VELA, FILEMON (a Representative from Texas)

Bills and resolutions cosponsored

American Infrastructure Fund: establish to provide loans or guarantees to State or local governments for qualified infrastructure projects (see H.R. 2084), H3365 [30AP]

American Revolution: award a Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War (see H.R. 4045), H1770 [11FE]

Bureau of Customs and Border Protection: increase transparency, accountability, and community engagement, provide independent border security oversight, and improve training of agents and officers (see H.R. 4303), H2695 [26MR]

——— reform the Border Patrol agent pay schedule (see H.R. 3463), H2098 [28FE]

Business and industry: ensure that the treatment of illiquid swaps does not disadvantage certain non-financial end users who use them to manage business risk (see H.R. 4330), H2743 [27MR]

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: improve operations of recovery auditors under the Medicare Integrity Program to increase transparency and accuracy in audits conducted by contractors (see H.R. 1250), H2098 [28FE]

Children and youth: provide for programs and activities with respect to the prevention of underage drinking (see H.R. 498), H3409 [1MY]

Dept. of Commerce: enable concrete masonry products manufacturers and importers to carry out coordinated program of research, education, and promotion to improve, maintain, and develop markets (see H.R. 1563), H8133 [19NO]

——— establish the Network for Manufacturing Innovation (see H.R. 2996), H1938 [25FE]

Dept. of Defense: prohibit a reduction in funding for defense commissary system pending the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission report (see H.R. 4217), H3144 [9AP]

Dept. of Education: award grants for support of full-service community schools (see H.R. 5168), H6744 [23JY]

——— establish a grant program for career education in computer science (see H.R. 4929), H5597 [20JN]

——— expand and improve Federal Pell Grant Program (see H.R. 4373), H2853 [2AP]

Dept. of HHS: establish grant programs to improve health of border area residents and for hazards preparedness in border areas including bioterrorism, infectious disease, and noncommunicable emerging threats (see H.R. 5221), H6976 [28JY]

——— provide for a national public outreach and education campaign to raise public awareness of women’s preventive health (see H.R. 2457), H6860 [25JY]

Dept. of Homeland Security: ensure humane treatment of detainees, provide alternatives to detention, inspect detention facilities regularly, and penalize noncompliant facilities (see H.R. 4620), H4015 [8MY]

——— modify and reauthorize Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards program (see H.R. 4007), H2962 [4AP]

Dept. of HUD: support goals and ideals of Community Development Block Grant Program (see H. Res. 668), H7190 [31JY]

Dept. of Justice: appoint counsel for unaccompanied alien children and aliens with serious mental disabilities (see H.R. 4936), H6816 [24JY]

——— improve the restitution process for child pornography victims by considering total losses, requiring timely restitution, and spreading costs among multiple defendants (see H.R. 4981), H5816 [26JN]

Dept. of Labor: establish State Manufacturing Employment Programs to encourage employment of veterans in manufacturing positions (see H.R. 4629), H4058 [9MY]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: enter into contracts for provision of medical care at non-departmental facilities for certain patients, assess health care delivery system, and limit employee awards and bonuses (see H.R. 4810), H5185 [9JN]

——— establish a national center for diagnosis, treatment, and research of health conditions of descendants of veterans exposed to toxic substances during military service (see H.R. 4816), H6108 [10JY]

——— establish a registry of certain veterans who were stationed at Fort McClellan, AL (see H.R. 411), H7296 [8SE]

——— establish a Veterans Conservation Corps (see H.R. 3451), H2915 [3AP]

Depts. of Defense and Veterans Affairs: evaluate mental health care and suicide prevention programs, review discharge or separation of certain individuals, and require a loan repayment pilot program for psychiatrists (see H.R. 5059), H7619 [16SE]

Diseases: express that current Ebola outbreak in Africa is an international health crisis (see H. Res. 701), H7242 [1AU]

——— improve understanding of, and promote access to treatment for, chronic kidney disease (see H.R. 4814), H7434 [10SE]

Doris Miller Dept. of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Waco, TX: designate (see H.R. 4199), H2486 [14MR]

Eximbank: reauthorize (see H.R. 4950), H5724 [24JN]

Families and domestic relations: prohibit discrimination in adoption or foster care placements based on sexual orientation, gender identification, or marital status of any prospective parent or the child involved (see H.R. 2028), H6352 [16JY]

Foreign aid: ensure the provision of foreign assistance does not contribute to human trafficking and combat human trafficking by requiring greater transparency in recruitment of foreign workers (see H.R. 3344), H135 [9JA]

Galvez y Madrid, Bernardo de: confer honorary citizenship (see H.J. Res. 105), H4911 [28MY]

George Thomas ‘Mickey’ Leland Post Office Building, Houston, TX: designate (see H.R. 78), H2991 [7AP]

Health: support role of the U.S. in ensuring children in poor countries have access to vaccines and immunization through the GAVI Alliance (organization) (see H. Res. 688), H7894 [18SE]

Health and Fitness Month: designate (see H. Res. 564), H4061 [9MY]

Hispanic Heritage Month: observance (see H. Res. 723), H7528 [15SE]

Immigration: eliminate time limit on motions to reopen removal proceedings if motion claims fraud, negligence, misrepresentation, or extortion, or the attempted, promised, or actual practice of law without authorization (see H.R. 5228), H6976 [28JY]

——— expand access to health care services, including sexual, reproductive, and maternal health services, for immigrant women, men, and families by removing legal barriers to health insurance coverage (see H.R. 4240), H7619 [16SE]

——— provide for appointment of additional immigration judges (see H.R. 4990), H5817 [26JN]

Lake Berryessa: transfer recreational management authority from Bureau of Reclamation to BLM (see H.R. 4166), H3293 [29AP]

Meals on Wheels Association of America: tribute (see H. Res. 526), H2744 [27MR]

Medicare: include information on the coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity in the ‘‘Medicare and You Handbook’’ and coordinate programs to prevent and treat obesity (see H.R. 2415), H3144 [9AP]

——— waive coinsurance for colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of whether therapeutic intervention is required during the screening (see H.R. 1070), H7618 [16SE]

Middle East: prevent Hezbollah and associated entities from gaining access to international financial and other institutions (see H.R. 4411), H5598 [20JN]

Minimum wage: increase, and index future increases to the consumer price index (see H.R. 1010), H183 [13JA]

Minorities: improve health of minority individuals (see H.R. 5294), H7126 [30JY]

Motor vehicles: reduce operation and maintenance costs associated with the Federal fleet by encouraging the use of remanufactured parts (see H.R. 4056), H2962 [4AP]

National Community Gardening Awareness Month: support goals and ideals (see H. Res. 691), H7190 [31JY]

National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month: designate (see H. Res. 697), H7126 [30JY]

National Public Health Week: support goals and ideals (see H. Res. 527), H2744 [27MR]

Nicklaus, Jack: award Congressional Gold Medal (see H.R. 2203), H3409 [1MY]

NIH: submit an annual budget estimate for Alzheimer’s disease initiatives (see H.R. 4351), H3242 [28AP]

NSF: support afterschool science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs (see H.R. 5217), H7434 [10SE]

Peres, Shimon: award Congressional Gold Medal (see H.R. 2939), H2854 [2AP]

Political campaigns: reform the financing of congressional elections by broadening participation by small dollar donors (see H.R. 20), H4475 [19MY]

Pope Francis: congratulate on election and recognize inspirational statements and actions (see H. Res. 440), H136 [9JA]

Privacy: update privacy protections for electronic communications information that is stored by third-party service providers in order to protect consumer privacy while meeting law enforcement needs (see H.R. 1852), H3941 [7MY]

Roads and highways: amend laws relative to identification of high priority corridors on the National Highway System (see H.R. 4523), H4017 [8MY]

SBA: establish a grant program to empower encore entrepreneurs (see H.R. 4613), H6400 [17JY]

Schools: address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of students (see H.R. 1199), H7297 [8SE]

Specialist Keith Erin Grace Jr., Memorial Post Office, Baytown, TX: designate (see H.R. 4651), H5877 [8JY]

Taxation: exclude from gross income any prizes or awards received by Olympic medal winners (see H.R. 3987), H2099 [28FE]

——— make permanent the above-the-line deduction for certain elementary and secondary school teacher expenses (see H.R. 3318), H2488 [18MR]

——— provide tax incentives for the donation of wild game meat (see H.R. 3728), H184 [13JA]

——— provide the work opportunity credit for hiring long-term unemployed workers (see H.R. 3726), H73 [8JA]

Terrorism: review completeness of the FBI Terrorist Screening Database and the derivative terrorist watchlist used by the Transportation Security Administration (see H.R. 5488), H7677 [17SE]

Unemployment: extend unemployment benefits (see H.R. 4415), H3144 [9AP]

Wildlife: prohibit import, export, transportation, sale, receipt, acquisition, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce of any live animal of any prohibited wildlife species (see H.R. 2856), H7939 [12NO]

World War II: award Congressional Gold Medal to Monuments Men in recognition of their role in preservation, protection, and restitution of monuments, works of art, and articles of cultural importance (see H.R. 3658), H163 [10JA]

Remarks

Dept. of State: ensure the Mexican Government investigates the kidnapping and murder of U.S. citizens, H8042 [18NO], H8075 [19NO]

Diseases: Alzheimer’s disease research funding, H7999 [17NO], E1587• [14NO]

Garcia, Juliet V.: inclusion in Cable News Network (CNN) Money/Fortune ‘‘World’s Fifty Greatest Leaders’’ list, E642• [30AP]

Garcia, Mariana S.: Mr. Amigo Association Mr. Amigo Award recipient, E242• [25FE]

International relations: support independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Georgia (country), E568• [10AP]

Los Fresnos, TX: tribute to Resaca Middle School students for participation in the Verizon Communications, Inc., Innovative App Challenge, E651• [1MY]

Tributes

Cantu, Oscar J., E1306• [1AU]

Edelstein, Morris, E660• [1MY]

Escobar, Linda, E1310• [1AU]

Flores, Lupe F., E658• [1MY]

Flores, Mary, E658• [1MY]

O’Connor, Kathryn Stoner, E661• [1MY]

Ransome, Charels W., E640• [30AP]

Torres, Bob and Rachel, E243• [25FE]