[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     PROTECTING OUR SENIOR CITIZENS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask for my colleagues' support for 
the Senior Citizen Protection Act, which I introduced along with my 
friend, Congressman Brad Schneider.
  Seniors are valued members of our society, and we must do everything 
we can to ensure that they can live with dignity and without fear of 
being abused by those entrusted to care for them.
  This bipartisan bill seeks to achieve that goal by creating a 
national registry for those convicted of elder abuse that will be 
accessible to senior care providers and families before they make a 
decision on whom they hire as a caregiver for their loved ones. This 
national database will bring together local and State registries in 
order to prevent abusers from continuing to inflict suffering on senior 
citizens by simply relocating from one community to another.
  I urge my colleagues to join Mr. Schneider and me in support of this 
measure that will help ensure that our parents, grandparents, and loved 
ones are looked after by professional caregivers who will give them the 
treatment and respect they deserve.


              Caring for Seniors During Natural Disasters

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the 
Protecting Seniors During Disasters Act, which I introduced with my 
colleague, Congresswoman Lois Frankel of Florida.
  The horrific deaths of 14 seniors in a Florida nursing home facility 
in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma made it abundantly clear that more 
must be done to protect seniors during and after natural disasters.
  In times of emergency, many senior citizens find themselves 
disconnected from caregivers and without the treatments and resources 
that they so desperately need. Our bill seeks to reconnect seniors by 
requiring that Federal agencies assess how their emergency response 
efforts impact the elderly. It also calls for the implementation of 
standards to better protect and care for senior citizens and nursing 
home residents across our Nation during and after emergency situations.
  This is a commonsense, bipartisan legislative initiative that aims to 
save the lives of many senior citizens and helps ensure that the 
tragedy that took place in south Florida will not happen again. I urge 
my colleagues to join us in support of this lifesaving measure.


           Building a National Museum of the American Latino

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, as we continue to celebrate Hispanic 
Heritage Month and the many contributions of our vibrant community 
throughout our country, I would like to bring attention to a bill that 
I have sponsored that would permanently showcase the history and 
stories of American Latinos.
  H.R. 2911, the National Museum of the American Latino Act, will 
establish a world-class educational institution on The National Mall 
for the millions of visitors who come to our Nation's capital every 
year eager to learn about American history.
  Latinos have served our great country in every war dating back to 
before the Revolutionary War and continue to proudly serve in our 
military. They are small-business owners, job creators, TV stars, 
athletes, and public servants.
  An initiative over 20 years in the making, this museum would be a 
visual representation of the difficulties that Latinos have overcome 
leaving their home countries, whether to flee an oppressive communist 
regime in my native homeland of Cuba, or Venezuela, or for the 
opportunity to partake in the American Dream, as well as the story of 
Hispanics who have made the U.S. their home for many generations.
  As the first Hispanic woman elected to the U.S. Congress, I am proud 
to invite my colleagues to join me in this endeavor and cosponsor H.R. 
2911, the National Museum of the American Latino Act.

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