[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3650-H3659]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3935, SECURING GROWTH AND ROBUST
LEADERSHIP IN AMERICAN AVIATION ACT, AND PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF
H.R. 3941, SCHOOLS NOT SHELTERS ACT
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I
call up House Resolution 597 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 597
Resolved, That at any time after adoption of this
resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule
XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the
Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of
the bill (H.R. 3935) to amend title 49, United States Code,
to reauthorize and improve the Federal Aviation
Administration and other civil aviation programs, and for
other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be
dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of
the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the
bill and amendments specified in this section and shall not
exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair
and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective
designees. After general debate the bill shall be considered
for amendment under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the
amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in
the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute
consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 118-11 shall
be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of
the Whole. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as the
original bill for the purpose of further amendment under the
five-minute rule and shall be considered as read. All points
of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are
waived.
Sec. 2. (a) No further amendment to the bill, as amended,
shall be in order except those printed in part A of the
report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution
and amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this
resolution.
(b) Each further amendment printed in part A of the report
of the Committee on Rules shall be considered only in the
order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member
designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall
be debatable for the time specified in the report equally
divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent,
shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject
to a demand for division of the question in the House or in
the Committee of the Whole.
(c) All points of order against the further amendments
printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules or
amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution
are waived.
Sec. 3. It shall be in order at any time for the chair of
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or his
designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments
printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules
accompanying this resolution not earlier disposed of.
Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this section shall be
considered as read, shall be debatable for 30 minutes equally
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
or their respective designees, shall not be subject to
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division
of the question in the House or in the Committee of the
Whole.
Sec. 4. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for
amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill, as
amended, to the House with such further amendments as may
have been adopted. The previous question shall be considered
as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further
amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion
except one motion to recommit.
Sec. 5. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in
order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 3941) to
prohibit the use of the facilities of a public elementary
school, a public secondary school, or an institution of
higher education to provide shelter for aliens who have not
been admitted into the United States, and for other purposes.
All points of order against consideration of the bill are
waived. The amendment in the nature of a substitute
recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce
now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. The
bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of
order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived.
The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the
bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to
final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour
of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and
ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and the
Workforce or their respective designees; (2) the further
amendment printed in part B of the report of the Committee on
Rules accompanying this resolution, if offered by the Member
designated in the report, which shall be in order without
intervention of any point of order, shall be considered as
read, shall be separately debatable for the time specified in
the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent
and an opponent, and shall not be subject to a demand for
division of the question; and (3) one motion to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Indiana is recognized
for 1 hour.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield
the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms.
Scanlon), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume.
During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the
purpose of debate only.
General Leave
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Indiana?
There was no objection.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, last night, the Rules Committee met and
produced a rule, House Resolution 597, providing for consideration of
two measures, H.R. 3935 and H.R. 3941.
The rule provides for H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust
Leadership in American Aviation Act, to be considered under a
structured rule with 104 amendments made in order. It provides 1 hour
of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking
minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure,
or their designees, and provides for one motion to recommit.
The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 3941, the Schools
Not Shelters Act, under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the
Committee on Education and the Workforce, or their designees.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the
underlying pieces of legislation.
H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American
Aviation Act, was subject to a thorough committee process, one that saw
a 2-day markup and eventually passed out of committee in an
overwhelming fashion. This is a work product the whole House can be
proud of.
Chairman Graves and his team, working with Ranking Member Larsen and
his team, have produced a comprehensive and timely bill. I am sure I am
joined by all of my colleagues in thanking them for their hard work.
As Chairman Cole mentioned in his opening remarks at the Rules
Committee hearing yesterday, since the birth of flight, the United
States has been a world leader in aviation safety and innovation. Mr.
Speaker, I firmly believe this bill follows in and adds to that
tradition.
Our aviation industry needs certainty, and it needs opportunities to
innovate. At the same time, we need to ensure that there are proper
guardrails for safety. I believe the Transportation and Infrastructure
Committee delivered on these goals.
As a testament to meeting the mark, the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure has provided a lengthy list of groups in the
aviation industry that are supportive of this bill.
Aviation plays a crucial role in the American economy. This holds
true in each and every congressional district represented by this body,
whether that be large international airports or smaller regional
airports in districts like mine.
In preparing for the bill's passage, I have spoken to local aviation
officials
[[Page H3651]]
in southern Indiana to gather input. One of my constituents even
referred to the underlying bill as ``one of the best'' FAA
reauthorization bills they have seen.
Comments like this give me great confidence in the policies we are
advancing and the importance of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, the United States must remain the leader in aviation
safety. We must preserve the United States' position as a world leader
in providing an efficient, innovative, and safe aviation transportation
system.
Simply put, we must remain at the forefront of global aviation, and
this FAA reauthorization is a strong illustration of our leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I will move on to H.R. 3941, the Schools Not Shelters
Act.
I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 3941. As a member of the Education and
the Workforce Committee, we were presented with staggering statistics
that provide further evidence of Biden's border crisis.
{time} 1230
We learned that over 2,500 migrants are pouring into New York City
weekly with over 87,000 migrants arriving since last spring. It is
obvious that action must be taken.
These statistics from our larger cities preview what could happen
across the country if action is not taken. We know some Democrats are
willing, even eager, to ignore Federal immigration law, and that is why
I am concerned with proposals to house illegal migrants in our schools
and what that means for our students and school safety all across the
country.
While every child should have access to all the resources they need
to be successful in their education, K-12 facilities should be used for
educational purposes, not as housing units for illegal immigrants.
Colleges and university campuses should not be distracted from meeting
the educational needs of students because the Biden administration has
failed to secure the southern border.
I am sympathetic to the issues created by this administration leading
to the influx of migrants into the interior of the United States, but I
vehemently disagree that these problems should be borne by our schools
and their students. That is why this legislation is necessary and why I
am, again, proud to be a cosponsor.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for
yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, with the two bills under consideration in today's rule,
we have a striking example of the best and worst that this Chamber can
produce.
The first bill reauthorizes the Federal Aviation Administration for
another 5 years. That bill is the product of bipartisan negotiations
between the members of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
It was debated and amended in committee with the full participation of
all members, Republicans and Democrats, and it passed out of that
committee with unanimous support--unanimous support.
So this FAA bill is an example of how the legislative process can and
should work when Members of Congress seek results and are willing to
work together to address the interests of the American people.
The other bill in today's rule could not be more different. It is an
unserious, hyper-partisan proposal from rightwing extremists designed
to sow division and fear by pushing false narratives about immigrants
and what is happening in our public schools.
In a truly bizarre twist for the party of small government, this bill
would have the Federal Government dictating to our local governments
and schools what they should do with their buildings.
All of this is done under the guise of solving a fake crisis
manufactured by Republicans, both by sending migrants to cities run by
Democrats in a failed attempt to score political points and, more
importantly, by refusing to come to the table and genuinely address the
critical need for substantive reforms to our immigration system.
If everyone would follow the lead of our colleagues on the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and if our rightwing
colleagues could drop the heated rhetoric and partisan nonsense, there
are many solutions that Republicans and Democrats could work on
together to serve the American people, and we would welcome that
opportunity.
I will return to this point, Mr. Speaker, but first let's talk about
the two bills.
H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American
Aviation Act, will reauthorize the FAA for 5 years and make a variety
of much-needed improvements to the laws governing aviation in the
United States.
I am encouraged by many of the policy wins that Democrats achieved in
the bill, including policies to increase funding for airport
infrastructure, increase the scope of projects eligible for funding,
hire more air traffic controllers, and grow the talent pipeline for
hiring and training the next generation of pilots, mechanics, and
aviation manufacturing workers.
This bill also takes some much-needed steps to improve the passenger
experience. The bill requires airlines to reimburse passengers for
hotel and meal costs when their flight is canceled or significantly
delayed.
It requires airlines to allow families to sit together, and it
requires airlines to make accommodations for passengers traveling with
wheelchairs or other assistive devices, and to compensate those
travelers if their property is damaged.
While this bill is good, it is far from perfect. I recognize that
when you negotiate, Mr. Speaker, you don't always get what you want.
However, Mr. Speaker, when you negotiate with this House Republican
majority, it is not only that you don't get what you want, it is also
that you get less than what is needed to actually fix the problem at
hand.
Mr. Speaker, anyone who has taken a flight knows the sorry state of
our Nation's airports. While our country was once First in Flight, our
airports are now collectively second and third rate, and that is a
policy choice by Congress.
Over the past 30 years, we have underfunded our airports, forcing
them to get by on inadequate budgets and limited revenue streams. The
result is crystal clear to anyone who flies: old, crowded airports,
large backlogs in runway maintenance, and a passenger experience that
is often unpleasant from the moment you try to check in, Mr. Speaker,
until you arrive at your destination. We did hear a fair amount of
commentary on that from our colleagues in the Rules Committee last
night.
The passenger experience at many U.S. airports is eclipsed by
virtually every other airport in Europe and Asia, and there is no good
excuse for that.
Beyond the benefits of improving the flying experience for American
travelers, having first-class airports should be a point of national
pride. We are not putting our best foot forward when foreign tourists
visit the United States, the richest country on Earth, and the first
thing they experience is a crumbling, unattractive, and inefficient
airport.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act made a massive investment
in our Nation's airports, and dozens of projects have broken ground as
a result. However, the IIJA was a onetime investment and gives us about
5 years of boosted airport funding. We need to build on the success of
that bill, not rest on our laurels and pretend that this short-term fix
was a long-term solution to decades of underinvestment.
In addition, I would have liked to have seen stronger protections for
workers and consumers. I strongly oppose the provision in the bill to
raise the pilot retirement age to 67, and I would have liked to have
seen reforms to organize and form a union and to hold the airlines
accountable for junk fees, delays, and cancellations.
However, Mr. Speaker, again, I recognize that any bill of this sort
is a compromise, and in a compromise you have to work with others who
don't share your beliefs, and you can't always get your own way.
It is important to pass this bill in a timely way so that we are able
to maintain and improve our aviation functions without a lapse.
Mr. Speaker, the other bill in today's rule is the so-called Schools
Not Shelters Act or, as one of my colleagues called it, the defund our
schools act.
This bill is a monumental waste of the House's time and taxpayer
dollars.
[[Page H3652]]
It is nothing more than an attempt by House Republicans to double down
on their demonization of immigrants. The House had this same debate
last month when Republicans brought to the floor a poorly drafted and
fact-free resolution to the same effect.
Now they have turned that resolution into a bill so they can continue
their failed efforts to sow fear of immigrants in order to score
political points. This bill does nothing to address the needs of
communities facing an influx of migrant families or to solve the
problems facing our schools. It is nothing more than another vehicle to
create division and stoke culture wars because that is the point.
Starting with the last administration, rightwing Republicans at the
State and Federal level have abused migrant families and children
fleeing poverty and violence to manufacture a crisis using them as
pawns to score points.
For example, if Greg Abbott, the Governor of Texas, was genuinely
unable to safely shelter migrants, he could have reached out in good
faith to State and local leaders around the country to collaborate on
solutions instead of shipping migrant families to those places without
any notice or coordination.
He could have reached out to the Biden administration for additional
resources, and he could have come to Congress and asked for emergency
funding.
Instead, when faced with all those options, Governor Abbott decided
to mislead or trick migrants and ship them to other parts of the
country with no coordination or communication to the receiving
communities.
One of the destinations chosen by Governor Abbott, and Governor
DeSantis as well, was Philadelphia. I met some of those migrant
families last winter. During the week between Christmas and New Year's
when temperatures were at or below freezing, they sent buses of
families and children to Philadelphia. These families arrived in T-
shirts and sandals. They had no jacket and no gloves, and they were
dropped off on the street at 6 a.m. and in the middle of the night.
If not for the mercy and decency of our city officials, charities,
churches, and advocates, those poor souls would have been left on the
street in the middle of winter.
These are human beings. These are families with children. They are
people escaping horrors that apparently our colleagues can't even
imagine. I still struggle to process the willingness of those
Republican Governors to harm people and the willingness of our
colleagues to enable them.
While those Republican Governors thought that everyone shared their
contempt and disregard for the humanity of these families, they were
dead wrong. All over the country, the cities that have received these
migrants did so with open arms and worked in unison with their faith
communities, with volunteers, and with advocates to find solutions
rather than to inflict further harm.
They refused to play this sick game. They welcomed the migrants with
compassion. I continue to be inspired by the fundamental decency and
kindness of the Americans who mobilized to help migrants come to our
shores yearning to breathe free, as we have throughout our American
history.
We are the country we are today because of the innumerable
contributions of immigrants from all over the world. So instead of
debating rightwing messaging bills to posture for the Republicans'
extremist base, we should be using our time to pass a clear, legal, and
efficient path to work, residency, and citizenship.
We need to pass the American Dream and Promise Act again to provide
Dreamers with a pathway to citizenship. However, our colleagues are not
offering solutions to our immigration challenges, they are just
offering complaints. They don't have a single, serious proposal for how
we can address the needs of our immigration system.
It is particularly galling that they have tried to reframe their
active mistreatment of migrant families as a threat to public
schoolchildren calling to defund public schools in retaliation against
local governments for addressing the mess that Governor Abbott created.
As my colleague, Mr. Neguse, pointed out in the Rules Committee
hearing last night, the House majority has made clear its priorities:
pushing unserious bills like this anti-immigrant bill while failing to
address the actual issues facing our public schools, including teacher
pay, student achievement gaps, gun violence, and hunger--daily hunger--
for schoolchildren.
Later this week when Republicans host their press conference to
celebrate passage of this bill, all these problems will still exist.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to passage of the FAA reauthorization
later this week, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Roy).
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I would note that my colleague on the other side of the
aisle from Pennsylvania referred to the crisis that we are experiencing
on the southern border as a ``fake'' crisis.
I just want everyone in America to understand: Our colleagues on the
other side of the aisle believe that what we are experiencing on the
southern border is a fake crisis.
She said: demonizing migrants. She is criticizing Governor Abbott for
having to deal with the crisis that they call fake.
Governor Abbott, yes, moved migrants from Texas to other parts of the
country, just like the mayor of El Paso and just like the mayor of New
York. The mayor of New York, by the way, exists in a sanctuary city and
then wants to come begging the Federal Government for money. That is
the truth.
We know precisely what is going on along the southern border, and my
colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not just in denial, they
are literally making up facts. They are saying things that are
completely untrue.
Did the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have to appropriate $10
billion--$10 billion?
That is what the State of Texas had to do to make up for the fact
that the Federal Government is not only refusing to enforce the law,
but it is actively participating--as this President is doing and as the
Secretary of Homeland Security is doing while he lies to me under oath
in the Judiciary Committee--actively participating in the trafficking
of human beings into the United States and the trafficking of little
girls into the sex trafficking trade.
Was it a fake crisis for the 53 migrants who were cooked in a
tractor-trailer last August in San Antonio, Texas? Is that fake?
Is it a fake crisis for the 856 migrants who died along the Rio
Grande in south Texas and in Arizona last year? Is that fake?
Is it fake for the little girl who is sitting in a stash house in
Houston, San Antonio, New York, or Philadelphia right now being raped
by her captors?
Or in Fort Worth, Texas, as a Federal judge articulated in a Federal
opinion just 2 months ago?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentleman from Texas.
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for the time.
Mr. Speaker, of course, it is not fake.
We are having to impact the entire country, and that is why I support
the gentleman's bill, Schools Not Shelters. Yes, we passed other
legislation, like H.R. 2, which would address the problem but which my
colleagues on the other side of the aisle and this President refused to
do.
We are doing this, of course, jointly, while we are trying to move
the FAA reauthorization. I support that bill too, but we must include
slots--I just want to be very clear--for the people in San Antonio and
for cities outside of the perimeter that was created in 1966.
It is critically important for the American people to have access to
their Nation's Capitol--including San Antonio, with 1.6 million people,
the seventh largest city in the country--to have access to the Ronald
Reagan National Airport.
So I hope we will adopt that amendment so the FAA bill can move
strongly to the Senate and get passed.
{time} 1245
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I am so sorry my colleague across the aisle
[[Page H3653]]
misunderstood me. The fake crisis I was referring to was the crisis
that this defund our schools bill is seeking to address, which is the
use of active public school buildings to house migrants.
That is a fake crisis. It is actually not happening across the
country, and it was brought up only after the Texas Governor sent
migrant families unannounced to New York State.
Obviously, we have an issue with the amount of migration occurring
throughout our hemisphere and the impact on our communities. I would
gladly work with anyone to make sure that all of our communities,
whether in Texas or New York or Philadelphia or Martha's Vineyard or
anywhere across our country have the resources they need to feed and
clothe the hungry and unsheltered people in those communities.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Barragan).
Ms. BARRAGAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise as chair of the Congressional
Hispanic Caucus in opposition to H.R. 3941, which is what I call the
anti-student, anti-family, anti-immigrant act. This bill is another
attempt by Republicans to dehumanize migrants under the excuse of
student safety. Give me a break.
First, this bill does nothing to protect our students. In fact, it
does the opposite. It cuts funding for schools that dare to provide
shelter for those who escape oppression and seek protection in our
country, even if the school is empty or closed down with no students.
Republicans claim they are the party that protects children, but they
are the same party that is directing Texas State troopers to push
migrant children back into the Rio Grande River to drown. They should
be ashamed.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this anti-student and
anti-immigrant proposal.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Langworthy).
Mr. LANGWORTHY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana for
yielding time today.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the rule and protecting our
communities and our public schools from paying the price for the Biden
administration's broken border policies.
Five counties in my district have declared a state of emergency in
responding to the overwhelming influx of illegal immigration that
Democrats in Washington and in my own State of New York refuse to
address.
Many of the communities in my district already struggle to provide
essential services, but thanks to President Biden, Governor Hochul, and
Mayor Adams, they are now forced to shoulder the heavy burden of
housing illegal migrants.
For anyone who wants to call those supportive of this effort today as
lacking compassion, cruel, callous, whatever they want to come up with,
I have this to say: My constituents, who are struggling to accommodate
an influx of people who broke the law to enter this country, do not
lack compassion.
They are simply trying to survive in the face of an administration
that refuses to protect this country's sovereignty and to secure our
borders.
Families like those in my district who have seen their loved ones die
from the fentanyl flooding into our communities, they are not callous.
They are desperate to see something done to stop the flow of lethal
substances and save as many lives as possible.
Communities across America who see what New York City is attempting
to do by co-opting their public schools at the expense of their
children are not cruel for wanting to stop this. They are worried about
the safety and the well-being of our children.
I strongly support the rule before us today and appreciate the
leadership of my good friend and fellow New Yorker, Congressman Marc
Molinaro, in bringing forward H.R. 3941, the Schools Not Shelters Act.
The Biden administration has already demonstrated its callousness,
cruelty, and lack of compassion by refusing to secure our borders and
uphold our immigration laws. I urge my colleagues to join me in saying
enough, and to support this rule before us today.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, as I suggested, this is just about
rightwing messaging, pushing a false narrative that anybody is
advocating for an open border--they aren't--while still refusing to
come to grips with what do we do with the people who come here? What do
we do with the people who are here?
If there are solutions, we would love to work together on them. One
of them appears to be providing enough resources for our communities to
feed and house folks.
Mr. Speaker, if we defeat the previous question, I will offer an
amendment to the rule to provide for consideration of a resolution
which unequivocally states that it is the House's duty to keep our
sacred promise to American workers and seniors to protect and preserve
Social Security and Medicare and reject any cuts to those essential
programs.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my
amendment into the Record along with any extraneous material
immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Escobar) to discuss this proposal.
Ms. ESCOBAR. Mr. Speaker, this week, the House is poised to pass a
bill threatening funding for public schools and institutions of higher
learning if they provide shelter to vulnerable migrants.
First, it is important to state the obvious. Migrant encounters are
down by 70 percent, and the number of people arriving at the southern
border has dropped significantly since the Biden administration ended
the use of the Trump-era title 42 policy months ago.
While my Republican colleagues want to continue their rabidly anti-
immigrant agenda instead of focusing on the needs of the American
people, the American people should know that President Biden's efforts
to better manage the border are working.
Second, it is important for the American people to understand what my
Republican colleagues are really trying to do.
Last December and early again this spring, members of the media
descended on my community of El Paso, Texas, to film and interview
hundreds, and at some point, thousands of migrants sleeping on the
streets of El Paso.
During that coverage, my community told the country that our shelters
were full. My community, like others across the country, sprang into
action, and with the help of Federal funding, El Paso's Office of
Emergency Management provided emergency shelter for vulnerable
migrants, and because other shelters were full, had to use empty
schools on a temporary basis.
My Republican colleagues aren't trying to help us find solutions,
which, by the way, could be done if we could get bipartisan
comprehensive immigration reform done. Instead, they are using
legislative action to harm migrants and harm communities like mine.
Earlier this year, Republicans worked to eliminate funding to NGOs
and receiving communities, and now they are deliberately trying to
create a humanitarian catastrophe by further limiting options for
receiving communities. This is what they want: a humanitarian
catastrophe.
By prohibiting the use of schools for emergency shelter, my
Republican colleagues are creating a situation where migrants may not
have anywhere else to go except the streets of communities like mine if
we were to see numbers climb again.
Unfortunately, the Republican Party of today is gripped by troubling
extremism. Instead of seeking real solutions, again, like passing
comprehensive immigration reform on a bipartisan basis, they are
instead seeking to appease the extremists among them in their ranks.
If they want to deal with challenges inside our schools, how about
they work with us on gun violence or teacher shortages.
Democrats, on the other hand, remain focused on solutions and will
continue to fight for the needs of Americans. One of those areas of
concern in districts across the country has more to do with ensuring we
protect key programs that help everyday Americans,
[[Page H3654]]
which is why if we defeat the previous question, Democrats will bring
up a resolution affirming our commitment to protecting Social Security
and Medicare.
These are vital programs that have a profound impact on the lives of
millions of Americans. Both programs serve as a cornerstone of
retirement security and affordable healthcare coverage for our seniors,
people with disabilities, disabled workers, and survivors of deceased
workers.
In my district, many El Pasoans rely on Social Security and Medicare
to help them meet their basic needs such as housing, preventative care,
prescription drugs, doctors' visits, and daily expenses.
This inhumane school defunding bill does nothing to truly address any
real challenges we face, and I urge my colleagues to defeat the
previous question so we can instead bring up important legislation
affirming our commitment to the American people.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. McClain).
Mrs. McCLAIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Schools Not
Shelters Act. This bill will protect our student safety and our
schools, ensuring that they are used for learning.
I don't know if anyone has recently looked, but the scores of math
are down. The scores of reading are down. This bill will make sure that
our schools--I will say it again--are used for learning, not to house
illegal aliens crossing our southern border.
The decision of local officials in New York City and elsewhere to
house illegal aliens at school threatens the safety of our students.
We wouldn't need this bill if President Biden did his job and secured
the southern border. See, I am open to talking about immigration
reform, but we must secure our southern border. They are not one and
the same. They are different.
Schools should never let a stranger come into a school without ID. I
know when I go into my daughter's school, I have to show ID.
What is happening now is we are letting illegals into our schools
with no idea who these illegals are. They haven't been vetted at the
border. Background checks haven't been run. We don't know who is coming
into our schools. Could we at least employ the same type of
verification that we do for legal American citizens? I mean, it doesn't
make sense. Schools are not hotels. They are for education.
When declaring New York's status as a sanctuary State, New York
officials should have been a little bit better prepared for the mass
number of migrants in a different manner and not throw the problems on
our children's schools.
I find it funny how they have an opinion on the southern border, but,
yet, when the sanctuary city receives illegal migrants, oh, my
goodness, they are all up in arms. They receive those migrants at a
much lower rate than the border cities.
Democrats are playing politics with people's lives instead of
providing a quality education, and they are more focused on spending
your taxpayer money on illegals and telling your kids what pronouns
they should be. We have a math and reading problem. Perhaps we should
focus our attention on education.
Pass this bill today, protect our children, and keep criminals out of
our schools.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I find myself in complete agreement that we
should be addressing the actual issues, like student achievement, that
are impacting our students, but, obviously, this bill does none of
that.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico
(Ms. Leger Fernandez), a distinguished member of the Rules Committee.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I completely agree as well that we
do have an issue that we must address in terms of improving our
education system, investing in our students, investing in our schools,
but does this bill do this? Absolutely not.
Last night in Rules, we actually had the debate about the fact that
in the Education Committee, what has come out so far is nothing that
addresses reading, math, STEM.
What has come out so far is the kitchen sink of culture wars, and our
families do not want culture wars in our schools. They want us to focus
on learning, on making sure that our students cannot just survive but
thrive.
So here we are, standing on this floor once again to debate a bill
that would defund our schools and dehumanize asylum seekers and
immigrants.
I remind my colleagues that one of the first asylum seekers that we
know about was when a mother put her young baby into a raft, into a
basket, and sent that baby down the river, and he was saved. His name
was Moses.
Asylum seekers today are doing the same. They are trying to flee
incredible violence and get refuge here in the United States.
Republicans stated last night that the academic success and safety of
our students must always be placed first. No exceptions.
If it is no exception, then why are we not addressing gun violence
which is the biggest cause of death and injury for children in school,
and, sadly, also in their neighborhoods?
This bill does nothing to address gun violence even though more than
344,000 children directly experience gun violence; even though in just
6 months this year, we have already had 188 school shooting incidents
with 143 victims in our schools. When will you take up saving our
children in our schools by addressing gun violence?
So rather than making sure our students can thrive and stay alive in
schools, this bill would defund our schools with an empty gym. That is
all we are talking about; an occasionally empty gym used on the coldest
winter night or hottest summer day to shelter asylum seekers who have
already been processed through the system. At this point in time, they
are actually around. They have a legal pathway that they are seeking.
Republicans have decided to politicize the border and immigration.
They ignore the fact that apprehensions at the southern border are down
by 70 percent. They are down by 70 percent because of Biden's policies.
{time} 1300
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from New Mexico.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Yes, we have a broken immigration system, but
whose fault is that?
Last Congress, we passed several bipartisan immigration bills,
including the American Dream and Promise Act and the Farm Workforce
Modernization Act.
Did any of the Republicans pushing this bill vote for those, vote for
the problem solvers? No.
I will end with this: Matthew 25:35 reminds us: ``For I was hungry
and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a
stranger and you welcomed me.''
I ask my Republican colleagues to show the same humanity in this bill
and vote against it.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I will note that new laws will not keep guns from criminals any more
than the current ones that we have.
This legislation does not defund schools. I think there is a
disconnect from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle because we
have before us legislation that would simply say that schools need to
be focused on education and not on housing illegal migrants--migrants
that the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain) pointed out have no
background checks--and that they have no ability to verify and
determine if they would be safe.
Meanwhile, parents of students in my school corporation have to have
background checks to go in for classroom parties.
We are not defunding schools. We are simply saying that schools
cannot house these migrants as a matter of safety for our children.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr.
Van Orden).
Mr. VAN ORDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rules package.
The United States has long been recognized as a global leader in
aviation safety, and each day, thousands of men and women work
tirelessly to ensure smooth operations at our Nation's airports.
However, in recent months, we have witnessed a concerning increase in
fatalities of our ground crews, especially in rural airports like those
in my district.
[[Page H3655]]
First and foremost, it is crucial to understand and acknowledge that,
historically, the United States has been a leader in aviation safety.
For decades, we have set the standard for the rest of the world with
safety protocols that have undoubtedly saved countless lives.
Nonetheless, we cannot ignore the disturbing trend that has emerged
in recent months. Close calls in our airspace and tragedies in our
airports have become alarmingly frequent. These incidents remind us
that we cannot be complacent on issues that threaten the safety of my
constituents who work in rural airports and who spend their days
helping Americans get from point A to point B.
I am proud to be the first cosponsor to this amendment that was
introduced by the gentlewoman from the great State of Oregon (Ms.
Hoyle), my Democrat colleague, because it just makes sense. It requires
the FAA to develop and publish safety training materials for airport
ground crew workers, including supervisory employees.
This amendment will help incidents involving aircraft engine
ingestion and jet blast hazards decrease, and it is critical to keeping
the airport workers in Wisconsin's Third Congressional District safe.
The 2023 FAA reauthorization is bold and necessary, and it takes
steps toward protecting the men and women who make it possible for most
of us to travel to this Chamber so we can serve our constituents.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
As I was listening to some of the prior speakers, I started to
understand why we have this defund the schools bill before us today. It
is based upon a whole bunch of misunderstandings.
The idea that migrants who are in the position where they are
potentially being housed in our communities, these folks have, in fact,
been vetted by our immigration agencies.
Second of all, no Federal school funding can be used for that
purpose. That funding is already restricted, and if it were to be used
for the purpose of housing migrants, it could be immediately clawed
back.
Again, this is a bill that accomplishes nothing and is based on a
series of alternative facts, and I strongly urge that we reject it and
the rule.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
New York (Mr. Molinaro).
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, let me first clarify. I live in the State
of New York where Mayor Eric Adams and the city of New York decided to
declare itself a sanctuary city. It opened its arms to individuals from
across the globe.
The city of New York decided to transport individuals--treating them
not as human souls but simply as property--to be displaced to upstate
counties. There is no screening. There is no criminal background check.
In many cases, there is no monitoring or any coordination between the
city of New York and those other communities, communities that made no
such decision, no such choice.
Earlier, my colleague across the aisle suggested that the Governors
who engage in similar activities should simply coordinate and
communicate with those other cities. Well, how about the city of New
York communicating and coordinating with the rest of the communities?
My colleague suggested that Governors should merely turn their
attention to the President and simply ask for assistance. Ironically,
Mayor Eric Adams made exactly that request and was met with deafening
silence.
My colleague across the aisle suggested that this is a manufactured
crisis. It is a humanitarian crisis at our border that too many of my
colleagues in power, by the way, for several years chose not to pay
attention to. The President ignored the situation, and now communities
across the country are faced with a humanitarian crisis.
I am sponsoring the bill not because I don't care about the souls. I
spent 12 years locating and identifying real shelters for individuals,
unaccompanied minors.
I sponsored the bill because families and communities in New York
State and in New York City know their schools are not empty. These are
centers of education, academics, and athletics. During the summer
months, these are the places, by the way, that single moms send their
children to get the services and support they need. Lunches are
provided.
For kids like my own, therapies for those with disabilities are
provided. For 2\1/2\ years, we turned our back on those very children.
These families are frightened, upset, and agitated by a government that
doesn't pay attention to the concerns they have and instead displaces
their children when the city of New York and the President and the
White House have the capacity to address this problem where it exists.
Mr. Speaker, I was intending to speak on a number of provisions
within the FAA reauthorization, and I would like to try to get to just
two.
Within this FAA reauthorization bill, the Access and Dignity for All
People Who Travel Act, which I lead, ensures those with disabilities
who need special seating accommodations receive them. Too often, those
with disabilities are ignored. This bill rectifies that.
Another bill within the FAA reauthorization is the Future of Aviation
Act.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentleman from New York.
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, this allows public airports that received
funding to use the additional funding for the use of advanced air
mobility, including eVTOLs and electrical aircraft charging, and
additional building out of their infrastructure.
Lastly, the bill includes AAM that will help reconnect rural
communities, reinvigorating tourism, improving ease of movement, and
connecting rural communities to regional airports.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, we heard the gentleman describing parents of
schoolchildren being frightened, upset, and agitated because their
school needs, their education needs, their needs for food or remedial
education, are not being met.
I remind my colleagues that they hold the majority. They are able to
bring forward those bills and have the committee work to address those
needs, but, again, the bill before us today does none of that.
We would love to work together in a bipartisan manner, as the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has done, to present a
really good, forward-looking bill to address our Nation's aviation
needs. We would just like to extend that ability to work on solutions,
as opposed to culture wars, throughout the work before us for the good
of the people.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
New York (Ms. Malliotakis).
Ms. MALLIOTAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3941. I am
proud to cosponsor this legislation with Congressman Marc Molinaro, who
is also from the State of New York.
There are two people who are truly responsible for the crisis that we
see of 7 million illegal immigrants who have come to the United States.
Firstly, there is our President, who decided to open the borders
without any type of process, any type of order, and, quite frankly, in
violation of our own Federal laws. Then, you have Mayor Adams in New
York City, the city in which I reside and represent, who decided to
misinterpret New York City's right to shelter law, which was intended
for American citizens, not citizens of other countries who just came
over the border last week.
The problem is, if you look at New York City right now, you will see
that there are more illegal immigrants being housed in our shelters
than American citizens. Walk down the streets of the city, and you see
homeless New Yorkers, people who have substance abuse issues, people
who have mental health issues lying on the streets of our city while
the mayor has gone head over heels and has done everything possible to
house citizens of other countries who chose not to follow our rules,
who chose not to follow the proper process, and have come into our
country. We don't vet them properly, and we don't know what their
intentions are.
I am the daughter of immigrants. I think that many people are coming
[[Page H3656]]
here for the right reasons. They do want to have a better life.
However, there are many others who are not. We need to differentiate
between them. People who come illegally need to follow our process.
Two-thirds of the people who are heard in court are not legitimate
asylum seekers. That means they are in this country illegally. The
mayor insists that New York taxpayers have to continue to foot the bill
of billions and billions of dollars while taxpayers are trying to keep
roofs over their own heads. They are trying to pay their mortgages and
pay their property taxes, which he keeps raising that levy. They are
having their own difficulty, thanks to Bidenflation, in keeping a roof
over their head, and now the mayor wants them to house these
individuals, as well.
On top of it, they want to add schools, which is where children
should be learning. They have lost 2 years of socialization, of
physical fitness, of interaction thanks to COVID, and now he wants to
take away the school gym.
If anyone says it is a manufactured crisis, look at New York City
because it is happening there. The people of New York know it. The
people of this country know it, and they know that it has to stop.
House Republicans put forward, by the way, a proposal to stop this,
to secure our borders, and every single one of the Democrats voted
against it.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, what we are seeing this week is a tale of two
Congresses, one that is capable of working across the aisle to solve
real problems but one that is increasingly held hostage by forces more
interested in culture wars and punching down on vulnerable people to
score political points.
I ask my House colleagues, again, to follow the example set by the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as the House Armed
Services Committee. I think this building and our country work a lot
better when Members put their heads down and work on solutions to the
problems facing the country. I would like to think there are many
Members in both parties who would agree with that view. However, we
learned a lot last week from Kevin McCarthy and the most extreme
members of the Republican Party.
Since the first day of the 118th Congress, particularly on the Rules
Committee, we have heard countless lofty speeches from our Republican
colleagues about the need for more transparency in our processes, for
more amendments to be considered on the floor, for more debate, and for
more rank-and-file Members to have their priorities considered by the
whole House.
Last week, House Republicans had the chance to stand behind those
words and instead blocked over 1,000 amendments submitted to the NDAA.
{time} 1315
Today's rule and the amendments allowed on it were negotiated behind
closed doors--not between Democrats and Republicans but between
Republicans and the most extreme members of that party.
Next week, Kevin McCarthy has already signaled that he is abandoning
his commitment to consider appropriations legislation under an open
rule.
It has become increasingly clear what the real deal is. It is an open
rule for the rightwing Freedom Caucus and a closed rule for everyone
else, including many Republicans who do not endorse the chaos and
antidemocratic impulses pushed by the far-right members of their party.
Despite the griping about regular order and empowering individual
Members, this Congress remains enthralled by a power grab--plain and
simple--by the most extreme members of the Republican majority.
We can now expect Speaker McCarthy to fold at the first sight of
trouble, meaning that the House is now run by its loudest and most
extreme Members.
Beyond being an embarrassing way to run a democratic institution,
this arrangement only serves to weaken the House and all but guarantees
that the Senate will jam us on big legislation like appropriations, the
NDAA, and the FAA reauthorization.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the previous question and
the rule, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
We face another week of big legislation under consideration for a
vote on the House floor to better the lives of everyday Americans.
Both the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation
Act and the Schools Not Shelters Act are important steps in delivering
on our promise for a nation that is safe.
Republicans are keeping our Commitment to America.
With the passage of these two bills, we can continue to lead in
aviation safety and innovation and keep the promise to our students
that schools are a place dedicated to learning and safety.
I look forward to moving these promises out of the House this week,
and I ask my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the previous
question and ``yes'' on the rule.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong
opposition to the Rule for H.R. 3941, ``Schools Not Shelters Act of
2023''.
This bill is an absurd measure to condemn the use of elementary and
secondary school facilities that provide shelter for people caught up
in emergencies, just like we do for other disasters.
Using the facilities of a public elementary or secondary school to
provides shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the
United States should not be politicized, as this is humanitarian issue
and failure of our broken immigration system.
As a Member on the Homeland Security committee, and more specifically
the Border Security and Enforcement subcommittee, I interact with those
at the border and migrants frequently.
I believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to find a lasting
solution to the current immigration crisis.
However, I think it is essential that migrants are brought and
allowed into the country through legal immigration.
I am a strong proponent of humanitarian aid efforts in the
immigration context, from preventing the breakup of individual families
because of a wrongful deportation to ensuring that victims of civil
wars and national disasters around the globe receive a temporary
protected status under the U.S. immigration laws.
We should not condemn the use of public elementary or secondary
schools provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted
into the United States.
I acknowledge that school are places of learning and development for
students, but there are time periods when school campuses are not being
used, such as during school breaks.
Because of this, the space could be used for humanitarian aid
purposes, such as allowing migrants to stay there while they wait for
legal processing and paperwork to conclude.
Other exceptions need to be reviewed, such as whether migrants could
stay at schools when school is in-session, but humanitarian aid should
not be overlooked in the immigration context.
As a leading country on the global stage, it is our duty and
responsibility to assist who we can in a legal manner.
More importantly when it comes to schools in America, we should be
addressing critical issues that are truly impacting our educational
system--namely, the hostile state takeovers of majority-minority school
districts--as is what is happening in my district with the Texas
Education Agency takeover of the Houston Independent School District.
State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures,
layoffs, and no improvements in test scores.
The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by
state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined.
With data ranging back to the late 1980s, researchers found that most
state takeovers don't translate to academic improvements.
We have to stop the State from intermeddling and overstepping into
our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our
communities,
That is why I have called upon President Biden and the Department of
Education to investigate and take immediate I action to address the
recent systematic and dangerous efforts underway by state and local
officials in Texas seeking to undermine and undo decades of civils
rights protections and advancements in educational institutions and
student populations.
And so, I am here today to say that these are the issues that the
American people truly care about and want us to be fighting for, for
the protection and preservation of their educational rights .
Emergency response agencies have always used school facility
sheltering to provide emergency services to affected individuals and
communities; the use of these facilities as a
[[Page H3657]]
temporary shelter for migrants puts no students in danger.
These school facilities have always been used as emergency shelters
during disasters such as weather-related events.
No colleges or public K-12 schools should lose federal funding
because they provide temporary relief to migrants.
If Republicans are really concerned about measures needed to ensure
school safety, they should support all measures that address gun
violence prevention and mental health issues.
If my colleagues genuinely want to address students' safety, they
should join with us to focus on the real causes of violent deaths in
our country--guns.
Gun violence is decimating our families and communities--mass
shootings in schools, places of worship, shopping malls, concerts, and
urban neighborhoods.
A majority of Americans, including parents, teachers, students, and
educational workers support common sense and meaningful actions that
address the surging violence in our schools and colleges.
All that this bill does is to punish schools that Republicans think
are helping migrants.
By singling out emergency use for migrants, this bill is only about
Republicans' continuous opposition to any effort that provides support
for the migrant community.
That is why I had offered the following amendments to be considered
by the Rules Committee:
Jackson Lee Amendment 13 would simply prevent the enactment of H.R.
3941 until we actually address and enact comprehensive immigration
reform in the United States such that the Federal immigration system
operates efficiently and offers a fair, humane, and orderly pathway to
citizenship.
Jackson Lee Amendment 15 would also prevent enactment of this bill
until my bill the ``Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation
(GRACE) Act of 2023'' is implemented such that the ``exceptional and
extremely unusual hardship'' term as defined in Section 240A(b) of the
Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 12229b(b)) is amended, to
include hardship resulting from separating a family member who is a
United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident or an individual
lawfully admitted to the United States and a family member who is
subject to deportation or removal from the United States.
A study on Facts and Fictions of Race and Family in U.S. Immigration
Policy found that the United States governing framework of family
sponsorship is rooted in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965,
also known as the Hart-Celler Act.
The act eliminated the 1924 national origins quotas while maintaining
the principle of numerical restriction by specifying annual caps as
well as per-country limits on immigration.
Under the act, ``immediate family,'' specifically spouses, minor
children, and the parents of U.S. citizens, are admitted without
numerical quotas.
After that, there is a system of hierarchical preferences in which
the claims of U.S. citizens are placed above those of legal permanent
residents.
There is also a ranking of the family relationship that is based on
assessments of familial proximity and of age, especially in the case of
parents and children.
The dominant political narrative of the 1965 act at the time of its
passage was one of national values, family unity, and the American
commitment to ending racial discrimination.
However, according to the Washington Post, the Trump administration's
immigration policies separated more than 5,400 children from their
families, sending families to Mexico to await the chance to make asylum
claims and seeking the chance to detain children indefinitely.
My amendment, the ``Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation
Act'' or ``GRACE Act,'' would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act
to establish certain family separation as an exceptional and extremely
unusual hardship.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted that ``highly stressful
experiences, like family separation, can cause irreparable harm,
disrupting a child's brain architecture and affecting his or her short-
and long-term health.
This type of prolonged exposure to serious stress--known as toxic
stress--can carry lifelong consequences for children.''
Just last year, two pediatricians wrote in the Houston Chronicle that
``this kind of stress makes children susceptible to acute and chronic
conditions such as extreme anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress
disorder, hypertension and heart disease.''
As we take into consideration the long term negative psychological
effects of family separation as the result of immigration, it becomes
abundantly clear that we cannot move forward until this cycle is
stopped.
As a Member on the Homeland Security committee, and more specifically
the Border Security and Enforcement subcommittee, I interact with those
at the border and migrants frequently.
I believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to find a lasting
solution to the current immigration crisis.
However, I think it is essential that migrants are brought and
allowed into the country through legal immigration.
Under the Jackson Lee Amendment 15, the Immigration and Nationality
Act would have no longer subjected human beings to extreme trauma by
separating a family member who is a United States citizen, a lawful
permanent resident, or an individual lawfully admitted to the United
States and a family member who is subject to deportation or removal
from the United States.
And the Jackson Lee Amendment 16 strikes one word--``not'' from Sect.
2(a) such that it reads as follows:
In General.--As a condition on receipt of Federal financial
assistance under applicable program by a public elementary school, a
public secondary school, or an institution of higher education, the
facilities of the school or institution may [not] be used to provide
shelter or housing for specified aliens.
Thus, my amendment strikes the very language preventing the use of
school facilities for the purpose of providing shelter or housing to
individuals as defined by section 101(a) of the Immigration and
Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)) who has not been admitted (as so
defined).
I am a strong proponent of humanitarian aid efforts in the
immigration context, from preventing the breakup of individual families
because of a wrongful deportation to ensuring that victims of civil
wars and national disasters around the globe receive a temporary
protected status under the U.S. immigration laws.
We should not condemn the use of public elementary or secondary
schools to provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted
into the United States.
Whenever appropriate, space in our schools should be made available
for humanitarian aid purposes, such as allowing migrants to stay there
while they wait for processing and paperwork to conclude their legal
residency status.
Other exceptions need to be reviewed, such as whether migrants could
stay at schools when school is in session, but humanitarian aid should
not be overlooked in the immigration context.
As a leading country on the global stage, it is our duty and
responsibility to assist who we can in a legal manner.
More importantly, when it comes to schools in America, we should be
addressing critical issues that are truly impacting our educational
system--namely, the hostile state takeovers of majority-minority school
districts--as is what is happening in my district with the Texas
Education Agency takeover of the Houston Independent School District.
State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures,
layoffs, and no improvements in test scores.
The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by
state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined.
With data ranging back to the late 1980s, researchers found that most
state takeovers don't translate to academic improvements.
Republicans provide no evidence that the academic progress of
students is negatively impacted simply by attending a school which
houses migrants.
H.R. 3941 is distractive, it is uninformed, it is pointless,
provocative, inflammatory, and at best, an absolute waste of time.
Using the facilities of a public elementary or secondary school to
provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the
United States should not be politicized, as this is a humanitarian
issue and failure of our broken immigration system.
Instead of denying innocent people temporary humanitarian relief we
should focus on stopping the State from meddling in and overstepping
the boundaries of our educational systems--causing further harm and
damage to our communities.
Lastly, the Jackson Lee Amendment 19 was offered to add the word
``freeze'' to be included in the definition of ``specified disaster''.
This definition is particularly important to signify the dangers of
deadly and disastrous weather conditions without snow.
In February 2012, my home state of Texas experienced an unprecedented
deep freeze that crippled our state as temperatures dropped to as low
as six degrees.
The freeze triggered the worst energy infrastructure failure in Texas
state history, leading to shortages of water, food, and heat.
More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power,
some for several days and at least 246 people were killed directly or
indirectly, with some estimates as high as 702 killed during the
crisis.
These Jackson Lee Amendments 13, 15, 16, and 19 would have ensured
that unaccompanied minors and migrants in need of temporary relief may
be provided emergency shelter or housing using institutional facilities
where appropriate.
[[Page H3658]]
It is a shame that we not made in order, and that we here with such
an offensive and counterproductive bill, and that we are spending time
on ineffective efforts instead of focusing on real immigration reform
and resolutions for our nation's broken pathways for citizenship.
The text of the material previously referred to by Ms. Scanlon is as
follows:
An Amendment to H. Res. 597 Offered by Ms. Scanlon of Pennsylvania
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 6. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the
resolution (H. Res. 178) affirming the House of
Representatives' commitment to protect and strengthen Social
Security and Medicare. The resolution shall be considered as
read. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on
the resolution and preamble to adoption without intervening
motion or demand for division of the question except one hour
of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and
ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or
their respective designees.
Sec. 7. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of
H. Res. 178.
Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I
move the previous question on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous
question.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, the Chair
will reduce to 5 minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote on
the question of adoption of the resolution.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 213,
nays 207, not voting 13, as follows:
[Roll No. 331]
YEAS--213
Aderholt
Alford
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Bentz
Bergman
Bice
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Buchanan
Bucshon
Burchett
Burgess
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chavez-DeRemer
Ciscomani
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Collins
Comer
Crane
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Edwards
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Ezell
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flood
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia, Mike
Gimenez
Gonzales, Tony
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Hinson
Houchin
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunt
Issa
Jackson (TX)
James
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (PA)
Kean (NJ)
Kelly (MS)
Kiggans (VA)
Kiley
Kim (CA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaLota
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Letlow
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Luna
Malliotakis
Mann
Mast
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McCormick
McHenry
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (OH)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Molinaro
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Moran
Murphy
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ogles
Owens
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Santos
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Self
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Strong
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Timmons
Turner
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Wagner
Walberg
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (NY)
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Yakym
Zinke
NAYS--207
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Auchincloss
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Budzinski
Bush
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crockett
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
DeSaulnier
Dingell
Doggett
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fletcher
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Robert
Golden (ME)
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Higgins (NY)
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Huffman
Ivey
Jackson (NC)
Jackson Lee
Jacobs
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Lynch
Magaziner
Manning
Matsui
McClellan
McCollum
McGarvey
McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norcross
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Peltola
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Ross
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Ryan
Salinas
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Vasquez
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)
NOT VOTING--13
Buck
Davis (NC)
Deluzio
Gallego
Jackson (IL)
Joyce (OH)
Kelly (PA)
Loudermilk
Luttrell
Mace
Massie
McBath
Tiffany
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes
remaining.
{time} 1339
Ms. BROWN changed her vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Mr. POSEY changed his vote from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the previous question was ordered.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Recorded Vote
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 213,
noes 206, not voting 15, as follows:
[Roll No. 332]
AYES--213
Aderholt
Alford
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bean (FL)
Bentz
Bergman
Bice
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brecheen
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Burchett
Burgess
Burlison
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chavez-DeRemer
Ciscomani
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Collins
Comer
Crane
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
D'Esposito
Davidson
De La Cruz
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duarte
Duncan
Dunn (FL)
Edwards
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Ezell
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Finstad
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flood
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fry
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia, Mike
Gimenez
Gonzales, Tony
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hageman
Harris
Harshbarger
Hern
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Hinson
Houchin
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunt
Issa
Jackson (TX)
James
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Kean (NJ)
Kelly (MS)
Kiggans (VA)
Kiley
Kim (CA)
[[Page H3659]]
Kustoff
LaHood
LaLota
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Langworthy
Latta
LaTurner
Lawler
Lee (FL)
Lesko
Letlow
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Luna
Malliotakis
Mann
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McCormick
McHenry
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (OH)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Mills
Molinaro
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Moran
Murphy
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Nunn (IA)
Obernolte
Ogles
Owens
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Santos
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Self
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Strong
Tenney
Timmons
Turner
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Van Orden
Wagner
Walberg
Waltz
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (NY)
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Yakym
Zinke
NOES--206
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Auchincloss
Balint
Barragan
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bowman
Boyle (PA)
Brown
Brownley
Budzinski
Bush
Caraveo
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Casar
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crockett
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis (IL)
Dean (PA)
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
DeSaulnier
Dingell
Doggett
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fletcher
Foster
Foushee
Frankel, Lois
Frost
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Garcia, Robert
Golden (ME)
Goldman (NY)
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Higgins (NY)
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Hoyle (OR)
Huffman
Ivey
Jackson (NC)
Jackson Lee
Jacobs
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Kamlager-Dove
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Krishnamoorthi
Landsman
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Lee (PA)
Leger Fernandez
Levin
Lieu
Lofgren
Lynch
Magaziner
Manning
Matsui
McClellan
McCollum
McGarvey
McGovern
Meeks
Menendez
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moskowitz
Moulton
Mrvan
Mullin
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Nickel
Norcross
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Peltola
Perez
Peters
Pettersen
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Quigley
Ramirez
Raskin
Ross
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Ryan
Salinas
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Scholten
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Sorensen
Soto
Spanberger
Spartz
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Swalwell
Sykes
Takano
Thanedar
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tokuda
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Vasquez
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)
NOT VOTING--15
Davis (NC)
Deluzio
Gallego
Jackson (IL)
Kelly (PA)
Kuster
Luttrell
Mace
Massie
McBath
Smucker
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Veasey
Weber (TX)
Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore (during the vote). There are 2 minutes
remaining.
{time} 1345
So the resolution was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated against:
Ms. KUSTER. Mr. Speaker, I was not present for one vote during the
vote series this afternoon. Had I been present, I would have voted
``no'' on rollcall No. 332.
Personal Explanation
Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I missed votes due to a
death in the family. Had I been present, I would have voted: ``nay'' on
rollcall No. 331, the motion on ordering the previous question on H.
Res. 597; and ``nay'' on rollcall No. 332, H. Res. 597--rule providing
for consideration of H.R. 3941 (Schools Not Shelters Act) and H.R. 3935
(Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act).
____________________