[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 180 (Monday, November 6, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H8513-H8520]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1930
        TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE STATUS AND OTHER ISSUES OF THE DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) 
is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.


                             General Leave

  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
any extraneous material on the subject of this Special Order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I rise today 
to anchor this CBC Special Order hour. The Congressional Black Caucus, 
under the leadership of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond), is 
committed to sharing with this Congress, as well as with the American 
people, the issues of great importance to the Caucus, to Congress, and 
to the constituents we represent.
  For this Special Order hour, at this time, we believe it is very and 
vitally important to discuss the temporary protective status of Haiti 
and other countries.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to my colleague, the gentlewoman from Utah (Mrs. 
Love), to discuss this very important issue.
  Mrs. LOVE. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues at the CBC for the 
opportunity to speak at this Special Order hour.
  Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, I traveled to Haiti to investigate 
sex trafficking, as part of my work on the Financial Services 
Committee's Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance. While I was 
there, I had the opportunity to observe conditions as well as meet with 
leadership and the President.
  What I saw was a nation struggling to rebuild after the 2010 tragedy 
that hurt and rattled the nation with an earthquake, a cholera 
epidemic, and Hurricane Matthew. What I heard was the nation was not 
prepared for the tens of thousands of Haitians that were to return.
  Haitian TPS recipients contribute significantly to the United States' 
economy and to the Haitian economy. As Haiti works not only to rebuild, 
but to rise itself out of poverty that has plagued it for years, I ask 
the White House to please take a moment to help our friends and allies 
in Haiti and to extend the temporary protective status.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman so very much for 
her moving words. I know that this is an issue that is very close to 
her heart, being of Haitian-American descent, and we are grateful for 
her leadership on this, being supportive of the letters to the 
President, letters to the Secretary of Homeland Security, and for her 
working in a bipartisan fashion to support the people of Haiti as well 
as other countries on this issue.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Richmond), 
the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus who is leading us in this 
discussion that is affecting the people of Haiti as well as other 
countries, along with the President's tax plan and how it would affect 
those Americans who are the least of us and would have the most 
repercussions for that.
  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the 
Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) for leading this Special Order and for 
the outstanding work that she has done as her island, the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, recovers from two devastating hurricanes.
  Being from New Orleans, I understand what two twin hurricanes can do. 
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged our city, our State, along with 
Mississippi, Texas, and the Gulf Coast. To be very candid, the people 
of the Virgin Islands, unfortunately, are doing this too much on their 
own.
  Part of what makes America exceptional, part of what makes us the 
greatest country in the world is that when we find our citizens in a 
vulnerable position, through no fault of their own, we come in as a 
government and we help. When you look at the Virgin Islands and the 
fact that the damage they have received is more than their capacity to 
rebuild, and it is through no fault of their own, it is Mother Nature. 
It is an act of God.
  Some would say it is global warming and climate change, but it 
doesn't matter what caused it. What matters is the United States' 
response to how we fix it. So when we start talking about our response 
to the Virgin Islands, it is a great segue into Haiti and temporary 
protective status.

[[Page H8514]]

  It was that 2010 earthquake that rendered Haiti in a position where 
they could no longer safely and adequately care for their citizens, and 
we allowed them to have temporary protective status in the United 
States. On May 24 of this year, the Department of Homeland Security 
redesignated Haiti for 6 months of temporary protective status rather 
than 18 months that the Government of Haiti, Haiti experts from the 
United States, the Congressional Black Caucus, and others requested.
  The fact is, the DHS designation didn't reflect any of the reality on 
the ground. In fact, it ignored that there is great food scarcity, and 
it ignored the ongoing challenges posed by the unprecedented 
earthquake.
  We sent a letter November 3 asking once again to fully extend Haiti's 
TPS designation for another 18 months. However, time and time again, 
unfortunately, it appears that this administration, through all of the 
rhetoric, has an inability to do right when right is needed, especially 
when we talk about vulnerable populations, especially when we talk 
about immigrants. It is too easy for this administration to turn a 
blind eye and ignore real-life needs.
  Now, there are some out there who could argue: Is this America's 
issue?
  I would argue that it is absolutely America's issue.
  First of all, not extending the TPS will have drastic consequences 
for the United States' economy. That is why the U.S. Chamber of 
Commerce, national security experts, and the Catholic bishops have all 
come out in support of extending this vital program, because they know 
that these nations are in no condition to receive the 300,000 people 
that will be returned to them.

  They understand the public health crisis and the destabilization of 
the new government. In El Salvador and Honduras, the return of 250,000 
people would strain government services and lead to job displacement in 
countries besieged by violence, drug trafficking, and weak 
institutions.
  So let me just clear it up for a lot of Americans sitting at home and 
asking: Well, why does this affect us?
  Thirty percent of TPS recipients are homeowners in the United States. 
So just think about the consequences of simultaneously dumping 60,000 
mortgages on the U.S. housing market. Think about 13,000 mortgages in 
Texas, 5,000 mortgages in Florida, 4,100 in Virginia. The mass 
deportation alone will cost the taxpayers of this country more than $3 
billion.
  Oftentimes, we find ourselves in this place, in this body arguing 
about the fiscal argument of things and talking about how it would 
affect our economy--which I just did--talking about how it would hurt 
the U.S. market in foreclosures and mortgages, and we give all of these 
examples of how this could bankrupt the United States.
  The bigger concern we have, and that this administration should have, 
is that this country is on the fast track to moral bankruptcy because 
we do not stand up when we are supposed to; we don't call out wrong 
when we see it; and, too often, we turn our backs to injustice. That is 
not what this country is about. That is not what made this country 
great. So with that, I would just say that it is time for this country, 
this Congress, this administration, to do what is right simply because 
it is the right thing to do.
  It just so happens that the right thing to do this time has extreme 
economic benefits that go along with it. Tonight, you are going to hear 
from a number of our remarkable Congressional Black Caucus members who 
don't just advocate for Black people. We advocate for people all across 
this country who are oftentimes voiceless, who can't afford lobbyists, 
who don't influence government, but people who just wake up every day, 
go to work, put food on their table, provide for their kids, and hope 
for a better future for their families. They hope that their parents 
can live out their lives with dignity and respect. They hope that their 
immediate family--that they can provide for their kids, and their kids 
can reach their wildest dreams.
  That is the American Dream. That is what we fight for. It is such a 
great privilege to be the chair of that Caucus. You will see in the 
next couple of seconds the talent and the passion of which this Caucus 
fights for, which is why I am so proud and humbled to lead this Caucus 
during this Congress.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his remarks. We 
are grateful and thankful and proud to have him as the chairman of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, particularly in the time period that were 
are in, because the energy and passion that he has for people of color 
and for all Americans is extremely evident.
  The fact that we are not having discussions that are based on 
emotion, but really based on facts, digging more into policy and the 
actual effects that those policies have on Americans and throughout 
this country, is something that is what I think this Congress should be 
driven by, rather than emotion or visceral reactions to actions that 
people have that take our eyes off of the things that we should be 
focused on.
  We are grateful that he is continually not moved by the shiny object 
that is in the room, but on the real bread-and-butter issues that 
affect Americans. When he talks about the talent of the members of the 
CBC, part of that talent is in its grounding, in those members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus that have been engaged in this battle, in 
this struggle, in this fight, that have had this passion for many 
years.
  I am happy to yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee), who 
has been at the forefront in fighting for people who have been 
underserved not only in this country, but around the world. It is 
through the work of this Member that individuals and countries in 
Africa have been able to receive the support from this country as this 
country was trying to pull it away in other parts of the world. We are 
grateful for her doing it in her own backyard in California, but also 
in those inner cities throughout this country and rural areas as she 
sits on the Appropriations Committee to support Americans throughout 
the country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman for yielding, 
and also for organizing us here tonight and every week on the issues 
that are so important to this country. Her leadership, 
specifically, for the Virgin Islands, is truly commendable, and just 
know that we are doing everything we can do under her leadership to 
help her recover and rebuild.

  Mr. Speaker, I just have to say to our chair of the Congressional 
Black Caucus, Congressman Richmond, I have to thank him for his bold 
and his visionary leadership of the CBC.
  First, let me just take a moment to offer my deepest condolences to 
the family, friends, and community of those who lost loved ones in the 
senseless act of gun violence in Texas, my home State. We mourn their 
loss, we pray for the recovery of those injured, and we say once again 
that this House needs action on gun safety measures to save lives. Our 
thoughts and prayers are with them tonight.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss the urgent need to preserve temporary 
protective status for immigrants fleeing famine, war, and violent 
conditions around the world, especially those countries from within the 
African diaspora who account for 10 percent of all TPS beneficiaries.
  Today, 440,000 individuals from 10 countries reside in the United 
States under temporary protective status because, as a nation, we have 
kept our commitment to being a beacon of hope and security for those in 
need.
  The TPS program grants immigrants the right to lawfully remain in the 
United States for 6 to 18 months. This longstanding practice has been 
honored for decades through Democratic and Republican administrations 
because, regardless of political affiliations as Americans, we have 
always stood for protecting the value of human life.
  Sadly, the Trump administration fails to grasp the lifesaving impact 
of this program.

                              {time}  1945

  Just last month, the administration announced that it would terminate 
the TPS designation for Sudan, despite the ongoing humanitarian crisis 
in the region.
  In the coming days and weeks, Mr. Speaker, the Trump administration, 
unfortunately, will decide the fate of TPS holders from vulnerable 
countries including Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Haiti. Let me 
be clear: failure to renew TPS status would mean

[[Page H8515]]

deportation for over 300,000 individuals who are working and living in 
the United States.
  We also know that this issue disproportionately impacts immigrants 
from countries within the African diaspora. Take Haiti for example. 
After a devastating earthquake and horrific hurricane, there is an 
active cholera outbreak and protracted food security crisis. Letting 
TPS expire for this country would send 50,000 people back to uncertain 
fates. An influx of people of this size would further destabilize a 
fragile recovery. That is why I joined my colleagues in sending a 
letter to the Department of Homeland Security calling for a full 18-
month extension of Haiti's TPS designation.
  In El Salvador and Honduras, the return of over 250,000 people would 
strain government services and lead to job displacement in countries 
besieged by violence, narcotics trafficking, and weak institutions.
  Unfortunately, this week, Secretary Tillerson falsely claimed that 
conditions on the ground no longer warrant TPS designation for these 
countries. How he came up with that, I have no idea. This is really a 
shame and a disgrace. That is why members of the Congressional Black 
Caucus are here tonight fighting for temporary protected status because 
we cannot turn our backs on our brothers and sisters in their time of 
need. TPS holders have families, they own businesses, and they 
contribute to this country in countless ways.
  At a time when devastating hurricanes and flooding ravages our 
neighbors in the Caribbean, the last thing that our government should 
be doing is turning its back on TPS holders. It is not only TPS holders 
that we are fighting for. We are also now recognizing, understanding, 
knowing, and making public--as everyone knows--that millions of 
undocumented youth are living in fear of deportation because this 
President and Republicans in Congress can't muster the courage to do 
what is right.
  Our Nation has been and should continue to be a nation of immigrants. 
From TPS to DACA, deporting innocent young people who came to the 
United States to escape devastation and violence, or as a child, is not 
only wrong, it is really cruel, and it is heartless. So that is why we 
will continue to fight to protect undocumented youth as we work towards 
comprehensive immigration reform once and for all.
  Now we are going to say we are going to continue to fight to make 
sure temporary protective status is granted for the 300,000 immigrants. 
I want to thank Delegate Plaskett for helping us to, once again, raise 
our voices, educate the public, and stay woke.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, as we give condolences to those 
individuals in Texas, of course, we would be remiss not to give 
condolences out to our colleague and one of the former chairs of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, Eddie Bernice Johnson, who has lost one of 
her siblings. We just want her to know that our prayers are with her 
and with her family as they grieve, and we are there for the 
gentlewoman throughout this mourning process and however she may need 
us.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke). 
The gentlewoman is my dear sister. She is a tireless champion of the 
issues of Caribbean people throughout the United States and throughout 
the world. Congresswoman Yvette Clarke is not just from New York, but, 
in particular, Brooklyn. She knows how that is very dear to me having 
been a child of Brooklyn myself.
  Congresswoman Clarke's work and all the efforts she has made in being 
one of the co-chairs of the Caribbean Caucus, being the member at large 
of the Congressional Black Caucus, the work that the gentlewoman is 
doing, and she has really forged a partnership with the chair of the 
Congressional Black Caucus as well as Mia Love to make sure that the 
issue regarding Haiti, regarding the Haitians, and the temporary 
protected status are here. It is because of the gentlewoman's work that 
we are now having the Special Order hour and are continuing to push the 
pressure.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman to discuss with us, with the 
American people, with this Congress, and with the Speaker how we should 
be moving forward with the issues regarding the people of Haiti and how 
extending the temporary protected status is not only good for the 
Haitian economy, it is good for America as well.
  I thank the gentlewoman for leading us in this effort.
  Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the 
U.S. Virgin Islands for her leadership on this matter, serving as co-
chair for the Caribbean Caucus, and being an outspoken advocate and 
fighter on behalf of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands who are 
still reeling from the two hurricanes that wreaked havoc on the three 
islands of the U.S. Virgin Islands. I want to thank the gentlewoman for 
organizing us this evening and really moderating what we all have to 
say here today.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my concern for the more than 
300,000 temporary protected status beneficiaries who are under attack 
from this administration.
  Temporary protected status was signed into law with bipartisan 
support by President George H. W. Bush as part of the Immigration Act 
of 1990. Since then, it has been used in roughly equal numbers by 
Democratic and Republican Presidents alike. This program is based on a 
simple idea that we can all agree upon: the idea that it is immoral to 
send someone back to a country suffering from famine, disease, war, or 
governmental collapse where they could reasonably expect to perish.
  Today, instead, we, as a society, decided long ago as a humanitarian 
gesture to extend ourselves as a safe haven and to temporarily allow 
such people the ability to lawfully remain in the United States for up 
to 18 months at a time and seek gainful employment as conditions in 
their home countries would improve.

  This is not citizenship, and this is not amnesty. Rather, it is a way 
of protecting human life while allowing eligible individuals from 
Haiti, Yemen, Honduras, Nicaragua, and numerous other countries across 
the world to earn wages for themselves and their loved ones abroad. 
Unfortunately, this administration's antipathy toward immigrants--
particularly immigrants of color--has found its way to some of the most 
vulnerable amongst us and threatens the existence of this commonsense 
program rooted in human decency and respect for life.
  This program of agreement is now being totally undermined with real 
lives hanging in the balance. For example, while it would seem obvious 
to extend Haiti's temporary protected status in light of the 
catastrophic 2010 earthquake, subsequent cholera epidemic, food 
insecurity crisis, and the damage inflicted by Hurricanes Matthew, 
Irma, and Maria, this administration only extended Haiti's status for 6 
months in the month of May, while, at the same time, the administration 
insinuated that Haitian TPS recipients were criminals.
  The administration now appears ready to ignore the advice of Haiti 
experts in the United States and the request of the Haitian Ambassador 
by forcing some 50,000 Haitians to subject themselves to life-
threatening conditions in Haiti. This would not just be tragic for 
those forced to return, it would also be detrimental to Haiti's economy 
which benefits significantly from the hard-earned remittances that 
Haitian TPS beneficiaries send back to their loved ones. It is also no 
way to treat a neighbor that is located less than a 2-hour flight away 
from American soil, the most impoverished nation of the Western 
Hemisphere. Indeed, such a decision would be cruel and unusual 
punishment.
  For this reason, I have worked with Congressman Cedric Richmond, 
chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and my colleagues of the 
Congressional Black Caucus in sending a letter to Acting DHS Secretary 
Elaine Duke, signed by the entire Congressional Black Caucus, 
requesting a full 18-month extension of Haiti's TPS status. I also 
asked that Acting Secretary Duke take the Haitian Ambassador up on his 
invitation to visit Haiti and to see the conditions for herself.
  However, Haiti is not the only country that clearly merits an 
extension. Nearly 60,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans currently await news 
of their fate, as will thousands of other immigrants from Africa, Asia, 
and the Middle East.

[[Page H8516]]

  While I hope that Acting Secretary Duke will do the right thing and 
make an evidence-based decision in light of the human cost to her 
actions, our experience teaches us that we must also prepare for the 
worst.
  Where this administration refuses to respect decades of bipartisan 
agreement, Congress must assert its constitutional powers and act to 
safeguard human life and American interests. I, therefore, call upon my 
congressional colleagues to come together and pass bipartisan 
legislation that will protect the hundreds of thousands of TPS 
beneficiaries from around the world--Black, brown, Asian and other--who 
are, at this moment, relying upon us for their very lives.
  Although we live in times of great division, now is the moment to 
come together and recommit to the basic values that unite us all. This 
country was founded upon the idea of human dignity, and TPS is yet 
another test of whether we will be true to that idea or fall painfully 
short. We must not fall short, but instead we must rise to the 
occasion.
  Mr. Speaker, TPS is something that falls within our purview to 
address. It is my sincere hope that we will address this impending 
crisis.
  When I think about Haitians who are living here, many who, at this 
stage, had children born in the United States, and many who are here 
during the most productive time of their lives when they can work 
because of their strength, their ability, and their intellect, it would 
be a travesty to begin separating families and to wrench from these 
individuals the opportunity to add value to our civil society while 
undergirding the nation of their birth, the nation that many hope to 
return to at the appropriate time by summarily excusing them from our 
civil society.
  Having said that, I, too, stand with my colleagues to extend on 
behalf of Chairman Richmond, the executive officers, and members of the 
CBC a heartfelt condolence in this season of bereavement to our dear 
colleague, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, on the loss of her 
sister. She remains in our prayers at this time.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from the U.S. Virgin Islands, 
once again, for her leadership.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman very much for the 
insight she has given us into the conditions not only in Haiti but the 
responsibility we have as Americans to our near neighbor, to a neighbor 
which supported us during our own Revolution, and who was there for us 
at the inception of the United States.
  Haiti has been ravaged by so many natural disasters, and the benefit 
that we are receiving and the benefit that so much of Haiti is 
receiving from those individuals who are really industrious people here 
in the United States is just bar none.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Newark, New Jersey (Mr. 
Payne). Mr. Donald Payne has worked tirelessly on behalf of so many 
people throughout the world as he sits on the Committees of Homeland 
Security as well as Transportation and Infrastructure where he works on 
issues related to developing and building. It has oversight in homeland 
security and over the issues that affect us.
  I am sure Congressman Payne has particular insight into how this 
temporary protected status would affect the people of Haiti and what it 
means to the security of this country to allow that temporary protected 
status to be continued from the gentleman's perch on the Committee on 
Homeland Security.

                              {time}  2000

  Mr. PAYNE. Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank the gentlewoman from the 
Virgin Islands for her leadership on these issues. Right now, her focus 
has been on helping her country come to grips with the devastating 
hurricanes that have struck all the islands of the American Virgin 
Islands, and she has demonstrated great leadership in that endeavor.
  Also, on the whole issue around TPS, Ms. Plaskett and Ms. Clarke have 
been our true leaders in the diaspora around these issues, whether it 
be the Caribbean or back to the Continent of Africa. I just want to 
acknowledge their great work on all of these issues and also thank the 
gentlewoman for hosting tonight's Special Order hour on protecting TPS 
recipients.
  Before I start on the topic at hand, I would like to send my 
condolences out to the loved ones of the 26 people tragically murdered 
and the 21 people injured in yesterday's mass shooting in Texas.
  When will we realize that something must be done in this country?
  I have to ask: How much blood must be shed before Congress acts on 
gun control?
  It has been 10 years since Congress has passed a gun control law. 
Since then, more than 300,000 people have been killed by guns in this 
country. More than 100,000 of those deaths were homicides. The American 
people deserve better--much better.
  As the news cycle moves from one tragedy to another, we have not 
forgotten, and must not forget, that the citizens that Congresswoman 
Stacey Plaskett and Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon of Puerto 
Rico represent are still recovering from this summer's hurricanes. 
They, too, deserve swift action to help them recover from these 
devastating storms.
  That, Mr. Speaker, brings me to the topic of tonight's Special Order 
hour. I want to start by dispelling the myth that the temporary 
protected status designation poses a threat to America's security. The 
truth is that TPS holders are rigorously vetted before entering the 
country, and they go through stringent background checks before each 
TPS renewal.
  Mr. Speaker, the TPS designation is a part of our national character, 
and it must be protected.
  What do I mean by that?
  We are a compassionate people, aren't we--a compassionate nation?
  The Americans I know are proud to live in a country that is free and 
prosperous enough to extend a helping hand to those in need. The TPS 
designation does just that.
  TPS is a helping hand that reaches out past our national borders to 
lift people out of the depths of despair brought on by natural 
disaster, violence, or turmoil. Yet the administration is reportedly 
planning to remove the TPS designation for nationals of several Latin 
American and Caribbean countries. This is really bad news for the 
United States.
  First, ending the TPS designation for nationals of Haiti, El 
Salvador, and Honduras will destabilize communities in the United 
States proper. TPS holders own small businesses. They pay taxes. They 
take out mortgages. They fill jobs that we rely on every day in 
construction; hospitality; restaurants; landscaping; and elder care, in 
particular.
  Ending TPS designations mean ripping people out of their communities 
and local economies. Businesses will shutter. Essential jobs, like 
disaster cleanup, will go unfilled. The national economy will suffer a 
$164 billion loss in gross domestic product.
  Without TPS holders from Haiti, El Salvador, and Honduras, New Jersey 
will lose $864 million from its GDP. My State cannot handle that 
burden.
  Second, ending TPS designations for Haiti, El Salvador, and Honduras 
will tear apart families of color. Many TPS holders have lawfully lived 
in the United States for more than a decade. They have established 
their families here. They are parents to 270,000 U.S. citizens. In New 
Jersey, 8,800 U.S. citizens were born to TPS holders from Haiti, El 
Salvador, and Honduras.
  Forcing TPS holders to leave the country means forcing them to leave 
their families. Hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens will have to say 
good-bye to their parents and grandparents. People will be forced to 
return to countries that are still suffering from the problems that led 
them to the TPS designation in the first place.
  Third, removing the TPS designation for nationals from Haiti, El 
Salvador, and Honduras will threaten security throughout Latin America 
and the Caribbean. These small countries are still suffering from 
disasters, public health crises, and political instability.
  The sudden influx of 300,000 additional people has the potential to 
destabilize national governments and threaten security throughout the 
region.
  Mr. Speaker, in 2015, 2016, and 2017, I led the effort to get the TPS 
designation for Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. These countries were 
reeling from public health and infrastructure

[[Page H8517]]

emergencies. They faced an existential threat from the Ebola virus, and 
the American people lent a helping hand by giving them temporary 
protected status. I have had no doubt that authorizing nationals from 
those West African countries to enter the United States saved lives; no 
doubt whatsoever.
  Mr. Speaker, we must not abandon our national character to the 
cynical call of ``America first.'' The TPS designation does not weaken 
us. It strengthens us by showing the world that the United States is 
morally worthy of its status as a superpower.
  Rolling back the TPS program is bad policy, it is bad politics, and 
it is immoral. If the United States turns its back on those in need, 
what have we the people become?
  Ms. PLASKETT. I thank the gentleman for the information that he has 
shared with us, and, more particularly, for causing us to reflect on 
who we are as Americans and what we stand for, and for reminding this 
Congress and this House how we have a responsibility to those in need, 
and that with greatness comes responsibility. Too whom much is given, 
much is required. That requirement goes particularly to our neighbors. 
We know that Haiti is, in fact, our neighbor. We have a responsibility 
to be there for them.

  I thank the gentleman for all that he is doing and how often he is 
here for the Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour to give us 
information and give us time to reflect. I am extremely appreciative of 
that. I thank the gentleman so much for all that he does for the 
Congressional Black Caucus, for his steady reliability in being there 
to support the issues that are important to the Caucus and to all of us 
as Americans.
  Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time is remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Francis Rooney of Florida). The 
gentlewoman has 20 minutes remaining.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida 
(Mrs. Demings). She may be new to this Congress--this is her first 
term, as a freshman--but she is not new to supporting issues that are 
important to the American people. In her time in Florida, having served 
as a public servant on the front lines for all of us and now here in 
the Congress, she is continuing that work.
  From her position on Homeland Security and particularly to border and 
maritime security, this is an issue that she has great insight into. I 
know that she has a large number of Haitians in her own community and 
recognize the productivity that they provide, the stability that they 
provide in the community, how embedded they are in that community.
  We are grateful for the gentlewoman being here in part of this 
Congressional Black Caucus Special Order hour on the issue of temporary 
protected status for all countries--there are 30 countries and 300,000 
individuals that have that--but, in particular, to the 50,000 Haitians 
who are living in this country during this time.
  Mrs. DEMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from the Virgin 
Islands for her leadership on this issue and for making it a priority 
and giving it the urgency that those under TPS status deserve.
  Mr. Speaker, first of all, of course, I want to extend my condolences 
to the families whose loved ones were murdered in Sutherland Springs, 
Texas, while attending worship service.
  I also extend my condolences to my colleague from Texas, Eddie 
Bernice Johnson, who is mourning the death of her sister.
  Mr. Speaker, after college--it was a lot of years ago, but I remember 
it like it was yesterday--I worked as a social worker, working with 
families in need of emergency services, in need of shelter, in need of 
food, and in need of medical care. I also worked with foster care 
children.
  Mr. Speaker, you may know that I also spent over 20 years as a law 
enforcement officer. As such, the preservation of human life was my 
number one priority. Saving lives was first. But then we also wanted to 
improve the quality of life for persons living and working in our 
community.
  Mr. Speaker, the quality of life matters also. That is what we are 
here to talk about tonight as Members of Congress: improving the 
quality of life for families who desperately need our help.
  Approximately 50,000 Haitians hold TPS status, and 32,500 of them 
live in Florida. 18,800 U.S.-born children in Florida have Haitian 
parents who are TPS holders.
  How did we get here, Mr. Speaker?
  As you know, an earthquake--not planned, not expected--left thousands 
dead and resulted in the total collapse of Port-au-Prince's 
infrastructure. A few years before the earthquake, I participated in a 
mission trip to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. We worked with children and 
families from a local church in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. That church was 
totally destroyed by the earthquake.
  The earthquake displaced 1.5 million Haitians within their own 
country, destroyed more than 100,000 homes, and damaged nearly 200,000 
more. The number of schools that were destroyed in Port-au-Prince alone 
is unbelievable. Over 55,000 Haitians who lost their homes in the 
earthquake are still living in 31 camps for internally displaced 
persons, unable to leave.
  We are here tonight to talk about improving the quality of life for 
persons, for families, who desperately need our help.

                              {time}  2015

  This crisis is not over. In April of this year, heavy rains caused 
flooding and landslides. According to the Haitian officials, an 
estimated 80 percent of spring harvest may have been destroyed.
  This crisis is not over. Since September of 2016, damage from 
Hurricane Matthew and recent rains have compounded food insecurity 
experienced by an estimated 3.2 million people in Haiti, not to mention 
the devastation caused by Irma and Hurricane Maria. Hurricane Matthew 
also exacerbated the food insecurity crisis that already existed, 
placing 2.4 million Haitians, 32 percent of the population, in the 
grips of an acute food insecurity crisis.
  Mr. Speaker, forcing the return of 50,000 people to Haiti would 
disrupt any meaningful effort to recover. As you know, in May, the 
Department of Homeland Security redesignated Haiti for 6 months of 
temporary protective status rather than the full 18 months requested by 
the Government of Haiti. DHS' decision, obviously, did not reflect the 
reality on the ground.
  Regardless of how you might feel about the policy, TPS holders are 
perhaps the most vetted, legally present, and work-authorized community 
in our country. They have submitted to numerous criminal background 
checks every 18 months. Americans with temporary protective status are 
hardworking individuals who are contributing to our economy, our 
communities, and our industries. Just check the numbers.
  Mr. Speaker, the only strategic and humane decision is to fully 
extend Haiti's TPS designation for 18 months by the November 23 
deadline. Working to improve the quality of life for families who 
desperately need our help, that is the promise of America, and I pray 
that America keeps its promise.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Demings so much for that 
heartfelt appeal to the better senses of us, to the better angels 
within us as Americans, but, also, just speaking practicably about what 
this policy does not only for Haiti, but for us as Americans.
  You know, you hear stories about most people, how this affects them. 
We hear the larger numbers: 50,000 individuals from Haiti, 300,000 
individual groupings from all other countries. We found out, a report 
just came out, that Nicaragua will only have 12 additional months for 
temporary protective status, while the conditions in Nicaragua have not 
changed.
  I heard a story about a woman, Joana Desir, one of the Haitians. On a 
recent day in Manhattan, the 32-year-old home healthcare provider races 
in between patients. By midday, she has already helped transport one of 
her regular patients, a young girl with severe respiratory disease, to 
school and visited two senior patients in their home. It is a hard job, 
but she says it is rewarding.
  ``Most of the immigrants that I know, they have a busy life like 
me,'' she says. ``I leave home like 5:45 a.m. and sometimes get home by 
like 9 p.m.''
  Joana came to the U.S. in 2018 and was still in the U.S. when a 
powerful

[[Page H8518]]

earthquake struck Haiti in 2010. Hundreds of thousands were killed, and 
the Obama administration granted Haitians temporary protective status. 
They were shielded from deportation and given work permits.
  Critics say the temporary program for Haiti and others where 
disasters and wars took place decades ago has become permanent and 
amounts to a backdoor immigration policy. However, what we need to 
understand is what is still going on in Haiti right now.
  Why this also makes sense for us is that it is estimated by the think 
tank Inter-American Dialogue that all Haitians abroad this year--this 
year alone, Mr. Speaker--will send home $2 billion in remittances to 
that country. That is nearly equal to Haiti's annual operating budget, 
that $2 billion. The money that the Haitians that are living in the 
United States and sending back home is keeping that economy afloat. 
Without the money that the Haitians in the United States, in America, 
are providing, there would be a complete collapse in the country of 
Haiti, which would then create additional cataclysmic work that we, as 
Americans, would need.
  We talk about immigrants trying to come into this country. We talk 
about the collapse of infrastructure, the collapse of an economy that 
will happen if the Haitians who are still living here in the United 
States under temporary protective status with jobs are caused to leave.
  On May 24, the Department of Homeland Security redesignated Haiti for 
6 months of temporary protective status rather than the full 18 months. 
It is important to understand that, because of that smaller amount of 
time, Haitians still have to apply. It costs almost $2,000 to apply for 
an extension of a visa. These people are in flux as to whether or not 
they should continue to apply.
  In a letter sent on Friday, November 3, the Congressional Black 
Caucus urged the Department of Homeland Security once again to fully 
extend Haiti's TPS designation for 18 months by the November 23 
deadline in light of the aforementioned conditions in Haiti, as well as 
the damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which has exacerbated 
these conditions.
  Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record that letter from the 
Congressional Black Caucus for others to see.

                                   Congressional Black Caucus,

                                                 November 3, 2017.
     Hon. Elaine C. Duke,
     Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Acting Secretary Duke: On May 24, the Department of 
     Homeland Security re-designated Haiti for 6 months of 
     Temporary Protected Status, rather than the full 18 months 
     requested by the Government of Haiti, Haiti experts in the 
     United States, the Congressional Black Caucus, and others. 
     This decision was against the weight of the facts on the 
     ground, which included Haiti's food scarcity crisis, cholera 
     epidemic, and the ongoing challenges posed by the 
     unprecedented 2010 earthquake. We write again to encourage 
     DHS to fully extend Haiti's TPS designation for 18 months by 
     the November 23 deadline in light of the clear conditions 
     that justify such continued treatment, including the damage 
     caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, which has exacerbated 
     these conditions.
       As recently as October 4, 2017, the Haitian Ambassador to 
     the United States wrote to you to formally request a full 18-
     month re-designation in light of the ongoing economic and 
     humanitarian conditions that Haiti's citizens face each day. 
     In that letter, the Ambassador explicitly stated that the 
     goal of this request was to allow Haiti to recover from the 
     effects of the earthquake, cholera epidemic, and Hurricanes 
     Matthew, Irma, and Maria so as to continue with Haiti's 
     recovery efforts and to become more independent of American 
     assistance in the long term. The Ambassador also graciously 
     invited you to visit Haiti and see such conditions for 
     yourself. A government does not undertake such action lightly 
     and this request should merit considerable weight.
       A recent independent statutory analysis of Haiti's 
     qualification for TPS confirmed the validity of the 
     government's concerns, finding that the conditions that 
     justified Haiti's 2011 re-designation remain. The analysis 
     found that nearly 40,000 Haitians uprooted by the 2010 
     earthquake are officially displaced and that many more likely 
     remain unofficially displaced in dangerously inadequate 
     shelters. The cholera epidemic that was tragically caused by 
     international efforts to aid Haiti in 2010 more than doubled 
     following Hurricane Matthew and is expected to directly 
     affect more than 30,000 people by the end of 2017. Hurricane 
     Matthew also exacerbated the food insecurity crisis in Haiti, 
     placing 2.4 million Haitians--22 percent of its population--
     in the grips of an acute food insecurity crisis. Based on 
     these clear facts, the analysis rightfully concluded that it 
     is in the best interest of Haiti and the United States to re-
     designate Haiti for another 18 months of TPS because it 
     continues to face extraordinary and temporary conditions 
     stemming from the 2010 earthquake and worsened by subsequent 
     events that justify such relief.
       Despite these serious challenges, the Haitian government 
     has been working diligently for years to improve its economy, 
     public health conditions, and infrastructure in coordination 
     with the United States government and international 
     community. In order to accomplish this task, Haiti relies in 
     large part on remittances that its citizens receive from TPS 
     beneficiaries in the United States. Therefore, the negative 
     consequences of terminating Haiti's TPS designation would be 
     twofold. It would end essential remittances that 
     significantly contribute to Haiti's recovery while also 
     forcing the poorest republic in the Western Hemisphere to 
     absorb the cost of reintegrating thousands of citizens all at 
     once. Such actions could be catastrophic to Haiti's recovery 
     efforts and run counter to Congressional efforts to improve 
     American relations in the region through the recently-passed 
     United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act (Public Law 
     114-291).
       Finally, it is essential to note that Haitian TPS 
     beneficiaries directly contribute to the United States. They 
     pay taxes, spend money, contribute to Social Security and 
     Medicare, and help promote American prosperity in numerous 
     sectors, such as the restaurant and food service, 
     construction, and hospitality industries. About 30 percent of 
     TPS beneficiaries are homeowners, stimulating the real estate 
     industry and contributing to the local property tax base. 
     Also, one in nine TPS beneficiaries in the labor force is 
     self-employed, meaning they not only create jobs for 
     themselves, but likely create jobs for others. A recent 
     report found ``that the expiration of Haitian TPS would cost 
     America $2.8 billion over a decade in lost gross domestic 
     product.
       For these reasons, we urge you in the strongest terms to 
     take advantage of the full amount of time granted by Congress 
     to study the conditions on the ground and reach the only 
     appropriate decision--a full 18-month re-designation of 
     Haiti's TPS designation.
           Sincerely,
         Cedric L. Richmond, Chair, Congressional Black Caucus; 
           Yvette D. Clarke, Chair, CBC Immigration Working Group; 
           Cory Booker, U.S. Senator; Kamala D. Harris, U.S. 
           Senator; John Conyers, Jr., Member of Congress; John 
           Lewis, Member of Congress; Eleanor Holmes Norton, 
           Member of Congress; Maxine Waters, Member of Congress; 
           Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., Member of Congress; James E. 
           Clyburn, Member of Congress; Alcee L. Hastings, Member 
           of Congress; Eddie Bernice Johnson, Member of Congress; 
           Bobby L. Rush, Member of Congress; Robert C. ``Bobby'' 
           Scott, Member of Congress; Bennie G. Thompson, Member 
           of Congress; Sheila Jackson Lee, Member of Congress; 
           Elijah E. Cummings, Member of Congress.
         Danny K. Davis, Member of Congress; Gregory W. Meeks, 
           Member of Congress; Barbara Lee, Member of Congress; 
           Wm. Lacy Clay, Jr., Member of Congress; David Scott, 
           Member of Congress; G.K. Butterfield, Member of 
           Congress; Emanuel Cleaver II, Member of Congress; Al 
           Green, Member of Congress; Gwen S. Moore, Member of 
           Congress; Keith Ellison, Member of Congress; Hank 
           Johnson, Member of Congress; Andre Carson, Member of 
           Congress; Marcia L. Fudge, Member of Congress; Karen 
           Bass, Member of Congress; Terri A. Sewell, Member of 
           Congress; Frederica Wilson, Member of Congress; Donald 
           M. Payne, Jr., Member of Congress.
         Joyce Beatty, Member of Congress; Hakeem Jeffries, Member 
           of Congress; Marc Veasey, Member of Congress; Robin 
           Kelly, Member of Congress; Alma Adams, Member of 
           Congress; Brenda Lawrence, Member of Congress; Mia 
           Love, Member of Congress; Stacey Plaskett, Member of 
           Congress; Bonnie Watson Coleman, Member of Congress; 
           Dwight Evans, Member of Congress; Lisa Blunt Rochester, 
           Member of Congress; Anthony Brown, Member of Congress; 
           Val Butler Demings, Member of Congress; Al Lawson, 
           Member of Congress; A. Donald McEachin, Member of 
           Congress.

  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, in that letter, which is signed by all of 
the members of the Congressional Black Caucus, who are members in both 
the Democratic as well as Republican caucus, Members in the House as 
well as the Senate, we urge Secretary Duke that the Ambassador to Haiti 
has explicitly stated that the goal of the request was to allow Haiti 
to recover from the effects of the earthquake, a cholera epidemic, and 
Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Maria.
  Matthew struck Haiti in 2016 of last year. Of course you are aware of 
Irma and Maria. We Americans, unbeknownst to ourselves and the work

[[Page H8519]]

that we have done, also exacerbated food insecurity in Haiti by placing 
individuals, causing the cholera epidemic that is there. Unbeknownst to 
ourselves, when we came there to give support to Haiti, we Americans 
brought the cholera epidemic that is now ravaging Haiti and has taken 
about 10,000 people.
  Additionally, Hurricane Matthew exacerbated the food insecurity 
crisis in Haiti, placing 2.4 million Haitians, 22 percent of the 
population, in the grips of an acute food security crisis.
  I have many Haitians who are in my community in the U.S. Virgin 
Islands, and we count them as some of our hardest workers, and we 
recognize the impact that sending so many of these people back would 
have not only on the loss of jobs here and the work that those 
individuals are doing in the United States, but on the economy of Haiti 
itself.
  There is no infrastructure that will support the 50,000 people going 
back to Haiti at this time, and that economy will probably completely 
collapse without the remittances that the Haitians who are living in 
the United States would be able to bring to that country.
  Therefore, the negative consequences of terminating Haiti's TPS 
designation would be twofold: such actions would be catastrophic to 
Haiti's recovery efforts and run counter to congressional efforts to 
improve American relations in the region through the recently passed 
United States-Caribbean Strategic Engagement Act, Public Law 114-291.
  So the 300,000 Honduran, Nicaraguan, Haitian, and Salvadoran 
immigrants await a mass deportation decision on temporary protective 
status, and we are requesting--we are urging, Mr. Speaker--that this 
Congress would continue to urge the Department of Homeland Security, 
and use our own powers, to ensure the safety of those individuals, 
ensure the safety of the stability of the economies of our near 
neighbors, of Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, and El Salvador, and urge the 
U.S. Department of Homeland Security for their protections not to 
expire and not to put these people into difficult choices of returning 
to countries that still face many of the same extraordinary conditions 
that led to the initial grant of TPS or remaining in the United States 
without lawful immigrant status.
  We believe that this is the right thing to do, that this Congress 
wants to do the right thing, that the Trump administration's 2018 
proposed budget cut, budget request to Congress, for example, proposes 
to reduce foreign aid to Latin America and the Caribbean to levels not 
seen since 2001. Because of that, the remittances of these individuals 
is even more important. Remittances from the United States to El 
Salvador equal $4 billion; Honduras, $3.3 billion; to Haiti, almost $2 
billion. Using GDP estimates from the World Bank, remittances make up 
more than 15 percent of the GDP for El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti.
  Therefore, if we are going to reduce the budget in terms of foreign 
aid to these countries, it is important that we do not allow the 
collapse of these countries. It will not only bring economic collapse, 
but we know it is very likely to bring political anarchy and political 
disruption, as well, to countries that are instable as they are, 
countries where we are looking to bring stable democratic governments. 
Ensuring that individuals are allowed to stay here in this country and 
provide those remittances, provide the support that is necessary to 
grow those economies, embed democratic ideals, will be most beneficial 
to us and to ensure the stability of the Western Hemisphere at this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, this is an imperative that is important to this country, 
imperative to the United States, and we are grateful that we have had 
this time to share this information with you, with the American people, 
with this Congress. We are urging our colleagues, urging Members of 
this Congress, to work with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, 
individuals you have heard tonight, Mia Love, Cedric Richmond, Yvette 
Clarke, Donald Payne, Val Demings, Barbara Lee, all the members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus and others who urge that this support be 
enacted not only by the Department of Homeland Security, but by this 
Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the House 
Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committee, I rise 
today to express my strong objection to the announced intention by the 
Trump Administration not to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for 
Haiti, Honduras, and El Salvador.
  On May 24, 2017, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) re-
designated Haiti for 6 months of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), 
rather than the full 18 months requested by the Government of Haiti, 
Haiti experts in the United States, and the Congressional Black Caucus, 
among others.
  DHS' decision did not reflect the realities on the ground in Haiti, 
which include Haiti's food scarcity crisis, cholera epidemic, and the 
ongoing challenges posed by the unprecedented 2010 earthquake.
  In a letter sent this past Friday, November 3, 2017, the 
Congressional Black Caucus urged DHS, once again, to fully extend 
Haiti's TPS designation for 18 months by the November 23, 2017 deadline 
in light of the aforementioned conditions in Haiti, as well as the 
exarcerbated damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
  In a report published in October 2017, the highly regarded Global 
Justice Clinic concluded that conditions justifying Haiti's 
qualification for TPS in 2011 remain as acute today as they were then.
  The study also found that 40,000 Haitians uprooted by the 2010 
earthquake are officially displaced and that many more likely remain 
unofficially displaced in dangerously inadequate shelters.
  The cholera epidemic that was tragically caused by international 
efforts to aid Haiti in 2010 more than doubled following Hurricane 
Matthew and is expected to directly affect more than 30,000 people by 
the end of 2017.
  Hurricane Matthew also exacerbated the food insecurity crisis in 
Haiti, placing 2.4 million Haitians--22 percent of its population--in 
the grips of an acute food insecurity crisis.
  The Haitian government has been working diligently for years to 
improve its economy, public health conditions, and infrastructure in 
coordination with the United States government and international 
community.
  In order to accomplish this task, Haiti relies in large part on 
remittances that its citizens receive from TPS beneficiaries in the 
United States.
  Therefore, the negative consequences of terminating Haiti's TPS 
designation would be twofold.
  It would end essential remittances that significantly contribute to 
Haiti's recovery while also forcing the poorest republic in the Western 
Hemisphere to absorb the cost of reintegrating thousands of citizens 
all at once.
  Such actions could be catastrophic to Haiti's recovery efforts and 
run counter to Congressional efforts to improve American relations in 
the region through the recently-passed United States-Caribbean 
Strategic Engagement Act (Public Law 114-291).
  Finally, it is essential to note that Haitian TPS beneficiaries 
directly contribute to the United States.
  They pay taxes, spend money, contribute to Social Security and 
Medicare, and help promote American prosperity in numerous sectors, 
such as the restaurant and food service, construction, and hospitality 
industries.
  About 30 percent of TPS beneficiaries are homeowners, stimulating the 
real estate industry and contributing to the local property tax base.
  Also, one in nine TPS beneficiaries in the labor force is self-
employed, meaning they not only create jobs for themselves, but also 
create jobs for others.
  A recent report found that the expiration of Haitian TPS would cost 
the United States economy more $2.8 billion over a decade in lost gross 
domestic product.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to be both smart and compassionate when it comes 
to extending TPS for Haiti.
  The compassionate thing to do is extend TPS for Haiti.
  But just as important, extending TPS for Haiti is the smart thing to 
do because it strengthens the American economy and advances the 
national interests of the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, I also join my colleagues in the Congressional Black 
Caucus in drawing attention to the Republican Leadership's latest plan 
to hurt the American taxpayers, especially those who did not support 
the President during the election.
  The Republican tax cut would result in the biggest increase in the 
deficit by any President in the history of the United States, likely 
growing it by the annual sum of $1 trillion from now on.
  Some may wonder if the President would stoop to punishing people 
because they did not vote for him--I would point them to the Republican 
Tax Proposal and say the answer is found in the 429 pages of H.R. 1, 
the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

[[Page H8520]]

  Americans who send their children to private school will be able to 
do so--at the expense of taxpayers who send their children to public 
schools courtesy of the Republican tax cut plan.
  The Republican Tax plan amends Title 26 of the United States Code 
Sec.  529 that deals with Qualified tuition programs.
  The Code was intended to encourage persons to attain higher education 
and provide incentives for persons who pursue doctorates.
  Most people know that going back to school to obtain a degree is a 
difficult choice to make with full time jobs and family obligations.
  Having a degree can substantially increase income and provide choices 
that would otherwise be unattainable to the recipient of advanced 
degrees.
  The benefit to the economy and our nation's leadership in the 
sciences rests with the number of people who attain undergraduate and 
graduate degrees.
  The Republicans have gone into this section 529 of the tax code and 
extended the tax write-offs to those sending their children to K-12 
private schools.
  Other ways the Republican Tax bill hurts taxpayers who pursue college 
educations for themselves or their children.
  Repeal of Lifetime Learning Credit;
  Repeal of the Student Loan Interest Deduction;
  Repeal of the qualified tuition reduction;
  Repeal of educational assistance program;
  Termination of private activity bonds; and,
  Creation of a new excise tax on endowments at private colleges and 
universities.
  The Republican leadership of the House is also causing problems for 
private sector investments in Colleges and Universities.
  The tax bill threatens tax write offs for donations to colleges and 
universities and will limit tax credits associated with university-
industry partnerships.
  The Republicans claim that their Child Tax Credit proposal would help 
working families, but it simply does not do enough.
  The House tax plan proposes a nonrefundable $600 increase in the 
Child Tax Credit (CTC), and would make more families earning six 
figures eligible to claim the CTC.
  This proposal wouldn't help the women who need it most.
  In addition, whatever benefits this CTC proposal would provide pales 
in comparison to those that would be received by the wealthy and 
corporations under this tax plan.
  The bill cuts taxes for major corporations who already pay far less 
than their fair share.
  Republicans claim that economic growth will more than pay for the 
lost revenue but we've tried this before.
  When trickle-down economics fails again and this bill explodes the 
nation's deficit, Republicans will call for huge spending cuts to 
critical programs that hardworking Americans depend on to make ends 
meet.
  The plan's negative impact on the Lone Star state would be 
particularly hard.
  Independent analyses show the Republican plan would actually raise 
taxes on about 1.5 million Texas households, or 12.4 percent of 
households next year.
  On average, families earning up to $86,000 annually would see a 
$794.00 increase in their tax liability, a significant burden on 
families struggling to afford child care and balance their checkbook.
  According to the IRS, 23 percent of tax filers, or 2.8 million Texas 
households, deduct their state and local taxes with an average 
deduction of $7,823 in 2015.
  The Ryan-McConnell plan eliminates this deduction, which would lower 
home values and put pressure on states and towns to collect revenues 
they depend on to fund schools, roads, and vital public resources.
  Placing further strains on middle-class Texans is the elimination of 
the personal exemption, which deducts $4,050 for each taxpayer and 
dependent on a return from taxable income.
  In 2015, roughly 9.3 million dependent exemptions were claimed in the 
Lone Star State.
  The GOP's reckless and irresponsible tax plan is made all the more 
obscene by its disproportionate and immoral handouts to the wealthiest 
few.
  According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, 
millionaires in Texas, 0.31 percent of filers in 2015 would receive 
almost 57 percent of the benefits from the tax plan.
  Texans deserve a tax plan that puts working and middle class families 
first, not more deficit-exploding tax cuts for millionaires and 
billionaires.
  We need bipartisan tax reform that creates jobs, fuels economic 
growth, and puts more money into the pockets of hard-working American 
families.
  A recent Pew Research Center report found little support for cutting 
taxes for high-income households, which is defined as more than 
$250,000 or large businesses and corporations.
  In fact, 43 percent favored raising taxes on high-income households 
and 52 percent said corporate taxes should be raised.
  The Republicans persist with their scheme of raising taxes on hard-
working middle class families to pay for tax cuts for the rich.
  It is reckless to explode our deficit which according to the Tax 
Policy Center, would skyrocket by $2.4 trillion over the first decade.
  The wealthy must pay their fair share, but the GOP tax scheme offers 
them a free lunch at the expense of those who are most in need of a 
helping hand.
  The power of the purse rests with the House of Representatives and it 
is our job to make sure that the American People are treated fairly.

                          ____________________