gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, madam speaker. at this point i'd like to yield two minutes to my good friend, congressman mike coffman, both an army and marine veteran, the sponsor of this bill, two minutes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. coffman: madam speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 2147, the veterans treatment court improvement act. for many veterans the transition from military service has been successful with few challenges. however, that is not the case for all veterans. unfortunately for some veterans the integration into civilian life has been met with difficulties and complications and being caught up in the criminal justice system, often due to undiagnosed and untreated mental health issues attributed to multiple combat tours. the veteran treatment court improvement act of -- h.r. 2147, assists criminal justice,

involve veterans in giving the help they need to navigate the justice system and receive much-needed services throughout the department of veterans affairs. through the department of veterans affairs. this authorizes the secretary of v.a. to hire an additional 50 veteran justice outreach specialists to support the existing v.a. veteran justice outreach program. the veteran treatment court model helps prevent the unnecessary incarceration of veterans who have suffered mental health issues, substance abuse and homelessness related to their military service. i urge my colleagues to join me n supporting h.r. 2147, to better meet the needs of the program and provide much-needed services to more veterans in need. . thank you, i yield back. . mr. roe: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from washington is recognized. california. mr. takano: yes.

thank you, madam speaker. i would like at this point to yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from arizona, representative sinema, who though she's not a member of the veterans' affairs committee, has had a distinguished record of serving our veterans through very, very significant legislation. the gentlewoman from arizona. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from arizona is recognized for three mins. ms. sinema: thank you, madam speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 2147, the veterans treatment court improvement act. madam speaker, it is our responsibility as americans to help our bravest men and women heal from both the physical and mental wounds of war. veterans treatment courts are important, effective tools to help heal the invisible injuries many of our veterans sustained defending our country. retired brigadier general greg maxin told me, these courts and their employees, quote, make all the difference in how these

veterans engage in their treatment programs, end quote. we worked across the aisle on this bill to ensure life-saving courts have the resources to serve any arizona veteran who needs support. mr. speaker, too many arizona families continue to struggle with addiction. in the past year alone, more than 8,000 arizonans overdosed on opioids. over 1,200 of those lives couldn't be saved. leaders in congress attempted to cut programs like medicaid, known as access in arizona, which ensures treatment and recovery services for those struggling. we should reach across the aisle and work together to find solutions that help famili get ahead and build better lives. this week we are working across the aisle, and i am proud to see our progress. we are passing bills to help reduce foreign shipments of

illegal synthetic opioids from places like china that enter our country through the mail system. passing bills to provide additional targeted services for individuals and families struggling with addiction. and passing bills to give law enforcement additional tools to keep synthetic drugs off the streets and out of our communities. more work remains, and i look forward to working across the aisle to deliver results for everyday arizonans. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back her time. the gentleman from tennessee. mr. roe: mr. speaker, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves his time. the gentleman from california. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i have an additional speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. takano: yes, mr. speaker, i'd like to yield two minutes to the gentleman from virginia, mr. connolly. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. connolly: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank my friend from california for his leadership. i rise in support of the veterans treatment court improvement act requiring the department of veterans affairs

to hire 50 veterans specialists to support veteran treatment courts. we have a sacred obligation to serve the needs of our nation's veterans, including those struggling with addiction and the invisible wounds of war. 20% of iraq and afghan war veterans suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder or major depression. one in six battle with substance abuse. left undiagnosed or untreated, these illnesses can lead to an encounter with the justice system. worse yet, they can also lead to suicide, which veterans commit at more than twice the rate of the civilian population. fortunately specialized treatment courts are being developed across the country to help veterans that suffer from addiction or mental health disorders and they receive the assistance they deserve. the first such court was established in buffalo, new york, in 2008. since then, more than 300 have opened across the country, including one in fairfax county

and another in prince william county, both counties i represent. i was glad to help establish the first docket in fairfax county and have been a proud supporter ever since. by bringing these service organizations, state veteran service departments and volunteer mentors into the courtroom, veteran treatment courts promote collaboration and can connect veterans with the programs and benefits they have earned. having a veteran-only court docket ensures everyone, from the judge tole volunteer specializing in -- judge to the volunteer specialized in care, to experience the camaraderie to which he or she has become accustomed in the military. we know this model works. it's our hope that the additional veterans specialist outreach specialist provided in this bill will help promote veterans treatment courts as an alternative to detention for our nation's returning heroes and help them with the transition to civilian life. i yield back.

the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from tennessee. mr. roe: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee reserves his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i have no more speakers. i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. -- akano: mr. speaker the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from. mr. takano: let me say i have personally witnessed the effectiveness of these courts in my own community. they have saved lives. they fixed lives. they repaired lives. and they have afforded our veterans a murph dignity as they heal -- measure of dignity as they heal from their experiences in battle. so i ask all my colleagues to please join me in passing h.r. 2147, as amended, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california yields back his time. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. once again, i encourage all members to support h.r. 2147, as amended, 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 ill h.r. 2147, as amended. 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, the bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, proceedings will resume on motions to suspend the rules previously postponed. votes will be ten in the following order. h.r. 5890 by the yeas and nays. h.r. 5891 by the yeas and nays. the first electronic vote will be conducted as a 15-minute vote. remaining electronic votes will

be conducted as five-minute votes. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentleman from virginia, mr. garrett, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5890 which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title of the bill. he clerk: h.r. 5890, a bill to to require the secretary of health and human services to disseminate information, resources, and if requested, technical assistance to early childhood care and education providers and professionals working with young children on -- a bill to ly require the secretary of health and human services to provide assistance to states in omplying with, and implementing, certain provisions of section 106 of the child abuse prevention and treatment act in order to promote better protections for young children and family-centered responses, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the

bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a 15-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 406. he nays are three. 2/3 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. the unfinished business is the vote on the motion by the gentleman from wisconsin, to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5892, on which the yeas and nays were ordered. the clerk will report the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5891, a bill to establish an interagency task force to improve the federal response to families impacted by substance abuse disorders. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill. members will record their votes by electronic device. this is a five-minute vote. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote the yeas are 409. the nays are eight. 2/3 rded vote being -- 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.

the speaker pro tempore: the ouse will be in order. he house will be in order.

members, please remove your conversations. thank you. members, please remove your conversations. members will clear the aisles. members, please remove your onversations. he house will be in order. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> thank you, mr. speaker, i

move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 4635 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be in order. the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar 530, h.r. 4635, a bill to direct the secretary of veterans affairs to increase the number of peer-to-peer counselors providing counseling to women veterans and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from tennessee, mr. roe, and the gentleman from california, mr. tacawyow, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from tennessee. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material into the record on h.r. 4635 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. re-: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i

may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the house will be i order. members please remove your conversations. the gentleman is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 4635 as amended this bill would ensure that the department of veterans' affairs existing volunteer peer support counseling program includes peer counselors for women veterans as the number of women veterans enrolled in the v.a. health care system continues to grow it's critical that the v.a. programs are prefire department meet their needs. the peer support counseling program recruits veterans to serve on a volunteer basis to assist their fellow veterans struggling with mental health or readjustment issue and to conduct outreach to inform veterans and their families -- families of the resors available to them. peer support counselors are overseen by the v.a. and as

peers are able to communicate on a more personal and effective basis than nonveteran clinicians, particularly for veterans hesitant to seek treat due to stigma. i'm grateful to mike for his leadership on the committee and sponsoring this bill to ensure that v.a. recruits a sufficient number of women veteran volunteers to support the needs of women veterans through the peer support counseling program. i urge my colleagues to support h.r. 4635 as amended. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: thank you, mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. takano: i rise in support of h.r. 4635 as amended to increase the number of peer-to-peer counselors available to women veterans. peer-to-peer counseling is meant to be sense ty to the specific cull tchoifer military and how

that culture affects veterans. it can be incredibly helpful to veterans that may not feel comfortable entering a more formal form of treatment and for many women veterans, their most relateable peer will be a fellow woman this bill would require v.a. toin crease women's veterans steeks peer-to-peer counselors thus ensuring all veterans can enjoy the benefits of the incredible form of therapy. between this legislation and the other peer support measure recently passed in the v.a. mission act this body continues to underscore its commitment to expanding peer support at v.a. i appreciate the hard work mr. coffman has put into this issue and look forward to supporting his efforts. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: thank you, mr. speaker. at this time i'd like to yield five minutes to my good friend and senior member of the veterans affairs committee, both

an army and marine veteran, congressman mike coffman of colorado. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. coffman: today i rise in support of h.r. 2635, the peer-to-peer counseling act. currently women veterans represent over 9% of our nation's veterans. and that number is expected to increase to 15% by the year 030. as more women veterans youth lite v.a. health care it is critical for the v.a. to update and improve services for women veterans. one area that warrant ours particular attention for improved services is v.a. mental health counseling services for women veterans. an alarming statistic from v.a.'s 2016 suicide data report noted that, quote, the risk of

suicide was 2.4 times higher among female veterans when compared with their civilian adult -- when compared with civilian adult females and it also noted rates of suicide increased more among women than men in the same study. unfortunately, many women veterans have experienced sexual trauma and ptsd while serving in the military. some women veterans are suffering from other mental health conditions from multiple combat toufers duty and are at risk of suicide and becoming homeless. the peer-to-peer counseling act addresses these issues by requiring the secretary of the v.a. to ensure a sufficient number of volunteer peer support counselors are available to facilitate peer-to-peer counseling and assist women veterans with gender-specific care and services.

h.r. 4635 will increase access to vital mental health opportunities within the v.a. for women veterans. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the peer-to-peer counseling act, to better serve the growing women veteran population. i urge my colleagues to join me in supporting h.r. 4635 to better meet the needs of the women and -- better meet the needs of the program and provide needed services to many more veterans. thank you and i'd like to mention one other bill that just passed the house, 2147, h.r. 2147, the veterans treatment improvement act that builds upon a successful program that essentially provides v.a. lee asoutherns or veteran justice outreach program officers within

these veteran treatment courts that facilitate v.a. services, whether drug and alcohol, mental health, or other services to veterans who wld otherse bin cars rated. but have fallen into the criminal justice system often related to their military service. post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health disorders, or they have problems adjusting from military life to civil ab life. o what this program does is by providing rehabilitative services in the court for our veterans with the v.a. in support keeps these veterans in a very successful rate, i think in the 18th judicial district in my congressional district, the veterans court has a 73% success rate in keeping these veterans out of the criminal justice

system by providing v.a. rehabilitative services for them. i think an expansion of this program is so important. i thank my colleagues for having passed this bill unanimously just previously today. mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the swrelt from california is recognized. mr. takano: i'd like to yield three minutes to my good friend and ranking member of the committee on memorial affairs, ms. esty of connecticut. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. esty: thank you, mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman for yielding. i rise in support of h.r. 4635, the peer-to-peer counseling act. i want to thank my friend and colleague mr. coffman for his leadership on this very important shrn.

-- issue. the bill we're considering today will help ensure that our women veterans are fully equipped to transition back to civilian life. women veterans are the single fastest growing group of veterans in america. and they face many challenges unique to our women warriors. women veterans need access to peer counselors who are trained in recovery from military sexual trauma, post-traumatic stress and mental health conditions that they may be struggling with. i think it's also worth noting that women veterans are disproportionately juggling responsibility for child care which complicates their ability to seek treatment elsewhere and they have special needs and experiences. our women veterans should have the opportunity to receive the advice and counseling from someone who knows what they have been and are still going through as women warriors. and we need to help ensure that they have the resources to succeed. the v.a. must also do more to

help ensure that every veteran is able to benefit from peer support and has awareness and access to those services. that's why i'm so pleased that this bill today requires the v.a. to conduct outreach to ensure that our women veterans know how to get access to this important and valuable assistance. too often i hear from veterans in my home state of connecticut that they're simply unaware that these services are available. and we may offer them to the v.a. but if our veterans don't know they're there, they won't get the benefits they deserve. in many cases, programs that exist to help our women veterans but the veterans don't know they're there. peer support counselors have been through a transition before, they understand what it takes and they can be particularly effective in meeting the needs of our women warriors. with the fastest growing number of women in this country who are veterans now nearly two million

women veterans in america, think about that two million, we need to do better by them through the v.a. it's an important peer-to-peer counseling support program. i'm delighted that we came together as committee with bipartisan support for this important bill. and when we are also urging other legislation named in honor of debra sampson, the first woman to serve this country who dressed as a man in the revolutionary war to serve america, it's important that we reassure today's women in active duty and those transitioning out, that we will take care of them and their families as they make that important transition to civilian life. they've earned our support in the military, we need to provide it to them as they transition out. again, i want to thank my colleagues on this ecommittee, the chairman and the ranking member and mr. coffman for their important work. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation. i yield back the balance of my ime. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman yields. the gentleman from california reserves. mr. takano: i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i ask that my colleagues join me in passing h.r. 4635 as amended. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentleman from tennessee is recognized. mr. roe: i too encourage all members to support this legislation and i want to thank both sides of the aisle for bringing this forward. as a physician and veteran, i can assure you, mr. speaker, that peer-to-peer counseling is the way to go. this legislation will help our female veterans, i strongly encourage all members to support this legislation, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from tennessee yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4635 as amended. 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. the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. the gentleman from kansas -- for what purpose does the gentleman from kansas seek recognition? >> i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to applaud the president's effort it is bring peace to the korean peninsula. for almost seven decades, the united states and north korea have been adversaries but this week we witnessed a ground breaking first step for both nations in global security as a whole. while much work remains to be done the commitment to recover

the remains of 7,802 american soldier jers who were prisoners of war or missing in action in the korean war deserves special recognition. bringing these fallen heroes home will give long overdue closure to the famloifs those with made the ultate sack pice. we must deal firmly with north korea while continuing to take steps toward piece to -- peace to ensure another korean war is not repeated. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? without objection the gentleman s recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, over the past 100 years, the life expectancy of men has declined in comparison with that of women. mr. payne: women now live on an average five years longer than

men. there is a cry soifs men's health in america. to reverse -- a crisis of men's health in america. to reverse this decline we must be silent no more. too often, men are forgoing routine health screenings and are dying because of it. colon cancer, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes. all of these are treatable or even preventable if you get screening. screenings aren't scary. they don't hurt. this morning my staff and i were screened by health care professionals on capitol hill with the men's health network. knowledge is power, ladies and gentlemen. for my staff, for myself, and for our families. just a few minutes ago , my fellow chairman of the men's

health caucus, congressman mullin of oklahoma, joined me to introduce a resolution recognizing june 11 through 17th as national men's health week. i encourage each of you to join us on this resolution and help end the silent crisis of men's health in america. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognitio without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for ne minute. ms. tenney: despite opening won the fun, they champion for the u.s. college beer championship. the contest, opened to any college or university with brewing courses, will help determine the future brewers in

america. orris has these courses as elective. morrisville will have a four-year bruring program, hopefully. their program fits in with upstate new york with breweries that bring jobs, including the f.x. brewing kppingkp, the fourth oldest family brewery in the united states. the empire brewing factory. also the cortland brewing company in cortland, new york. so mr. speaker and my colleagues, please join me in congratulating morrisville university in becoming number one in brewing -- the number one brewing school in north america their very first time out. it took a lot of time out. i look forward to tasting some of their products as we move into the next semester. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? >> request unanimous consent to

address the house for one minute and reserve the right to extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. right now we have a human rights emergency at our borders. i.c.e. agents are ripping children from their mothers' arms. these are babies as young as 11 months. they're holding these children are so fill now trump wants to build tent cities to house more children. there are reports of i.c.e. agents telling parents they are taking their child to give them a bath and then the parents don't see their baby again. think about that. no notice, no due process, just silent cruel separation. this is happening on our american soil. this is the policy of the trump administration. i.c.e. has an $8 billion budget and this is what our taxpayer dollars are buying. holding babies, cold and alone, in what is the internment camps

of little children. mr. cardenas: my fellow colleagues, we are not a country that follows a selfish cold-hearted dictator. we are the united states of america. yield back. the speaker pro tempore: members are reminded to refrain from engaging in personalities towards the president. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. carter: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. carter: mr. speaker, i rise today to recognize savannah, georgia, police department patrol officer anthony christy who lost his life in the line of duty on may 25 at the age of 37. he's remembered as a passionate person who was deeply devoted to his fellow officers and community while simply loving his job. before joining the police force, officer christy served

in the united states navy where he earned a number of accolades, including the navy good conduct medal and the global war on terror service medal. he carried this excellent work with him from the navy over to the police force. in one mission he rescued a child who was abducted and abandoned in the woods. his fellow officers always wanted to work with officer christy because of his calming presence and their respect for his work. officer christy's passing is a reminder to us all of the danger officers must endure when they go to work to keep us and our families safe. i encourage everyone to thank our first responders on a daily basis. not only the times when we need them the most. to officer christy and his family, we offer our deepest condolences. thank you for your service. may god bless. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman

from california seek recognition? >> request unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, the trump administration is the most corrupt in our country's long history. they're enriching themselves and rewarding special interests and campaign donors like nothing we have ever seen and proof look at scott pruitt. just today news broke that last year he enlisted a top e.p.a. aide to ask big republican donors to help his wife find a job. mr. huffman: eventually securing her position with judicial crisis network. we learned about similar efforts involving pruitt's attempt to secure a chick-fil-a franchise for his wife using e.p.a. resources. he raised millions of dollars as attorney general of oklahoma from oil, gas, and coal companies for his campaign. he chaired a dark money group

which had state challenges to clean air and water protections. he sued the e.p.a. 14 times at oklahoma a.g. to block health protections while raking in campaign contributions from his polluter co-litigants. he's facing more than 12 federal investigations into his corruption, influence peddling, waste of millions in taxpayer dollars on his lavish lifestyle. mr. speaker, in any other administration, any other time, he would have been fired long ago. it's time for pruitt to go and it's time for congress to do something about the toxic corruption in the trump administration. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. lamalfa: thank you, mr. speaker. recently i was invited by a at the poe , tyler, polermo school.

spoke to the students about the importance of individual civic engagement in our republic and all things in congress. it's when it hit me, how does the public stay in touch with what we're doing here if they can't be in the gallery or visit washington, d.c.? it really occurs that c-span is an important aspect for people to be in touch, that network, whose entire purpose is to allow those watching at home to be able to do so, to be involved what goes on in the inner workings of this town and this process in congress. in the grand scheme of our whole country, it's actually fairly new, starting in 1979. so today, nearly anyone can tune in or go online on an internet connection and be a part of the debate. thanks to the camera coverage we have in this room as well as in our committees. as a nonprofit, unedited an uninterrupted channel for all

things congress, even the presidential inauguration or state of the union address, c-span's an integral part of our republic. people partake of the great tyler's those in class. mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? ms. jackson lee: i ask unanimous consent to speak to the house for one minute, i ask unanimous consent. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. jackson lee: mr. speaker, we are on the eve of father's day. fathers and mothers, their greatest gift in their mind are their children. their greatest love are their children. the greatest willingness to sacrifice their lives are their children. so, mr. rodas asked the question, why are you taking him? mr. rodas, an immigrant from

honduras, wanted nothing more than a better life for his wife and three children. edison was with him. and a policy that could be more cked than evil, this administration, with no legal grounding, has begun to snatch children away from their father and their mother. i know the policy. it was designed some years back for unaccompanied children. it was not designed for punishment for taking children from parents who then do not know where they are and possibly the government not being able to find them. y are we taking him from his father? why are babies crying in the night because mothers are separated because they've been snatched away at the border in my state, the state of texas? we should cease and desist, mr. speaker. this is father's day.

where are we taking children? the american people need to know and the american people need to stand up. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman rom nevada seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one inute. mr. speaker, today i rise to remember the life of lisa romero muniz. not only was lisa the mother to her son, anthony, but she was also known as a second mother to all the children she worked with. lisa attended the route 91 festival in las vegas on october 1. lisa was a discipline secretary at liamora high school in new

mexico. they remember her as a mother and for never turning her back on a kid that needed help. lisa would give anyone the last dime she had with no questions asked and would treat everyone like they were family. lisa loved purses, jason aldean, and las vegas. she was always smiling, outgoing, kind and considerate. lisa's remember as being incredibly generous and wearing her heart on her sleeve. i'd like to extend my condolences to lisa muniz's family and friends. please note that the city of las vegas, the state of nevada, and the whole country grieve with you. mr. speaker, i yield the remaining balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new mexico eek recognition? without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. lujan grisham: mr. speaker,

this is opioids week. yet, we are not considering any bill that would rein in the pharmaceutical companies whose greed caused and perpetuated the epidemic. many of these companies have used unethical and illegal practices to generate record-setting profits. they have bribed doctors, lied to patients about the effects of opioids, and ignored millions of the illegally trafficked pills. meanwhile, the costs of the epidemic fall on states, cities, counties, hospitals, courts, and local communities who do not have the resources to keep up. now, i've introduced legislation that would make pharmaceutical companies part of the solution by imposing a small one cent fee on opioid production. the estimated $2 billion in revenue raised could be used to fund a variety of prevention, treatment, and research programs that would save countless lives. mr. speaker, it is time to

finally hold these companies accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic and make them give back to the communities and families that have been destroyed. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. frankel: i ask unanimous consent to address the house for one minute and to revise and extend. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentlewoman is recognized for one minute. ms. frankel: i stand here today not only as a member of congress but as a mother to say that i am outraged, i am heart broken, and i am embarrassed of the activity, the barbaric activity of our government on our borders. the trump administration's zero policy is cruel ripping children from the arms of their mothers and their fathers at

our borders. they're separating them for indefinite periods of time, often in unspeakable, unbearable facilities. we have seen a lot of ruthless actions from the trump administration, but this is as bad as it gets. i call it government inflicted hild abuse, and i stand here committed with like-minded citizens, millions of americans across the country condemning these actions and committed to keeping parents and children together when they come to the united states of america. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: are there any further requests for time. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2017, the

gentleman from oklahoma, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. russell: this week, we saw major world leaders interfacing on economy, diplomacy and security on the major hems sfeers of the globe. no clear outcomes are perceiveable. uncertain and perhaps less secure future seems to loom. subsequently, americans today are faced with many questions, some formulated by ourselves and some offered by our world neighbors. what is the role of the united states in the world, they ask? what right do we have to take on

that role, we ask? what responsibility would we shed if we took no leadership in global affairs? our allies and our enemies may be asking, what can we expect from the united states in the future? my own question would be this, how can the united states continue to be a force for good in the world? to answer these questions, we need to look no further than how we govern ourselves and what we even believe is the purpose of any government. what is the purpose of government? simply put, it is to protect against evil, to execute justice against those committing wrong to others, to promote what benefits society, and to deter what harms it. well, the united states was accomplished, we held some basic truths to be self-evident,

namely, all of us are created equal, and we have been endowed rights,tain unalienable the right to live free and right to life. and governments are secured to institute those rights, not take them away and the best form of government to do that would be thfer be one only draws from the consent of the people, not by the people's coercion or coercing them. and therein lies the insight that the world seeks on u.s. motivations that the consistent role of the united states in foreign policy in the last century found our nation in conflict with those that would use coercion. not only abusing their own people, but extending that abuse to others. in looking to the future, no single week of diplomacy, no

statements of mixed signal, no ount or shift or hef tmp can erase the nature of how americans view our relations with each other and other nations. it's in our d.n.a., whether clouded by a temporary setback or asserttive advance. after world war i, when the entire system of governance of the most dominating powers shifted from monarchies, nations struggled to found self-governance. the competition between self-rule and author tarianism saw the rise of japan and violation of human rights and sovereignty of china and that set the united states on a policy of economics, trade and military defense that ultimately would place us in horrific

conflict. the rise of european dictators that swept the rights of man off he map of europe and there was complete of destruction. after world war ii, those that would govern themselves and enjoy the fruits of their labor and pursuit of happiness would come into direct conflict with those that would coerce their own people into centralized socialist servitude in exchange for their security or some respect, in a place on the world stage. consequently, the united states found itself in conflict along these lines on the korean peninsula, until southeast asian in the middle east. upon examination of our policies in the last century, many have been hyper critical suggesting

that the united states used its position and power to promote its own brand of coercion rather than to be a force of good in the world. whether one holds a bias, the answer can be found with these questions. would the world have been better or worse economically and politically without our intervention into the defense of south korea in 1950? would the world be better off economically and politically without our security efforts in europe and the formulation of nato? would the world be better off without the securing of our planet's oceans for all the world to use in free trade and commerce? would the world be better or worse economically or politically without our policy without the right of taiwan ease defense? would the world be better without our intervention in

kuwait, the balkans as we closed the last century? these are questions to ponder. as we examine what our political map might look like if all of these nations were tipped in favor of coercive governments, one thing is clear, the actors promoting coercion, rather than liberty, appear much the same as we enter a new era. our lines of conflict today are much as they have always been with nations that lack democratic rule, that show disregard for the rule of law, that fail to respect basic human rights, that violate intellectual and private property, that manipulate their economies, that restrict commerce, that close their doors to cultural and educational exchange. and so we find ourselves with old enemies in a new era, not always defined by new nations.

and we are now vital partners and friends, but the old enemies will be those against life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. and while our enemies may be consistent, we would not always know it when examining our foreign policy and economic efforts in this century. for much of this century under bipartisan administrations, we have experimented with the notion that we can embrace those with the opposed form of governance and view of liberty and that our goodwill will be reciprocated with their conversion to do good behavior. so far, that path has led us to political and economic imbalanceance with lasting consequence. worse, it may be placing us on a path of monumental conflict as

enemies use new-found resources to have beyond what the world ultimately will be willing to bear. the path to that conflict is not inevitable, but it will take a strategic vision that is severely lacking in our nation today. rather than focus on sovereign states or regions of the globe to maintain our security, we need to embrace the idea of curbing enemies of liberty and their ability to extend their reach wherever they may be found. the task is not impossible. in fact, the ingredients of it are all around us, already identified by our practices rather than by our politics. what is needed is to articulate a long-range strategic vision to promote life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. and here it is. here's the vision. the answer lies in the

collective efforts of the nations who have democratic, free, stable governance. what if the vast bulk of our trade were exclusively with those nations? what if the economic assistance to our benefit were intertwined exclusively with those nations? what if our information and innovation sharing were only with those countries? what if our military's partnered with mutual security with these countries? i know what you are thinking, don't we already have some of this? ingredients, yes. i bake a cake, no. we found ourselves still embracing those that would use their power to coerce rather than to promote, to theeve to steal, manipulate and use our openness to advance their power and we worry that our individual effort may not be enough to contain the dangers that lie ahead economically and worse,

militarily. if our discourse with other nations were to place the bad actors on the outside rather than on the inside, there is no collective effort they could muster to withstand our combination. if we were to form a federation of freedom among the no kidding democratic nations of the world, we could simply do what our own individual governments do, but on a mutually benefiting scale. protect against evil, uphold justice against those committing wrongs to others, promote what benefits society and deter what harms it. those standing against these principles would find themselves on the outside of trade, on the outside of diplomacy, on the outside of military security. and they would be unable to leverage our freedoms and use

them against us. ask yourself these questions. is a superior economy better in the hands of those that would protect intellectual property or those who do not? our diplomatic alliances made better with those who respect the rule of law or those who do not? is the sharing of information better exchanged with those who use knowledge to promote good and empower their own citizens with a free-flowing press or those who use it to take away those things? is superior military might better in the hands of those that promote the value of life and individual liberty or is it better in the hands of those who do not? is the existence of a collective superior strength better in the hands of partners using their force for good or in the hands of those who will use it to suppress and oppress?

the ingredients of a federation for freedom are all around us and like it or not, the united states may be the only nation with the resources to lead such an effort as it accidentally found itself in the last century. for those rejecting such a notion that america must lead, i'm reminded where it says, on the day you stood aloof, you became as one of them. we can do -- we can no more abrogate our mantell of leadership of the free world than the free world with have an economy. what remains is to ditch the notion that the united states is somehow a force for bad in the world. and that we need to recede our position. we must ditch the notion that the united states violates human rights, rather than is foremost in securing human rights

globally. and we must abandon the premise that we have no right to lead on the ideals with which we have governed ourselves since 1789. we know no other path. it is in our d.n.a. if the united states were to lead and form a federation of freedom, we would have the commercial development to create competitive markets and unite innovative advancements and have the diplomatic strength to unite on human rights and have the ability to promote underdeveloped nations with the skill necessary to our cultural exchanges and our institutions of higher learning. while exchanging the same. we would have the collective strength to protect shipping lanes and warding those who wish to pirate the commerce as it passes by and have the collective strength to withstand the most active of coercive

actors. we would be a beekcon for those to find their way rather than to coercive friends and others to enslave others through an authoritarian future. what if this federation? what would it look like? seven of the g7. 16 of the g20 and they place them high enough on the list to maintain a government ruled by their own people as they secure their liberty. . they would have free elections, respect for the rule of law, basic human rights, stable economics, a free economy united in free trade among federation members, protections for intellectual and private property, and open arms for cultural and educational

exchange. the good news is, much of this exists. it's just not organized and it's not led. to our authoritarian competitors or worse, the pariah states of the globe, here is the simple truth. history has shown our historical enemies do not have to be our future enemies. however, one thing is certain. our future enemies will continue to be those that are opposite of the ideals that formed our american mindset for freedom and liberty, whether we want to recognize that as the american people or not. and so to the american people, i urge you to call on this congress to support such a federation. to the president, i say, mr. president, this could not only be your moment but it could be what the freedom-loving people of the world hope you would be in a leader. organize and lead such a federation. the concept is simple.

its execution most difficult. its reward, prosperity and security on a grand scale. and let the world be assured, , pite mixed signals setbacks, the habits of the american people still offer hope because of how we govern ourselves. to our enemies, that hope should also offer warning. and let us therefore embark with such democratic like-minded nations to secure such a federation. thank you, mr. speaker. i yield back my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2017, the gentleman from california, mr. correa, is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader. mr. correa: mr. speaker, i ask

unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on the subject matter of my special order. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. correa: thank you. mr. speaker, i want to thank you for the opportunity to address this body on a very important issue that we need to bring to the attention of the people of this country. i'm proud to have so many of my colleagues here today to stand up against the president's policy of systematically tearing immigrant children apart from their families. these innocent children are being held under inhumane conditions at detention facilities alone and apart from their parents. president trump's chief of staff recently -- general kelly said when asked about this, quote, children will be taken care of, put into foster care or whatever, open quote. this is an unacceptable answer. the administration is

separating children away from their parents, including infants and toddlers, and in some cases holding these children in cages. the united nations has noted that children arriving at the u.s. border who plead for asylum with their parents is a legal form of entry, and separating children away from their parents is illegal and a violation of human rights. these immoral practices are being executed by the department of justice and homeland security. to instill fear and deter families who are already fleeing extreme fear and violence in their native homes. and they are trying to, again, deter them from seeking legal protection in america. for example, from october, 2017, to april, 2018, 700 children were separated. but in just the first 13 days

of may of this year, 2018, 658 children were separated, which almost equals the previous six months. children are literally being ripped from their mother's arms who are simply seeking safety of their families. immorally, the administration is breaking up families. it's plain and simple. asylum seekers should not be held hostage and penalized for wanting to be protected from harm. this new policy is clearly unprecedented, cruel, and altogether dead wrong. it is imperative that we stand up against the administration's un-american policies towards families. and today, my colleagues and i are standing up against this barbaric action and demand the administration stop punishing children and stop punishing

families who are fearing for their lives. with that i yield to my good friend and distinguished colleague, ms. zoe lofgren, from the state of california. ms. lofgren: thank you, mr. correa. and thanks for organizing this special order. you know, it is a part of immigration law -- it's not a violation of immigration law -- it is a part of immigration law that people fleeing for their lives can come to the united states and apply for asylum. not only is that in our statutes, but also in a treaty we ratified. so people concerned about the rule of law ought to realize this is part of our law. here's what's happening. people fleeing from their lives primarily from central america are going to the ports of entry. in some cases we've received reports, they make their claim and their children are taken away from them, i believe, in violation of law. in other cases, even though

they're there to make an application, they're turned away by the border patrol. they then go down the road and find a border patrol agent to turn themselves into to make their claim for political asylum. and when that happens, their children are now taken away from them. we got a report today from the department of health and human services, since this policy was adopted by the trump administration, 1,329 kids have been taken from their parents in this cruel policy. now, i -- i think that this is not the american way. you know, i saw a report from cnn today. here's what it says. the undocumented immigrant from honduras sobbed as she told an attorney tuesday how federal authorities took her daughter

while she breast fed the child in a detention center. when the woman resisted, she was handcuffed. you know, the catholic church has spoken out, again, today and this is what cardinal denardo said. families are the foundational element of our society and they must be able to stay together. while protecting our borders is important, we can and must do better as a government and as a society to find other ways to ensure that safety. separating children from their mothers is not the answer and is immoral. we are here today to say, america, we need to take a stand. the president and his administration has decided to terrorize children in the effort to deter people from availing themselves of the opportunity provided for under

immigration law. that's simply wrong. america, now is the time to be heard, and i yield back with thanks to the gentleman from california. mr. correa: i thank the distinguished gentlelady from california and i yield to my good friend and distinguished colleague, mr. jim costa from california. mr. costa: i thank the gentleman for yielding. i join with my colleagues this afternoon on what is i think a very important issue facing our country today and that is remembering what our common shared values are all about. a nation of immigrants, past and present. mr. speaker, i'm deeply disturbed, as is my colleague, congressman lou correa and others that are here, by the administration's current policy which we believe tears families apart, who are seeking asylum at our borders. that's simply not the american way. these are parents and children

fleeing to america, coming here via legal means seeking refuge. for a host of different reasons. and what happens to them now? children, including infants and toddlers, are taken from their which , sent to shelters we now know are sometimes juvenile detention centers. that's not right. that's not the american way. the parents are sent to detention facilities as well, which may be in the form of federal prisons. at america's border, this is happening to families, families who, again, are legally seeking asylum. i mean, we have had a whole history and tradition of allowing families who are seeking legal asylum. and what are they fleeing?

well, we know what they're fleeing. domestic violence, rape, murder, gang violence. if that's not traumatizing enough, now we're talking about separating them and detaining them, and we're not even beginning to consider the natural disasters that's afflicted neighbors of ours. this is an outrageous policy. i think it's morally disgusting and un-american. we are not a nation in terms of our shared values that tears families apart. we never have been. the american family is the foundation of our country. we are not a nation that systematically uses fear and the threat of detention to scare immigrants from trying to legally enter this country and build a better life for themselves and their families for what they might be fleeing.

yes, no one disputes that we need to secure our borders. we must ensure the safety of our nation. that is our highest priority. we must prevent those who want to do harm to us from entering, whether we're talking about transnational gangs that are engaged in drug trafficking or in sex trafficking or the other illegal activities that devastate our communities. we all agree on that. and i have consistently voted for improved border security, funding, and policies. but ripping these families apart like this is not securing our borders. for over a decade, i have been calling for comprehensive immigration reform that includes border security, that fixes our broken immigration system, and does it in a way that's fair, just, and works. we had such a proposal in 2013 that the senate passed 68-32. sadly, we could not bring it up. it was a bipartisan measure. if we had strong and

comprehensive functioning immigration system, there would be no chance for these disgusting policies to occur as they are now today. so let me close. i stand here today calling on coss to move on immigration rerm, comprehensive immigration reform that is bipartisan. let's put an end to these immoral, cruel, and un-american policies. if we can't do that, then let's try to bring a clean dream act to the floor. i guess we'll see what comes next week in terms of what's being proposed. i stand here today for families that are being ripped apart at the border, for immigrants past and immigrants future, for let us never forget, america is a nation for over 240 years that has been made up of immigrants from all around the world. nd for the future and the sole soul of our country that we fix this broken immigration system.

i yield back. mr. korea: i thank the gentleman. i -- mr. correa: i thank the gentleman. i now yield to ms. gwen moore from the state of wisconsin. mr. moore: i just want to point out that the united nations has called this hurtless act of separating children from their parents as, quote, unlawful and a serious violation of the rights of the child. and, of course, the american academy of pediatrics has stated that such separation can cause irreparable harm, disrupting a child's development, and affecting his or her health. would just want to say that many of my colleagues today have indicated that this is not who we are. they have asked what i think is a rhetorical question, mr. correa. they have asked, you know, who

are we? well, i can tell you who we are. through the through the agency of our head of state. e are people who have embraced the president of the phillipines who killed people who are accused of drug trafficking. we are through the agency of our head of state, people who have embraced cruel dictators like vladimir putin, who invaded a country. and we have through the agency of our head of state, we have to thehem to re-admit it g7 to the g8. through the agency of our head of state, we have declared that

kim jong un is to be admired, that he is smart, that he is a good negotiator and who we are are people who are silent, we are quiet. and so why are we asking ourselves who we are. this is who we are. this is our watch. and the world is watching us. and they are watching us be silent and say nothing. who are we? we are people who have determined that canada is an nemy of the state. we are people who are standing by while this -- while our government, the united states of america is violating international human rights' law. that's who we are.

and until we face the reality of who we are, we can't fix this. could not have -- two years ago, ever predicted that the united states would behave in this manner. this is the horrific practice. the demand is for all americans to rise up against this. and especially those americans who have been endowed with the privilege of representing the people of the united states of america, especially those people who are in leadership in this body. and with that, i would yield back to the gentleman. mr. correa: thank you. ms. moore, i agree with you, we cannot be silent in these very challenging times. the whole world is upside down

and people are counting on us to make sure that we remind people of what's going on in washington. thank you very much. with that, i yield to my good friend and distinguished colleague, mr. gonzalez fromhe tate of texas. mr. gonzalez: i rise today to remind the american people of the quick phrase that was used by the current administration, it's not our fault. it's not our fault. really? that's the sentiment that our u.s. attorney deflected of the responsibility for a zero tolerance policy that allows separation of children from their parents. in the month of may, this evil new policy led to the separation of more than 600 children in a short 13-day span. have we lost our human decency?

we are a nation of laws. how can you explain that? they have not crossed the border illegally and they are being detained and families separated as if they are here illegally. this is a clear attack on immigrants who have exhausted every last resource to seek refuge in the nation that welcomed the tired, poor and huddled masses yes or noing to breathe free. have we forgotten the words poken by mark, to love thy neighbor as ourselves. and we are not taking responsibility? i think it is important to consider the challenges that we are implementing. perhaps instead of calling for zero tolerance first, you put prosecutors in place to house folks in a humane manner. instead, we asked the department

of justice to leaped us their lawyers and rent out vacant wal-mart stores. i have no illusions about what the u.s. department of homeland security and department of health and human services are hiding. ese immigrants are not committing crimes. they are not criminals and not here illegally. i represent an area along the border where crime is at record lows. yet the administration keeps saying the opposite. i believe our local officers and local courts and local judges and prosecutors in both state and federal courts in my region, i believe them when they tell me what is happening in our exupets. right now, the only increased iminal activity i see is the egregious method of ripping families apart. this is not the america the

world knows and loves. this is a shameful period in our history. and we in this body have the responsibility to correct it. . speaker, if any of these frightened children asked a member of this house where why they are being separated, we cannot say it is not our fault. mr. correa: thank you to the distinguished the gentleman from texas. when we talk about it's not our fault, let's remember central america, gang violence, drugs, gangs, what fuels it? our appetite in the united states for drugs. our dollars that go into central america, this is what tules the violence and when these children and families and become of age, ms-13, the president talks about very often, ms-13 tells these families, either your children join the gang or they die.

and the families make a choice to flee and seek asylum in america. it's not our fault. those are our dollars fueling those issues. yield to mr. scott peters of california. r. peterson: this shocks us -- mr. peters: this shakes every aspect of our lives. and what family means in america, he said the family has been the corner stone. our families nurture, preserve and pass on the values we share and cherish, values that are the foundation of our freedom. that is ronald reagan talking about the family as an american institution. that concept is being torn apart

and challenged at other own borders. screaming children are being ripped from their family's arms. they are fleeing. they followed generations of people who came to america seeking a better life. america was founded fleeing religious persecution and we know the story about what is happening at the border in san diego, a federal judge apointed by president bush refused to dismiss a lawsuit challenging family's situation. it involved a woman and her daughter, seven years old, who were separated crossing after applying for asylum. the "new york times," the girl was taken away screaming and crying, pleading with guards and was sent to chicago thousands of miles away. they didn't see each other for

four months, seven year old girl. many parents don't have any idea where they went, who is taking care of them or how to reach them. this mother and their child were reunited after the dap test. this mother was looking for the life all parents try to provide their children, one of security and hope and opportunity. we don't know the exact number of children who have been separated, but we know one is unacceptable when their parents were trying to give them a better life and it is potentially unconstitutional because i know people in this chamber care about this. a judge said family separation said quote ash temporarily tears at the sacred bond. such conduct is brutal, offensive and fails to comport with traditional notions of fair play and decency.

and he said the same constitutional rights are guaranteed to the noncitizens who ask us for asylum. the american sikecolingal association asked the trum administration to stop this citing depression, distress and disruption in children but as parents we don't need the american sicecoling call association to tell us that. imagine it is you and your children, imdepin if you are trying to take care of your kids. we have one account of a woman nursing her baby, the baby girl was ripped from her arms while she was breastfeeding. how many children have to suffer before we have to say no more. thankfully, we can do something here. we will not admit every family. we understand they don't all meet the criteria for asylum, but while they await a decision,

treat these families that demonstrates american values. tearing families apart is repus i have and it is not us. i want to thank my colleague for holding this conversation on tic important. it shocks the conscience. i hear all t time from my constituents who are horrified about this and we will stop this. this needs to end. and i thank you for holding this hour. mr. correa: i thank mr. peters. and thank you personally for citing president reagan's name. president reagan from my home, governor reagan in the state of california, he understood family, he protected families and president reagan passed immigration reform in the united states. thank you, president reagan.

now i would like to yield to my good friend, distinguished colleague, mrs. maloney from the good state of new york. mrs. maloney: thank you so much for yielding and for your leadership. thank you, congressman correa for organizing us and the leadership that the republican party took under president reagan for comprehensive immigration reform, which we have all been calling for for years. today, i rise because i believe our country is in a moment of crisis. this administration is turning its back on our ideals, our values and our history as a safe harbor and beacon of light for the world's oppressed and threatened peoples. president trump ripping apart families for coming to the united states seeking freedom from fear, from sealens, is

cruel, inhumane and blatantly un-american. these families have traveled hundreds, if not thousands of miles to keep their children safe and away from the harm that awaits them at home. no one takes that journey lightly. no one leaves behind the only home they have known, their friends, their extended family, if they have any other choice. yet, instead of accepting these refugees with compassion, this administration is persecuting and prosecuting those fleeing danger, taking babies from their mothers and fathers' arms, causing great trauma. there is absolutely no justification for this policy. it is cruelty for cruelty's

sake. this is not who we are as a nation. it's why i have joined ranking member cummings to demand an oversight committee hearing on this reckless policy and why i signed on to a resolution condemning this horrific behavior as the child abuse that it is. and why i am joining the women's caucus next week in a shadow hearing, because we have requested a hearing from the republican majority and have not granted it, so we are having our own hearing to explore this issue more. the administration needs to immediately change course and every member of congress must hold it accountable for doing so. these children, these families and this country deserves so much better. i thank my