there wasn't enough blankets. and although as you've heard, we made some progress, we will be taking major steps backwards

unless congress acts and passes a clean supplemental that does not take away from -- take away the rights that children from central america now have for due process. unfortunately, that is one of the polls that is being made. you will hear about let's see, all the children the same come we agree, we want to treat children the same but we want to treat them in a way that protects them and gives them the right of due process. what my republican colleagues are saying i treating children the same is by actually taking away the rights to due process, that the central american children have today. so i think it's important that we recognize the tremendous courage and the violence for which these children are fleeing and that is my colleagues have said, this is a test of our

american values. and this is a test to the world, are we going to live up to our american values and the respect that we have for children and for those who are suffering, and send a tremendous message to the world that we live by, the values that we espouse to others. thank you. >> thank you. and i want, in order of when colleagues arrived, they handed me a list so don't be mad at me if i don't do the sequence correctly. blame somebody else. but i want to offer the opportunity for the members that took time to be here. we have another panel coming after this. we can hold the questions and comments until then, and allow these young people to go ahead and the excuse, and invite the other panel up. in order of sequence,

representative on, if you have any comments or questions? >> thank you very much. and again to congressman -- congressman grijalva for hosting is the leader pelosi, thank you for your presence here today. i also want to thank the three of you for having the courage to come your and give us your testimony. i have a couple of granddaughters. one is 11 and the other is 10. and mayeli, you really reminded me of one of my granddaughters and when you were crying, i really, my heart was breaking out of want to come over and hug you. and i can't imagine my own granddaughter being alone and cold without enough food or blankets, without their parents. i can't even imagine that scenario.

so i am also sorry for the conditions you found yourself in, and i wish all three of you the best. dulce, i was going to address my question to you. in august i'm going to be traveling to guatemala. yes. and i am planning on speaking about the problems that we are having to i'm sure i'm going to meet with other children who have either gone through what you're going through or are contemplating doing what you have done. and what advice would you give to other young people in guatemala who are feeling fearful and unsure of their current situation and who want to come to the united states? and then maybe you could tell us, how can we make this better? how can we make our system

better for those children who feel their only hope is to come to the united states? >> well, thank you for the question. and -- sorry, i'm a little nervous. well, -- >> i am, to. >> my advice would be that actually when it came to the united states, everything was all right with me. the only thing that, like the worst thing that happened to me was in guatemala. >> what advice would you give to some of your friends that are still in guatemala? >> yeah, i do have friends, my cousin. my advice would be that right now the united states actually

would be happy, i'm getting a good education, more advanced than what i used to get over there. and i'm pretty sure that, like if they have like a really strong reason to come to this country because of the violence and a lot of horrible things that are going on in our country, like i found refuge here that actually is helping me and everything. and -- i don't have words to describe like what advice i would give them. i'm really happy here. i'm with my family, and thank you. >> thank you. >> thank you. spin i did know if some of the others wanted to answer, how could we make it better? [speaking spanish]

saul? >> mayeli would like to -- [speaking spanish] >> translator: i would like to tell, the thing i would like to to people in my country is not to give up, that there is a better future here, and here you will be able to continue studying and not have the same kind of problems that we have. thank you.

>> saul? another question? [speaking spanish] >> gracias. [speaking spanish] got carried away there. before we call the next panelist up, let me, another person who arrived in the sequence, ms. holmes norton, if there's any comments or questions you might have, please. >> i certainly want to thank our co-chairs for this hearing. it is already compelling. the first thing i want to say to the children is welcome to the united states.

[speaking spanish] >> it does seem to me that's the first thing that should of been said to children who have made such a long and dramatic journey. and i hope that the children see by the presence of the leader of our party in the congress, along with members of congress, that what you experienced at the border is not typical of the people of the united states. your testimony has been compelling but it has been shocking. and i believe we should call for an investigation of what happened at the border. they may have been unprepared, but what we saw on television were people greeting children of the border. these are children am the first choice had opportunity to hear from. we have been hearing by proxy. we've had no direct testimony. you have really done members of

congress, and that the members of the republic, a great service by raising your little voices. so we could hear directly from children. a 15 year old, dulce -- what is her name? did you speak english when you came to this country? >> no. >> how long have you been in this country? >> five years. >> do you hear this virtually perfect english? on me, i just hope those of not supporting immigration reform came here what this young immigrant has learned in that short time, and will understand by the example you have given. >> thank you. >> just how important it is to have young people like you in our country and how much you are bound to contribute to our country. i've listened very intensively because my district is one of the districts which has come of

the districts that have children from central america, three of them have the most, and my district, the district of columbia is one of them. and by the way, many of them are from el salvador in particular. there are almost 200 children in my district right now from the countries of the children who have spoken here today. i would like to ask the two children who came, i believe, unaccompanied, whether they were giving any assistance by lawyers or others when asked questions about how they got here, and by those who make decisions on

whether i'm not they should stay here. who helped you? is this saul who wants to speak? spent the question is whether they had legal assistance? >> yes. somebody, they had to answer questions. they are now in this country, and i take it they can stay here. who helped them answer the questions? [speaking spanish]

>> translator: nobody helped me to know what to say. it was just me and my sister, and so i was the only one who knew what to say to the police because i'm the older of the two. [speaking spanish] >> translator: nobody helped me. they just asked me a lot of questions, you know, what you would expect, all of my

information, my name, what country i came from. they just collected all of my information and took my fingerprints. >> these are very bright and savvy children that they were able to respond to i think even adults would have a difficult time responding, and then getting able to stay in this country. i have written a letter to the bishop of columbia bar association asking for pro bono lawyers to be of assistance here, not only in the district of columbia, to the almost to a children are here, but to those on the border, just as pro bono lawyers have gone to help us during election time. i just think it's, after that, and after the country that, at least initially that was received, and i know that there are nonprofits at the border. it does seem to me that all the help we can get, and during the august recess i hope there will

be lawyers who make their way to the border, not just members of congress. thank you very much, and welcome again to our country. >> let me thank the chairman and invite the next panel. while i'm doing that, ms. jackson lee, any comments that you might have? >> may i just, thank you very much mr. children and asked the children before the move from the table. let me thank you, mr. ellison, and all of the conveners and thank our leader for her spear. i've decided to put on my heart, and i hope my fellow members will take -- i have a hard and place it on their lapel. and going to move mine close to my heart, but i want you all to know that we are here because we have a hard, it because we want our republican friends to come as well, listen to the stories you have just given. i want to emphasize that my good

friend, ms. roybal-allard emphasize. there is no reason to change the wilberforce law. i would just like to hold up this paper or your children. this is a law, and this is a law that gives you rights. and i believe after we hear your stories we know that you deserve those rights. so i just want to ask dulce, you went to a court in new york, is that correct the? >> yes. >> and did you have a lawyer? >> yes. >> was the lawyer for you? that was your lawyer? >> are me and my sister. >> you and your sister. could that lawyer explained to you what was going on? >> yes. >> and did that lawyer explain what your rights were, this is what they're going to do in the court to? >> yes. >> did that make you feel better? >> it made me feel really secure. >> and then the judge was able to ask you what you a dancer, is

that correct? >> yes spent so all we're asking in the law that is here is for every child at some point to have what dulce had, and that is a lawyer to express what your rights are. and dulce, you want to be a doctor? >> yes, i do. >> i don't want to embarrass you. do you think you been a good grosbeak was yes. >> and your sister? >> yes. >> you indicate you love this country for its opportunity. >> yes, i do. >> i have other republican friends, if they wear the sign i have a heart and understand that this bill that we have is to give the rights to children and to have a hard about the rights so that they can understand, i want to thank my colleagues for this hearing but it is imperative that the wilberforce law not be changed. because when we have lawyers that can pro bono, who can help

dulce and desist or help saul or help mayeli, they can know the rights and the court and america can be made better because justice and due process has been held. so i think either i just want to commend like colleagues to a bill to add more immigration judges, that we should have 70 and help we can get to a good bill and the passage of the full supplemental. i thank you, mr. chairman, and i yield back. >> thank you very much come and thank all of you. so much appreciated. and i can't put it to words the collective admiration all of us have for you. and although the motivation you provide to us for this congress to do the right thing for kids and to do the right thing in this instance that we're going to face in the next few days. mucho gracias. [speaking spanish]

>> thank you so much. i appreciated. let me invite the next panel. >> thank you. [inaudible conversations] >> to my colleagues that are here, as soon as they're done with it is when i'm going to go down the road to those who have not had an opportunity to ask a question, beginning with mr.

o'rourke, ms. lofgren, mr. conyers, as soon as this part of the transition is done. [inaudible conversations] >> while we are transferring over the next panel could have a seat so we can -- let me, i want to take time from representative chu's office, for the work in putting this together, kelsey and others from our office and the communication folks, for their fine work in putting this together. job well done, and i want to thank you for all that work. thank you very much.

we are going to start. [inaudible conversations] >> let me welcome the second panel, and thank you very much. as leader pelosi said, dinner on many organizations that have been so helpful, not only in this hearing but the cause of making sure we provide the protections that these children deserve. and let me begin with jessica jones, children use policy advocate, lutheran immigration and refugee services, and with that, let me turn the floor over to you. >> thank you.

thank you for the opportunity to speak your and thank you for your organizers of this hearing and for the members of the congressional progressive caucus. most to go also like to extend gratitude to representative lofgren and others for the long history in introducing legislation seminal in protecting children and youth who migrate to the u.s. alone. with a 75 history of serving refugees and migrants, we have over 30 years of experience helping to resettle children from all over the world including central america. during this child refugee crisis, we have been working alongside the government with a national network of social service partners to address the needs of these children and youth. these services safeguard unaccompanied migrant children's best interest and recognize their vulnerabilities to exportation and abuse. mike has wednesday will focus on

the legislative intent behind the provision related to unaccompanied children and the bipartisan legislation the wilberforce trafficking victims reauthorization act of 2008. i will then touch up on the key phrase a protection services that ally are as provides to these kids. following the 1997 ford some astonishing and standards of custody, the homeland security act of 2002 the on these protections and could the definition of the unaccompanied alien child, or uac. despite these important provisions the home and execute a framework for child protection remained incomplete until the introduction of the unaccompanied alien child protection act, or the uac p.a. in 2000 by senator feinstein and later in the house of representative linda and representative lofgren. it is important to highlight the uac p.a. as many of these provisions eventually made into

-- 2008. while some key provisions were left out. most notably, the provisions for the appointment -- turn at no expense to the government is necessary, never me into it. nonetheless, congress' intent could not be clear. it to recognize many unaccompanied migrant children who have survived trafficking, are afraid to come forward or may not understand that they were victimized and in need of protective chances but children are often unaware of the legality of the abuse or that lawson services exist to protect them. by adding some of the provisio provisions, it's intent was to that identified child trafficking survivors and better, and prevent the future trafficking. into compasses by putting the onus on u.s. government to ensure children are screened for potential trafficking before returning to the home country. it also reaffirmed the u.s.

commitment to the best interest of the child for all children in the u.s. these protections are ensuring -- massey miners, legal obligation to not return are still a person with a life of freedom is threatened at restricting the time and customs and border protection custody, access to immigration courts rather than expedited removal, custody that is in the child's best interest and ensuring safe release, providing safe repatriation services and facilitate access to legal counsel and legal orientation programs. with regards to custody that is in the child's best interest ensuring safe release, they were going to put in place the following. all potential sponsors must have identity verification and assessment for potential risks to the chow. currently oa are conducting a printing of all nonparent sponsors. for a special multiple children, safe boost response requires a home study and close relief

followed services. it also permits but does not require oar to provide release services to children to better integrate into their homes and communities. in lirs expense conficker pretty come home study have proven invaluable to identifying and preventing child neglect and abuse and trafficking. these services have been critical in orientating families towards a legal obligations of attempting court and school, and connecting them to kennedy's support systems and acts of the council. in turn children have higher rates of parents in court and are able to integrate into their communities better. finally, it is our position that instead of amending to prevent the reception and protection of children seeking refuge we urge congress to focus on filling the protection gaps. if the protection caps are addressed the curled -- current

-- i will in my testimony and i'm happy to answer any questions you may have. thank you. [inaudible] >> thank you. good afternoon. i'd like to begin by thanking the members of congress and our policymakers nationally for coming together during this time of great uncertainty. the refugee and immigrant center for education and legal services has been through multiple population of refugees and victims of torture since 1986. it is during these times of perceived crisis that we get to expense firsthand what our community and our country is all about. and also what it represents the people around the world who long for the freedom and liberty that we routinely take for granted. i'm honored to have been given the time to share with you what we've learned in texas over the past few months.

our mission is to protect refugees and in furtherance of the mysteries is unaccompanied children to navigate our nation's immigration court system and to better understand their rights and responsibilities in that process. since june 9, 2014, we have been providing know your rights presentation and confidential legal screenings to nearly 1200 unaccompanied children currently in hhs custody at lackland air force base in san antonio, texas. we have carefully reviewed the intakes of 925 children so far, and our assessment is that 63% of these 925 children are likely to become eligible for release by a u.s. immigration judge. in ricels's many years of expenses, the cases our staff and volunteers have accepted the representation using this screening process, ultimately has a success rate over 98% in

proceedings before immigration judges. ricels's legal determination are supported by hundreds of cable educations on behalf of our unaccompanied children clients. the children we serve at lackland are fleeing unspeakable violence. the vast majority are from honduras, el salvador and guatemala. are integers can from that many of these children are victims of sexual assault, trafficking, domestic abuse, gang intimidation, persecution and torture. ricels staff and volunteers have met with girls as young as 12 years old who fled criminal gangs attending to force them into sexual exploitation. the phenomenon occurring in these countries can be described as a war on children. where local gangs target boys and girls as young as eight or nine to transport drugs, coerce

them to join through death threats, and force them into participating in the new normalized criminal activity that is rampant and widespread. the children and their families that have faced such violence in difficult conditions have made a conscious decision to seek refuge in the united states because they fear their very lives are at stake. at this moment in my testimony i would like to share with you the experience that was shared with me of a young boy who i met at lackland air force base just a few weeks ago. to protect his identity i will not use his name. we will call him -- he left honduras four months ago with his sister. five years ago, their father was murdered. following the murder of their father, their mother remarried within an it was himself involved with the criminal violence that has taken over honduras. from a young age, this new stepfather began to recruit and prepare this young boy to become

part of the criminal network that he served. early on in the time together, because this young boy failed to follow the instructions of his stepfather, he became so badly that he broke his arm. it is crooked. he pretty much resigned himself to the fact that he is going to be part of this criminal network because he could no longer do any other work with his crooked army. as he grew older and as is young sister grew older, she, too, began to be recruited in fact not to be part of the network but to be one of its subjects, to be exploited sexually by the criminal network. this was when the boy could take no more. without telling his mother or his stepfather, they left their home. they joined another group of children were traveling alone. on top of a train that they called the beast, because children are mangled as they fall off after struck by objects, that hit them when you're sleeping at night. they had to pay, a group of

children to collect the resources and pay bribes to mexican policemen all along the way to be allowed to go further. on one such location, the group of children did not have enough money, and so the policeman turned them over to the zetas. this is begin to extort money from their families in order to allow the children to move forward. well, he and his sister did not have that family. and so the zetas took his sister. they let him go. he spent eight days alone. we've heard children reporting as me as told to be forgot to in hhs is it was able to begin the process of speaking to someone about the experiences he had suffered. he is there at lackland today, and the weights everyday thinking that his sister is going to show up. we, unfortunately, know that she won't. how we respond to the current regional humanitarian crisis in

which children are fleeing in every direction and the need of direction speak to the moral upper direction. they may, in fact, undermine our ability to hold other nations, international actors accountable in the future for the treatment of vulnerable populations. i could not be more proud of the difficult and often thankless work that my staff has performed over the course of this summer. we know firsthand that of porting these children proper screening for traffic and prosecution as was the opportunity to be represented by counsel and received fair and full consideration before an immigration judge could well be the difference in life-and-death. we urge you to prioritize the protection of these children and ensure that they receive due process. thank you. >> thank you very much. i will now ask meghan mccain

and -- please. [inaudible] >> thank you, congressman grijalva and other members of the congressional progressive caucus for inviting us to decide for you today. kind, modernization as much unaccounted show with pro bono attorney since 2000. we have parted with more than 210 law firms, ma corporations and law schools which grew to represent on a volunteer basis that children purchase. k.i.n.d. has a train more than 7300 pro bono attorneys and has been referred over 6300 children since we opened our doors. the response from the private sector has been and continues to be tremendous. k.i.n.d. is gravely concerned about the treatment of these uniquely global children who are coming to the u.s. in record numbers to secure protection from the vicious and pervasive violence in their own countries

of which their specific targets. many of these children including a large number of the children referred to k.i.n.d., are being, thing force recruited by gangs which in turn are supported by organized criminal cartels, largely funded by narcotrafficking. refusal to join the ranks results and terrifying threats, violence, and even death. their situation is similar to child soldiers throughout the world. a child trying to work with said simply, it's flee or die. the human wreckage agency on the 50% of the unaccounted chilling coming to the u.s. are potentially eligible for u.s. protection. that is, they could be refugees. the united states which ratify the 1967 protocol to the 1951 refugee convention has incorporated a number of its provisions into u.s. law to the 1980 refugee act. and enacting this law, congress should its intention to conform

u.s. asylum onshore international obligations. as such, the united states has an obligation to ensure that those coming to our borders to seek asylum our other euros protections has a full and fair chance to make the claim for u.s. protection. regarding the children have, hundreds and thousands of miles without a caretaker to seek safety, our obligations could not be more clear. as a global leader in the protection of the most vulnerable we must ensure that these children's cases are heard by an immigration judge and that the children are different adequate time to find counsel and present their case. many of these children arecommon ties by what they have fled in their home country, and by their journey to the united states, and need time to recover and to be able to share a difficult experiences. we recognize that not all these children will be able to stay in the united states, but with a different process to determine who is eligible for u.s. protection and who is not, there

is no question that we will be sending children act two serious harm. to turn potential refugees away without due process would send a disastrous message to the rest of the world regarding refugee protection and our obligation to the international refugee framework. how can we demand that countries neighboring syria taken nearly 3 million refugees, for example, but turn our backs on tens of thousands of children from our own neighbors. our current laws are designed to effectively -- sorry, to efficiently make these determinations for unaccompanied children. trafficking victims protection reauthorization act which important recognizes the unique abilities of these children includes the necessary flexibility to address this migration emergency without undermining the vital protection for unaccompanied children that the law provides. it allows for the full adjudication of their claims for protection through time the

proceedings while ensuring appropriate care in the interim. many -- allow screenings of all children in the expedited and flawed way it currently screens children from mexico soon after their arrival violates the principle that due process and fundamental fairness. imagine being an 11 year old arriving alone at the border, ties, confused and unable to speak english, and having to explain to a government official within days while you are afraid to go home. or a young girl has been gang raped having to share details of this, with an armed stranger. a recent report found that the border patrol screening of unaccompanied shown from mexico woefully inadequate and clearly shows the serious problems with this approach. the response to this migration is multifaceted but doable. the u.s. must admit though increase funding to the immigration court system to ensure the timely adjudication of these children's cases.

the courts significant backlog of cases predates this migration and is the result of years of underfunding. sufficient funding would mean a faster but still fair process. another component could be orderly departure programs, including in country processing alternatives in the top of sending countries. this would allow children to have their claims heard in their own country by u.s. officials or be evacuated to a safe location for processing and provides an alternative to the life-threatening journey to the united states. at best interest determination or equivalent process could be established to identify those at greatest risk of persecution are of human rights abuses and/or for whom going to the united states would be the best outcome for the child. ..

>> return of children found ineligible for u.s. protection. in conclusion, the u.s. can address this historic migration of children without changing current laws and in a way that insures their protection while supporting a fair, compassionate and orderly response that upholds our international and moral obligations to the most vulnerable. thank you again for the opportunity to speak to you, and i welcome any questions. >> thank you. let me from the washington office of latin america, senior associate for citizen security -- [inaudible] the floor is yours. >> good afternoon,

representative ellison, representative chu and members of the progressive caucus. thank you for the opportunity to appear on behalf of the washington office of latin america. i coordinate with the citizens security program. for four decades, we have worked to promote comprehensive reforms to address the root causes of violence in central america. it is important to understand the magnitude of the community level violence these children left behind and will face again if they are sent back without addressing these dangers. behind the wave of children and families at the border, two factors stand out; violence in their home communities and lack of opportunities. they are not just coming to the united states. according to figures from the united nations high commissioner for refugees, from 2008 to 2013 mexico, panama, nicaragua, costa rica and belize saw an increase in the number of asylum requests

for individuals from honduras, el salvador and combat mall la -- guatemala. according to the office of drugs and crime, honduras ranks first globally with a homicide rate of 90 per 100 inhabitants. el salvador is fourth with rate of just over 41, and guatemala is fifth with a rate of nearly 40. youth from marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by this violence. in hondurans, data revealed that from january to june of 2013, 409 children under the age of 18 were murdered. in neighboring el salvador, so far this year the murder rate of children under 17 has increased by 77% from the same period a year ago. children are are increasingly victims of violation. in honduras, murders of women have increased over 263% between 2005 and 2013. according to the pew research center, the number of

unaccompanied girls under 18 intercepted at the border rose by 77% this fiscal year. most of them from honduras. drug trafficking is part of the problem. it corrupts the justice and security systems and is linked to some of the violence. however, while the drug trade is a factor, cartels are more interested in seeking a low profile than engaging in extreme violence against the population. instead, the violence in central america is primarily community-level violence including domestic violence and child abuse, extortion, street-level drug dealing and gang-related violence. street gangs impact every aspect of life in the neighborhoods they control and are responsible for a significant percentage of the violence. they engage in violence, turf battles, kidnapping, human trafficking and the extortion of local businesses, bus drivers and residents. failure to pay often results in harassment or violence. gangs sometimes employ recruitment practices, forcing many children to drop out of

school or relocate. victims of extortion, kidnapping, sexual abuse and death threats frequently find no protection from the authorities. in fact, many fear the police as much as the criminals. in the northern triangle countries, rule of law and law enforcement institutions are weak and corrupted. the majority of the police forces are underfunded, plagued by poor leadership and sometimes complicit in criminal activities. compounding the problem of violence in these countries is the lack of opportunities, particularly for young people, the poor and the lower middle class. there is no magic solution to the endemic violence and poverty in the northern triangle. these are profoundly difficult problems that will require short and long-term responses. but we must recognize that unless the factors that originally drove these children to flee are addressed, it is likely that many will attempt to return to the united states rather than become victims of their communities' spiral of violence. adding more funding for border security will not solve the problem. the children are turning themselves in.

there's urgent need for congress to step up and provide funding to protect the children who are fleeing violence in central america. congress should not leave town without addressing the immediate needs for funds to insure that children and other migrants at the border are treated humanely and their cases are are evaluateed individually. children should not be deported back to situations that threaten their lives and their safety. for children and families who are deported, immediate funding is necessary to support in-country programs to receive, protect and reintegrate children, teenagers and families. congress should also begin to face the long-term problem. the united states should prioritize assistance packages for el salvador, guatemala and honduras that address the widespread community-level violence and underlying poverty that is endemic in these countries. the problem is not simply a question of resources. evidence suggests that continuing investments in community-based violence prevention initiatives that involve local community groups, churches, police, social services and government agencies can make a real difference in

reducing youth violence and victimization. these efforts need to be paired with programs to help those governments committed to public security reform build effective, accountable and professional police forces, prosecutors and courts. to date, u.s. assistance has placed too much emphasis on equipment, infrastructure and training in -- and have barely touched the surface of the problem. corruption and accountability must be a central component of the strategy. investment is needed the support job training and job creation programs focused on urban youth in targeted communities. the supplemental includes funding to protect children and families and invest in organizations that can hold public institutions accountable for results. it also supports strengthening law enforcement, good governess and justice. this is a direction u.s. policy should move toward in the future. there are no quick fixes for addressing these complex issues. the united states and the central american governments

have an opportunity to act decisively and support a comprehensive, targeted strategy to address the cycle of violence and poverty. i look forward to your questions. thank you. >> thank you very much. before i turn to the sequence, i think -- [inaudible] left as well. i was, quick question. one of the rationales of the principal sponsor in the house of representatives for changing the law, basically taking out the due process and beginning the process of dismantling this protection, it's an interesting argument and maybe i can get a reaction, quick one, from you guys. the rationale, he seems to think, is a fairness issue why we need to change this, why we need to change this law and eliminate central america from the protection of the law. saying, you know, we need to treat them just like mexicans. i find that ironic.

and not very bright, but ironic nevertheless. react to that, because that's one of the rationales that i find so confusing. in the spirit of equity, let's treat everybody badly. [laughter] >> there's a presumption built into that statement that the regulations and the laws are being followed as they pertain to mexicans. it's clear that they're not. supposed to be a presumption that the child will be harmed unless the child is able to present evidence that it is safe for that child to return. it is impossible based on the numbers of mexican children who are presenting themselves to the border and the few numbers who are making it to the hhs facilities where organizations here provide services that those regulations and those laws are being followed. so to presume that it's being followed is the first error. second, clearly, our responsibilities towards children are greater than just rounding them up and shipping them home to be persecuted and

tortured. i don't know how other people on the panel might feel to that. >> rosanne? i want to turn to mr. o'rourke if you don't mind, sir. it's a loaded question, i realize, but a loaded response would be fine. [laughter] >> i was just going to say, this is an issue of child protection, and that's first and foremost what we should be looking at and where they're coming from and which -- who we treat, you know, in what way, i mean, i think we need to just go back down to the basics, and it's really very simple. >> thank you. yes. >> i would just add that if we do change the system and have central american kids treated the same way as kids from contiguous countries, you will be seeing kids who are sent back who have legitimate asylum claims and trafficking claims, and we do not want to see that. >> [inaudible]

>> i would just like to add to what my colleagues have said with a question in terms of, you know, what are we sending these kids back to given the endemic levels of violence and poverty that we see in central america today. >> yeah. that's, that's my own confusion. i don't want feel that i have the intuitive powers that maybe some other colleagues that are promoting the idea of getting rid of the law, that they intuitively know all of them are going to be fine. i don't have those intuitive powers, and i think for members of congress to bear some responsibility because they changed the law for tragedies that will happen in the future, i think that's, that's a piece of responsibility that i don't want, and i hope many of the members don't want. mr. o'rourke, do you have any questions or comments? >> sure. first of all, thanks for allowing me to sit in. >> of course. >> with everyone today. and thank you for your testimony.

the only problem i could find with it is it's just too rational and logical -- [laughter] i mean, for this place. your hair's not on fire, you're not screaming about an invasion or a flood of people taking over this country, so it's hard to get people to listen to these things that make so much obvious common sense to us. you know, and the only thing i'd argue to the chair and to everyone who's talking about this publicly is i'd argue that we shouldn't use the word "crisis." even though we precede it with humanitarian crisis, i think when you say crisis, it allows people to accept extreme measures to respond to it. so maybe when you live in middle america, you're not overly familiar with what's going on. somebody wants to send the national guard, seems to make sense. we send the national guard to the different crises we have. i think we have this one covered. i think we have the resources to do this. you look at total apprehensions 15 years ago, 1.6 million people apprehended, last year a little over 400,000 even with these

kids and families from central america this year we won't hit half a million. we definitely have the resources, the catty. you've made -- capacity. you've made perfectly sensible recommendations. every kid should have an attorney. to the chairman's point, we should treat everyone equally which means that we should have the same superior standards applied to mexican children as we do, as we're supposed to do with kids from central america and elsewhere. i'm really interested in this orderly departure process, because i think it makes a lot of sense. if you buy or accept at face value the argument people are putting forth who are proponents of the humane act which would reduce the standards of due process for these kids from central america, they say they're doing it so they can dissuade these kids and families from making this dangerous journey north. i think if we address that by some kind of orderly departure, some kind of refugee screening process and do it honestly and learn from our mistakes with

haiti and other countries where we've tried this, you know, i think there's something really powerful to that. and so really i don't know if i have any questions. i would love the take everything that you said and package it and put it into law and address. i think we're, again, perfectly capable of doing this. it would not be a strain on current resources. someone has shown that if we were to provide every child with an attorney, we'd more than make up for the cost in court savings and detention savings. we find that the vast majority of these kids when they have an attorney actually show up for their hearing. there's just so many good facts and information, i think our challenge is -- and maybe this would be my question is -- how you recommend, because to a degree you're talking to the choir here. how we compel or make a compelling argument to our colleagues -- including some democrats -- that what you're describing is the right thing to do. and i think about this, i was doing some research on refugees from europe in the 1930s, and we all know about the famous

case of the st. louis that steamed towards cuba and then the united states and was turned back with nearly a i thousand jews, a quarter of whom we know perished in the holocaust. and there was a bill at the time offered by a senator from the new york and a representative from massachusetts that would have increased the quota for visas for jewish children by 20,000. it failed in committee. and there's not a member of congress today who would not have voted for that. i feel like we're going to be judged very similarly by what's happened. how could you not act and do the right thing when you know what's going on? so any thoughts about how we talk about this in a way that's compelling to to more than just those who either live on the border or are progressive in their ideology or who get it? >> something that informs my approach to my practice as an immigration lawyer, maybe i'm a lawyer nerd, but i take great pride in the fact that the law that i practice, refugee and asylum law, is literally the legal monument that has been

left behind by what we call 70 years later the greatest generation. as i learned it in school, we went to world war ii not just to protect our borders, not just to defend our interests, but to preserve our principles. chief among them, that we do not stand idly by and allow people to be sent into a situation where they're going to be harmed. i think those laws passed at a time when our nation was more freshly aware of the horrors of genocide, mass killings of people because of who they are. and that goes to our identity as a nation and the things that make us most proud of being americans. and i just hope that as we consider changing our law for the first time that i can even fathom in our history, changing a law in order to make it less protective of human rights, in order to, in order to reduce due process, restrict access to counsel. i literally cannot think of another example in our nation's history where we have decided as a nation to change our character

just to exclude a group of vulnerable children from accessing the justice that we hold so dear. so i believe that we must remember, we must look in the mirror as a nation as to who we are and who we want to be. as i say to people, it is expensive to be the beacon of hope. do you know why it's so expensive? because it is very much worth it. >> great response. >> jan? >> i want to thank all of you so much for the work that your organizations do as well as for your important testimony today. i'm wondering if you can answer the question that i really i wasn't going to press the children, they don't know why. why was it so cold? i mean, why do all these kids say -- i mean, it just seems, you know, cold has been used as torture in the past. i mean, really. and it just makes no sense that

they would, it seems, deliberately have been held in really uncomfortable situations. is that improved, do we know? and why was it? all the kids i talked to at the shelter mentioned the cold. >> i would just say we use the same mentality, actually, in our prison system, and i think it's a way of subduing is what we've been hearing from border patrol, it's how you can subdue the people that are being held -- >> so they're, it was a deliberate strategy then? >> yeah, yeah. >> yeah. >> it's deliberate. and, i mean, this is something that advocates have been pushing really hard with cbp for a while, and we have been hearing from the commissioner that they are, they are looking at these issues, these policies, systematic policies that they have in place about keeping, keeping the holding cells that cold.

>> so they're still that cold in. >> they're still that cold. and they've been that cold for over five years or decades. >> it's a very useful tactic, and it's a very useful thing to do because, i mean, the reason that they will give you or that identify heard is they keep it at this cold temperature in order to prevent the spread of disease. and so it's a very useful tactic, because it's not just torturous, as you describe, but it also helps to spread this idea that these people are disease spreading. i mean, it is almost treating them like cattle to treat them like this. it's not just the children -- >> is there any science behind keeping it at 72 or 74 -- >> no hospital i've ever been in has been that cold. >> yeah. i mean, mr. chairman, i think that is something we absolutely need to deal with. one other question. so mayeli said that her trip was pretty good, comfortable. how are, how are these children coming? we heard about the horrible on

top of the car inest prans sa's situation, but it seems that it varies significantly. so if you could describe the options. >> yeah. i mean, the children referred to kind, as you say, it's a whole host of ways that they come. some come, the older ones, sometimes they come completely alone, without adults, and it's really just some kids. it's by foot, it's train, it's bus, and some of them are lucky that they have, you know, relatively event-free journeys. but i think more, the more common is situations where they're being abused by their coyotes or someone who is in the group, particularly if you're a girl, and the vast majority of these girls who come are are sexual sexually assaulted along -- >> the majority? >> yeah, that's what we've heard, yeah. i don't have -- we've heard different numbers, but i think we can all corroborate that it's the majority of the children,

over 50% of the girls. but yet more girls are coming than ever before. it's about 40% girls coming now as opposed to a year or so ago. again, i just think that underscores how desperate they are to get to the united states and away from what they're coming -- >> do any of them come with an unrelated but protective adult? i mean, i'm just wondering how mayeli -- i didn't want to ask her. i didn't want to get into the -- >> some do. some come with grandparents or, like, extended family members, cousins. older siblingings. under our current law, though, those children or those adult caregivers would be separated because they are not parents. >> right. >> and because in the past traffickers have used statements of saying that they are the uncle or the sister or brother or whatever of the child and have used that as a ploy to try

to traffic the children into the country for labor and sex trafficking. >> right. >> so right now the policy is to separate extended family members at border patrol stations. >> so that makes the children qualify as unaccompanied alien uacs -- >> right. because they do not have a parent or legal guardian available to them. >> i see. >> i think it's also important when people discuss the smugglers and the money paid to smugglers in order to bring children here? >> yeah. >> this is debt. this is not often cash. this is debt. the child is expected to work off upon arrival. so this is -- many of these children are, if they're not trafficked yet, they are rocking and rolling on that road to being trafficked here in the united states. where they are, where they are vulnerable with the people whom they are with or the smugglers that they've paid who may have their families back home at the butt of a gun. >> thank you. >> questions or comments? >> question.

adriana, i understand that the supplemental that's being proposed by the republicans in the house is around $900 million, around 60% of it, two-thirded of the money is dedicated -- two-thirds of the money is dedicated to border security, and the other portion to the services to children. i understand that it's not free and clear money, or it's we have to cut other places in the budge. and one of the areas we're cutting is state department programs which would assist the state department, would assist these three countries for economic development. that makes no sense to me. could you comment on that? and also i've heard some reports, but i've not been able -- a lot of americans have searched for sources for the causes and articles. the journalists have not written a lot about it, and that's part of the problem is that americans are reluctant to call these young people refugees because they don't see a war. it's kind of a less visible sort

of violence, less understandable violence. and they don't have a lot of independent journalistic information about any connection of these gangs. what is the relationship with, say, the deportations there are our country of violent criminals back to these countries that have criminal justice systems that don't seem to be able to absorb them? >> before there's a response, let me -- we're under a little bit of, we have to turn this -- >> room over? >> we have to turn this room over quickly, and so if there's any one response, i would appreciate it. >> adriana, go ahead. >> thank you. as i mentioned, i think it's very important to recognize that unless we address the original factors that have driven these children to flee their communities and their homes, you know, they're likely to attempt to return again. so i think it is very important in any supplemental that is

approved that we great the root cause -- that we address the root causes of the violence. there are very clear examples of things that have worked to reduce violation. as i mentioned, there are a number of community-level violence prevention programs that have been effective at reducing violence. santa clara, which is a suburb of san salvador, in 2003 the mayor at the time implemented a robust community-level violence program that brought together different sectors and managed to reduce the homicide level by 40 percent. so we have, you know, very clear examples that have worked, and i think it's very important to address the root causes of the violence. to the second question, you know, when we look at the nature of the central american gangs, one of the factors that is important to take into account is that in the '90s with some of the deportation policies of the u.s., many central americans particularly from the northern triangle that had joined gangs,

ms13, in california brought that culture back to their home countries. these or were, you know, individuals, kids that did not speak the language, did not have any family. given b their lack of opportunities and -- >> didn't know how to speak the language? these people were deported? >> of them did not speak the language because they grew up, actually, in the u.s.. >> see i don't think americans really understand this connection. there's not been a lot written about it. i know a lot of my constituents when this first started to surface were desperately searching for information on the internet, and one even said we can't find anything about this connection. yeah. >> thank you. ms. jackson lee, one question. i hope it's a yes or no. >> i am sensitive, the chairman's responsibility is we must be out of this room, but i felt it was just very important, mr. ryan, just very quickly. as you well know, the bill is going to put these children through the border patrol and then straight to a court maybe in a minimum of seven days. and let me also say to

congresswoman schakowsky, i can tell you the light put on the border patrol agents, there are many who are caring and concerned, and the training is what they need and the facilities is what they need. i think we're going to make a difference -- >> and turn the heat on. [laughter] >> and the message will go about the heat. would you just say what will happen when the seven-daytime frame imposed -- day time frame imposed, what is going the happen as you see it as a lawyer? and thank all the witnesses very much for their testimony. >> the children are absolutely going to be unprepared for the legal gauntlet that they're going to be pushed through. many of them who are eligible to stay and who with the proper preparation and counsel would be, would succeed in their claims are going to be denied, and they're going to be shipped home to face the same violence that they fled. quite simply. >> and we will not be a nation of mercy. >> not at all. no. and it'll be remembered. >> mr. chairman, i thank you for your kindness. yield back. >> thank you. let me thank the panel and those

of us who are here, mr. to roarke representing the border community, has been particularly effective in texas to try to provide some balance to this whole issue, and i want to appreciate that. ms. jack soften lee in her role -- jackson lee in her role on the committee has been making sure that due process continues to be the core of what this law is. look, thank you very much. and the point was made about the american people not getting it. i think the american people are beginning to get it, that what's at stake here is not a simple political convenience where we expedite in order to provide either political coverage or exploit a situation for electoral purposes. this is fundamentally about us as americans, fundamentally about our way of life, our traditions and our values. so i want to appreciate you reminding us as a group and as a people, and whatever audience

that we have, thank you. and to the kids that were here today, i think no more powerful statement can be made about this issue than them. i think you need to put a face to the reality, and i was so glad they were here so that we don't talk about these children in abstract forms. and so that we don't continue to demonize them and marginalize them without them having a voice. and they had a voice today, and i thought it was very powerful. with that, let me conclude the meeting and thank all of you very much. thanks. [applause] [inaudible conversations]

>> sunday on booktv's "in depth," former republican congressman from texas and presidential candidate ron paul. he's written more than a dozen books on politics and history with his latest, "the school revolution," on america's education system. join the conversation as he takes your calls, e-mails and tweets live for three hours sunday, august 3rd, at noon eastern. and tune in next month for author, historian and activist mary frances berry. in october supreme court expert joan biskupic. best selling author and historian michael korda is our guest in november, and in december american enterprise institute president and noted musician arthur brooks. "in depth" on c-span2's booktv, television for serious readers. >> the u.s. senate is about to gavel in starting today with general speeches. at about 10:45 we expect a series of votes starting with a motion to limit debate on a bill providing tax credits for companies that return jobs to the u.s.

that'll be followed by a vote on advancing a bill providing more than $3.5 billion for unaccompanied child immigrants, israel's defense and wildlife response in the western u.s. also three nomination votes, u.s. ambassador to the japanese republic and assistant secretary of housing and urban development and a board member for the washington, d.c. airports authority. the house will debate today whether to sue president obama. also their $17 billion plan to improve veterans health care, general speeches at 10, legislative work starts at noon eastern. see the house live on c-span. now live to the senate floor. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. wondrous god, angels bow before you; heaven and earth adore you

as the days past swiftly, we pause to thank you for surrounding us with the shield of your favor. your anger is only for a moment, but your favor is for a lifetime today, lead our lawmakers to greater maturity and wholeness in you. may they grow in grace and in a deeper knowledge of you, becoming better prepared to be your ambassadors, reconciling the world to you. may they continue to be controlled by your spirit.

always walking on the road that leads to life. give them, oh god, a common commitment to the crucial cause of keeping america strong. we pray in your sacred name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. mr. reid: mr. president? the president pro tempore: majority leader. mr. reid: i move to proceed to calendar number 40, the emergency appropriations supplemental act. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 488, s. 2648,

a bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2014, and for other purposes. mr. reid: mr. president, following my remarks and those of the republican leader, and there will be an hour for debate that is equally divided on s. 2569, the bring jobs home act. if cloture is not invoked, there will be an immediate cloarkt on the motion to proceed to s. 2648 -- an immediate cloture vote on the motion to proceed to s. 2648, the emergency supplemental act. following those votes there will be a vote on confirmation of akuetteh, moritsugu and kennedy nominations. i'm not sure i pronounced those names right, but i did my best. i ask unanimous consent that from the time from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. be under the control of the republicans, the time from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. be under

the control of the majority. the president pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. reid: mr. president, s. 2685 is due for a second reading. the president pro tempore: the clerk will read the title for the second time. the clerk: s. 2685, a bill to reform the authorities of the federal government to require the production of certain business records and so forth and for other purposes. mr. reid: mr. president, i would object to any further proceedings with respect -- the president pro tempore: objection is heard. the bill will be placed on the calendar. mr. reid: mr. president, henry wadsworth longfellow wisely noted -- and i quote -- "it takes less time to do a thing right than it does to explain why you did it wrong." in about an hour senators will be here on the floor to have an opportunity to follow what longfellow said. and that is do the right thing. we have the opportunity to vote for a bill that protects

american jobs. the bring jobs home act tackles the growing problem of american jobs being shipped overseas. it is called outsourcing, shipping jobs overseas. we democrats are lined up against outsourcing. the bring jobs home act would -- i'm sorry, the bring jobs home act would protect about 21 million jobs, mr. president, in our country. today in the united states, any time an american company closes a factory or plant in america and moves the operation to another country, american taxpayers pick up part of that moving bill. it's hard to believe, but it's true. a company moves from america and american taxpayers help them with the move. if they want to move, the american taxpayers shouldn't help, help them at all. the bring jobs home act and senseless tax breaks for these

outsources ends the ridiculous practice of american taxpayers funding the outsourcing of their own jobs. but the bring jobs home act doesn't just fight to keep jobs here in america. it also brings jobs back. this bill provides a 20% tax credit to help american companies with the cost of moving operations back to the united states. the bring jobs home act will protect 150,000 jobs in nevada and could potentially save many times that of the presiding officer. all over the country it is the same thing, millions of jobs. economically speaking what else could be more important than ensuring american jobs are protected regardless of what the republican leaders have said and what the republican leaders are implying, helping our constituents stay employed is our duty as a senator. frankly, a vote against this bill is a vote against american jobs.

there's absolutely no excuse, no justification for any member of this body to vote against this legislation. as of late, senate republicans have repeatedly blocked legislation much like the bring jobs home act that is good for the american people. remember the longfellow quote that i mentioned at the beginning of my remarks. it takes less time to do a thing right than it does to explain why you did it wrong. the wisdom of longfellow's quote is there. each time another good bill is blocked by the senate republicans, we must think of longfellow and what he said. it takes less time to do a thing right than it does to explain why you did it wrong. mr. president, because each time republicans voted against legislation good for working families not seen as developed here on the senate floor.

a procession of republicans make their way to the floor and individually senators begin to explain why they voted against a good bill. trying to explain why americans don't deserve a fair shot. for example, mr. president, i've voted against the increase -- after voting against cost-cutting efficiency measures, voting against student loan financing, after all these votes the same spectacle unfolds immediately after. republicans come through that door and try to make their case. all the american public wants is a fair shot at a good life. instead of voting for a good piece of legislation that would benefit folks back home, they spend time explaining why they did the opposite. maybe our vote today will be different. maybe senate republicans will finally focus on the many families that depend on the jobs we're trying to protect. if they do, they'll vote to bring jobs home.

this legislation is important and necessary. if they do, they'll vote to keep american jobs tbr -- from going overseas. those of us who do the right thing and vote for this will not need to explain because we've done the right thing. that's because our constituents know we've worked to give them a fair shot at good, secure jobs. mr. mcconnell: mr. president? the presiding officer: the republican leader. mr. mcconnell: the obama white house likes to pretend that its war on coal is about protecting the planet, and yet his newest

regulations would hardly do a thing to impact global carbon emissions. the president's own e.p.a. administrator basically admitted it when she said a few years back that u.s. action alone won't meaningfully impact global co2 levels. they don't seem to care that their regulations would devastate the lives of coal families in my state, working class kentuckians who just want to put food on the table and give their children a better life. they don't seem to care that their regulations threaten to undermine kentucky's traditionally low utility rates, splinter our manufacturing base and shift well-paying jobs overseas. and they don't seem to care that the people who stand to be hurt most by their regressive policies are those who can afford it the least. as a candidate, president obama wasn't just open about his plan to make american energy bills skyrocket, he was pretty cavalier about it too.

for him, it was a necessary sacrifice to achieve an ideological aim. but for a working mom in ash land, kentucky, a skyrocketing utility bill can mean the difference between an annual trip to lake cumberland and a tearful apology to her kids. it can mean choosing which bills to pay this month and which to put off just a little longer. it can mean birthday disappointments and missed credit card payments. these types of consequences may not be a big deal to the president, but for many people in the country and many in kentucky they are a very big deal. families have had to put up with enough in the nearly six years this administration has been in power. higher medical costs, stubborn unemployment, the feeling of less opportunity. and what i'm saying is middle-class families deserve a break. they deserve to have washington battling in their corner instead

of against them. that's why i keep fighting this war on coal. now later this morning i'll take my message to one of the administration's so-called listening sessions on these extreme energy regulations. the obamacare may have been too afraid to hold a hearing anywhere where near coal country but that doesn't mean they'll be able to ignore the voice of my constituents. i'll be joined by kentuckians who had to travel hundreds of miles just to get here. one of them is jimmy rose, a former coal miner from pineville who rose to national attention with his song "coal keeps the lights on." as jimmy puts it, coal keeps the bills paid, the clothes on the backs and the shoes on the feet. and that is true for so many in my state. i'll note the irony that the administration's so-called listening session in atlanta had to switch locations due to a significant power outage. as one person put it, the power

outage is either cruel irony or a glimpse of coming cruel reality. that's of course if the obama and the e.p.a. are successful in their quest to end the use of affordable, reliable coal. it's hard to disagree. the point is the president's extreme energy regulations are little more than a political turnout strategy masquerading a serious environmental policy. not only could they end up making the environment worse rather than better, but they threaten to hurt countless middle-class families in the process while shipping american jobs overseas. so they need to be stopped. the administration needs to be stopped, and kentuckians aren't going to take this lying down. we're going to keep, keep fighting back. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the

senate will resume consideration of s. 2569, which the clerk will report. the clerk: calendar number 453, s. 2569, a bill to provide an incentive for businesses to bring jobs back to america. the presiding officer: under the previous order, there will now be one hour of debate equally divided and controlled between the two leaders or their designees. mr. durbin: mr. president? the presiding officer: the assistant majority leader. mr. durbin: mr. president, i'm going to be joined shortly on the floor by senator john walsh of montana and senator debbie stabenow of michigan who are going to speak to the bill that's pending before us. until they arrive, though, i'd like to set the context here. we're trying to create incentives in the tax code to bring good-paying manufacturing jobs back to the united states, to incentivize companies that will bring jobs from their overseas facilities back into our country and put americans to

work. and how we pay for it is we've reduced the current subsidies which we give to american companies to ship jobs overseas. pretty simple. so the vote really comes down to the question of whether or not democrats and republicans in the senate want to create an incentive in the tax code to keep jobs, good-paying jobs in america, to build the workforce in america so that they have a future, and to discourage shipping american jobs overseas. i don't know what the debate's about. i don't know what republican could go to a town meeting in any state in the union and argue this is not a good idea. it is a very important idea and it's one we want to use to repopulate the united states were good-paying jobs and hardworking families getting the kind of money that they deserve. we're in the midst of debate now, a national debate that's touched the state of illinois,

about something called inversion, and most people are not familiar with that term. it's a situation where an american company moves, at least on paper, its headquarters of operations to a foreign country to avoid paying american taxes, and we have major companies that are doing it, some that are considering making that move. the president spoke to it last week. and i think the president hit the nailt on the head. it isn't a question of whether it is just real. it is a question of whether it's right. is it right for a company, for s it right for a ca company -- for example, pharmaceutical company -- to walk away from their tax responsibilities in america? you don't put a successful drug on the market unless it starts with research, and most research begins with our government. the national institutes of health, about $30 billion a

year, does basic research which leads to new discoveries, new drugs. those efforts in basic research are developed into drugs. when the private companies think they've found the right combination, they have to submit their drug to the food and drug administration, which is the regulatory agency in washington which tests their drug to make sure that it doesn't harm people and, in fact, it performs as promised. it takes some time. it takes lot of taxpayers' money. but when the food and drug administration then hands down its decision that your drug is safe to go on the market, you have just received the most amazing endorsement possible in the world for a drug, that the u.s. food and drug administration has approved it for sale in the united states of america. it is a ticket to success and

profitability. but it doesn't end at that point. you have to protect your right in that drug, and to protect it you go to the u.s. patent office and make sure that there is a registration that protects your legal right to make a profit on that drug and keeps others from duplicating it at your expense. look at that process that led to the profitability of these blockbuster drugs. national institutes of health research, taxpayer-funded. food and drug administration approval, taxpayer-funded. patent office protection, taxpayer-funded. now major pharmaceuticals are saying, well it sure would be nice to stay in america, but what we're going to do is move our office corporate headquarters to a european country or perhaps to the island of jersey, which i'm not sure i could find on a map, and in doing so we won't have to pay as many federal taxes to america. is that in gratitude?

it certainly is. you've used all of these federal agencies to become profitable and now you walk away from your federal tax responsibility? there's another side to this coin. when these companies invert and move overseas, their tax that they don't pay is a burden shifted to other american companies and other american taxpayers. they're getting off the hook for american taxes, but they're pushing the burden onto others. we've got to come to grips here with the relate that i many major companies -- reality that many major companies are using global commerce and global opportunities at the expense of america. we've got to encourage good-paying jobs in this country and companies that stay in this country. we need to reward in our tax code american-based companies headquartered in america with their jobs in america paying a good wage, good benefits, veteranss' preferences.

give them a break in the tax code. don't subsidize companies that want to move their john jobs overseas. should our tax code incentivize bringing jobs back from overseas or should it incentivize and encourage shipping jobs overseas overseas? it is a simple vote and i hope it is overwhelmingly bipartisan anwhen it comes before us. we know our country can grow with the right encouragement because we're lucky. for those of us who were born here, we were born into one of the strongest democracies in history. we're born into a system that et creates -- that creates opportunity. and we also know that we have a responsibility here in the senate, the house, and in the white house to create a tax climate and an economic climate for that kind of growth. that's what we're trying to do with this bill: a fair shot for american companies so that they

can bring jobs home and be incentivized and rewarded to do it and discouraging those companies that do just the opposite. i think this is a front and center issue. good-paying jobs are the key to restoring the middle class in america, something that i think is long overdue, to create an incentive for people who are struggling to see at the end of that rainbow the chance to raise a family in a good neighborhood and a good church and parish and a good state that really helps america grow. i will be supporting this measure before the senate this morning. i'm going to yield the floor and suggest that during the quorum call that the time be equally divided between democrats and republicans. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will call the roll. quoarp quorum quorum call:

the presiding officer: the republican whip. mr. cornyn: mr. president, aid ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be re-snded. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: mr. president, i want to make some remarks about the ongoing humanitarian crisis that's occurring on our southern border in texas, and i've spoken on it a umin of times. before i do that i want to say a word about a decorated u.s. marine corps veteran an award winning journalist and courageous seventh generation texan by the name of austin tyce. in 2012, austin went to syria as a civilian. he went to report on the brutal civil war that has now claimed the lives of more than 170,000 syrians. it caused a