[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17579-17580]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    MESSAGES AND MISSIONS YET UNDONE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak of messages and 
missions yet undone. This Congress, both House and Senate, was sent 
here on behalf of the American people to ensure that their voices and 
their needs are adhered to. They are not interested in the clanging of 
voices; they are interested in the rolling up of sleeves and making 
sure our government works. So I stand here in reflection of a very 
successful enrollment day in Houston, Texas, last Saturday, where 
people came and stood in line to be able to seek information and, yes, 
enroll because they have faith in this Nation.
  As the Affordable Care Act goes along and fixes broken promises and 
broken technology, what we should be focused on is making it work for 
the American people. Making sure that those with preexisting disease 
can have insurance, young people with minimal

[[Page 17580]]

income can have insurance, those between 50 and 65 can have insurance, 
and those with catastrophic illnesses can have insurance. I have faith 
that as we work through this, what is best for the American people is 
the choices they will have, and the fact that they will keep what they 
have and be able to enroll for a year is a response to the pain.
  We know that the insurance companies did not need to send cancelation 
letters; they could have sent modification letters, but I want to go 
forward.
  Things yet unfinished--one happens to be the enormity of gun violence 
among our young people that has been reflected in incidents in Houston, 
Texas; 19 shot, two dead, teenagers at a house party. This past 
weekend, one shot at a house party, who has lost his life. My sympathy 
to their families. I call out now for all of our forces, Federal, 
local, and State, PTOs and school districts, teachers, civic 
organizations and faith organizations, that we work together to be able 
to stop the surge of gun violence and the loss of our young people.
  Statistics will show that in African American communities and 
Hispanic communities where there is homicide, that a high percentage is 
by a gun. So I would ask that we look seriously at legislation I 
introduced, H.R. 65, the gun storage and safety device bill, and a bill 
that also indicates, except for exceptions, that guns should not be in 
the hands of young people under the age of 21, and for someone who 
allows that to happen, there should be higher penalties on that 
individual.
  I have been told by urban mayors that there are stash houses where 
people can go and rent guns. Let's not be afraid of background checks. 
More importantly, let's not be afraid of weeding out this horrible 
scourge on our community, and the deaths that families have to contend 
with.
  Then, I think it is important to note that we have got to continue to 
speak on the issue of mental health needs. Tragedy occurred in 
Virginia, and the story that is unfolding saddens me because that story 
is similar to the one in Sandy Hook. The young perpetrator had issues 
they had to deal with in terms of their mental health. We have got to 
be able to provide more resources for beds for young people. We have 
got to intervene. We have got to help families. We have got to not run 
away from mental health issues, but run toward them.

                              {time}  1045

  Then I would like to make mention of those families who are suffering 
because their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the last 
month has been cut. They are expecting in this budget coming forward 
that $40 billion will be on the table to be cut again.
  I have visited my food banks. I took the SNAP challenge and ate on 
that budget. No one should call those folks deadbeats. And every time 
there is a deadbeat, you can be assured that person will be found out. 
I am concerned about the seniors and the young children that go to bed 
hungry, and one-half of those who get SNAP benefits, Supplemental 
Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, are in actuality children.
  As we go toward this budget process deadline of December 13, let us 
have a sense of compassion. Let us have sources that will help us and 
the Department of Justice to be able to deal with this proliferation of 
guns, these Saturday night specials, these stash houses to help our 
children. Let's expand counseling and pronouncements by the local 
community that we are standing up against this violence that is 
attacking our children. Let's find dollars to help out local and State 
communities on resources for mental health.
  Let me thank one of the leaders in my community, Patrick, who is a 
Vietnam veteran who has raised up the issue in Houston on the need for 
mental health beds and intervention, stories that I have heard in my 
own community where a grandfather took his grandchild to a county 
facility, they did not have a bed, and ultimately that grandchild 
stabbed and killed his grandfather and the grandfather's daughter.
  We know that there are challenges, missions, and messages yet undone. 
Let's get to work on behalf of the American people.

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