[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 208 (Thursday, January 3, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1748-E1751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   REFLECTIONS ON THE 115TH CONGRESS

                                  _____
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 3, 2019

  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the 115th 
Congress. While I am disappointed that the current spending impasse 
could not be resolved this Congress, I am hopeful that we will remedy 
our current predicament after the swearing-in of the new Democratic 
majority. The historic House takeover by a once-in-a-generation 
incoming Democratic class of lawmakers is nothing short of inspiring. I 
wish them all the luck in the world.
  This Congress, Mr. Speaker, it was an honor to be named the 8th Most 
Effective Democrat in the House by the Center for Effective Lawmaking 
at the University of Virginia. It was also an honor to receive 100 
percent ratings from the ACLU, the Human Rights Campaign, and Planned 
Parenthood. I am proud of the fact that, according to Govtrack, the 
legislation I introduced in 2017--we are still awaiting the results for 
2018--placed me in the top 10 percent of all Members with respect to 
the number of cosponsors secured, and the top 20 percent of all Members 
with respect to the number of bipartisan cosponsors secured.
  Additionally, Mr. Speaker, it was also a pleasure serving on the 
House Appropriations Committee this Congress, particularly under the 
leadership of my good friend, Ranking Member Lowey. The work that went 
into crafting legislation totaling more than $1.2 trillion in 
discretionary spending each year was staggering, as was my own learning 
curve on my two subcommittees--the Commerce, Justice, Science 
Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. 
Drafting measures on those subcommittees that accounted for a combined 
$109 billion in discretionary federal spending each year was an 
unforgettable experience, as was securing $1.4 billion for personal 
spending priorities.
  I would like to take this opportunity to include in the Record some 
of the legislative

[[Page E1749]]

achievements that were signed into law this Congress as the result of 
work performed by my office on behalf of the people of the Sixth 
Congressional District of New York:

       1) H.R. 423, the ``Anti-Spoofing Act of 2017'', which 
     criminalizes acts of spoofing (the practice of disguising 
     one's phone number) during the commission of crimes, as 
     section 503 of Division P of Public Law 115-141, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''.
       2) H.R. 7043, the ``Better Airplanes Noise Standards Act'', 
     which requires the Federal Aviation Administration to 
     complete evaluations of alternative aircraft noise 
     measurement metrics within one year, as section 173 of Public 
     Law 115-254, the ``FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018'' (via 
     amendment no. 90 to H.R. 4).
       3) H.R. 7044, the ``Unmanned Aircraft Systems Collegiate 
     Training Initiative Program Act'', which authorized the 
     Collegiate Training Initiative Program for Unmanned Aircraft 
     Systems, as section 632 of Public Law 115-254, the ``FAA 
     Reauthorization Act of 2018'' (submitted as amendment no. 66 
     to H.R. 4 to the House Rules Committee).
       4) H.R. 7045, the ``Aircraft Avionics Systems Cybersecurity 
     Act'', which requires the Federal Aviation Administration to 
     consider and address cybersecurity concerns for avionics 
     systems--including software components, as section 506 of 
     Public Law 115-254, the ``FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018'' 
     (submitted as amendment no. 65 to H.R. 4 to the House Rules 
     Committee).
       5) H.R. 754, the ``Anwar Sadat Centennial Celebration 
     Act'', which I co-authored with Rep. Chris Stewart from Utah, 
     awarded a Congressional Gold Medal to Anwar Sadat and 
     permitted it to be presented to his widow, Jehan Sadat, and a 
     representative of the government of Egypt.
       6) Section 407 of Public Law 115-254, the ``FAA 
     Reauthorization Act of 2018'', which requires the Government 
     Accountability Office to review airlines' training policies 
     for employees and contractors regarding racial, ethnic, and 
     religious nondiscrimination and requires the Secretary of 
     Transportation to develop and disseminate best practices 
     based upon the findings of the report (via amendment no. 37 
     to H.R. 4).
       7) Section 182 of Public Law 115-254, the ``FAA 
     Reauthorization Act of 2018'', which requires the FAA to 
     review the North Shore Helicopter Route to address the noise 
     impact on affected communities, improve altitude enforcement, 
     and assess alternative routes that include an all-water route 
     over the Atlantic Ocean (via Zeldin, Meng, Suozzi H. AMDT. 
     568 to H.R. 4).
       8) Section 188 of Public Law 115-254, the ``FAA 
     Reauthorization Act of 2018'', which requires a new FAA 
     study--in addition to ongoing studies--of alternative 
     aircraft noise metrics (via Panetta, Meng, et al. amendment 
     no. 62 to H.R. 4).
       9) Section 612 of Public Law 115-254, the ``FAA 
     Reauthorization Act of 2018'', which created the FAA Women in 
     Aviation Advisory Board to promote organizations and programs 
     that provide education, training, mentorship, outreach, and 
     recruitment of women into the aviation industry (via Esty, 
     Meng, et al. amendment no. 58 to H.R. 4).
       10) Section 558 of Public Law 115-91, the ``National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018'', which 
     improved childcare services for military families by 
     enhancing the hours of operation at DOD childcare centers and 
     established childcare coordinators for military installations 
     (via amendment no. 39 to H.R. 2810).
       11) Section 544 of Public Law 115-91, the ``National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018'', which 
     extended the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program, a suicide 
     prevention and resilience initiative for members of the 
     National Guard and Reserves, for two years (submitted as 
     amendment no. 429 to H.R. 2810 to the House Rules Committee).
       12) $500 million for U.S.-Israel missile defense programs 
     funded by Section 8070 of Public Law 115-245, the 
     ``Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, 
     and Education Appropriations Act, 2019''. These funds will be 
     used for the Iron Dome defense system, David's Sling system 
     components, and the Arrow-3 system.
       13) $373.8 million for Israeli Cooperative Programs with 
     the U.S. Department of Defense, which appears on page 85D of 
     the Joint Explanatory Statement for Division C of H.R. 1625, 
     the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''.
       14) $269 million for USAID Biodiversity Conservation 
     Programs, which is provided in section 7060(c)(2)(A) of 
     Public Law 115-141, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
     2018''.
       15) $130 million for small business development under 
     Entrepreneurial Development Programs provided for on page 233 
     of Public Law 115-141, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
     2018''. This increase in funding will allow the establishment 
     of a new Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to be 
     opened in New York's Sixth Congressional District.
       16) $90.7 million for programs to combat wildlife 
     trafficking, which appears on page 68 of the Joint 
     Explanatory Statement for Division K accompanying Public Law 
     115-141, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''.
       17) $1 million for programs to combat anti-Semitism abroad, 
     which appears on page 44 of the Joint Explanatory Statement 
     for Division K accompanying Public Law 115-141, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''.
       18) $300,000 increase for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific 
     American Center, which appears on page 56 of the Joint 
     Explanatory Statement for Division G accompanying Public Law 
     115-31, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017''. These 
     funds more than tripled the Center's resources to develop 
     programs and expand outreach to promote a better 
     understanding of the Asian Pacific American experience.
       19) A conference report provision accompanying Public Law 
     115-91, the ``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
     Year 2018'', which directs DOD to review the design, 
     material, sizing, price, availability, quality, and utility 
     of maternity uniforms for pregnant members of the military 
     (consistent with amendment no. 28 to H.R. 2810).
       20) Page 26 of House Report 115-673--''Veterans who 
     participated in nuclear clean-up activities in Palomares, 
     Spain and on Enewetak Atoll.'' (Incorporated by reference 
     into the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 5895, 
     the ``Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military 
     Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 
     2019''). This provision directs the VA to determine, using 
     scientific and medical data, whether 38 CFR 3.309(d) should 
     be modified in order to allow veterans who participated in 
     nuclear clean-up activities in Palomares, Spain and on 
     Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands to be presumed to be 
     exposed to radiation for disability benefits purposes.
       21) Page 27 of House Report 115-673--
     ``Cholangiocarcinoma.'' (Incorporated by reference into the 
     Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 5895, the 
     ``Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military 
     Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 
     2019''). This provision directs the VA to report to Congress 
     on its current research into this rare cancer that appears in 
     Vietnam veterans at higher rates than the general population, 
     and to explain why less than one-third of the claims for 
     service connected disabilities related to the disease have 
     been granted by the VA.
       22) Page 36 of House Report 115-673--``Female medical 
     staff.'' (Incorporated by reference into the Joint 
     Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 5895, the ``Energy 
     and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and 
     Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019''). This provision 
     directs the VA to report to Congress on the number of female 
     health care professionals hired by the Veterans Health 
     Administration each year over the last five years, including 
     information pertaining to job type and employment location, 
     so that additional female health care professionals can be 
     hired in order to provide the growing number of female 
     veterans greater opportunities to choose the gender of their 
     health care provider.
       23) Page 93 of House Report 115-697--``Carbon Capture.'' 
     (Incorporated by reference into the Joint Explanatory 
     Statement accompanying H.R. 5895, the ``Energy and Water, 
     Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans 
     Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019''). This provision directs 
     the Department of Energy to ``explore carrying out a prize 
     competition to advance the research, development, or 
     commercialization of technologies that capture, sequester, or 
     utilize carbon.''
       24) Page 97 of House Report 115-697--``Energy Information 
     Administration, Puerto Rico.'' (Incorporated by reference 
     into the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 5895, 
     the ``Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military 
     Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 
     2019''). This provision urges the Energy Information 
     Administration to publish information for Puerto Rico and 
     other territories in its state profiles section in a manner 
     that is consistent with the information furnished for states.
       25) Page 150 of House Report 115-862--``Free Application 
     for Federal Student Aid.'' (Incorporated by reference into 
     the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 6157, the 
     ``Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, 
     and Education Appropriations Act, 2019''). This provision 
     encourages the Secretary of Education to translate the Free 
     Application for Federal Student Aid into additional foreign 
     languages.
       26) Page 55 of House Report 115-862--``Gynecologic Cancer 
     Clinical Trials.'' (Incorporated by reference into the Joint 
     Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 6157, the 
     ``Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, 
     and Education Appropriations Act, 2019''). This provision 
     directs the National Cancer Institute to provide Congress 
     with information on access to gynecologic cancer clinical 
     trials in order to increase future access to these life-
     saving trials.
       27) Page 156 of House Report 115-862-''Data for Puerto 
     Rico.'' (Incorporated by reference into the Joint Explanatory 
     Statement accompanying H.R. 6157, the ``Department of Defense 
     and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education 
     Appropriations Act, 2019''). This provision directs the 
     National Center for Education Statistics to collect and 
     publish data for Puerto Rico in the same manner it collects 
     and publishes data for states so that Puerto Rico has 
     meaningful data that can be used to compare its students' 
     academic progress with students across the rest of the United 
     States.
       28) Page 58 of House Report 115-862--``Hepatitis B (1).'' 
     (Incorporated by reference into the Joint Explanatory 
     Statement accompanying H.R. 6157, the ``Department of Defense 
     and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education 
     Appropriations Act,

[[Page E1750]]

     2019''). This provision directs the National Institute of 
     Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to pursue 
     improved treatments and a cure for Hepatitis B and to report 
     to Congress on its progress in the 2020 Congressional Budget 
     Justification submitted by the agency.
       29) Page 70 of House Report 115-862--``Hepatitis B (2).'' 
     (Incorporated by reference into the Joint Explanatory 
     Statement accompanying H.R. 6157, the ``Department of Defense 
     and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education 
     Appropriations Act, 2019''). This provision directs the 
     National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities 
     (NIMHD) to fund research into model programs that increase 
     Hepatitis awareness, knowledge, testing, and treatment among 
     disproportionately impacted communities such as Asian 
     Americans and Pacific Islanders.
       30) Page 37 of House Report 115-862--``Viral Hepatitis.'' 
     (Incorporated by reference into the Joint Explanatory 
     Statement accompanying H.R. 6157, the ``Department of Defense 
     and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education 
     Appropriations Act, 2019''). This provision directs the 
     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to report to 
     Congress within 90 days its plan to achieve the goal of 
     elimination of Hepatitis B and C--particularly within opioid 
     users.
       31) Page 67 of House Report 115-232--``Feminine Hygiene 
     Cosmetics.'' (Incorporated by reference into the Joint 
     Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). This provision 
     strongly urges the FDA to issue appropriate guidance to 
     consumers on the use of unsafe colorants by manufacturers in 
     feminine hygiene cosmetic products.
       32) Page 16 of House Report 115-769--``Minority Outreach 
     and Officer Accessions.'' (Incorporated by reference into the 
     Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 6157, the 
     ``Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, 
     and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 and Continuing 
     Appropriations Act, 2019''). This provision directs the 
     Secretary of Defense to improve diversity among military 
     officers.
       33) Page 285 of House Report 115-219--``Military Medical 
     Professionals and the Department of Veterans Affairs.'' 
     (Incorporated by reference into the Joint Explanatory 
     Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the ``Consolidated 
     Appropriations Act, 2018'') . This provision directs DOD to 
     work with the VA to encourage DOD medical professionals who 
     are being discharged or are separating from the military to 
     pursue employment with the Veterans Health Administration.
       34) Page 30 of House Report 115-230--``Continuing 
     Authorities Program (CAP).'' (Incorporated by reference into 
     the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). This provision 
     encourages the Army Corps of Engineers to pursue projects to 
     address ice floes in regions comprised of cities whose 
     historic flooding has been predominately caused by winter 
     snowmelt--cities such as those in Western and upstate New 
     York.
       35) Page 83 of the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying 
     H.R. 1625, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''--
     ``Asian Pacific American Initiatives and Outreach.'' This 
     provision continues the previous year's Congressional support 
     for the Smithsonian Institution's Asian American and Pacific 
     Islander outreach and programming.
       36) Page 17 of House Report 115-199--``Expanded 
     Availability of Tours in Foreign Languages'' (Incorporated by 
     reference into the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying 
     H.R. 1625, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). 
     This provision encourages the Capitol Visitor Center to 
     explore the feasibility of making listening devices used for 
     Capitol tours available in additional foreign languages.
       37) Page 55 of House Report 115-188--``VA Retail 
     Immunization Care Coordination Program'' (Incorporated by 
     reference into the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying 
     H.R. 1625, the ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). 
     This provision encourages the VA to build upon the success of 
     the flu immunization program at retail locations and to 
     expand the program to also cover immunizations such as 
     pneumococcal and zoster vaccines.
       38) Page 14 of House Report 115-253--``Democracy, Human 
     Rights, and Labor (DRL)'' (Incorporated by reference into the 
     Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). This provision 
     urges the Secretary of State to appoint a Special Envoy to 
     Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism as quickly as possible given 
     the global rise in anti-Semitic incidents.
       39) Page 49 of House Report 115-253--``Water, Sanitation, 
     and Hygiene (WASH)'' (Incorporated by reference into the 
     Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). This provision 
     directs the USAID Administrator to submit a report to 
     Congress within 90 days outlining how the provision of 
     feminine hygiene products is included in both the design and 
     implementation of WASH programs. This report will allow 
     additional directed work to be pursued to address this 
     important issue in the lives of vulnerable women and girls.
       40) Page 14 of House Report 115-237--``Noise Health Effects 
     Research'' (Incorporated by reference into the Joint 
     Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). This provision 
     resulted from a joint Quiet Skies Caucus (which I am proud to 
     have co-founded and chaired) appropriations request letter. 
     It directs the FAA to continue to prioritize the research 
     being conducted at the Center of Excellence for Alternative 
     Jet Fuel and Environment, the Aviation Sustainability Center 
     (ASCENT) on the impact of aviation noise on both sleep and 
     cardiovascular health.

  As Appropriations Taskforce Chair for the Congressional Asian Pacific 
American Caucus (CAPAC), I was proud to lead joint appropriations 
request letters for the Caucus that resulted in the following 
provisions being signed into law:

       41) Page 31 of House Report 115-231--``Profiling.'' 
     (Incorporated by reference into the Joint Explanatory 
     Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the ``Consolidated 
     Appropriations Act, 2018''). This provision expresses 
     Congress's concern about reports of Asian Americans and 
     Pacific Islanders being profiled by Department of Justice 
     investigators and prosecutors on the basis of race and 
     national origin, including in espionage and trade secret 
     cases. It directs an Office of Inspector General 
     investigation be conducted into the matter.
       42) Page 32 of House Report 115-231--``Civil Rights 
     Division, Voting Section.'' (Incorporated by reference into 
     the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). This provision 
     requires the submission of a report by the Voting Section of 
     the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice to 
     Congress containing the number of section 203 cases 
     investigated in the past year broken out by language, 
     including the number of such investigations opened and the 
     number closed--as well as the reasons for closure.
       43) Page 15 of House Report 115-234--``CDFIs in U.S. 
     Insular Areas.'' (Incorporated by reference into the Joint 
     Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 1625, the 
     ``Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018''). This provision 
     notes the absence of Community Development Financial 
     Institutions (CDFI) serving American Samoa, the Northern 
     Mariana Islands, and other insular areas, and recommends that 
     the CDFI Fund use its Capacity Building Initiative to expand 
     service to these areas.

  Additionally, I am proud to have secured passage of the following 
legislation through the U.S. House of Representatives prior to today, 
and will continue to fight to secure passage of these provisions into 
law in the future:

       1) H.R. 382, the ``100 Years of Women in Congress Act'', 
     which seeks to rename the Women and Minorities in STEM Fields 
     Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture the ``Jeannette 
     Rankin Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program'' in honor 
     of the 100 year anniversary of the election of the first 
     woman to Congress--Jeannette Rankin.
       2) Section 1(5) of H.R. 6846, ``To require the United 
     States Postal Service to establish new Zip codes, and for 
     other purposes,'' which would designate a single, unique ZIP 
     Code for Glendale, New York. This section stems from my bill 
     H.R. 803, ``To direct the United States Postal Service to 
     designate a single, unique ZIP Code for Glendale, New York'', 
     an effort that originated with former-Representative, and 
     Vice Presidential candidate, Geraldine Ferraro almost 40 
     years ago.
       3) Section 7(a)(2) of H.R. 6199, ``Restoring Access to 
     Medication and Modernizing Health Savings Accounts Act of 
     2018'', which would permit the purchase of menstrual hygiene 
     products with health flexible spending accounts.
       4) Section 504 of H.R. 5515, the ``John S. McCain National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019'', which would 
     allow any member of the armed forces who gives birth to be 
     exempt from deployment for up to 12 months following 
     childbirth.
       5) Section 566 of H.R. 5515, the ``John S. McCain National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019'', which would 
     require the Secretary of Defense to permit military parents 
     flexible (non-continuous) maternity and paternity leave, 
     allowing this time off to be spread out over time instead of 
     being used all at once.
       6) Section 717 of H.R. 5515, the ``John S. McCain National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019'', which would 
     authorize the Secretary of Defense to develop a burn patient 
     transfer system. This system would include military and 
     civilian burn centers that could be used in mass casualty 
     events.
       7) Section 220F of H.R. 5515, the ``John S. McCain National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019'', which would 
     authorize the Jet Noise Reduction Program within the U.S. 
     Navy's Office of Naval Research in order to reduce noise 
     produced by high performance military jets.
       8) Section 595 of H.R. 5515, the ``John S. McCain National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019'', which would 
     require the Department of Defense to create exit surveys on 
     attrition levels for members of the military in order to 
     better understand why attrition rates are higher for women 
     than for men.
       9) Section 921(b)(3) of H.R. 5515, the ``John S. McCain 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019'', 
     which sought to add oversight responsibilities to the DOD 
     Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Policy and 
     Oversight Council. The newly created Council currently has no 
     oversight requirement in its mandate. The Council will

[[Page E1751]]

     be responsible for overseeing the research, development, and 
     deployment of artificial intelligence and autonomous machines 
     used by the military. The provision was cosponsored by Rep. 
     Darren Soto of Florida.
       10) Section 3(a)(7) of H.R. 1638, the ``Iranian Leadership 
     Asset Transparency Act'', which would require an assessment 
     of the effectiveness of U.S. economic sanctions against Iran.
       11) Section 2 of H.R. 1367, ``To improve the authority of 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain 
     physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs and for other purposes'', which would assist the VA 
     Secretary in filling Veterans Health Administration positions 
     for which there are severe staffing shortages. Under current 
     law, the Inspector General (IG) of the VA must issue an 
     annual report on which positions within the agency are 
     severely understaffed. The VA Secretary is then granted 
     expedited hiring authority to fill those positions. This 
     provision would have permitted the IG to report on additional 
     shortages than those currently allowed by law so that the VA 
     Secretary could fill those positions more quickly as well.
       12) Section 13 of H.R. 1367, ``To improve the authority of 
     the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to hire and retain 
     physicians and other employees of the Department of Veterans 
     Affairs and for other purposes'', which would require the 
     Secretary of the VA to establish a program that encourages 
     members of the Armed Forces serving as health professionals 
     to pursue jobs with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) 
     upon their discharge or separation from the military.

  Mr. Speaker, there is no greater honor than serving my neighbors, 
family, and friends in the United States Congress. I thank them for the 
opportunity during the 115th Congress. I wish you well in your 
retirement

                          ____________________