    [House Hearing, 117 Congress]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                               MEMBER DAY HEARING

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   BEFORE THE

                           COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

                         U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                        ONE HUNDRED SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                            FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2021

                                   __________

                               Serial No. 117-43

                                   __________

             Printed for the use of the Committee on the Judiciary

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

                   Available via: http://judiciary.house.gov

                                   __________

                        U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    48-225                     WASHINGTON : 2022

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                           COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY

                        JERROLD NADLER, New York, Chair
                    MADELEINE DEAN, Pennsylvania, Vice-Chair

    ZOE LOFGREN, California              JIM JORDAN, Ohio, Ranking Member
    SHEILA JACKSON LEE, Texas            STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
    STEVE COHEN, Tennessee               LOUIE GOHMERT, Texas
    HENRY C. ``HANK'' JOHNSON, Jr.,      DARRELL ISSA, California
        Georgia                          KEN BUCK, Colorado
    THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida          MATT GAETZ, Florida
    KAREN BASS, California               MIKE JOHNSON, Louisiana
    HAKEEM S. JEFFRIES, New York         ANDY BIGGS, Arizona
    DAVID N. CICILLINE, Rhode Island     TOM McCLINTOCK, California
    ERIC SWALWELL, California            W. GREG STEUBE, Florida
    TED LIEU, California                 TOM TIFFANY, Wisconsin
    JAMIE RASKIN, Maryland               THOMAS MASSIE, Kentucky
    PRAMILA JAYAPAL, Washington          CHIP ROY, Texas
    VAL BUTLER DEMINGS, Florida          DAN BISHOP, North Carolina
    J. LUIS CORREA, California           MICHELLE FISCHBACH, Minnesota
    MARY GAY SCANLON, Pennsylvania       VICTORIA SPARTZ, Indiana
    SYLVIA R. GARCIA, Texas              SCOTT FITZGERALD, Wisconsin
    JOE NEGUSE, Colorado                 CLIFF BENTZ, Oregon
    LUCY McBATH, Georgia                 BURGESS OWENS, Utah
    GREG STANTON, Arizona
    VERONICA ESCOBAR, Texas
    MONDAIRE JONES, New York
    DEBORAH ROSS, North Carolina
    CORI BUSH, Missouri

           PERRY APELBAUM, Majority Staff Director and Chief Counsel
                  CHRISTOPHER HIXON, Minority Staff Director
                                   ------

                                C O N T E N T S

                            Friday, October 22, 2021

                                                                       Page

                               OPENING STATEMENTS

    The Honorable Jerrold Nadler, Chair of the Committee on the
      Judiciary from the State of New York, for the record...........     4

                                   WITNESSES

    The Honorable Matt Rosendale, a Member of Congress from the State
      of Montana
      Oral Testimony.................................................     7
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    10
    The Honorable Theodore E. Deutch, a Member of Congress from the
      State of Florida
      Oral Testimony.................................................    12
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    14
    The Honorable Ann Wagner, a Member of Congress from the State of
      Missouri
      Oral Testimony.................................................    17
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    24
    The Honorable Kim Schrier, a Member of Congress from the State of
      Washington
      Oral Testimony.................................................    25
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    27
    The Honorable Gus M. Bilirakis, a Member of Congress from the
      State of Florida
      Oral Testimony.................................................    29
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    31
    The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, a Member of Congress from the
      State of Texas
      Oral Testimony.................................................    33
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    35
    The Honorable Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Member of Congress from
      the State of Georgia
      Oral Testimony.................................................    44
    The Honorable Madeleine Dean, a Member of Congress from the State
      of Pennsylvania
      Oral Testimony.................................................    45
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    48
    The Honorable Peter Meijer, a Member of Congress from the State
      of Michigan
      Oral Testimony.................................................    51
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    53
    The Honorable Carolyn Bourdeaux, a Member of Congress from the
      State of Georgia
      Oral Testimony.................................................    56
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    58
    The Honorable Tracey Mann, a Member of Congress from the State of
      Kansas
      Oral Testimony.................................................    62
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    64
    The Honorable Tim Burchett, a Member of Congress from the State
      of Tennessee
      Oral Testimony.................................................    69
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    71
    The Honorable Mary E. Miller, a Member of Congress from the State
      of Illinois
      Oral Testimony.................................................    72
      Prepared Testimony.............................................    88
    The Honorable Tom Rice, a Member of Congress from the State of
      South Carolina
      Oral Testimony.................................................    89
      Prepared Testimony.............................................   116
    The Honorable Earl L. ``Buddy'' Carter, a Member of Congress from
      the State of Georgia
      Oral Testimony.................................................   118
      Prepared Testimony.............................................   120
    The Honorable Fred Keller, a Member of Congress from the State of
      Pennsylvania
      Oral Testimony.................................................   122
      Prepared Testimony.............................................   124

              LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING

    A letter submitted by the Honorable Ann Wagner, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Missouri, for the record............    20
    Materials submitted by the Honorable Mary E. Miller, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Illinois, for the record
      An article entitled, ``Letter to WH suggests dad of `sexually
        assaulted' girl a `domestic terrorist,' '' New York Post.....    74
      A letter from the National School Boards Association...........    77
      A memorandum from the Honorable Merrick Garland, Attorney
        General, United States Department of Justice.................    83
      An article entitled, ``125,000 children have shown up alone at
        border on Biden's watch,'' Washington Examiner...............    84
    Order and opinion of Sanders v. United States of America,
      submitted by the Honorable Tom Rice, a Member of Congress from
      the State of South Carolina, for the record....................    92

                                    APPENDIX

    A statement from the Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee, a Member of
      the Committee on the Judiciary from the State of Texas, for the
      record.........................................................   130
    A statement from the Honorable Sylvia Garcia, a Member of the
      Committee on the Judiciary from the State of Texas, for the
      record.........................................................   136
    A statement from the Honorable Ted Budd, a Member of the
      Committee on the Judiciary from the State of North Carolina,
      for the record.................................................   141
    A statement from the Honorable Michael C. Burgess, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Texas, for the record...............   144
    A statement from the Honorable Salud Carbajal, a Member of
      Congress from the State of California, for the record..........   149
    A statement from the Honorable Andrew S. Clyde, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Georgia, for the record.............   151
    A statement from the Honorable Rick Crawford, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Arkansas, for the record............   155
    A statement from the Honorable Ashley Hinson, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Iowa, for the record................   157
    A statement from the Honorable Dusty Johnson, a Member of
      Congress from the State of South Dakota, for the record........   159
    A statement from the Honorable Blaine Luetkemeyer, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Missouri, for the record............   161
    A statement from the Honorable Grace Meng, a Member of Congress
      from the State of New York, for the record.....................   164
    A statement from the Honorable Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Member
      of Congress from the State of New York, the Honorable Adriano
      Espaillat, a Member of Congress from the State of New York, and
      the Honorable Grace Meng, a Member of Congress from the State
      of New York, for the record....................................   166
    A statement from the Honorable Scott Perry, a Member of Congress
      from the State of Pennsylvania, for the record.................   179
    A statement from the Honorable David Schweikert, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Arizona, for the record.............   173
    A statement from the Honorable Norma J. Torres, a Member of
      Congress from the State of California, for the record..........   174
    A statement from the Honorable Claudia Tenney, a Member of
      Congress from the State of New York, for the record............   176
    A statement from the Honorable Michael Waltz, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Florida, for the record.............   177
    A statement from the Honorable Randy Weber, a Member of Congress
      from the State of Texas, for the record........................   179
    A statement from the Honorable Bruce Westerman, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Arkansas, for the record............   181
    A statement from the Honorable Nikema Williams, a Member of
      Congress from the State of Georgia, for the record.............   182

                               MEMBER DAY HEARING

                                  ----------

                            Friday, October 22, 2021

                            House of Representatives

                           Committee on the Judiciary

                                 Washington, DC

        The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 9:07 a.m., in Room
    2141 Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Jerrold Nadler [Chair
    of the Committee] presiding.
        Present: Representatives Nadler, Jackson Lee, Scanlon,
    Dean, Jordan, Gohmert, Buck, Johnson of Louisiana, Fischbach,
    and Bentz.
        Staff Present: Aaron Hiller, Deputy Chief Counsel; David
    Greengrass, Senior Counsel; John Doty, Senior Advisor; Moh
    Sharma, Director of Member Services & Outreach and Policy
    Advisor; Jordan Dashow, Professional Staff Member; Cierra
    Fontenot, Chief Clerk; John Williams, Parliamentarian and
    Senior Counsel; Gabriel Barnett, Staff Assistant; Atarah McCoy,
    Staff Assistant; Merrick Nelson, Digital Director; Katy Rother,
    Minority Deputy General Counsel and Parliamentarian; Ella
    Yates, Minority Member Services Director; Andrea Woodard,
    Minority Professional Staff Member; and Kiley Bidelman,
    Minority Clerk.
        Chair Nadler. The House Committee on the Judiciary will
    come to order.
        Without objection, the Chair is authorized to declare
    recesses of the Committee at any time.
        We welcome everyone to this morning's Member Day hearing,
    which we are holding pursuant to section 3(a) of House Resolu-
    tion 8.
        Before we begin, I would like to remind Members that we
    have established an email address and distribution list
    dedicated to circulating exhibits, motions, or other written
    materials that Members might want to offer as part of our
    hearing today. If you would like to submit written materials,
    please send them to the email address that has been previously
    distributed to your offices, and we will circulate the
    materials to Members and staff as quickly as we can.
        I would also like to remind all Members that guidance from
    the Office of Attending Physician states that face coverings
    are required at all meetings in an enclosed space, such as
    Committee hearings, except when you are recognized to speak.
    This includes all Members waiting to testify.
        In the interest of time, I have a very eloquent opening
    statement which I will put in the record.
        [The statement of Chair Nadler follows:]

                          CHAIR NADLER FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. Mr. Gohmert, do you have an interesting--
    eloquent opening statement?
        Mr. Gohmert. Yes. I would just ask it to be entered into
    the record.
        Chair Nadler. Which will be entered into the record.
        [Not provided]
        Chair Nadler. Our first Witness is the Honorable Matt
    Rosendale.

              STATEMENT OF THE HON. MATTHEW M. ROSENDALE,

       AN AT-LARGE REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF
                                MONTANA

        Mr. Rosendale. Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.
        I want to thank Chair Nadler, Ranking Member Jordan, and
    Members of the Judiciary Committee for allowing me to testify
    about my legislative priorities within the Committee's
    jurisdiction.
        Our Nation is currently dealing with multiple crises that
    your Committee is uniquely qualified to address. First, I would
    like to speak about the humanitarian, public health, and
    national security emergency taking place at our southern
    border.
        On his very first day in office, President Biden began to
    systematically dismantle the successful immigration policies of
    the Trump Administration. He stopped construction of the border
    wall system, brought back Obama-era catch-and-release policies,
    undermined Interior enforcement, and attempted to end migrant
    protection protocols commonly known as the ``Remain in Mexico''
    policy.
        That is why I have introduced H.R. 1259, the REMAIN in
    Mexico Act, which would codify the Trump Administration's
    ``Remain in Mexico'' policy.
        Under this successful policy, illegal aliens who arrived at
    our southern border and claimed asylum were returned to Mexico
    while they wait for asylum claims to be adjudicated if they did
    not meet the``credible fear'' test.
        This effectively ended the Obama Administration's catch-
    and-release policy, led many who made frivolous claims to
    return to their country of origin, and acted as a strong
    disincentive for foreign nationals to make the treacherous
    journey to our country.
        The Biden Administration's attempts to end this policy and
    gut other Trump-era border policies have led to record-breaking
    numbers of illegal aliens flooding our country, putting
    American citizens at risk. That is why I believe it is critical
    the Committee take up the REMAIN in Mexico Act and put a stop
    to this unfortunate and avoidable calamity.
        Next, I would like to speak to the refugee crisis created
    by President Biden's botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, which
    led to the Administration evacuating over 100,000 Afghan
    nationals, who they have begun to resettle across our Nation.
        These Afghans have not gone through the traditional 14-
    step, 18-month vetting process required to get a Special
    Immigrant Visa. In fact, most evacuees did not help our Nation
    and are not eligible for an SIV. Most do not have refugee
    status. They were simply paroled into the interior of our
    country by Secretary Mayorkas and resettled across our Nation.
        This is why I have introduced H.R. 5572, the SECURE America
    Act. The SECURE America Act would ensure thorough refugee
    vetting prior to admission, end the authority of the Secretary
    of Homeland Security to parole aliens into our country, and
    reclaim and expand the authority of Governors--
        Chair Nadler. Can I ask you a question here? Would you
    yield for a question?
        Mr. Rosendale. Sure.
        Chair Nadler. Just very quickly. With respect to the
    100,000 or so Afghans who are now already in the country, what
    would you do with them?
        Mr. Rosendale. I am on my way to that, Mr. Chair. I think
    that they have not been vetted and they should be returned.
        Chair Nadler. To Afghanistan?
        Mr. Rosendale. I do think that they should be returned to
    Afghanistan or neighboring countries that share their
    cultures--Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and other areas that they
    could assimilate much easier and, also, return to their native
    country once there is stability there. It would be better for
    all involved, Mr. Chair.
        Chair Nadler. Thank you.
        Mr. Rosendale. Thank you.
        The SECURE America Act would ensure thorough refugee
    vetting prior to admission, end the authority of the Secretary
    of Homeland Security to parole aliens into the country, and
    reclaim and expand the authority of Governors and Congress over
    the process of admission and resettlement of these refugees.
        We cannot compromise the security of our Nation in the name
    of empathy, or we will continue to see instances of violence by
    Afghan evacuees like we have already seen at Fort McCoy, Fort
    Bliss, and most recently in Missoula, Montana.
        I believe the SECURE America Act must be immediately taken
    up to ensure our immigration system preserves and protects our
    national security and our American way of life.
        Finally, I would like to address the surge of violent crime
    throughout the Nation.
        According to a report released by the Federal Bureau of
    Investigation several weeks ago entitled, ``Crime in the United
    States 2020,'' last year the number of homicides and non-
    negligent manslaughter nationwide increased by 29.4 percent and
    aggravated assault offenses rose by 12.1 percent. Reports
    indicate the widespread violence and bloodshed has sadly
    continued into this year.
        This violence is clearly enabled by jurisdictions
    throughout the country considering, and in many cases adopting,
    measures to defund or disempower law enforcement.
        The failure of American cities to enforce the rule of law
    is why I introduced H.R. 3217, the Lawless Cities
    Accountability Act. My bill would defund cities and other
    municipalities that disempower or defund law enforcement,
    enabling anarchy and lawlessness.
        It is the responsibility of government to protect the lives
    and property of all American citizens from unlawful acts of
    violence and destruction. The Federal Government should not
    allow taxpayers' dollars--
        Chair Nadler. Yeah.
        Mr. Rosendale. --to fund jurisdictions that fail to enforce
    the rule of law and protect their citizens.
        Chair Nadler. The time of the gentleman has--
        Mr. Rosendale. I urge the Committee to take up these
    important pieces of legislation, and I would yield back. Thank
    you so much for your time.
        [The statement of Mr. Rosendale follows:]
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. Thank you.
        The gentleman yields back.
        I forgot to read the obvious, which is that all Witnesses
    should note that their written statements will be entered into
    the record in their entirety, and, accordingly, they should
    summarize their testimony in 5 minutes.
        We will now hear from the gentleman from Florida, Mr.
    Deutch.

           STATEMENT OF THE HON. THEODORE E. DEUTCH, A REPRE-

            SENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA

        Mr. Deutch. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Thanks for the opportunity to speak about the American
    Music Fairness Act, a bill that I introduced with Congressman
    Issa from California. This bill will make a long-overdue change
    to pay performing artists a small piece of the massive profits
    made by big radio stations that play their songs.
        Frankly, it is ridiculous that this isn't already
    happening. We expect every other business to pay for their raw
    materials. Restaurants pay for produce. Builders pay for
    lumber. Corporate radio stations should pay for the music that
    they play.
        AM-FM radio makes a profit by selling advertising around
    music and other content. When you tune in to sing along with
    your favorite song or catch up on local sports, you also hear
    ads. You hear ads for local car dealerships; you hear ads for
    local furniture stores.
        Talk radio stations pay their hosts, and sports radio
    stations pay for play-by-play. DJs are paid to entertain,
    inform, introduce songs that bring in listeners. Songwriters
    are paid for the music and the lyrics. The artists singing and
    the musicians playing those songs, they are not paid at all.
        The excuse that we often hear from radio broadcasters is
    that exposure is enough, that that is the payment. This isn't
    the 1960s. Every creator knows that exposure isn't how they pay
    the bills.
        Technology has changed a lot since the start of AM-FM
    radio, and we all know that publicity from radio airplay isn't
    how an artist breaks out into the mainstream. Most mainstream
    radio plays a small rotation of hits, rather than breaking a
    wide range of new or independent artists.
        I would caution anyone who might suggest to legendary
    artists like Dionne Warwick that promotion is fair compensation
    when her songs, like ``I'll Never Fall in Love Again,'' are
    played on radio. She has over half a million Twitter followers.
    She doesn't need exposure. She needs to be paid fairly for her
    artistry.
        Congress fixed one injustice for pre-1972 recordings 3
    years ago with the Music Modernization Act, but those rights
    still don't apply when the songs are played on radio. Dionne
    Warwick should have been paid in 1969 and she should be paid
    today when her songs are played on the radio.
        Here is the thing: It is only in America that we have this
    problem. Countries around the globe collect royalties for
    American artists, but even those royalties never make it--they
    never make it to our artists because we refuse to reciprocate.
    This costs American artists $200 million every year in
    royalties outside the U.S.
        My bill would ensure that U.S. artists get paid for
    domestic radio play and allow U.S. artists to finally collect
    their international royalties.
        As we sit in this hybrid remote hearing, we should all be
    reminded of the hardship that artists have faced through the
    pandemic as tours were postponed, venues were shuttered. Even
    as we stayed closer to home, we still got to enjoy the music on
    the radio--internet, satellite, and AM-FM. Now, satellite and
    digital music services are required to pay both performers and
    songwriters. It is only AM-FM radio that does not pay
    performing artists.
        Sometimes I hear that my bill is a threat to local radio.
    Small local radio stations pay only a nominal annual fee under
    the American Music Fairness Act, and the smallest stations
    would pay 2 cents per day to have access to this content.
        I value my local broadcasters. I want to ensure that they
    thrive in communities across the country. I refuse to accept a
    corporate giveaway that hurts artists as necessary to protect
    small, local, and independent broadcasters.
        The American Music Fairness Act will finally ensure that
    artists are justly paid. It will help the thousands of
    musicians who are struggling to make ends meet, whether their
    songs were hits many years ago or they are just starting out
    today. Fixing this deeply unfair system is the least we can do
    for the recording artists, for those musicians who have
    enriched our lives with their music.
        This has been an extraordinarily difficult time in our
    country throughout this pandemic. I think for so many of us, it
    is music that helped get us through this. It is only
    appropriate that we finally bring some fairness to the issue of
    the music business and make sure that these artists are paid
    for the incredible work that they provide to all of us.
        I thank the Chair, Ranking Member, and yield back.
        [The statement of Mr. Deutch follows:]
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. Thank you, Mr. Deutch.
        I would be remiss if I didn't point out that this bill is
    identical to the Fair Pay Fair Play Act introduced over a dozen
    years ago by then-Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn and me, and
    the nominal fee a local broadcaster would pay is limited to $10
    a year.
        So, we will give this--I would like to see this pass as
    fast as possible. I have wanted to see it pass as fast as
    possible for at least a dozen years. So, thank you very much.
        Ms. Wagner, you are next.

    STATEMENT OF THE HON. ANN WAGNER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
                       FROM THE STATE OF MISSOURI

        Ms. Wagner. I thank the Chair and I thank the Committee for
    having this hearing today.
        Protecting children from exploitation is one of the most
    important responsibilities we all share as public officials. It
    is our job to ensure that the communities we represent are
    aware of the potential dangers facing children, that laws are
    properly enforced against those facilitating trafficking and
    abuse, and that survivors are given the support necessary to
    help them break free from exploitation.
        In July of 2020, President Joe Biden stated that he would
    prevent human trafficking across the globe by strengthening the
    rule of law. However, through the first 7 months of the Biden
    Administration, over 112,000 unaccompanied children crossed our
    southern border, more than in all 2019 and 2020 combined.
        These minors are at the highest risk of being trafficked
    and exploited, and the criminal networks facilitating their
    abuse are making tens of millions of dollars. The
    Administration's open-border policies caused this humanitarian
    disaster, and the lawlessness must be stopped.
        The prevalence of human trafficking and sexual exploitation
    is not only increasing at the border but in communities across
    our country as well. The pandemic has forced our children into
    isolation, where they are seeking out social interaction
    through the internet. Traffickers know this, and they have
    ramped up their grooming activity online, tricking oftentimes
    vulnerable children into trusting them and sending explicit
    photos and videos, then using that sensitive material to extort
    the minors into engaging in sexual acts, both online and in
    person.
        Among the worst facilitators of this exploitation is the
    website OnlyFans.com. In just this year alone, OnlyFans has
    been connected to human trafficking, selling child sexual abuse
    material, kidnapping, sexual battery, sexual servitude,
    extortion, and child rape.
        I would like to submit for the record this letter outlining
    these crimes in detail.
        Chair Nadler. Without objection.
        [The information follows:]

                       THE HON. ANN WAGNER FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Wagner. My office has been in contact with Federal
    agents, local detectives, and victim advocacy groups that are
    all sounding the alarm about the website and others like it.
        Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Austin
    Berrier told us he sees up to 50 files of child sexual abuse
    material per day, Mr. Chair, that have originated on OnlyFans.
    This is absolutely unconscionable.
        On August 10, I led a very bipartisan letter with over 100
    Members of Congress calling on the Department of Justice to
    investigate this website, and after 73 days I have yet to
    receive a response. In that time, the media has reported
    multiple crimes related to OnlyFans, including human
    trafficking of a minor and aggravated child abuse. The
    Department of Justice must Act and stop this from happening to
    our children.
        With these horrific crimes on the rise, we must give law
    enforcement the tools to support survivors. That is why I have
    also introduced H.R. 1527, the Homeland Security Investigations
    Victim Assistance Act, a bipartisan bill that would expand
    HSI's Victim Assistance Program. This vital program provides
    trained specialists who work alongside law enforcement to help
    trafficking survivors assist investigators in apprehending
    their abuser.
        I strongly urge this Committee to pass this legislation and
    to help survivors get the justice that they deserve. It is my
    sincere hope that this Committee will join me in the fight
    against trafficking and force the Administration to take
    substantive and immediate action to protect children at the
    border and across the United States.
        I thank you, and I yield back, Mr. Chair.
        [The statement of Ms. Wagner follows:]
        [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. Thank you very much.
        For Members who were not here when I made this
    announcement, I would remind all Members that guidance from the
    Office of Attending Physician states that face coverings are
    required for all meetings in an enclosed space, such as
    Committee hearings, except when you are recognized to speak.
    This includes all Members waiting to testify.
        Ms. Schrier?

    STATEMENT OF THE HON. KIM SCHRIER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
                      FROM THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

        Ms. Schrier. Thank you, Chair Nadler, and thank you,
    Ranking Member Jordan, for hosting this Member Day today. I
    appreciate the opportunity to testify about my priorities as
    Representative of Washington State's Eighth Congressional
    District.
        I want to start by thanking the Members of the Judiciary
    Committee for your work on many of the issues that are most
    important to me and to my constituents, including voting
    rights, farmworker visa reform, and addressing the backlog of
    green card applicants, among others.
        I am joining you today to speak specifically about my
    priorities around public safety and policing reforms.
        In the last year, our country has had even more painful
    reminders of racial bias present in all our institutions that
    carries particularly deadly consequences in law enforcement.
    Meanwhile, there has been an increase in violent crime and
    homicide. This year, King County, Washington, has already seen
    more gun violence than in all 2020.
        I do not believe in defunding the police and have never
    supported any effort to do so. It is wrongheaded and
    counterproductive to public safety. As we continue to discuss
    policing reform, it is really important to support police
    departments with the resources they need to do their jobs well
    and safely.
        Over the past year, I have had the privilege to ride with
    local police officers and hear their perspectives on how to
    keep our communities safe and build trust with communities of
    color. I believe that if people and other elected officials
    would just pause to listen, we could make policing work really
    well for everyone.
        I ask this Committee to continue work to address the
    following priorities for my constituents in the Eighth District
    and addressed in previous legislation passed by this body.
        My proposed amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science
    government funding bill would help police departments pay for
    body-worn cameras, an expensive instrument that both law
    enforcement and community Members strongly support. There would
    be a special emphasis on smaller departments, which seldom can
    afford the thousands of dollars needed to purchase body cameras
    or the resources and personnel to manage the footage.
        The second amendment I put forward in that bill would
    increase funding that police departments can use to hire mental
    health professionals. During ride-alongs and conversations with
    police departments throughout my district, I constantly hear
    from officers that their jobs would be so much easier if there
    were more mental health services in our communities. Pairing an
    officer with a social worker or other trained mental health
    professional can provide better service to all community
    Members--victims, perpetrators, and people who just need help
    that haven't committed any crime.
        In addition to these two issues, I want to highlight
    several other commonsense reforms that remain priorities in my
    district.
        Programs that build community relationships with police
    departments renew trust in these institutions, keeping both
    officers and community Members safer. In Auburn, Washington,
    the police department has created a diverse Police Advisory
    Committee to provide feedback and recommendations to the chief.
    Community-based programs like this help build trust and
    understanding and empower community Members to engage with
    police in ensuring public safety.
        While the vast majority of police officers work hard to
    serve the community equitably and with compassion, there must
    be accountability for those who don't, whether by gratuitous
    violence, corruption, or other inappropriate behavior. A
    national database that tracks these bad actors will help ensure
    that they are not rehired elsewhere after demonstrating that
    they are clearly unfit to serve.
        Finally, as I mentioned, my priority is to ensure that all
    law enforcement have the resources they need to do their jobs
    well, and one critical component of that is access to training.
    All departments should have access to the training they need in
    de-escalation, in the proper use of nonlethal tactics, and best
    practices for engaging with specific populations and more.
        These commonsense reforms will make our communities safer
    and support our law enforcement professionals to do their best
    work and serve their communities.
        Thank you for your leadership and your attention to the
    needs of my district, and I yield back the balance of my time.
        [The statement of Ms. Schrier follows:]
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        Chair Nadler. The gentlelady yields back, and we thank her
    for her testimony.
        Mr. Bilirakis?

      STATEMENT OF THE HON. GUS M. BILIRAKIS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                   CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA

        Mr. Bilirakis. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate it. I
    want to thank Ranking Member Jordan, distinguished Members of
    the Committee, and, of course, specifically my good friend
    Louie Gohmert. It is an honor to speak before the Committee
    this morning.
        One of my longstanding commitments as a Member of Congress
    has been to promote the culture of life. I have cosponsored and
    voted for measures that respect the sanctity of human life and
    encourage alternatives to abortion. I have also voted against
    legislation that would have allowed public funds to be used for
    abortions and will continue to do so.
        I am proud to join my good friend from Missouri, Ann
    Wagner, as well as 200 of my colleagues in supporting H.R. 619,
    the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
        H.R. 619 requires that healthcare practitioners who are
    present at the live birth exercise skill, care, and diligence
    to preserve the life and health of a child who survived an
    attempted abortion with the same degree of care that would be
    offered to any other child born prematurely at the same
    gestational age.
        After those efforts, the healthcare worker must transport--
        Chair Nadler. Would the gentleman yield for a question?
        Mr. Bilirakis. Yes.
        Chair Nadler. Isn't that already the law in every State? If
    a baby is born alive and you don't take proper care, that is
    murder under the laws of every State, I think.
        Mr. Bilirakis. Well, this is what the bill states, and--
        Chair Nadler. What I am saying, isn't that already the law?
        Mr. Bilirakis. Yeah, it is--at this particular time, there
    can be birth--abortions after birth. This is what is my
    understanding. We want to prevent that from happening anywhere
    in the United States.
        This bill also gives the mother a civil cause of action and
    protection from prosecution, recognizing that women are the
    second victims of abortion and promoting the dignity of
    motherhood.
        I also want to say that, again, if it is already going on,
    why not put it in law and codify it?
        I urge the Committee to advance this important, lifesaving
    bill through a vote of the full House, because I would hope we
    can all agree that a child born alive has a right to live.
        Another top priority of mine is supporting our law
    enforcement officers. During my time in Congress, I have worked
    with local law enforcement agencies to ensure they have the
    support they need to properly protect and serve our
    communities. I routinely meet with Pasco and Pinellas County
    and Hillsborough County sheriff's offices and local police
    agencies to hear how they are working to keep our communities
    safe and how the Federal Government can be of assistance to
    them.
        Through these meetings, I have brought community leaders
    together with local law enforcement. It is critical that law
    enforcement and local residents have an open line of
    communication to understand the issues that each face and how
    they can best work together. This is something that is vitally
    important, and I am proud to be able to facilitate these types
    of discussions.
        I am committed to ensuring the safety and security of all
    communities by opposing efforts to defund the police,
    increasing funding for better police training, community
    policing, and equipment, including body cameras. Let me be
    clear for the record: I have never and will never support
    defunding the police.
        Unfortunately, our Nation has seen an uptick in attacks on
    law enforcement officers. In fact, the National Fraternal Order
    of Police--that 51 law enforcement officers--they have said
    that 51 law enforcement officers were shot, 13 of whom died,
    and 40 ambush-style attacks as of June 30, a 91-percent jump
    from the same time last year. It is really awful. In all of
    2020, there were 48 ambush-style attacks, which left 60
    officers wounded, 12 fatally, according to the group's 2020
    summary.
        I am a cosponsor of two pieces of legislation that address
    the safety of our law enforcement officers: H.R. 3080, the Back
    the Blue Act; and H.R. 3079, the Protect and Serve Act.
        The Back the Blue Act establishes new criminal offenses for
    killing, assaulting, and fleeing to avoid prosecution for
    killing a judge, law enforcement officer, or public safety
    officer.
        The Protect and Serve Act, which was introduced by my good
    friend, fellow Floridian, and former Duval County sheriff, John
    Rutherford, establishes a new criminal offense for knowingly
    assaulting a law enforcement officer and causing serious bodily
    injury, or attempting to do so, in circumstances that affect
    interstate commerce.
        My colleagues on the other side of the aisle say they are
    capable of supporting the police and the safety of their
    communities. Let's come together and do that. If there are no
    objections, let's get on this bill, and let's pass this bill on
    the floor of the House and send it to the United States Senate
    so we can save lives.
        I urge this Committee to protect law enforcement officers
    and advance these critical pieces of legislation to the floor
    for a vote.
        I would like to thank the Chair--thank you so much--the
    Ranking Member, Members of the Committee, again, for inviting
    me to testify today. I yield back the balance of my time.
        [The statement of Mr. Bilirakis follows:]
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        Chair Nadler. The gentleman yields back.
        Mr. Bilirakis. Thank you.
        Chair Nadler. Ms. Jackson Lee?

     STATEMENT OF THE HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                    CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TEXAS

        Ms. Jackson Lee. Good morning, Chair, and to the Ranking
    Member. Thank you so very much for this opportunity to present
    at the Members Day.
        Let me, because of my good friend who is here, simply
    acknowledge a tragedy in my congressional district area and to
    offer sympathy to the family of Deputy Kareem Atkins, who was
    killed, Deputy Barthen, and Deputy Garrett, both of whom were
    shot.
        I say this in sincere sympathy to those family Members and
    to emphasize, in the time that I have been here in the United
    States Congress, on this Committee, I have never seen anything
    but support and advocacy for the men and women of the law
    enforcement community. We will continue to do so, and I will
    continue to join you, Mr. Chair and Ranking Member, to do that,
    because they are our protectors and they do protect and serve.
        We have certainly tried to work on a number of issues,
    which I will highlight as well. I think we have been, over the
    years, concerned about victims, crime, and the way to ensure
    that justice in this Nation is fairly distributed and that, as
    Dr. King has said, it would roll down like righteous waters, as
    I paraphrase.
        So, let me offer issues that we have actually moved forward
    on, and I will be brief in that, and then hope that we can move
    forward again as well.
        We were successful in marking up H.R. 40, the Commission to
    Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans
    Act, which I am so delighted to see the enormity of support,
    including over 300 organizations from all backgrounds in our
    community, in particular, the understanding that this is a
    historical framework that studies the trajectory of slavery,
    which lasted longer than the country is old, and to be able to
    discuss the way forward, which I think is extremely important.
        Just about a week ago, I spent time at a Jewish synagogue
    in Illinois, and the enthusiasm of understanding was
    overwhelming. I know that that will be the case as we move
    forward on that legislation to the floor.
        H.R. 1280 was the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act that
    has been worked on extensively by all Members of this
    Committee, including my colleague and friend Congresswoman
    Karen Bass. My point on this legislation is that there are many
    elements in this legislation that I think we can work together
    on.
        I hope, as we continue to discuss with our colleague and
    others that we will look at, in particular, the George Floyd
    Justice in Policing Act that was introduced. It was called the
    George Floyd Law Enforcement Integrity Act that Jason Crow
    joined me on to end racial profiling, which should be
    particularly important to focus on. We can come together on
    ensuring that our law enforcement has all the tools that they
    need, particularly in the backdrop of Police Week last week.
        We did a stupendous job working on the Violence Against
    Women Act. We put the most profound legislation forward,
    starting back in 2017-2018. It was a hard-fought battle, but we
    worked to make sure that we balanced all the legislation that
    others were interested in, including the money for--at that
    time, $291 million--for DNA kits to help backlog in law
    enforcement. We had outreach to community-based organizations
    that were effective in dealing with bringing down violence.
        This month is Domestic Violence Month, and I am wearing the
    purple colors to emphasize that. The Violence Against Women Act
    was a vital and is a vital part of this effort. According to
    the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, nearly 20
    people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner.
        So, working with the Senate, I am looking forward to this
    Committee helping to push forward the Violence Against Women
    Act to final passage.
        We are working and did work on the John Robert Lewis Voting
    Rights Act. I thought I would emphasize that, simply because
    our work was stupendous, and we, frankly, need to look to the
    aspects of the other body to be able to help move that. I would
    put on this record, though this is not something that we could
    enact, but I do think a rolling filibuster would be appropriate
    for all the voting-rights laws that we would have.
        Let me also emphasize the spike in murders and gun
    violence. It should be evident that we are seeing a spike in
    violence and the device of purpose is a gun. So, I hope the
    storage bill can be passed.
        Chair Nadler. The time of the gentlelady has expired.
        [The statement of Ms. Jackson Lee follows:]
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        Chair Nadler. Ms. Greene?

          STATEMENT OF THE HON. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE, A RE-

           PRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA

        Ms. Greene. Thank you for having me today. I really
    appreciate you hearing my request.
        I have introduced House Res. 57. These are articles of
    impeachment on President Biden for abuse of power in regard to
    his willingness to use his position of power to aid his son,
    Hunter Biden, in their business dealings.
        I have also introduced another article of impeachment on
    President Biden, which is H. Res. 597. This has to do with the
    national security crisis that President Biden has created with
    regards to the extreme threat at the southern border.
        I have introduced House Res. 598, articles of impeachment
    on President Biden in regard to the failure in Afghanistan.
        I have introduced House Res. 596, articles of impeachment
    on President Biden for the COVID eviction moratorium and his
    willingness to use his position to try to do what he shouldn't
    be doing. We have three branches of power.
        Now, this is not an issue that is just important to me;
    this is an issue that is important to the American people. You
    see, the American people, in polling just recently--there is a
    range, between 60 percent of Americans that say that Joe Biden
    should be impeached, but it goes as high as 83 percent of
    Republicans think President Biden deserves to be impeached, 58
    percent of independents and 40 percent of Democrats agreeing
    that President Biden should be impeached for his failures to
    the American people as President.
        Let's talk about some of those failures. We can talk about
    the border alone. You see, here we have--and let's just talk
    about criminals coming across the border. U.S. Border Patrol
    has apprehended 9,728 illegal aliens with criminal records just
    in fiscal year 2021, in comparison to only 2,438 in 2020. This
    is a 325.8-percent increase in migrant encounters. It is up to
    1.7 million migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in fiscal year
    2021, which ended in September. This is a massive increase in
    President Biden's failures to provide security for the American
    people.
        Also, Border Patrol agents arrested 353 illegal aliens with
    sex-related criminal convictions, and many of them had prior
    convictions for crimes involving a minor. In the same period in
    2020, agents apprehended 58. In 2019, they apprehended 58 in
    total--I am sorry--55 in 2020, 58 in 2019, but 353 in 2021.
    That is a massive increase.
        Let's talk about these types of convictions. These
    convictions include forcible sexual assault, sexual assault of
    a child under 14, sexual conduct with a person under 13,
    statutory rape, second-degree sexual assault of a child, and
    lewd acts with a minor.
        Del Rio Sector in Texas, they have seen a 3,166-percent
    increase in arrests of convicted sex offenders compared to the
    same timeframe last year.
        This is a threat to the American people, and Joe Biden is
    failing on his job.
        We could go on and on with the statistics and the numbers,
    but I think plenty of people have done that already, so let's
    talk about, what is the Presidential oath of office?
        Joe Biden swore an oath. He said, ``I do solemnly swear
    that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the
    United States, and I will, to the best of my ability, preserve,
    protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.'' He
    is failing to uphold his oath.
        Article IV, section 4, says that the U.S. guarantees each
    State against invasion. Joe Biden is failing the American
    people by refusing to uphold the law and the Constitution.
        Afghanistan is where it really hurt. article III, section
    3, Joe Biden could be guilty of treason. Our law says that
    levying war against the U.S., adhering to the enemies of the
    U.S., and giving aid and comfort is treason. President Biden
    did that by arming the Taliban with our taxpayer-funded U.S.
    equipment and weapons. He abandoned Americans in Afghanistan
    and seems to have no interest in getting them back. Only worse,
    he failed to ignore the intel that there was going to be an
    ISIS bomber, and 13 of our soldiers were killed.
        I ask this Committee to bring my articles of impeachment
    forward in hearings and markup.
        I thank you very much for your time.
        Chair Nadler. The gentlelady yields back.
        Ms. Dean?

       STATEMENT OF THE HON. MADELEINE DEAN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA

        Ms. Dean. Thank you, Chair Nadler, and Ranking Member, for
    hosting today's Member Day hearing.
        I have had the pleasure of serving on this Judiciary
    Committee for the last 3 years, where we have done important
    work on behalf of our constituents, our rule of law, and our
    Nation. In these last 3 years, I can confidently say this
    Committee and its staff have met the moment. How?
        Well, in our first hearing, Mr. Chair, as you well know, in
    the 116th Congress, we talked about the issue, the urgent
    issue, of gun violence. It was the first hearing on gun
    violence in decades. We listened to victims and passed
    universal background checks to protect communities from
    senseless gun violence.
        We worked to change the conversation around addiction, to
    treat it as the disease that it is, to save lives by passing
    legislation to end the criminalization of addiction and to
    tackle the issue of opioid overdose.
        We advanced legislation to protect the sanctity of the
    right to vote, as 17 Republican-led States across this country
    implemented restrictive voting laws.
        We crafted and passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing
    Act.
        This Committee has had tough conversations, yet we didn't
    descend into the cult-like chaos of fealty to one man who
    disregarded our rule of law and could not grasp that the
    Constitution did not give him unlimited power to pressure
    foreign leaders to support his election, to openly violate the
    Emoluments Clause, and to incite a deadly insurrection because
    his ego could not accept the defeat.
        Through the chaos, this Committee has fought to protect our
    precious Constitution and honor our rule of law. So, yes,
    because of his blatant disregard for our democracy, he joined a
    short list of Presidents who were impeached by this body, and
    he found a way to historically distinguish himself and be
    impeached twice.
        Impeachment is a tool to uphold and defend the
    Constitution, not a toy to be taken lightly. Contrary to what
    my colleagues on the other side of the aisle may say, there is
    no comparison to former President Trump's behavior and
    President Biden.
        Leading up to the first impeachment proceedings, we saw a
    repeated attempt by the former President to discredit our
    democracy and a clear abuse of power. To quote impeachment
    manager Representative Schiff, ``President Trump compromised
    our elections. He will do so again. Truth matters little to
    him. Decency matters not at all.''
        He obstructed our ability to conduct oversight and abused
    the power of his office. The President threatened the American
    people's right to a fair election, the very foundation of our
    democracy. That is why we were called to impeach.
        I am alarmed but not surprised by the laissez-faire
    attitude around congressional subpoenas demonstrated this week
    by former Trump Administration officials. A select few of my
    Republican colleagues displayed their courage and actually
    spoke out against the actions of President Trump. However,
    there is an appalling silence from far too many across the
    aisle, as they scream over masks but are silent over treason.
        For those of you who still doubt the validity of
    impeachment, ask yourself this: Who called upon the mob? Who
    continually spread the ``big lie'' declaring the election was
    stolen? Who urged his supporters to ``stop the steal''? The
    repeated talking points of the former President and his allies
    threatened our democracy, and when we survived, he turned to an
    actual assault on the buildings we sit in today.
        January 6th will forever be a stain on our Nation's
    history. As a violent mob descended on this Capitol, I sat in
    the Gallery with no idea what would happen next. He desecrated
    his office, and he invested in a big lie, enticed his
    supporters with it, and ultimately incited them to the violence
    that we witnessed on January the 6th.
        That is why we were tasked again with impeaching the former
    President: To uphold the sacred oath we took and to present the
    facts to the American people. Again, the facts revealed a
    distinct pattern of behavior.
        As Republican President Teddy Roosevelt said, patriotism
    means stand by country; it does not mean stand by a President
    or any other public official. So, my colleagues and I will
    continue the patriotic fight to protect our democracy by
    uncovering the truth.
        My Congressional Subpoena Compliance and Enforcement Act
    was included in the Protecting Our Democracy Act to apply civil
    action to Congress against any person who receives but ignores
    a congressional subpoena. We cannot allow individuals to lift
    themselves above the rule of law.
        When we reflect on our work these last 3 years, I think of
    the words of our late dear colleague Elijah Cummings: ``When we
    are dancing with the angels, the question will be asked, what
    did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact?'' We spent
    the last 3 years trying to keep our democracy intact. I urge
    our colleagues across the aisle to join us. That is our solemn
    oath.
        I yield back.
        [The statement of Ms. Dean follows:]
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        Chair Nadler. The gentlelady yields back.
        Mr. Meijer?

        STATEMENT OF THE HON. PETER MEIJER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                  CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN

        Mr. Meijer. Thank you, Mr. Chair, Mr. Ranking Member, for
    calling this hearing today and giving Members the opportunity
    to highlight issues that are important to our constituents and
    potential solutions that we are working towards to address
    them.
        There is widespread agreement across the political spectrum
    that our current immigration system is not working the way it
    should. What we need now is a more thoughtful, deliberate, and
    bipartisan approach to fixing the many problems currently
    plaguing that system. Securing our border and reforming a
    broken legal immigration system should not be mutually
    exclusive.
        It is frustrating that the Biden Administration's failed
    border policies have made any other immigration-related
    conversations that much more difficult. We have all Witnessed
    the unprecedented crisis on our southern border since President
    Biden took office, and I have joined my colleagues on the
    Homeland Security Committee in demanding the Administration
    take the necessary steps to address it.
        Earlier this year, we traveled to the border to see the
    situation firsthand and talked to law enforcement officers on
    the front lines who are dealing with this overwhelming
    circumstance on a daily basis.
        Border security is simply not an issue for southern border
    States alone. It is one of the most consistent issues I hear
    from directly from my constituents. They have serious concerns
    about what they are seeing from this Administration. It is a
    major concern for Americans across the country, as the impacts
    of inadequate border policies are felt widely.
        Earlier this year, when the Administration was overwhelmed
    by the number of migrants coming across the border, they were
    forced to open several emergency intake sites across the
    country, including in my district in Michigan. Now, we were
    proud to be able to step up, but, again, this is not an issue
    for southern border States alone.
        Frankly, it is embarrassing that some Members of this body
    dismiss commonsense border security improvements because of the
    State of political rhetoric.
        Back in April, I was proud to join my colleagues in
    introducing H.R. 2321, the Border Surge Response and Resilience
    Act. This bipartisan bill would require DHS and Federal
    partners to establish a comprehensive plan to manage a border
    surge before it becomes unsustainable.
        The bill would also establish a fund designated solely for
    implementation of this plan, allowing DHS immediate access to
    needed resources to address these challenges without waiting
    months for supplemental appropriations from Congress.
        We cannot allow these types of crises to continue,
    Administration after Administration. Congress needs to take
    charge and provide clear directives and adequate resources for
    planning and surge response. This will reduce the risk of
    future humanitarian emergencies like the one we are seeing
    today.
        Because, frankly, it should not be difficult to both cares
    deeply about the root causes of migration and advocate for
    logical and humane policies that would ensure surges of
    individuals coming across the border does not reach a point
    where it is out of control and end up having an adverse effect
    on both local border communities and those vulnerable migrant
    populations.
        The Administration has failed to take responsibility for
    this crisis or any of the actions necessary to address it. That
    is why I also join my colleagues in introducing H.R. 4828, the
    Border Security for America Act, to require DHS to resume
    construction of the border wall system, deploy effective
    technology to support Border Patrol operations, and provide
    more resources to CBP officers and agents on the ground at all
    U.S. ports of entry.
        Maintaining operational control and awareness across the
    border should not be a partisan issue. Frankly, it is a
    practical homeland security imperative.
        As I have stated before, this Administration's failure to
    secure the border has made it far more difficult for Congress
    to advance needed reforms of our legal immigration system. I am
    proud to have joined my colleagues in several pieces of
    legislation to address some of these challenges, and I would
    encourage this Committee to consider these efforts as well.
        H.R. 3215, the Temporary Family Visitation Act, would
    establish a new nonimmigrant visa classification for
    individuals seeking to temporarily enter the U.S. to visit a
    relative who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.
    This would ease the current obstacles that prevent families
    from being able to gather for occasions like holidays,
    birthdays, graduations, and weddings.
        H.R. 3897, the H-2B Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021,
    would make key reforms to the existing H-2B program by
    exempting those returning workers from the numerical count,
    while supporting American employers who are dependent on the
    seasonal guest worker program and protecting American workers
    by enhancing anti-fraud and compliance measures.
        In Michigan, this is acutely felt in many of our seasonal
    industries, who are suffering deeply because of the pandemic
    and suffering doubly because of failures of the H-2B program.
        I was also proud to join my friend from Colorado, Mr. Crow,
    in introducing H.R. 5134, the SAVE Afghan Partners Act of 2021.
    This bipartisan bill would raise the Afghan Special Immigrant
    Visa cap and clarify eligibility requirements for those who
    worked alongside U.S. military and on behalf of the U.S.
    mission in Afghanistan.
        As we continue our efforts to resettle those vulnerable
    Afghans who have been brought to the U.S. and work to get out
    those of our allies who were left behind, this bill will be
    critical to ensure that those who risked their lives for the
    United States receive the status and benefits they deserve.
        There is a lot of room for us to work together on
    incremental but substantive immigration reform. The current
    system is riddled with illogical bureaucratic obstacles--
        Chair Nadler. The time of the gentleman has expired.
        Mr. Meijer. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        [The statement of Mr. Meijer follows:]
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        Chair Nadler. Ms. Bourdeaux?

     STATEMENT OF THE HON. CAROLYN BOURDEAUX, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                   CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA

        Ms. Bourdeaux. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Today, I would like to speak about the importance of voting
    rights.
        Georgia has a long history of undermining the right to
    vote, from the Jim Crow-era tactics of poll taxes, grandfather
    clauses, literacy tests, to more recent tactics of voter-roll
    purges, exact-match policies, and partisan gerrymandering. As
    we know, these policies disproportionately affect voters of
    color.
        My district, Georgia's Seventh, one of the most diverse
    districts in the country, has been ground zero for many
    disputes about these tactics, which repeatedly led to
    litigation. Some of the most longstanding disputes are around
    voter registration processes, including exact-match policies,
    purges of voter registration rolls, and Georgia's no-excuse
    absentee ballot voting process.
        In 2016, voting rights organizations sued then-Secretary of
    State, now-Governor Brian Kemp over the exact-match policy for
    voter registration, a version of which had been struck down by
    the Department of Justice in 2009 under their preclearance
    review process.
        The exact-match policy required the information on a
    voter's registration application to exactly match records kept
    by the Georgia Department of Driver Services or the Federal
    Social Security Administration, which meant that typos, data
    entry errors, or nicknames, such as, someone who used the name
    ``Bill'' as a nickname for ``William,'' could jeopardize
    someone's voter registration.
        Georgia has also become one of the Nation's most aggressive
    voter purge States. In 2017, over half a million voters were
    purged in one night, many due to Georgia's use-it-or-lose-it
    policy, which purges voters for not voting in prior elections.
    These purges continue to this present day.
        Gwinnett County, the largest county in my district, has
    been ground zero for litigation over absentee ballot problems,
    with ballots rejected for signature mismatch or other
    technical, administrative issues. In 2019, during early vote,
    Gwinnett County election officials rejected 1 in 10 vote-by-
    mail ballots.
        After litigation, a Federal judge stepped in to ensure that
    ballots that were thrown out for signature mismatch were marked
    as provisional, and voters were given a chance to appeal the
    decision or confirm their identity.
        Even with this intervention, there were several serious
    problems of absentee ballot processing and inconsistent
    interpretation of ballot requirements between counties, which
    led to litigation in the following months and, ultimately, to
    significant changes in how Georgia administered absentee
    ballots.
        Most notably, in my district, there are two counties. In
    the more diverse county, small errors, such as filling in
    today's date next to your signature on the absentee ballot,
    would cause the ballot to be thrown out. Voters were supposed
    to put in their birth date. A similar ballot in the less
    diverse county in my district would be counted and the error
    treated as an innocent mistake. This county was much more
    aggressive about notifying voters when there was an error on
    their ballot and giving them time to correct it. All this
    formed the basis of successful litigation.
        Georgia dealt with many problems during the Presidential
    preference, general election, and early-voting period in the
    2020 election cycle, leading to significant wait times of up to
    12 hours for some voters. These problems made national news,
    with some of the longest waits occurring in the most diverse
    Seventh District Gwinnett precincts.
        Despite the odds, Georgia had a record-breaking turnout
    during the general election. This was, in part, due to
    significant increases in turnout for minority communities, most
    notably Asian and Hispanic Americans.
        However, then Georgia was one of the first States in the
    country to pass a voter suppression bill, SB 202, after the
    2020 general election. In particular, this legislation targets
    Georgia's no-excuse absentee ballot voting.
        SB 202 includes provisions that require voter ID for
    absentee ballots, limits the use of absentee ballot dropboxes
    that were critically important to people voting in times of
    COVID. It bans nonpartisan groups from mailing out absentee
    ballot applications. This bill also forbids the distribution of
    food or drink to persons waiting in line, sometimes for many
    hours, to vote.
        Perhaps most alarmingly, the bill allows the State Board of
    Elections to remove a county election board after a performance
    review, audit, or investigation and install a temporary
    superintendent--in effect, creating the potential for a
    partisan takeover of local boards of elections. The State Board
    has already targeted Fulton County, the largest and one of the
    most diverse counties in the State, for takeover.
        This bill is one of many efforts by the leadership in
    Georgia to set election policies that limit voting in ways that
    disproportionately negatively affect voters of color.
        I would like to commend the Judiciary Committee on your
    hard work in crafting H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights
    Advancement Act. I look forward to supporting other meaningful
    reforms, such as the Freedom to Vote Act.
        Thank you, and I yield back.
        [The statement of Ms. Bourdeaux follows:]
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. The gentlelady yields back.
        Mr. Mann?

    STATEMENT OF THE HON. TRACEY MANN, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
                        FROM THE STATE OF KANSAS

        Mr. Mann. Chair Nadler, Ranking Member Jordan, and Members
    of the Committee, I appreciate the opportunity to speak with
    you today about the judicial priorities for the First District
    of Kansas, including the U.S. Department of Justice
    investigation into cattle markets, immigration, and the Second
    Amendment.
        Kansans are good people who carry a pioneering spirit with
    them, the same way those who settled my State did over 160
    years ago. The people of the First District, aptly named the
    Big First, know each other, look out for each other, and
    sacrifice for each other.
        As Congress becomes increasingly more urban, rural
    districts like the Big First depend on strong voices in
    Congress, especially on some of the most significant issues
    facing our Nation that are situated in the jurisdictional
    purview of this committee.
        The Big First's backbone is agriculture. It is home to more
    than 60,000 farms and is made up of farmers, ranchers, feed lot
    managers, nutritionists, ethanol producers, ag lenders, and
    agribusiness owners who feed, fuel, and clothe the world. It
    ranks number one in the country for the value of cattle and
    calf sales, at more than $9 billion sold annually, and is home
    to more than 4.4 million cattle and calves.
        Cattle producers all over the country are facing
    challenging market dynamics, and Kansas cattle producers are
    especially concerned with the historically wide gap between
    wholesale beef prices and fed cattle prices.
        After several disruptive events in the meatpacking industry
    and the allegations of malfeasance, the U.S. Department of
    Justice began an investigation into potentially anti-
    competitive practices. As of today, however, we have not seen
    any results from this investigation--no real response to our
    concerns, no real outcomes for ranchers across the country.
        U.S. Department of Justice needs to complete the
    investigation and release these results immediately. Producers
    in Kansas and across the country deserve to know if the
    investigation uncovered any issues.
        Seven hundred miles south of Kansas is our Nation's
    southern border and a full-scale crisis created by President
    Biden and this Administration. President Biden promised
    citizenship to up to 11 million immigrants, placed a
    shortsighted moratorium on deportations, rescinded policies
    that organized and controlled the flow of legal migrants, and
    halted the construction of the border wall system even though
    Congress approved all the funds necessary for its completion.
        Predictably, the daily average of unaccompanied minors
    crossing the border has nearly doubled since 2019. Texas
    migrant facilities are well over 700 percent capacity. The
    number of migrants testing positive for COVID-19 after being
    released has nearly doubled. Communities on the border are at
    risk.
        This is a human tragedy, and to stop it, President Biden
    and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security need to end these
    disastrous policies, secure our borders, refuse to grant broad
    amnesty, and develop a legal immigration system that works.
        Over the last 9 months, Americans have become used to
    President Biden's homegrown crises. We are rightfully
    concerned, especially when it comes to our constitutional
    rights like the right to bear arms. Our Founding Fathers
    believed this right to be so integral to freedom that they
    recorded it as the Second amendment to the Constitution,
    immediately after the right of free speech. It is a load-
    bearing wall and cannot be destroyed or diminished.
        President Biden recently penned six anti-Second amendment
    executive actions in one day, banning homemade guns; defining a
    pistol as a short-barreled rifle, allowing for more regulation;
    and mandating a report on gun gifting and trading.
        In interviews following the announcement, the White House
    stated, ``The President will not wait for Congress to Act
    before the Administration takes our own steps, fully within the
    Administration's authority and the Second Amendment.''
        We can no longer sit idle and watch dozens of Executive
    Orders from a single Administration attempt to dictate the
    direction of our country with no input from this Congress.
    Congress was created to legislate. Governing by Executive Order
    is not legislating.
        Earlier this year, I introduced H.R. 716, the More
    Accountability is Necessary Now Act, requiring the executive
    branch to notify the American public and Congress of its intent
    to issue any new executive order pertaining to the rights of
    law-abiding Americans to own, carry, and use firearms
    guaranteed by the Second Amendment. Congress should swiftly
    pass this legislation.
        As your Committee continues to work on legislation like
    this and other legislation within your circle of control, I ask
    that you ensure Americans in rural communities are part of the
    conversation. Their livelihoods are impacted by the decisions
    that you make in this very room, and when I see others playing
    fast and loose with their rights, I will always speak up on
    their behalf.
        Thank you again for the opportunity to speak on the issues
    impacting the First District of Kansas, and I yield back the
    remainder of my time.
        [The statement of Mr. Mann follows:]
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. The gentleman yields back.
        Mr. Burchett?

        STATEMENT OF THE HON. TIM BURCHETT, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                  CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF TENNESSEE

        Mr. Burchett. Thank you, Mr. Chair; Ranking Member Gohmert,
    thank you, sir; other Members.
        Mr. Chair, before I read from my prepared remarks, the Lord
    speaks to me sometimes. Not in an audible voice, but he does
    speak to me. When COVID broke out, I heard about folks
    committing suicide, and I prayed and asked God what could we
    do. I just think suicide is just the worst despair you could
    have. I have had buddies kill themselves.
        So, I woke up in the middle of the night, and I thought,
    dad-gummit, I am going to give my cell phone out, my cell phone
    number out to folks. People called me from all over the
    country. I had people calling me from out of the country that
    were locked in. Some people were just calling to see if there
    was an actual Congressman that would answer the dadgum phone,
    and I did. It got so hectic that I called in a buddy of mine
    who helped me on the campaign to help me, and we referred folks
    to suicide prevention.
        There was a lady was being abused in another State, and it
    was just all over the country. It was unbelievable, the amount
    of people. Of course, with the time change, my wife said, baby,
    ``you are going to have to figure out what we are going to do
    about this, because they were calling in the middle of the
    night.'' We took care of that.
        God spoke to me again, because I was on the Internet, and I
    was looking, and I was seeing that we are seeing a lot of kids
    disappear. A lot of them are Black kids. Nobody seems to be
    paying a dadgum bit of attention to them, Mr. Chair. That is
    what I am here to talk to you about. I am going to read you
    from my remarks now. Just give you that little heads-up to what
    I was going at.
        I want to thank you for giving non-Committee Members the
    opportunity to testify, Mr. Chair. I come before the Judiciary
    Committee today to share with you an issue that the Federal
    Government and, frankly, American society does not give enough
    attention.
        Congress's missing and exploited children program, overseen
    by the U.S. Department of Justice, makes America a safer place
    for our children. In the late 1970s, nearly 1.8 million
    children were reported missing annually. In 2020, that number
    had fallen to 540,000, according to the Congressional Research
    Service. This data shows, thanks to this program's improved
    policing tactics, recovery rates for missing children have
    exponentially increased.
        Unfortunately, this program falls short of serving people
    of color and primarily Black folks. Existing data indicates
    minority children are reported missing at a disproportionately
    higher rate than White children and stay missing longer. In
    fact, a longitudinal study found that racial differences
    significantly affect rates of recovery for missing minority
    children, with Black children remaining missing the longest.
        These disparities are largely attributed to socioeconomic
    background, police resources, and media attention. In areas
    with low community engagement and limited police resources,
    children are more vulnerable and less likely to be recovered.
    It is a fact. It is why movements like ``defund the police''
    are so dangerous.
        Quality media attention on missing-person cases is a proven
    key to recovery. According to the Department of Justice,
    intense early media coverage ensures that people will be
    looking for your child. It is concerning to me that missing
    White girls receive disproportionately more media attention
    than Black counterparts.
        Look no further than the Gabby Petito case--can't pronounce
    her name, but everybody knows who I am talking about--which
    continues to captivate a national audience. Over the last 2
    months or so, you couldn't turn on the news or scroll through
    Twitter without hearing about her.
        It continues to feel like she is the only missing person in
    America, but it is very serious that she is missing--and that
    is so far from the truth. There is no shortage of tragic
    stories about missing Black folks that people have never heard
    about. I will use an example from my district in east
    Tennessee.
        A 26-year-old Black female from Knoxville was reported
    missing on June 28, 2021, and the last time her family heard
    from her was June 18. This was weeks before Gabby Petito was
    reported missing on September 11. Thanks to national media
    coverage, though, Ms. Petito's remains were found just 8 days
    after she was reported missing. Compare that to when the
    remains of the 26-year-old Black female from Knoxville were
    recovered. She was not found until September 28, 3 months--3
    months, Mr. Chair--after she was reported missing. I bet not
    once over these 3 months you ever heard about her on MSNBC,
    CNN, FOX News, or the other national media outlets.
        The sad reality is that there are thousands of other
    stories like this one I just described that go completely
    unnoticed. There is an epidemic of missing Black children,
    missing Black girls.
        I have a little girl. She is 14.
        This is unreported by the mainstream news media. The news
    media is an echo chamber solely focused on news that sells and
    the ratings from its target audience. Real news, unbiased news,
    important news has been pushed aside and replaced by--
        Chair Nadler. The time of the gentleman has expired.
        Mr. Burchett. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        [The statement of Mr. Burchett follows:]
        [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. Ms. Miller?

       STATEMENT OF THE HON. MARY E. MILLER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN
                  CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

        Ms. Miller of Illinois. Thank you, Chair Nadler.
        I am appearing today because I am gravely concerned about
    Attorney General Merrick Garland's recent memo to the FBI
    directing them to intimidate and harass parents who show up at
    school board meetings.
        Sadly, one example cited by the National School Board
    Association was a father who showed up to the school board
    meeting because his 14-year-old daughter was sexually assaulted
    in a school bathroom by a boy who was allowed in the girls'
    room because of the school's transgender policies and activism.
        The father was trying to warn board Members and other
    parents about the real-world implications of the left's radical
    agenda and the danger posed to teenaged girls, but, tragically,
    he was arrested and then labeled a domestic terrorist.
        This is a chilling and anti-democratic action by the Biden
    DOJ to use fear, harassment, and intimidation to keep parents
    from showing up at school board meetings and speaking out
    against the radical left-wing agenda.
        Parents are in charge of their child's education, period--
    not the experts from the left-wing organizations, not the
    teachers' unions, and not the Biden Administration--parents.
        If the Department of Justice is looking for congressional
    direction on how they should be using their taxpayer-funded
    resources, they should start by investigating and prosecuting
    the human trafficking cartels that have smuggled, unbelievably,
    125,000 children across our southern border under this
    Administration. The children face horrific sexual assaults from
    cartel predators and coyotes.
        The DOJ seems to have a strong preoccupation with
    prosecuting and persecuting American citizens for engaging in
    constitutionally protected activities. I would strongly
    recommend the DOJ focus on keeping Americans safe and
    prosecuting child traffickers.
        Mr. Chair, I seek unanimous consent to enter articles for
    the record on this topic.
        Chair Nadler. Without objection.
        [The information follows:]

                     THE HON. MARY E. MILLER FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Ms. Miller of Illinois. Thank you, and I yield back.
        [The statement of Ms. Miller of Illinois follows:]
        [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. The gentlelady yields back.
        Mr. Rice?

     STATEMENT OF THE HON. TOM RICE, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
                    FROM THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

        Mr. Rice. Thank you, Mr. Chair, for allowing me to speak to
    the Committee today.
        I come to you to speak about a background-check bill.
        After the killings of the nine people in the Emanuel AME
    Church in Charleston, South Carolina, by a deranged individual,
    the families of the deceased sued the Federal Government for
    failure to catch his issues before they issued him a permit to
    buy the gun.
        The case was dismissed on sovereign immunity, but the
    Federal judge, an Obama appointee, by the way, Gergel, wrote a
    20-page opinion about the failure of the background-check
    system in that case.
        I have a copy of that opinion here, and I would like to
    have it entered in the record.
        Chair Nadler. Without objection.
        [The information follows:]

                        THE HON. TOM RICE FOR THE RECORD

    =======================================================================

    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Mr. Rice. What glares at you when you read this opinion is
    about a big omission in the background-check procedure. You
    see, the FBI maintains three criminal databases, and when they
    do a background check, for some reason, they only search two of
    those databases. And the third one is far more thorough and
    detailed, and it is called the N-DEx system.
        I think the reason that they only search two is because,
    when we did the background-check law in the mid-1990s, the N-
    DEx system did not exist, and the inertia of the Federal
    bureaucracy does not allow for changes.
        So, if they actually had searched the N-DEx system, they
    would have discovered that Dylann Roof, who ended up massacring
    these people in this church, should not have been able to buy a
    gun.
        Now, the FBI will not give me information on other
    individual cases, but I also suspect that Mr. Cruz, who
    massacred the people in the Marjory Stoneman High School, would
    not have been able to buy a gun. In fact, the police had been
    to his house over 20 times, and I suspect, had they been able
    to search the N-DEx system, they would have found this, and he
    would not have been given a background permit.
        Also, the individual who went into the church in Texas, who
    had had issues with domestic violence before, I suspect that if
    they had looked at the N-DEx system, he would not have been
    able to buy a gun.
        The individual in Ohio who went into Dayton and started
    shooting downtown, he had had mental issues before. If they had
    looked at the N-DEx system, I suspect he would not have gotten
    a permit to buy a gun.
        Now, I have a bill here that simply says that, when the FBI
    does a background check, that they may check the N-DEx system.
        Too often when we see tragedies like this, in our immediate
    reaction, we try to go too far, and we can't find a solution
    that we can get across the line. There have been numbers of
    bills that have been put forth by folks on other side of the
    aisle that go too far. Therefore, nothing has happened; no
    bills have passed that would solve this problem.
        The response by the folks on the left is, well, you know,
    Republicans don't want to do anything. I can tell you that
    pretty much everybody agrees that we need to do everything we
    can to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. This is
    a very, very straightforward and simple solution.
        This bill has 34 cosponsors, including 4 Democrats and 30
    Republicans. In fact, Mr. Cohen on this Committee has
    cosponsored this bill.
        This is a very commonsense solution that would have
    prevented most of these massacres. In fact, if we could prevent
    one, we could prevent copycats, right? I mean, people read
    about these things, and they want the notoriety.
        So, let's stop pointing fingers. We have to realize we have
    to get a majority, right? We have to reach consensus. Let's do
    something we can get across the line.
        This would be a real solution that would lift this
    Congress, that would lift the Federal Government, that would
    lift our constituents back home and make this country a safer
    place. This is a bill on which we can find consensus, and it is
    real. It would solve a lot of these problems, these terrible
    tragedies that unfortunately unfold far too often.
        With that, Mr. Chair, I yield back.
        [The statement of Mr. Rice follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. The gentleman yields back.
        Mr. Carter?

           STATEMENT OF THE HON. EARL L. ``BUDDY'' CARTER, A
          REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF GEORGIA

        Mr. Carter of Georgia. Thank you, Mr. Chair. I appreciate
    the opportunity to be here today and to share my priorities
    before the Judiciary Committee.
        The work that you do on this Committee is incredibly
    important, especially now. It is no secret that we have a
    crisis currently on our southern border, and many Members of
    this body, including myself, have been down to see it
    firsthand. It is essential that we act.
        That is why I have come to speak in support of two bills
    that would go towards addressing this disaster. It is a
    disaster. I have introduced two of these bills, and they were
    referred to this committee.
        The first is H.R. 3848, the Illegal Immigrant Assistance
    Prohibition Act. As its name suggests, this bill would prohibit
    discretionary program funds from going to States that provide
    assistance to illegal immigrants.
        While there are a number of carrots that draw people to
    come to the United States, it is uncontainable to incentivize
    people to come into the country illegally by providing
    taxpayer-funded assistance.
        Illegal immigrants are already generally prohibited from
    Federal assistance programs by the Personal Responsibility and
    Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act. However, States can still
    provide assistance through their own programs funded by State
    taxes. This allows for the possibility of a State to use its
    own tax revenues on programs to assist illegal immigrants while
    simultaneously leaning on Federal funding for other programs in
    their budgets.
        Recent examples of this kind of spending include
    California's initiative to provide cash benefits to
    undocumented Californian's and New York's Excluded Worker
    Relief Fund that will allow for nearly 300,000 undocumented
    workers in the State to be eligible for lump-sum payments up to
    $15,600.
        Programs like this can be an attractive draw for someone to
    enter the United States illegally, which is contrary to Federal
    immigration policy. States should not be permitted to lean on
    Federal funding to subsidize parts of its budget while
    undermining the Federal immigration system. This is especially
    worrisome as we face a crisis along our southern border.
        The second piece of legislation that I would like to
    discuss is H.R. 4796, the Empowering Law Enforcement Act. While
    my first bill addresses one of the carrots that attract illegal
    immigrants, this bill addresses the stick side of things by
    providing backup to Federal immigration enforcement officials
    who have been hamstrung by the Biden Administration.
        Specifically, this bill would grant State and local law
    enforcement inherent immigration enforcement authority to
    investigate, identify, apprehend, arrest, detain, or transfer a
    migrant that has entered the U.S. illegally.
        There were 208,887 border apprehensions in August, a 317-
    percent increase--317-percent increase--from last year. August
    was the second straight month with over 200,000 apprehensions.
    The Department of Homeland Security has warned officials to be
    prepared for the possibility of 350,000-400,000 illegal border
    apprehensions in October.
        This is a national security threat, and we must be willing
    to use every policy option to stem the tide, including
    completing the border wall, reinstituting the ``Remain in
    Mexico'' policy, fully reinstituting title 42 health expulsions
    to protect public health. Passing both H.R. 3848 and H.R. 4796
    would go a long way toward stemming this problem, this
    disaster, that exists at our southern border.
        Again, Mr. Chair, thank you for the work that is done on
    this Committee. Thank you all for your attention on this. These
    are two important bills to address a disaster at our southern
    border.
        People are concerned about this. This is a health issue.
    This is a national security issue. It is a humanitarian issue.
    I appeal to you to please consider these bills. They are
    important, they are applicable, and they are appropriate for
    this time.
        Thank you, and I yield back.
        [The statement of Mr. Carter of Georgia follows:]
    [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. The gentleman yields back.
        Mr. Keller?

    STATEMENT OF THE HON. FRED KELLER, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS
                     FROM THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA

        Mr. Keller. Thank you, Chair Nadler, Congressman Gohmert,
    and Members of the Committee. I thank you for the opportunity
    to speak with you about an important issue for the people of
    Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District and correctional
    officers across the Nation. It is about reforming the Federal
    Bureau of Prisons, as I will refer to as the ``BOP.''
        The BOP faces many challenges, some that existed prior to
    COVID-19 and others that were underscored or made worse by the
    pandemic. That is why we formed the BOP Caucus, a bipartisan,
    bicameral group whose mission is to ensure the safety and
    security of our Federal prisons and improve the conditions for
    correctional officers, inmates, and the communities in which
    these facilities are located.
        A recent GAO report found that the Bureau of Prisons did
    not capture or share Bureau-wide the lessons and practices
    discussed at its teleconferences or have an approach for
    ensuring facilities apply these lessons in the aftermath of
    COVID-19.
        It is critical that Congress works to bring accountability
    and transparency within the BOP and holds BOP leadership
    accountable for their decisions.
        Additionally, Congress must enact reform that improves the
    conditions inside Federal prisons. The BOP's security and radio
    systems remain obsolete, leading to an influx of contraband and
    violence.
        In 2016, the Office of Inspector General at the Department
    of Justice published a report identifying major deficiencies
    and needed upgrades, including blind spots and broken cameras.
    This is unacceptable. That is why I support the Prison Camera
    Reform Act of 2021. Senator Ossoff is leading this effort in
    the Senate, and I look forward to working on similar
    legislation in the House.
        Lastly, BOP's staffing levels continue to plummet while
    hiring freezes are occurring nationwide. BOP Reform Caucus
    Members, both Democrats and Republicans, worked to include
    appropriations language to increase staffing levels.
        Despite language from the Appropriations Committee to
    provide adequate levels, the BOP has remained understaffed and
    has relied on augmentation and reassignment to make up for its
    shortfalls. These methods only add to the burdens placed on our
    correctional officers, the inmates they secure, and the
    surrounding communities. It is still unknown how excessive
    overtime hours and dangerous conditions for inmates contribute
    to officer fatigue.
        What is clear from each of these efforts is the fact that
    we are here to work on these challenges together. I look
    forward to continuing to work on important issues such as
    ensuring adequate BOP staffing and improving benefits, ensuring
    strong implementation of the FIRST STEP Act, and streamlining
    the BOP's future response to emergencies.
        I really appreciate the time that I have had here today.
    Our team is committed to bringing Republicans and Democrats
    together to work on meaningful, lasting reform.
        With that, I thank you very much and yield back.
        [The statement of Mr. Keller follows:]
        [GRAPHICS NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Chair Nadler. The gentleman yields back.
        This concludes today's hearing. We thank all our Witnesses
    for participating.
        Without objection, all Members will have 5 legislative days
    to submit additional materials for the record.
        Chair Nadler. Without objection, the hearing is adjourned--
    just in time, because there are votes on the floor.
        Adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 10:30 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]

                                   APPENDIX

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