policy, a light finally shone over the congressional budget office and they confirmed what others have known all along. that this delivers savings to medicare. the policy also aligns and builds on what the trump administration had done with the kidney health initiatives, including the advancing american kidney health executive order, which the president signed in july of 2019. so this immunosuppressive drug policy has support from everyone, from the patients to transplant surgeons, to patients' families. and it's something behind which the kidney coalition has coalesced for years. we would not be here today if it wasn't for the tireless work of that community -- an additional 30 seconds. the tireless work of the kidney community and other co-sponsors, and i want to thank all of the many people, including the staffers on our -- both of our committees who have worked over the past decade to fine tune

this policy to get it where it is today. i thank the gentlelady for yielding and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from connecticut is recognized. mr. larson: i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlelady from indiana. mrs. walorski: madam speaker, having no other speakers, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from connecticut. . mr. larson: as i'm about to people view us taking on and putting on our masks, etc., very ke to acknowledge a special person from mayberry east hartford, massachusetts, who makes these masks and several likes these them out oftributed the kindness of her heart in concern and care. name is margaret ramsey.

grady ramsey from east ry village in hartford. thank you for your hard work. that dr. ruizknow tirelessly on the benes act for many years. want to thank him for his efforts. i also want to thank the medicare beneficiary advocates, the medicare right center and the center for edicare advocacy for their tireless work and support to find a solution to this long problem. the gentlelady from indiana has role in this, ey as well, and wanted to make sure we acknowledge that as well. act, 477, the benes provides significant long-term improvements to medicare for of beneficiaries. i urge my colleagues to support yield back tion and

the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from connecticut yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from indiana is recognized. mrs. walorski: madam speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from indiana. mrs. walorski: as more and more medicare age, we need to simplify the part b improve t process and education and outreach to seniors. the commonsense reforms in this benes act will protect seniors from unnecessary ate enrollment penalties, gaps in coverage and unexpected health care bills. i urge my colleagues to support his vital piece of legislation that will simplify complicated medicare enrollment rules, and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from indiana yields back the balance of her time. will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are

the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek

recognition? ask ass: madam speaker, i unanimous consent to take from he speaker's table the bill s. 3703, the promoting alzheimer's awareness to prevent alder abuse act -- elder abuse act, and i'd like for immediate consideration house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: an act to amend the elder abuse prevention and act to improve the prevention of elder abuse and exploitation of individuals with disease and related dementias. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is and passed andme the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. ms. bass: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent -- the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. bass: i ask unanimous consent to take from the bill h.r. able the 31, for the relief of

the clerk: private calendar number 2, h.r. 631. arpita relief of kurdekar, and h kurdekar. ms. bass: i ask for dispense with the reading of the amendment. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the amendment is agreed to and the bill is engrossed and read a third time, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. bass: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from bill eaker's table the relief of for the

maria isabel bueso about a barrera, alberto bueso karla maria barrera de bueso. bueso barrera. 4225, for the elief of maria isabel bueso arrera, alberto bueso mendoza, karla maria barrera de bueso, louisia bueso barrera. speaker, i have an amendment at the desk. i ask for dispensed with the reading of the amendment. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

without objection, the amendment agreed to, the bill is engrossed, read a third time, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. without objection, the amendment is agreed to. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. bass: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to dispensed the reading of the -- oh, i'm sorry. madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from the the bill h.r. 7146. the clerk: private calendar 7146, a bill for the relief of victoria galindo lopez. is speaker pro tempore: there objection to the consideration of the bill? for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. bass: madam speaker, i have an amendment at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the amendment.

the clerk: strike all that follows after the enacting the e and insert following -- ms. bass: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to dispense ith the reading of the amendment. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the reading is with.sed without objection, the amendment to, the bill is engrossed, read a third time, passed, and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. bass: madam speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from the bill r's table relief of for the el-moustrah. the clerk: private calendar 5, h.r. 7572, a bill for he relief of median el-moustrah. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. bass: madam speaker, i have amendment at the desk. the speaker pro tempore: the

clerk will report the title of the amendment. strike all that follows after the enacting clause and insert the following. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to dispense with the reading of the amendment. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the reading is dispensed with. without objection, the amendment is agreed to. engrossed, read a third time, passed, and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. bass: madam speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass 8161, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 455, h.r. 8161, a bill to implementation grants to community-based nonprofits to re-entry ne-stop centers. the speaker pro tempore:

pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from california, ms. ass, and the gentleman from north dakota, mr. armstrong, will each control 20 minutes. recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. bass: madam speaker, i ask that all consent members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous the bill under consideration. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, and the gentlewoman from extrais recognized. to be the am proud author of h.r. 8161, the re-entry ommunity program act of 2020, and i urge my colleagues to support this measure and entry pass this bipartisan bill today. i would like to take a moment to give a special thanks to representative guy reschenthaler support. h.r. 8161 would provide uch-needed resources to communities with a dis -- a munities especially with

of peopleately number coming back. this bill would provide a assist zed process to individuals returning to their communities after incarceration. it acts as a bridge by providing who are to those leaving prisons and jails on how members of oductive their communities. the concept of the bill is that funding would be provided to neighborhoods to establish programs where people formerly incarcerated can run the program to ssentially be a hand-holding bridge for people who are coming out of facilities to help them into the community. many things that we might take for granted, such as getting getting a driver's license, paying your back child how to use rning transportation or the latest can ology are things that lead to recidivism for people if they're not able to reintegrate. don't have a driver's license and you come from

communities like mine in los car, it's ithout a virtually impossible to have a job that would allow you to yourself. so establishing a one-stop center where formerly are involvedpeople in every aspect of the management and running of the to be will allow people reintegrated. this congress in a series of hearings the judiciary committee heard the challenges faced by people who are recently released. stories have only gotten worse over the years have incarcerated more people, we've also passed aws that essentially do not allow them to function in the legal economy, and we shouldn't people re-sid en recidivate. how to a training people be barbers but then we had laws allow id we would not formerly incarcerated people to

get a barber's license. o that type of reintegration bridge is what this bill addresses. as we have passed policies that formerly incarcerated people outside of the legal economy, in these communities a disproportionate number, you can actually see an because in crime rate people will do whatever is needed to survive and many times that means going back to illegal activity. each year over 650,000 people are released from custody. finding jobs, job training, housing, and placement are or -- even finding a hot meal can find challenging. many these seem insurmountable and that's true returning to the community that have substance disorders, mental health isorders, educational challenges. we know that many people who are incarcerated do not have a high school diploma. a one-stop community center can help them get the resources, so training that they need they can become productive

citizens. during our hearings, we heard of community leaders who are doing this work with minimal resources. burton, for example, the fou of life in new way los angeles, transports women as soon as they are released and rovides them a safe place to live. criminal justice advocates cohen harris and big john from los angeles have testified before the crime subcommittee. the importance of starting re-entry services on custody.first day someone .r. 8161 transforms obstacles into bridges. that's why having all re-entry ervices in one place is so critical. rained staff and peer mentors can guide members of finding a addressing o sleep, family reunification, and starting the process of gaining employment. one-stop centers will be led by an employee

formerly incarcerated who can act as mentors. they can provide direct services to recently released individuals. them the give wherewithal they need to meet the challenges before them. 8161 provides support for smaller or rural communities to are not large enough support a large one-stop the tion, so it authorizes department of justice to stablish a 24/7 re-entry service assistance hotline to direct recently released individuals to appropriate services in their localities. it is important to remember that the 2.3 majority of million people who are currently in custody will be released right types of support, they are highly likely recidivate. no re-entering person should be left wondering how to establish find gainful employment. our bipartisan bill provides communities with desperately resources to assist

returning citizens in their efforts to successfully rejoin communities. between the one-stop center and he 24/7 hotline, congress is begin providing -- again providing leadership on re-entry turn helping in public safety. this is a bipartisan effort. i want to thank my colleagues co-sponsorship and for working with me on this issue. ask he forgoing reasons, i my colleagues to join in supporting this important bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california reserves the balance of her the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north dakota. mr. armstrong: i yield myself uch time as i may consume. successful prisoner re-entry into society is critical to reduce resifferdism. and we have seen successful criminal justice programs work in both democratic and republican states. successful re-entry programs

utilize community-based groups like f-5 in my home state. president trump has been a leader. he and his administration have signed bipartisan legislation such as the first step act to make our federal criminal justice. and it supports state, local and tribal governments in their work to reduce crime and help people returning from society from incarceration. .r. 8161 will build on the administration's strong criminal justice reform initiatives. this bill will provide grants for the purpose of providing unified resources in the communities that serve former prisoners. these facilities include job training, substance abuse treatment and medical services, among others. all of the data suggests that the most vulnerable time for

someone being released is within the first 30 days after release. i have seen this frustration firsthand as clients and offenders encounter obstacles when trying to rebuild their lives. they must find housing, acquire a job among other tasks. that is difficult when the individual suffers from substance abuse or lacks even a high school education. these one-stop centers will break the cycle of addiction. his bill complements the see sidism founded by the second chance act. i'm pleased my colleagues the administration's criminal justice successes and bipartisan effort on these bills. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north dakota reserves. the gentlewoman from california is recognized.

ms. bass: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. mr. cicilline: 10 million people who re-enter from jail and prison, the consequences could create barriers to housing and employment and a government i.d. as mayor of providence i had a council to bring together religious leaders, employers, housing professionals to help people returning to their communities with the goal with people to rei have enter society. during my time as mayor, i saw how these services help to ensure that justice-involved individuals have the support they need for a smooth transition back into society. food assistance and employment opportunities, it can reduce the likelihood they will commit a new offense. it gives returning citizens the ability to provide for themselves and families and

productive members of our communities. i'm proud to support the one-stop shop community and five-year grants to organizations and other entities to create community re-entry centers. this incentive advises solutions to overcoming barriers house ange employment. and end the revolving door by encouraging treatment and family counseling and helps people navigate life after prison and makes our communities safer and second chance at redemption and chance of success. i thank chairwoman for her leadership and i urge all of my colleagues to have this excellent legislation. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california reserves. the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. mr. armstrong: we reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from california is

recognized. ms. bass: overwhelming majority ready to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. mr. armstrong: this is a great bill and there are great people in government at the state, federal and local level that really do care and help to try and do these things and we have come a long way in the last five to 10 years on a lot of these issues. i think it's important to recognize that the best people in organizations to help people re-enter into society are former felons themselves that have gone through these processes and started community-based organizations and continue to work with new people coming out of prison. and while we have to treat criminal justice and treat serious offenses in the manner that is deserving of what they are, we believe in

rehabilitation. and what we do with that is return on investment, because as we can get these people through this process and keep them out of the resolving door that can occur in the criminal justice system, we save people's lives and families and taxpayer money. this is a good bill. and with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. ms. bass: the overwhelming majority of individuals are returned to their communities. this bill would take steps to make the rei have entry process more efficient and more successful. along with the 24/7 rei have entry hotline like the services included in this bill will reduce crime and improve overall safety and these individuals will be able to rejoin and contribute to their tam list and

communities. that's why this bill is so important. in our nation, we used to believe if you committed a crime and you served your time in prison, you were able to re-enter society. this bill is a return to that time period. i ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill. i thank my colleague, representative armstrong, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 8161 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed without objection. and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. or what purpose does --

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2258, an act to provide anti-retaliations protections for antitrust whistleblowers. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from colorado, mr. neguse, and the gentleman from north dakota, mr. armstrong will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. neguse: i ask unanimous consent that all members may include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the chair recognizes the gentleman from colorado. mr. neguse: i yield myself such

time as i may consume. i rise in support of this legislation that i introduced with chairman nadler, representative cicilline that would extend private whistleblower protections. this by way of background. this is based on recommendations from a 2011 government accountability office report. the legislation will protect private sector employees for doing the right thing and those who retaliate against whistleblowers are held accountable. an employee who believes that he or she is a victim of retaliation can file a complaint with the secretary of labor and allows for that employee to be reinstated to that former position if the secretary finds in his or her favor. antitrust violations often result in higher prices and less innovation and less choice. private sector employees are

integral in maintaining the antitrust laws such as price and wage fixing would go unreported. our country has had a rich tradition of working to protect whistleblowers. honoring that history is important. no employee should fear for their job or face retaliation for exposing anti-illegal competitive behavior. i thank chairman nadler, chairman cicilline and the majority leader for bringing this bill to the house floor and thank senator grassley and senator leahy for working so persistently to get it passed in that chamber. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado reserves. the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. mr. armstrong: i yield myself such time as i may consume. senate bill 2258 criminal

antitrust anti-retall yation act protects whistleblowers who help the federal government to investigate and prosecute violations of antitrust laws. when workers give information or testify about an employer's crimes, their employer may retaliate. it can take forms, such as firing, demotion or suspension or other forms of discrimination. retaliation is wrong. workers should not be punished when they help authorities. violations that ultimately harm american consumers. if this retaliation goes unaddressed, it could have damaging effects. unaddressed could prevent future whistleblowers who might shine a light on my wrongdoing. when they are scared to speak out, law enforcement may never

never learn of the violations in the first place. law enforcement agencies may be unable to successfully prosecute wrongdoers. senate bill 2258 addresses these policy concerns by prohibiting discrimination against whistleblowers who speak out against antitrust violations. it gives recourse if employers choose to retaliate. they could file a complaint with the department of labor and in limited circumstances seek relief by suing in federal court. while establishing whistleblower protections, senate bill 2258 puts guardrails in place to ensure that bad actors do not abuse this law. people who investigate the violation of antitrust laws or obstruct an investigation. the bill will protect workers who are acting in good faith.

congressman jim sense senbrener, a co-sponsor has worked throughout his career to protect whistleblowers from retaliation and described the general policy and highlighted the importance of whistleblowers when he said they maintain the integrity of our laws. mr. sensenbrenner is correct and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from colorado. mr. neguse: how much time do i have remaining? the speaker pro tempore: 18 minutes remaining. mr. neguse: i yield two minutes to the distinguished the gentleman from rhode island and the chairman of the antitrust subcommittee, mr. cicilline. kiss mr. cicilline: i rise in strong support of this bill which was introduced in the house by mr.

neguse 8226 and piece of legislation that he championed and finally is before us for final passage. this important legislation protects whistleblowers who report criminal misconduct as my good friend just mentioned and i acknowledge the leadership of jim sensenbrenner but made the work important for whistleblowers. this bill provides employees for reporting retaliation to the department of labor. whistleblowers who report on criminal antitrust conduct and retaliated against through wrongful discharge, demotion or harassment will have a path for reinstatement and be reimbursed for expenses. . . this important measure will encourage whis blers to come

whistleblowers to come forward. such as price and wage fixing, are the supreme evil of antitrust. moreover, the legislation brings he criminal antitrust laws in line with other important laws sarbanes-oxley law. no worker in america should fear economic job or livelihood for exposing corporations that engage in criminal activity. misconduct is critical for antitrust enforcement purposes. i really want to end where i applauding congressman neguse, the vice chair of the antitrust subcommittee. deeply valued member of the subcommittee. this bill has already been passed unanimously by the senate. i ask my colleagues support this legislation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. he gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. neguse: thank you, mr. speaker. the ain, want to thank chairman of the antitrust subcommittee, mr. cicilline, for

is leadership, his thoughtfulness and for making consumer protection the central focus of his work and the work ust subcommittee's over this past congress. with that we are prepared to northif my colleague from dakota -- the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman is recognized. has yielded. with that i say thank you to mr. armstrong, my colleague on the other side of aisle. i'd lend my voice as well to rightfully ve praised the work of mr. sensenbrenner who for many, many years in the united states congress has served with distinction, representing the of wisconsin. i know this bill was certainly important to him. we appreciate his efforts on front. i finally will close with this. can be lost, it rather, on the american public as we talk about things like and the antitrust laws that are currently on the books how that connects to the life of americans. fundamentally, this bill is

protection.er it's about protecting the public. before i came to congress, i several years in the john t of then-governor hickenlooper, leading the department of regulatory agency. 600-person department with a $100 million budget. civil servants across our state each and every day to protect the consuming public and the people of the state of colorado. work that folks do at the f.t.c. and the department of the antitrust -- in the antitrust division each and every day. this is another tool that can be used in the toolbox of regulators here in washington as make consumer protection a priority and those iny partner with the private sector who wish to report abuse of an anti-competitive conduct that might be happening in the broader marketplace. so, again, i'm thankful to the of this bill in the senate, to the leadership in the house for bringing this bill

forward to the floor, and i a yes vote on the legislation before the house. yield back the'd balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is, members, will house suspend the rules and pass senate 2258. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i ove to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 683, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of

the bill. h.r. 683, a bill to improve requirements on the ayment of compensation to professional persons employed in voluntary cases commenced under 3 of the puerto rico oversight management and , commonlytability act known as promesa. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the mr.leman from rhode island, cicilline, and the gentleman from north dakota, mr. rmstrong, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and and include remarks extraneous material on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. cicilline: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, h.r. 683, the puerto rico oversight management and economic puerto ricot -- the recovery accuracy in disclosures act will provide greater integrity with issues to the ongoing

facing puerto rico. congress passed the puerto rico oversight management and conomic stability act, or promesa, in 2016. that legislation established the financial oversight and board with control over puerto rico's budget, laws, financial plans, and authority , and the to retain professionals to assist the board in executing its responsibilities. although largely pat earned on chapter -- patterned on the of the bankruptcy code, promesa didn't have other relevant provisions of the code. the tantly, this includes code's mandatory disclosure oruirements regarding actual potential conflicts of interests hat professional persons seeking to retain in a bankruptcy. close that ll loophole by those retained under disclosures certain similar to those under the bankruptcy code. the u.s. ill require trustees to submit comments in

court and object o compensation requested by professionals. h.r. 683 will allow courts to deny compensation for services and reimbursement of expenses if the professional person did not omply with the disclosure requirement. held within ive or the bankruptcy or state. i want to thank chairwoman velazquez for championing this relentless r her dedication to making sure the eople of puerto rico receive a fair, efficient, and transparent restructuring process they deserve. i urge my colleagues to support favorably which was reported out of the judiciary committee by unanimous vote, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the rhode island reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from north dakota, armstrong, is recognized. mr. armstrong: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. mr. armstrong: thank you, mr. speaker. faced , puerto rico serious and increasing financial pressure brought on by

debt and related obligations. n response to that financial crisis, congress passed the puerto rico oversight management nd economic stability act of 2016. this 2016 law was set up a mechanism for puerto rico to address its obligations. like other existing bankruptcy the 2016 law enables bankruptcy professionals, such s lawyers and consultants, to apply for payment for their services subject to court approval. 2016 law lacks certain isclosure requirements for professionals even though these requirements are required for in other cases. this had unaddressed conflicts those involved in the puerto rico process. -- bankruptcy process. establishes disclosure requirements for accountants, lawyers, and other bankruptcy mattersonals working on related to puerto rico's bankruptcy.

the additional disclosure in h.r. 683 increase the likelihood that any will be of interest caught and timely addressed before compensation decisions are made. whole, this added level of transparency will benefit important interests such creditors and taxpayers and ultimately of itself.ico i encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north dakota of his the balance time. the gentleman from rhode island is recognized. mr. cicilline: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. north dakota from is recognized. r. armstrong: mr. speaker, i'd like to yield four minutes to my friend, congresswoman puerto rico.n from the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized, the gentlewoman from puerto rico is minutes.d for four miss gonzalez-colon: thank you, mr. speaker. 683, in support of h.r. uerto rico recovery accuracy in disclosures act. i'm thankful that on this

got -- we have been able to count on the original leadership of chairman grijalva and ranking member bishop as well as many co-sponsors, both republicans and democrats. this bill is an important ensuring that the restructuring process under puerto looks out for rico's best interests. his legislation requires that any counsel and professional person that the financial and management board may hire to work on a title 3 case for the restructuring of rico's debt to submit their d disclosures of connections with the debtor, creditor, or persons employed by the board prior to being compensated. will impose under the decisions about the hiring f personnel for the restructuring, the same requirements that are imposed on

uch personnel under the existing bankruptcy rules. to exclude n is not anyone's expertise and knowledge of puerto rico's fiscal being tions from resources in the reinstructor process.structuring think it's essential that any such connection be clear and that such persons' qualifications and the role they better g to play can be avoided. and that happens in the past. i think the result of this legislation will clarify that, to happen again. conflict of interest or the ppearance of conflicts of interest can be best avoided if here is accountability and transparency. this bill will require that such ersonnel must disclose in detail their participation and nvolvement in any entity

involved in the claims involving puerto rico, informing the identity of each one. serving on the board or working to en -- inform decisions -- and i might say the president today announced three more new members to the board.ht so i think the time of approving accurate.is just representing it before the title 3 court must have the trust of parties that they are committed to defending the interests of the people of to the best of their ability in accordance to the law justice. a lack of transparency in this decisions creates a lack of confidence and distrust. used to beat someone involved in the businesses of in the case rties only after they are named and orking on that case does not create an assurance of their commitment of the best interest

managementico or the debt.ir there's a reason why our's and must be able ls that we no longer need the provisions of promesa or the oversight board in puerto rico and we can dedicate ourselves to rebuild and grow our economy. that happens, we must demand that the instrument promesa be accountable and transparent in their processes. should be s acceptable. and there's a reason why i call colleagues to pass h.r. 683, and i thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. he gentleman from north dakota reserves. island.leman from rhode mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the is leman from rhode island he serves -- reserves. the gentleman from north dakota is recognized.

mr. armstrong: mr. speaker, i couldn't have said it any so with that i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from north dakota, mr. back.ong, yields the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline, is recognized. speaker, h.r.: mr. 683 closes a loophole under current law by establishing isclosure requirements regarding actual or potential conflicts of interest in the ankruptcy code process under promesa. in doing so, this legislation promotes transparency and accountability in the puerto process.ructuring i, again, want to thank my colleague, ms. velazquez of new york, the author of this bill, leadership on this issue. i strongly urge my colleagues to support this commonsense measure. will closing, since this likely be the final bill within the subcommittee's jurisdiction this ered on the floor congress, i want to take a moment to recognize the outstanding career of the of the member subcommittee and my friend, congressman jim sensenbrenner. as part of his distinguished an indelible eft mark on the judiciary committee, on congress, and on our country. celebrated those contory budget resolutions --

contributions in a ceremony held committee. he's never hesitated to work service ofy lines in americans. i looked for him for leadership at the beginning of the congress nd since then he's been a tremendous source of advice and wisdom over the past two years. it's been a real pleasure this congress, and i thank him for his incredible service and wish him retirement. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the lance of his the speaker pro tempore: will the members pass the bill. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended and the bill is passed and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: i move to suspend the rules and pass s. 134. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 134 an act to amendment title 18 united states code with regard to stalking. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline and the gentleman from north dakota, mr. armstrong, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline. mr. cicilline: i ask members may have five legislative days to include extraneous material on the bill under consideration. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the gentleman is recognized. mr. cicilline: the safety of our children is paramount in the preservation is critical. across this country and around the world we have awakened to a

new normal where our lives are intelligent earthed to the internet. we need to execute our daily routines online. children are engaged in virtual learning every day. they are spending countless hours on the internet. this approach is vital to keep our children safe, the widespread use can make stalking easier and allowing predators easy access to our children. it has allowed these internet crimes to transcend jurisdictional boundaries. there are instances of stalking whether accomplished through international travel. we must make sensible modifications of the stalking statute given that children are in many respects the most vulnerable. according to the c.d.c. stalking affects men and women in the united states.

stalking is common. one in six women and one in 17 men have experienced. it starts early. 54% of female victims experience stalking before the age of 25 and 16% and 20% of male victims before the age of 18. it affects the mental health of victims. stalking can lead to depression and post-traumatic disorder. this ort s. 134 because bill amends 18 united states code 2241-a which criminalizes with the intent to kill, injury or harris. and this can be even more critical when young people are victimized which may occur

online, cell phones, emails, text messages and on social media platforms which is referred to as cyberstalking thfment bill is timely because it increases the prison term by adding five years if the victim is under the age of 18. the increased maximum penalty is reasonable. this bill understands that some behavior among young people should not be subject to enhancement. therefore this bill makes the enhancement that it shall not apply for the person who violates if the person is under the age of 18 at the time of the offense or the victim is not less than 15 no more than 17 years of age and three years younger than the person who committed the offense. the attorney germ must submit a report to congress which includes efforts from these laws related to stalking and identify those elements that constitute

the best practices in the enforcement of such laws. this is a sensible bipartisan bill and i urge my colleagues to support it. and i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from rhode island reserves. the gentleman from, mr. armstrong is recognized. mr. armstrong: mr. speaker, i rise in support of s. 134, the combat online predators act which will give law enforcement officers additional tools to keep children safe. this bill raises the maximum criminal penalty by an additional five years if the victim is a minor. the bill directs the attorney general and the department of justice to produce a report evaluating state, federal and local laws that relate to stalking and describe best practices for enforcing those laws. we must do everything in our power to protect the most

vulnerable among us from digital predators. courts have the ability to sentence stalkers. this bipartisan bill will protect our children and give families peace of mind and make our communities safer. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from rhode island is recognized. mr. cicilline: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. mr. armstrong: i yield four minutes to my friend, congressman fitzpatrick. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for four minutes. mr. fitzpatrick: i thank the gentleman for yielding. mr. speaker, as my friend david cicilline just alluded to, we have no higher responsibility than to protect our children. and cyber stalking is a serious crime that needs to be met with stricter penalties including my friends and colleagues and

former agency of the f.b.i. the office of women's health defines stalking as repeated contact that makes one feel afraid or that rassed. 7.5 year this crime affects million people, including many children. stalking disproportionately impacts women. stalking victims are 50% more likely to be female and according to the c.d.c., one in six women have experienced stalking in their lifetime. my combat online predators act not only increase espnialities for these crimes but requiring federal law enforcement officials to evaluate and update practices to combat this online harassment. this provides enhanced penalties. 2261. 8, moreover, the legislation calls for the attorney general and the

department of justice to produce an evaluation of efforts to enforce laws relating to stalking and identify and describe elements of these enforcement efforts that constitute best practices across the united states. moreover, mr. speaker, this legislation was inspired by the story of a family in my district in bucks county, pennsylvania. whose teenaged daughter at the age of 13 years old was cyber stalked by a friend's father. despite the stalking being sexual in nature, the 51-year-old pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor stalking charge and sentenced to probation and counseling. three years later, this very ame stalking began making. he created a perverted library of 15,000 posts detailing his warped vision to marry her.

thankfully, mr. speaker, following a sting operation by our hero law enforcement officers, local police arrested him and sentenced him between 18 months and seven priors in prison. i saw the pain in their eyes and after hearing the diss turning ory, pain they endured for years, i knew something had to be done. the combat online predators act is the first step to make online internet safer and this cannot come soon enough. i thank mr. cicilline and members of the and madison and turned their pain into action and performed a voice for all cyber victims in this country. we will continue to fight for

justice. i would like to thank representative murphy and senator pat toomey and senator bob casey, all of whom who had a . rt to play in this and we need to stop cyber stalking. i urge my colleagues to vote yes on the combat online predators act. and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from north dakota reserves. the gentleman from rhode island is recognized. mr. cicilline: i yield three minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from texas, a respected member of the judiciary committee, ms. jackson lee. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from texas is recognized. ms. jackson lee: i thank the speaker. and i thank the manager of the

bill for his leadership continuously on issues of technology as well as his very fine work on the issues of antitrust. let me thank the manager of this legislation as well. i thank the senate and senate sponsor for some very important legislation. it is interesting to bring this legislation up in a time when our children, in particular, are learning from virtual technology leaving them suspect in terms of what has the opportunity to become a predator. and so, i couldn't think of a more important moment to bring s. 134, combatting online predators act and making it clear of the lack of tolerance of practices that would create a

harassment of children and clearly now with virtual learning being at the cornstone of the survival of education for our children with covid-19 raging, it seems clearly an appropriate initiative. the legislation calls for the attorney general and department of justice to produce an evaluation to enforce laws relating to stalking and identify zribled elements of these enforcement efforts that constitutes best practices. our intent here is to save lives and as well, to protect our children, protect their minds, protect their thoughts, protect the information that might draw them to leave home. and we know that has been a basis for our children running away because someone caught them on the internet. at the same time, i want to express my appreciation to the

united states senate because this was a difficult amendment to be able to craft and to understand and that is that we recognize that children can be children. and so, in essence, this legislation also has for parents to understand a provision that if children are within a certain age and the stalker is not much older than a child over 15 and under 17, and they engage in the nd of play, we call it the romeo and juliet, that those individuals would be exempt from the criminal aspects of this legislation. i think it very important exception in as much as we want parents to be engaged as much as we can in teaching teenagers and young people and overseeing their activity to make sure they don't do things that would create a criminal lilet or criminal act.

so i support this legislation because of its fairness and the recognition by the senate of the importance of that exemption and most of all to be able to make a national statement while we are in the midst of covid-19 and our children are facing virtual everything, that we want to combat online predators and i ask my colleagues to protect our children. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from rhode island reserves. the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. mr. armstrong: i yield three minutes to the the gentlewoman from puerto rico. miss gonzalez-colon: everything has been said. everything is online and there is a reason this bill is so important as well and i rise in support of senate bill 134, combat online predators act and i'm proud co-sponsor of the

companion bill which was introduced by representatives ryan fitzpatrick and stephanie murphy and increases maximum prison term by five additional years if the victim is under age. the attorney general must issue a report of the best practices for the enforcement of federal, state and local and tribal laws. according to the law of justice statistics during the 12-month period, an estimate of 14 in every thousand persons aged 13 or older are victims of stalking. 7.5 million people across the nation reported being affected by this according to the national center for victims of crimes and sponsored by the office of violence against women. the same study shows 46% of the

stalking victims experienced at least one unwanted contact per week and 11% of victims say they have been stalked by five years or more. approximately one in four stalking victims reported some form of cyberstalking according to the bureau of justice statistics, 83% of victims reported they received emails from their stalkers while 35% reported receiving instant messaging. . . federal law also criminalized the use of technology in stalking. taken rico has recently steps to enact a special policy of those who are victims crimes, such as gender-based and s, abuse, harassment, felony stalking.

to special law provides up 15 days annually where an employee is able to address through legal means to ensure that victims are able to the proper resources necessary to achieve justice. leads, justiceco must persevere for those who vulnerable most among us. again, i want to thank representative fitzpatrick and leading the house version of this legislation. of course, the senate for passing this bill. the reason why i urge my colleagues to support senate bill 134. back.hat i yield thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. north dakota from reserves. the gentleman from rhode island is recognized. speaker, i'm mr. prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from north dakota is recognized. you, mr. rong: thank speaker. technology has improved our

lives in a myriad of ways, but bad actors more tools in many instances -- and many instances stalkers can victimize their targets without ever leaving their home. like im can often feel they have nowhere to escape. i applaud the work of senator and congressman fitzpatrick who sponsored the ouse companion to this bill, and on this important legislation, and with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from rhode island, mr. cicilline, is recognized. mr. cicilline: mr. speaker, i urge my colleagues to support bipartisan measure because stalking is a crime which victims are made to live in constant fear. the effects of stalking can manifest both physically and mentally and have short-term and consequences. in this digital and technological world, we have now ourselves in, it's imperative we remain more vigilant of the nefarious of those lurking in the shadows to exploit our children's vulnerabilities. the online predators

act and urge my colleagues to do that i yield ith back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass 134.e those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. chair, 2/3ion of the having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the bill is passed, the ithout objection, motion to reconsider is laid on table.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? ms. escobar: i move the house h.r. d the rules and pass 8354, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. 8354, a bill to establish the service members initiative within the civil rights division of the department of justice and for other purposes. he speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from texas, ms. escobar, and the gentleman from armstrong, , mr. each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the texas, ms. from escobar. ms. escobar: thank you, mr. speaker. that allnimous consent members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. escobar: thank you. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the entlewoman from texas is recognized. ms. escobar: mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of my 8354, the service members and veterans initiative 2020. i'd like to thank chairman nadler for his leadership and support of this important along with my colleague from texas, congressman taylor, for leading me. bill with this measure is the result of a truly bipartisan effort. staff also worked closely ith the committee and ib got feedback from the -- and got eedback from the department of justice. the service members and veterans initiative act establishes in statute the service members and initiative within the department of justice's civil rights division. the ill details initiative's responsibilities to promote the legal interest of ervice members, veterans, and their families, such as advising

the attorney general on efforts this population, developing policy ecommendations, and serving as the liaison and point of contact with other components of d.o.j. o support the enforcement of federal laws that protect service members and veterans, ike coordinating the prosecution of fraud. as the proud representative of exas's 16th congressional district, home to fort bliss and early 50,000 veterans, i know firsthand the importance of protecting this population with necessitates hat specialized knowledge of the armed services and veterans affairs. learned more about the military community through my seat on the house armed services i have heard e various examples of the challenges they face. scams that al unfairly target this population conditions.using currently, the service members and veterans initiative draws on from the civil rights

division and the office of to enforce rams civil laws, such as the uniform ervices employment and re-employment rights act, the uniformed and overseas citizens of 1984, andng act the service members civil relief our among others to protect service members, veterans, and their families. creating an independent and home for these employees will allow them to better protect service members preserve institutional knowledge. the bill would also ensure that closely coordinating with the military departments so that service members, veterans, are aware of lies their legal rights and available benefits. veterans' service organizations have endorsed this measure. america, veterans of student veterans of america, and eterans education success, recognizing the significance of having a dedicated focus on hose who have served our nation. finally, i'm grateful to senator

hirono for introducing this senate, and i look forward to working with us to advance the bill further. to support lleagues this measure. thank you. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the from texas reserves. the gentleman from north dakota, mr. armstrong, is recognized. mr. armstrong: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. armstrong: thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 8354 codifies the d.o.j. ervice member and veterans initiative. the important work that our epartment does to support our nation's veterans. this coordinates with the civil other division and components to enforce federal members, tect service veterans, and their families. his includes the service members civil relief act, and the uniformed and overseas act.ens absentee voting the d.o.j.'s enforcement of these laws has helped our men and women in uniform. example, the department reports that enforcement of the

service members civil relief act more than $474 million in relief for over service members whose rights were violated. just last year, assistant dreband general eric announced the largest ever landlord orgainst a property management company for iolating -- violations of the c -- srca. during the trump administration, has ustice department expanded the service members and veterans initiative by launching veterans' access initiative. the veterans' access initiative issues on accessibility for veterans and service members under the americans with disabilities act. an important tool for ensuring that those veterans who return from service with a effectively n reintegrate into civilian life. the service members and veterans initiative provides resources to the public and legal federal laws about protecting service members,

veterans, and their families. provides tive also support and conducts outreach to service members, veterans, and families through the military departments. this is a good bill to codify an existing justice department program, and i encourage all members to support it. reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. he gentlewoman from texas is recognized. ms. escobar: mr. speaker, i reserve my time. the speaker pro tempore: the entlewoman from texas, ms. escobar, reserves. the gentleman from north dakota, mr. armstrong, is recognized. r. armstrong: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to my good friend, congressman taylor. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for minutes. mr. taylor: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in strong support of the introduced that i ith my colleague and fellow texan, veronicaes escobar. 8354, the ed h.r. service members and veterans initiative act. s a veteran who proudly serve our country, i know how

important it is to ensure that who have served in our armed services are protected from fraud. represented byly the department of justice. we owe a great deal to the courageous men and women who their lives to keep us free. ust as they fought to keep us safe, we must also work here in congress to protect those service members from those who them harm. and that's exactly what this bill aims to do. 8354 would formerly establish the service members veterans initiative within the civil rights division at the department of justice and codify and responsibilities. this office would be tasked with protecting the legal interests and veterans y community and to advise the attorney general on how to members and ce veterans from the fraud and predatory schemes that are out there. the federal trade commission noted u.s. service are increasingly becoming targets of fraud.

members and veterans lose more than civilians who are similar schemes. this is unacceptable. and we owe it to those who serve to prevent this targeted crime. the service members and veterans department of he justice would also play an important role in coordinating he prosecution of those who commit fraud, specifically targeting our nation's service families.d their this bill is an important step toward protecting our nation's and i am m fraud, proud to stand with my colleague, congresswoman scobar, in support of this bipartisan legislation. i urge all of my colleagues to vote in support of this bill.ant thank you. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the back.man yields the gentleman from north dakota. r. armstrong: i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: reserves. the gentlewoman from texas is recognized. speaker, i'm r. prepared to close and i yield

back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves from texas. north dakota from is recognized. mr. armstrong: mr. speaker, it seems likes the great state of texas has this covered. yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from texas, ms. recognized. ms. escobar: thank you, mr. speaker. colleagues,thank my specifically mr. taylor, for his artnership on this very important bill and, again, chairman nadler and all of hose, including staff and members of the d.o.j. who made this a better bill. our seb service members and veterans have worked tirelessly to protect us at home and abroad. it's only right that we work as hard as possible to protect them from fraud, predatory lending and other victimization. i urge all members to support this bipartisan effort to ensure the best for our service members, veterans and their families. thank you, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back the balance of her time. the question, members, is, will the house suspend the rules and

pass the bill, h.r. 354, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. -- 8354, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, -- for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? ms. escobar: mr. speaker, i ask for the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to section 3 of house resolution 965, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question are postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass h.r. 8235, the open courts act of 2020, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the

clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 8235, a bill to provide for the modernization of electronic case management systems and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from georgia, mr. johnson, and the gentleman from north carolina, -- north dakota, mr. armstrong, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from georgia, mr. johnson. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their marks and include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. johnson: and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 8235, as amended, the open courts act, which would require the federal judiciary to allow free public access to court records over the internet and modernize the court

record system so that it will cost less and -- cost less to maintain and be more secure. this act is the product of over five years of bipartisan effort and i'm so proud that we have gotten a bill to this point. i first want to thank the majority leader, steny hoyer, for his involvement and commitment to bringing this important legislation to the floor. and i'd like to thank director duff and his staff for their recent attention to this bill. i also want to thank mr. jordan for his support for this bill at the committee's markup and i would be remiss if i did not recognize our partners in the senate, senators portman and widen, for their leadership -- wyden, for their leadership and commitment to thevert. finally, i send -- to this effort. finally, i and he a thank you to doug collins, the co-lead on this bill, and i want to thank

him for his partnership for making the federal court record system freely accessible to all americans. i would also like to thank perry applebom with the judiciary committee, jamie simpson and matt robinson of my subcommittee. john pharaoh, with congressman collins' -- farrow, with congressman collins' office, and i'd like to give a special thanks to keith for all ofs i effort -- all of his efforts to help us be on the floor today with this bill. without everyone's persistence, dedication and countless hours of hard work, -- hard work behind the scenes, we would not be here today. mr. speaker, wealth should not act as a barrier to access our courts. whether it's a journalist reporting on the court's activities or a citizen petitioning the court for redress, access to the courts

should be free to all, not just to those who can afford it. forcing the public to pay for access to court records imposes an unnecessary and uncon szenable burden on people -- unconscionable burden on people who are simply engaging in a constitutionally protected activity. transparency and accessibility should be our goal, not profits and limited access. court records should be as easy access as legislation is on congress.gov. all you have to do is put in that website, go to it and look at all of the legislation that we produce and you should be able to do the same thing at the federal courthouse. our courts are a vital part of america's government and we in congress have a responsibility o ensure that public records

and public courthouses are accessible for free to the public. and this bill provides such protection of our most sacred democratic ideals. technology has become essential to preserving our first amendment rights by helping to ensure meaningful access to justice and to court records. it's past time that we bring this federal -- that we bring our federal court record system into the 21st century. convenient access to public records and public courthouses shouldn't be a privilege for the few who can afford it. it's our duty to change the system and that's what this bill does. and it finally makes it fairer for everyone else. and i encourage my colleagues, all of my colleagues, to join us in voting on this bipartisan piece of legislation. and with that, mr. chairman, mr. speaker, i -- with that, i yield

back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. does the gentleman reserve the balance of his time? mr. johnson: i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia, mr. johnson, reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from north dakota, mr. armstrong, is recognized. mr. armstrong: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. armstrong: mr. speaker, h.r. 8235, the open courts act of 2020, will modernize the judicial branch and bring it, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the 21st century. first, the bill will update and streamline the federal judiciary's case management system, ushering in much-needed improvements to the technological capabilities of the system. the bill will consolidate the judiciary's electronic courts record system, establish certain data standards, and require the record system to follow those standards. these improvements of the case management system will increase the efficiency and improve the availability of court records to the american public.

second, the open courts act will require the federal court records are free and accessible. by ensuring that public records are freely accessible, this bill will bring increased transparency to our judiciary process. and the reforms contained in the open courts act are not new ideas. advocates of judicial transparency have long supported efforts to make court records free to the public. the open courts act makes long overdue, commonsense reforms. this bipartisan legislation will expand the public's ability to not only find court records, but to access them as well. however, before i conclude my statement, i do want to know one thing. while this bill is bipartisan, the text was uplater -- updated late last night. the bill now contains an additional eight pages and includes various changes to the text. specifically, regarding redaction language of sensitive info. i understand why courts don't necessarily want this burden, but -- and typically under current process filers are the ones who do the redactions.

but now the text seems to be silent on the redaction of sensitive information altogether. i honestly don't know where that places the current policy. and the reason i don't know is because we were made aware of these changes less than 24 hours ago. this is not how a bipartisan bill is supposed to proceed and it's a really good way to get a broad bipartisan bill to not become law. with that, i yield back, or reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. johnson: mr. speaker, may i inquire as to how many speakers the minority -- has one more speaker? i'll reserve the balance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from georgia reserves. the gentleman from north dakota, mr. armstrong, is recognized. mr. armstrong: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to my good friend, congressman barr. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for three minutes, mr. barr. mr. barr: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to enter into the record a letter from the judicial conference of the

united states. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. barr: thank you, mr. speaker. and, mr. speaker, let me first just ac -- acknowledge the well-intentioned goals of this legislation and my colleagues from georgia, in a bipartisan way, working together. and i applaud their efforts to attempt to modernize the judicial branch and make judicial records more accessible to the american people. nevertheless, i regrettably rise with reservations as a former practitioner in federal court regarding h.r. 8235, the open courts act of 2020. according to the judicial conference of the united states, the bill as drafted would have devastating budgetary and operational impacts on the judiciary and its ability to serve the public. current estimates for the cost of the bill from the judicial conference is currently $2 billion apart from the congressional budget office's preliminary estimates of the cost to develop and implement a new electronic filing and public access system. should these cost estimates be

correct, there is no scenario in which the revenue generated by the bill would cover costs, forcing the judiciary to slash funding for staff and other critical operations. this bill, a $2 billion price tag, and the entire budget of the federal judiciary is only $8 billion annually. additionally, despite the bill's cap on increases to filing fees, it authorizes the judiciary to raise filing fees if the other revenue sources in the bill prove insufficient to cover costs. i know my colleagues do not want to deny access to the federal courts. ultimately this bill does not resolve some of the judiciary's most fundamental concerns and as a result i regrettably urge my colleagues to consider these issues and the bill's impact on the judiciary. i know the judicial conference is willing to work with congress to resolve some of these outstanding issues and to get at the sponsors' goals which are very laudable indeed and that's to modernize the judicial branch and to make a judicial -- to make judicial records more accessible to the american people. i will say that under current

law, low-income americans can access many of these records without cost. and the vast majority of those organizations and individuals that are paying for these records and underwriting the cost are institutions that have the means to do so. so i urge my colleagues to consider these issues and the bill's potential impact on the judiciary and i encourage my colleagues on the other side of the capitol to work with the judicial conference to resolve these outstanding concerns. with that, mr. speaker, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from north dakota reserves. the gentleman from georgia is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. i appreciate the comments of my friend. this has been a five-year bipartisan effort that only ecently yielded the ability of the judicial conference through

the administrative office to actually come to the table and talk to congress, to try to work out their concerns. lots er about a week of of conversation, hours and hours of conversation and dialogue and negotiation, we came up with an amended bill. and then at the very last minute, today, the judicial conference issues a letter citing a preposterous figure, $2 billion, for this system, which is not attached to any realistic cost estimate whatsoever. i would submit for the record the c.b.o.'s, congressional budget office, estimate of the cost of the open records act, to put in a new system that is more

secure and more user-friendly than the one that is in place right now. it is a state-of-the-art 21st century system, as opposed to a 1985 system. e that will cost, in the c.b.o.'s assessment, about $46 million over 10 years. that's a drastic difference than a $2 billion cost estimate submitted at the last minute to confuse and try to derail passage of this very commonsense, necessary legislation that brings judicial records into the 21st century. . record.mit this for the and mr. speaker, i ask whether there are any speakers remaining. prepared to close.

mr. armstrong: i'm prepared to close. reserve.on: i'll the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from north dakota recognized. mr. armstrong: mr. speaker, with exist, he concerns that i think the goal of transparency and cost-effectiveness are still this. of i urge support of the bill. with that i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the back, mr. ields armstrong. the gentleman from georgia, mr. johnson, is recognized. mr. johnson: thank you, mr. speaker. h.r. 8235 is a bill that will meaningful difference in the accessibility and transparency of an entire branch of the federal government. it vined indicates our -- our critical first amendment rights and it will establish a level playing field critical to government documents. and for those reasons, i urge my bill, ues to support the as amended. and with that, mr. speaker, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the time.e of his

members, the question is will the house suspend the rules and ass the bill h.r. 8235, as amended. those in favor say aye. no.e opposed, in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative, the rules are the bill is passed, and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the question on the adoption of the h.r. ence report on 63695 -- 6395 on which the yeas and nays are ordered. the clerk will report the title. he clerk: h.r. 6395, an act to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2021, for military

of the department of defense, for military onstruction, and for defense activities of the department of energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such year, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is on adoption of the conference report. members will record their votes by electronic device. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of epresentatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.]

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from washington seek recognition? ms. delbene: as the member designated by dr. schrier, pursuant to house resolution that dr.form the house schrier will vote yes on the

conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> as the member designated by

mr. cardenas of california, ursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. cardenas will vote yea on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? as the member designated by mr. rooney, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. rooney will adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by mr. i d, pursuant to h.res. 965, inform the house that mr. kind will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms.

moore, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that ms. moore on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms. pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. cohen will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by mr. lieu, pursuant to h.res. 965, i mr. lieu house that will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms. barragan, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that ms. no on n will vote adoption of the conference report. s the member designated by mr. lowenthal, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. lowenthal will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? mr. speaker, as the member designated by mr. peters of california, pursuant to .res. 965, i inform the house that mr. peters will vote yes on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. correa: mr. speaker, as the member designated by congress member napolitano, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that congress member

napolitano will vote yes on the adoption of the conference report. mr. speaker, as the member esignated by congress member vargas, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the use that congress member vargas will also vote aye on the adoption of the conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, as the member designated by mr. kim, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. kim will vote aye on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. lawson, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the will vote mr. lawson yes on the conference -- on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. cooper: mr. speaker, as the member designated by mr. costa, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. costa will vote yes on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, as the member designated by dr. bera, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that dr. bera will vote aye on the adoption of the conference report. mr. speaker, as the member designated by mr. rouda, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. rouda will vote aye on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, as the member designated by mr. price of north carolina, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. price will vote yes, will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. mr. butterfield: as the member designated by mr. richmond of louisiana, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. richmond will vote yes, will vote yes on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from michigan seek recognition? as the member designated by mr. ruiz, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. ruiz will vote yes. as the member designated by ms. tlaib of michigan, pursuant to

house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. tlaib will vote no on the adoption of the conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition? ms. matsui: mr. speaker, as the member designated by mr. desaulnier, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the mr. desaulnier will vote no on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. jeffries: as the member designated by chairwoman zoe lofgren, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that chairwoman lofgren will vote yea on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by chairwoman eddie bernice johnson, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that chairwoman johnson will vote yea on the conference report. as the member designated by chairman jerry nadler, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that chairman nadler will vote no on the conference report. as the member designated by congressman jose serrano, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that congressman serrano will vote no

on the conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: as the member designated by mr. rush, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. rush will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. schneider of illinois, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. schneider will vote yes on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman seek recognition? for what purpose does the gentlewoman from virginia seek recognition? ms. wexton: as the member designated by representative mitchell of michigan, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that

representative mitchell will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, as the member designated by grijalva of arizona, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. grijalva will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? as the member designated by ms. pingree of maine, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. pingree will vote yes on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from minnesota seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, as the member designated by mr. peterson of minnesota, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. peterson will vote yea on adoption of the conference report. h.r. 6395.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mrs. kirkpatrick, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mrs. kirkpatrick will vote yes on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from maryland seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. doggett, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. doggett will vote aye on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by mr. pocan, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. pocan will vote no on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms. jayapal, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. jayapal will vote no on adoption of the conference

report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from connecticut seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mrs. wilson, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mrs. wilson will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from pennsylvania seek recognition? >> as the member designated by ms. dean, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. dean will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? >> as the member designated by chairwoman velazquez, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. velazquez will vote no on

adoption of the conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. garamendi, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. garamendi will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. welch of vermont, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. mel. will vote no on the adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms. strahan of massachusetts, pursuant to house resolution 5, i inform the house that laze hand will vote yes on adoption -- that ms. strahan will vote yes on the conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> as the member designated by representative lowey, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that representative lowey will vote aye on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from virginia seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. mceachin, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. mceachin will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms. porter, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. porter will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from massachusetts seek recognition? >> as the member designated by ms. meng, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the nose that ms. meng will vote on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms. bonamici, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the use that ms. bonamici will vote no on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms. frankel, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. frankel will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms. castor, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. castor will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by ms.

brownley, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. brownley will vote yes on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from texas seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, as the member designated by ms. roybal-allard of california, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. roybal-allard will vote yes on adoption of the conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? ms. wasserman schultz: as the member designated by mr. hastings of florida, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. hastings will vote yea on the conference report.

as the member designated by mr. payne of new jersey, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. payne will also vote yea on the conference report. as the member designated by ms. mucarsel-powell of florida, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. mucarsel-powell will also vote yea on the conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, as the member designated by ms. titus of nevada, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. titus will vote yes on adoption of the

conference report. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. cunningham, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. cunningham will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from new york seek recognition? miss rice: as the member designated by mr. deutch of florida, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. deutch will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: mr. speaker, as the member designated by by ms. bonnie watson coleman, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that ms. watson coleman will vote no on the adoption of the conference report. as the member designated by mr. bill pascrell, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house mr. pascrell will vote yes on adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. lamb, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. lamb will vote yea on the adoption of the conference report.

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 335, the nays are 78, with one present. the conference report is adopted. without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, the unfinished business is the vote on the motion of the gentlewoman from texas, ms. escobar to pass the bill as amended on which the the yeas and nays are ordered the clerk will report the title. the clerk: h.r. 8354, a bill to

establish the service members and veterans initiative within the civil rights division of the department of justice and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill as amend the. members will record their votes y electronic device. [captioning made possible by the national captioning institute, inc., in cooperation with the united states house of representatives. any use of the closed-captioned coverage of the house proceedings for political or commercial purposes is expressly prohibited by the u.s. house of representatives.] the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> as the member designated by by mr. grijalva of arizona, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. grijalva will 3584.ea on h.r.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from seek recognition? ms. garcia: as the member designated by ms. roybal-allard of california pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that ms. roybal-allard will vote yes on h.r. 3584. thank you, mr. speaker. . . the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. cunningham, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. cunningham will vote yes on h.r. 8354.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from michigan seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. peters of california, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. peters will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from massachusetts seek recognition?

>> as the member designated by mr. welch of vermont, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. welch ill vote yes on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by ms. trahan of massachusetts, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. trahan will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from new york seek recognition? >>men eastbound mr. deutch of florida, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. deutch will vote yes on h.r. 8354.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from michigan seek recognition? >> as the member designated by dr. ruiz of kale, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. ruiz will vote yea on h.r. 8354. ms. e member designated by -- of michigan, i inform the house that she will vote aye on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from north carolina seek recognition?

>> as the member designated by mr. price of north carolina, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. price will vote yes on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by mr. richmond of louisiana, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. richmond will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from minnesota seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. peterson of minnesota, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. peterson will vote aye on h.r. 354.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, as the member designated by mr. schneider of illinois, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. schneider will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from rhode island seek recognition? mr. cicilline: as the member designated by ms. pingree, chair of the congressional arts caucus , of maine, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. pingree will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition?

>> mr. speaker, as the member designated by congress member napolitano, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that congress member napolitano will vote aye on h.r. 8354. mr. correa: as the member designated by congress member vargas, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that congress member vargas will vote aye on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> as the member designated by

ms. titus of nevada, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. titus will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. tonko: as the member designated by representative lowey, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that representative lowey will vote aye on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from kansas seek recognition? >> as the member designated by

mr. kim, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. kim will vote aye on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from washington seek recognition? >> as the member designated by dr. schrier, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that dr. schrier will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition?

ms. wasserman schultz: as the member designated by ms. mucarsel-powell of florida, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. mucarsel-powell will vote yea on h.r. 8354. and, as the member designated by mr. hastings of florida, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. hastings will vote yea on h.r. 8354. and as the member designated by mr. payne of new jersey, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. payne will vote yea on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. lamb, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. lamb will vote yea on h.r. 8354.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from virginia seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. mceachin, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. mceachin will vote yes on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by ms. porter, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. porter will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for

what purpose does the gentlelady from florida seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. lawson, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. lawson will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. cardenas of california, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. cardenas will vote aye on h.r. 354.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from massachusetts seek recognition? >> as the member designated by ms. kuster, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. kuster will vote yes on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by ms. meng, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. meng will vote yes on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by ms. frankel, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. frankel will vote es on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by ms. brownley, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. brownley will vote yes on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by ms. bonamici, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. bonamici will vote yes on h.r. 8354.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> as the member designated by dr. bera, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that dr. bera will vote ye on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by mr. rouda, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. rouda will vote aye on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlelady from new york seek recognition?

>> as the member designated by chairwoman nydia velazquez, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. velazquez will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman

from maryland seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mr. pocan, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. pocan will vote aye on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by mr. doggett, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that mr. doggett will vote ye on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by ms. jayapal, pursuant to house resolution 965, i inform the house that ms. jayapal will vote aye on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does gentlelady from illinois seek recognition? ms. underwood: as the member designated by mr. rush, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. rush will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for

what purpose does gentlelady from connecticut seek recognition? >> as the member designated by ms. wilson pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house ms. wilson will vote yes on h.r. 354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does gentlelady pennsylvania seek recognition? ms. scanlon: as the member designated by ms. dean pursuant to helps ress 965, i inform the house ms. dean will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does gentlelady california seek recognition? >> as the member designated by

mr. desaulnier, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. desaulnier will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? mr. cooper: as the member designated by mr. costa, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. costa will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. beyer: as the member designated by ms. bar began, pursuant to h.res. 965, ms. bar began will vote yes. as the member designated by mr. cohen, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house mr. cohen will vote yes. as the member designated by mr. lowenthal, pursuant to h.res.

965, i inform the house mr. lowenthal will vote yes. as the member designated by mr. kind, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. kind will vote yes. as the member designated by mr. lieu pursuant to h.res. 965, mr. 8354.ill vote yes on h.r. as the member designated by ms. moore, i inform the house that ms. moore will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new jersey seek recognition? mr. pallone: mr. speaker as the member designated by ms. bonnie watson coleman, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mrs. coleman will vote yes on h.r. 8354.

as the member designated by mr. bill pascrell, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. pascrell will vote yes on h.r. 8354. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from arizona seek recognition? >> as the member designated by mrs. kirkpatrick, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house

that mrs. kirkpatrick will vote yes on h.r. 8354.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. jeffries: as the member designated by eddie berne ease johnson, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that ms. johnson will vote yea. pursuant to h.res. 965,

chairwoman love depren will vote yea on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by jerry nadler, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that chairman nadler will vote yea on h.r. 8354. as the member designated by congressman jose serrano, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house congressman serrano will vote yea on h.r. 8354.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? as the member designated by mr. garamendi, pursuant to h.res. 965, i inform the house that mr. aramendi will vote yes on h.r. 8354.

the speaker pro tempore: on this vote, the yeas are 400, the nays are 1. 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended, the

bill is passed, and without objection the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent to take from the speaker's table the bill s.

2904, the identifying outputs of generative adversarial networks act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2904, an act to direct the director of the national science foundation to support research on the outputs that may be generated by generative adversares network, otherwise known as deepfakes, and other comparable techniques that may be developed in the future and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the bill? without objection, the bill is read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that the committees on science, space, and technology, education and labor, oversight and reform, foreign affairs, energy and commerce, and ways and means be discharged from further consideration of house

resolution 1250 and i ask for its immediate consideration in the house. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the resolution. the clerk: house resolution 1250, resolution expressing the sense of the house of representatives with respect to the principles that should guide the national artificial intelligence strategy of the united states. the speaker pro tempore: is there objection to the consideration of the resolution? without objection, the resolution is agreed to and the motion to reconsider is laid on the table. the chair will now entertain requests for one-minute speeches. for what purpose does the gentleman from tennessee seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i seek unanimous consent to address the house for one minute. the speaker pro tempore: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> mr. speaker, i rise today to honor the decades-long service of a public servant who embodies

what makes tennessee the volunteer state, mr. johnny blakely. after 18 years representing the congressman for tennessee's 17th district he will begin his next chapter of life in the new year. for 24 year he is served on the school board including 17 years as chairman. he served as vice mayor. he and linda, his charming wife of 56 year have three children and seven grandchildren. on behalf of the united states congress i'm proud to congratulate johnny blakely on his retirement and express our gratitude for his 18 years of service to tennessee's seventh districtism ask unanimous consent to insert the rest of -- the remainder of my remarks into the record. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from pennsylvania seek recognition? the gentleman is recognized for one minute. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today's passage of the water

resources development act of 2020 as amended by the senate marks a new chapter for critical infrastructure project that's very important to the residents of pennsylvania's 12th congressional district. the williams port levee, located in cuming county, pennsylvania, is in dire need of repair to protect the livelihoods of local businesses. the flood system behind the levee system is responsible for lycoming county's economy. this bill authorizes the u.s. army corps of engineer teoscarry out a feasibility study of the imminent threat the levee poses to county residents and economy. this feasibility study is the precursor to construction and funding for the levee and represents an important step toward addressing the critical

infrastructure need. i will continue to do everything in my power to work with the army corps of engineers to prioritize this project. today we take an important step forward in our community's collective effort to get this infrastructure project across the finish line. for that, i am grateful. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? without objection, the gentleman s recognized for one minute. >> it is with great sadness i rise to recognize the loss of a very great american, brigadier general chuck yeager passed last evening. mr. lamalfa: he and his wife victoria are constituents of ours in northern california. truly he was an american icon. he inspired the world to push farther and faster, to push the envelope as we say. a man i was honored to call a friend.

grew up in west virginia, country boy, hunting, fishing the hills where he lived. he entered world war ii and became one of the greatest pilots that we would know. he had an amaze 20g10 vision hat helps him see enemy -- 20/10 vision that helped him see enemy aircraft faster than nizz colleagues or than they could see ours. his exploits continued after world war ii when he was the first man to break the sound barrier in his bell x1. indeed an amazing gentleman. a determined man with a lot of grit, a lot of help advancing the aviation situation in this country, even just a few years ago exceeding the sound barrier once again. he had a straight, dry sense of humor, didn't have a whole lot of use of politicians, i was lucky to be able to count him as a friend, not as a politician but as more of a neighbor.

we'll grieve this man, grieve his loss, because they don't make very many like chuck yeager. indeed, he'll be irreplaceable. god bless him and his family. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: are there further requests for one-minute speeches? under the speaker's announced policy of january 3, 2019, the gentleman from maryland, mr. hoyer is recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader. mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, thank you very much for your recognition. we will in a short time remember our friend paul sarbanes, but another friend of mine, whom i have not known as long but have known well, the gentlelady from montgomery, alabama, with whom i went on the pilgrimage sponsored by faith and politics and led by

our beloved john lewis, she welcomed us so graciously to montgomery. graduate of n.y.u., graduate of stanford law school. and her father, the chief judge of the court of appeals of their circuit. and her husband riley and her two children. i've known and they have joined us. regrettably, she will be leaving the congress at the end of the -- at the end of this year. i say regrettably because she was a member of congress who worked across the aisle, who worked positively and constructively on behalf of her district, on behalf of her state, on behalf of her country and we will miss her. i yield five minutes to the gentlelady from alabama. >> mr. speaker, i thank my friend, the gentleman from maryland, for yielding. thank you so much, leader hoyer and i just appreciate your

friendship all these years. i really do appreciate the time you've given me. mr. speaker, i rise before you and my colleagues here today to speak for my final time on the house floor. years ago, my husband and i prayerfully decided i would put my name on the ballot for the first time. never could we have messengered that that original decision to run for the montgomery city council would lead us to serve five times in the u.s. house of representatives. ms. roe wie: we are so grateful that god allowed us to serve our country in this way and we give all honor an glory to him. i counted -- i count it a great privilege to serve the people of alabama's second congressional district over the past decade and i cannot adequately express how deeply thankful i am for the confidence my constituents have placed in me over the years. . each of you sitting before me

here knows the responsibility that comes along with being a member of congress, yes, we are record -- we are required to vote and be the conscience of those we represent. but serving our constituents back home truly changes lives in our communities for the better. as i look back on the wonderful things team roby was able to accomplish along with the help of my colleagues in the alabama delegation, i realize that our most significant duty is to help those who need us. whether it is requesting assistance with the v.a. or another federal agency, assisting with cleanups following a large scale weather event, voicing an opinion or booking tures of the u.s. capitol, my doors -- tours of the u.s. capitol, my doors have always remained open to each person i represent. i am thankful for the unique opportunities given to me by those who came before me, especially the chance to serve on several impactful committees, including appropriations, judiciary, agriculture, armed services, education and the work

force and the select committee on benghazi. much work has been done in each of these revered committees to impact the lives of my constituents, and for that i am forever grateful. i've been asked many times over the past few months what will i miss the most upon my departure, and my answer has remained the same. the relationships. the genuine friendships formed with my colleagues, my constituents and so many others over the years. and interacting with these individuals on a daily basis is what i will truly miss the most. for many, this past year was and continues to be very challenging. we have all experienced plenty of unfamiliar hardships. not only has a global health pandemic taken center stage, but america is marked by intense division and polarization. every time we turn on the television, you see a depiction of disunity amongst the american

people. i imagine many americans struggle to believe that friendship can actually exist within the halls of congress. it is incumbent upon us, members of congress, to join forces and work together to get things done for the good of the american people. when we reach across the aisle and work with the other side to arrive at a compromise for the benefit of those we serve, we are truly at our best. i believe the american people are starving to see bipartisanship in action, especially during this time of much suffering and uncertainty. people want to know their leaders are working together for the common good and not just shouting each other down. my greatest hope and prayer moving forward is that all members of congress, new and old, regardless of party identification, beliefs or opinions, will come together and

work toward a common goal to deliver real results for the american people. i have faith in this institution and i have faith in each of you. now, i want to especially thank the people of the second district. it is your faith and trust in me as your representative that helped me every step of the way. i am honored to have been given this incredibly unique opportunity and i thank you for letting me be your voice in congress. together we've been able to deliver some incredible results for our military, veterans, agricultural community and the unborn. while we made much progress together, the fight is not finished. i want to thank my congressional colleagues for your kindness and friendship throughout the years. not too far into my time in congress, i woke up realizing that the people i served with had become some of my very best friends. i am confident these

relationships will continue. and i will certainly miss our time spent together, having conversations about our families and encouraging one another. i want to thank my incredible staff, all former and present members of team roby, for your hard work on behalf of the people of alabama and our country. i know all members say this, but i truly believe i have the greatest staff in the world. i would never be able to execute this job without the dedication and support of my staff. they have worked tirelessly to serve the people of the second district. and we have a special saying on our team, once team roby, always team roby. and lastly, i want to thank my husband, riley, and our two children, margaret and george. my parents, the robies, and our entire village for -- robys, and our entire village for supporting our country. your steadfast love and constant support have carried us through the easy and the hard times and i love each of you dearly.

on behalf of riley, margaret, george and myself, we sincerely thank all of those who made our service to our country and the great state of alabama possible. and those who offered their services along the way. thank you, and for the very last ime, i yield back. mr. hoyer: mr. speaker, i know i speak for every member of this house, particularly those of us who have had the privilege of knowing martha roby well, and spending time with her. she is a decent and good representative. she is a wonderful representative of her state. she has made this house a little better. and this country a little better. and we thank her for her service. mr. speaker, we were saddened to

learn the other night, john called me and told me that his father had passed away. john sarbanes, of course, is our .olleague he told me of the passing of a wonderful human being with a great intellect, a wonderful wit, a sense of decency, great integrity and profound love for our country and its people. paul sarbanes. he was a gifted legislator, a wise advisor to all who sought his counsel. he brought great courage to his efforts for the people and great compassion for all who struggled to survive and succeed in their pursuit of happiness. i know that all of us serving in this house expresses our heartfelt condolences to john and his entire family. including his son, our colleague, john sarbanes, the

son of whom his father was extraordinary proud. i had the opportunity with john .o see his dad, not so long ago and i was so glad i took the opportunity when i was in baltimore to see him. a number of us had a wonderful opportunity to serve with senator sarbanes. -- sarbanes in the congress. i had the privilege of serving with him for four years in the maryland general assembly and for 30 years in the congress of the united states. my friendship with paul went back to the time when we were elected to the maryland general assembly, in the same freshman class of 1966. before, mr. speaker, you were born. or close. paul was elected to the house and i was elected to the state senate. over the years, mr. speaker, we came to look differently at which body was more important. he originally served in the

house in maryland, and i served in the senate. we changed our perspective on which was the most important body. serving together in the maryland congressional delegation, we continued our partnership, working for the people of our state and standing up for the principles we shared. and paul was at his core a man of principle. raised with the ethics of his immigrant parents, the foundation of his greek orthodox faith, and the values of his baltimore neighborhood. paul believed his first responsibility as a legislator was to ensure, to ensure that government was always accountable to the people it served. he never wavered in that mission. when he saw evidence of the obstruction of justice by president nixon, he was the first to file articles of impeachment. in the senate, he was an -- itect, in what was

architect in what is now known as sarbanes-oxley to protect consumers. transparency, accountability and ethics were the watch words of paul sash baines. he was also a champion for -- sarbanes. he was also a champion of a cleaner chesapeake bay. he understood that the bay is one of maryland's and america's greatest treasures and most extraordinary assets. mr. speaker, i was proud to partner with him on efforts to protect the bay, as well as on so many other issues important to our state, including robust investment in education, protecting and enhancing civil rights, and making quality health care more affordable and accessible. paul sarbanes will be remembered. -- remembered as a man of substance and principle, of decency and warmth, of insight and vision. he left an indelible mark on this institution in which he

served and on the millions of people in maryland and across our country whose lives he enriched. as dean of the maryland delegation, it is my honor to open this hour of tribute and to yield to my friend and colleague , his son, of whom, as i said, he was so very proud, and we share his father's pride in his service in this institution. i yield to representative john arbanes. mr. sarbanes: i want to thank the majority leader for yielding. i want to thank you for your friendship with my father, paul sarbanes, for so many years you go back with him a long way -- for so many years. you go back with him a long way. and he chir herbed that friendship -- cherished that friendship, as did he the relationship with all the members of the maryland delegation during the time that he served.

and i want to thank my colleagues here tonight who have come to help remember him and pay tribute. on behalf of my brother, michael, and my sister, janet, i want to thank all the people who over the last 48 hours have been sending in these remembrances and tributes to my father. from his time in the senate, before that here in the house, where he was for six years. and from time periods before that even. i want to thank right up front who n particular his staff ver the course of his 40 years in public service, he understood were the ones who made him or broke him. task master but he chose people that had that same set of principles and

values and commitment to hard work. a lot of the tributes that have been coming in have talked about him being a workhorse, not a show horse. the idea that you put your head down, you get the job done, you try to build consensus where you can. but you always remember that you're here for a reason, that is to make good, strong policy that can help people. he lived a full life, he made a difference in the lives of others, which is all he ever wanted to do. he knew he wanted to be in politics from a very early age. but his motivation was looking at the opportunities he had, a son of greek immigrants who came to this country with very little , and he had the opportunity for education and advancement. his motivation was to make those available to others. he loved being with people. he had a dry sense of humor.

he enjoyed banter with all who crossed his path. was intensely interested in the journey that others had taken to whatever station they held in life. and he was always asking, where are you from, what do you do, what's next for you? he had an inherent integrity that was strengthened by always striving to meet the expectations of those who put their confidence in him. in politics, he was motivated, as i said, by the burning conviction that every individual has dignity and the potential to succeed if given a fair shot. and he was determined others would have those same opportunities that he had enjoyed. he understood that if you share the credit, if you don't seek credit, you get a lot more done. and that was how he operated. a few years ago i prevailed upon hours oft for about 20

videotape oral history, because i wanted to make sure we captured the essence of his life and his career. and so we have this treasure, which we'll make available to people as we move forward, but i wanted to just, in his own word, grab a few excerpts from that that i think convey who he is and what he cared about. i remember, i came home one time, he was sitting in the living room, on the couch, he was revved up about something. i don't know what the issue was that day that got him sort of motivated, but he banged on the side of the couch and he said, i'm for the little guy. i'm for the little guy. he might as well in that moment have been stating his purpose in public life. that's what motivated him from

the moment he got up in the morning until the moment he went to bed at night. so he told in this oral history, i'll just read a couple of these things her talked about getting public housing or senior citizen affordable housing in the inner harbor. and -- in baltimore. and he was very proud of the fact that you had this senior citizen housing there and he said, quote, next door to it is an expensive hotel, behind the hotel is a big condominium building with very expensive condominiums in it. every time i go by that building i get a sense of satisfaction out of it. particularly in nice weather, i look up, all these seniors are sitting on their terraces looking out over the water. i know developers would give their eyeteeth to get that

property but they don't have it. it's part of the affordable housing initiative so a lot of seniors who worked hard all their life, who are now retired, but don't have a lot of money, have the benefit of this house. i always get a measure of satisfaction out of it. we're in the midst, as we know, in our country of some really challenging moments addressing issues of justice. here's a story about how my father in a small way maid a statement around justice. -- made a statement around justice. he said we had a situation in one of the rural town thonets eastern shore and when they delivered the mail, the post-man would come down the street and there'd be big houses and he'd go up to the house and put the mail in the mailbox. as he moves on -- moved on down the street the comp sthoifings neighborhood would change and the houses would get smaller, much smaller. the complexion of the people living in the houses changed too

as you went down the street. so they went from white to black. and down the street, instead of the post-man going through the gate or whatever and up to the house they were going to require those people to put a post-box at the street. so some people came to us about that. a couple of pass tors ministers and they pointed out this situation. so i got the postal people in for a meeting in my office. my father said. now what's happening here. as i understand it, up here where the big houses and the white residents you're going to continue to go up to the house and put the mail through the door slot but when you get down this way to the little houses and the african-american residents you're going to require them to put a mail receptacle out at the pavement or at the curb and you're not going to go up to the house anymore. what's the rationale for this policy? well of course if you lay it out like that there isn't a

rationale, there's the not an acceptable one that can stand the light of day so they dropped the project and went on delivering the mail and here's what my father said. that's the way it ought to work. and i felt it's not a big issue but we got some justice done for those people. small things stand for big principles. that's what he was about. so i'm going to close with just a couple of final thoughts here. first of all, i want to thank the greek-american community which was fiercely proud of my father's achievements. he was deeply proud of where he came from. it was an inspiration to him in public service. i want to thank so many who helped him along the way from

that community. my mother, christine, who died 10 years ago, she came into his life like a bolt of lightning. he didn't know what hit him. he met her at oxford. brilliant, beautiful woman. who could match him step for step. in her intellect. and she knocked his socks off. and i think the great regret of his life was that he had hoped in his retirement, you know, public life is hard. you know that. and i think all along the way he was looking forward to that time when the two of them could spend more time together and unfortunately she passed away within a couple of years of his retirement and they didn't get that opportunity together. i don't think he ever fully

recovered from that. so i think about his legacy and understand certainly that ere's no way his children, myself, my brother michael, my sister janet, were ever going to match that legacy. but -- because it's a pretty unmatchable one when you look at the record. but i think we are all doing what we can to continue it. to nurture it. to sustain it. going forward. and again i want to thank you for the time to speak here and i want to thank my colleagues for all your support and kind words over the last couple of days. i yield back.

mr. hoyer: i thank the son of a great man who -- that great man ould say is a great son. he loved john but he respectedon and he believed that john was enhancing the sarbanes legacy and he was right. mr. speaker, at this point in time i will yield back the balance of my time with the expectation that mr. trone of our state will continue to recognize other members of our delegation who want to speak and i yield back: -- yield back. the speaker pro tempore: under the speaker's policy of january 3, 2019, mr. trone is recognized for the remainder of the house as the designee of the majority leader. i recognize mr.

ruppersberger. e mr. ruppersberger: i rise to honor the life and legacy of senator paul sarbanes, a titan of maryland politics and a man i considered a mentor during my time as baltimore county executive. john, very warm comments, i know your father is looking down and very proud of you and his whole family. it's a moment we'll never forget. anyone who values government accountability and integrity, anyone who loves or lives off the chesapeake bay, is benefiting from the service of senator paul sarbanes. though his legislative style was often described as quiet and

unassuming, the accomplishments of senator sarbanes were bold and ground breaking. he will go down as one of the chesapeake bay's fiercest stewards in history. the sarbanes-oxley act of 2002, he pioneered legislation that continues to protect consumers today. from watergate to iran contrato whitewater, he fought government corruption and he was a man of integrity and decency. he didn't have a soap box. he had sense. he led with respect, not hetoric. over the course of his three decades of public service, senator sarbanes showed us what we can achieve when taking credit isn't just a priority. today we celebrate the legacy senator sarbanes has left for future generations and i know

senator sarbanes was very proud of his son john's work here in he united states congress. and also his son michael's work on behalf of the baltimore city schools, and his daughter janet who is an accomplished writer. in closing, we will always remember senator sarbanes and i ield back. mr. trone: i'd like to now recognize mr. brown. mr. brown: thank you, mr. trone. let me start by saying, john, always believe you can tell a lot about a person by the children they raised and if i knew nothing else about your father, then -- than what i see in you, i know your father is a great man because you yourself are a great man. while you may think that you will never match your father's

accomplishments, he believed and already knew that you have. i was in many a public event in the presence of you and your father and i would watch him as he was watching you and it was so clear and obvious the pride he took in you as i know he did in his other children, knowing that you were stepping in his footsteps, continuing his legacy, and hi work for the people of maryland. so john, you have more than matched the matchless efforts of your father. i want to recognize leader hoyer for hosting this special order hour this evening, and thank you, mr. trone, for yielding to me. i want to again thank my friend and colleague, representative john sarbanes and his entire family who experienced a great loss. over his extraordinary life, aul sarbanes held many titles.

husband and father, maryland degree gatt, congressman, senator, chairman. throughout his decades on capitol hill, paul sarbanes never lost sight that he was a family man first. and second only to that he was a true public and dedicated public servant. senator sarbanes worked for maryland. he was a tireless advocate for our state and the many families who call maryland home. they knew paul sarbanes had their back. upon news of his death so many of his constituents fondly remembered how he was there for them and provided a helping hand. paul sarbanes didn't approach service with bravado and bombast. he didn't crave the spotlight. he understood that the people he served were in his spotlight because they were his priority. a master legislator, deft committee questioner, senator sarbanes actively shaped legislation that still affects marylanders and americans today.

he championed the restoration of our beloved chesapeake bay. he put consumer protections front and center in his work cracking down on corporate fraud. he held presidents accountable in the watergate hearings an throughout his career. and his work in relationships on the senate foreign relations committee helped create a safer world. the example he sate cons to inspire so many leaders and ublic servant -maryland to put the work and people first. i first met paul sarbanes when i moved to maryland in 1992. i attended one of his town halls. i knew nothing of the senator at the time and i listened to him address the concerns and the issues of my neighbors. his constituents. and while paul sarbanes was not necessarily known for or regular niced among his many accomplishments for leading in areas of national security and military issues, though he was on the senate foreign relations committee and very effective, what i saw in him was a profound

appreciation for the men and women who served in uniform. and a great respect for those men and women who took that uniform off and continued as veterans to make a contribution to our community. that was my first impression and the most lasting impression i had of paul sarbanes. he loved the men and women who served his th country and deeply respected their service even when they took off the uniform. senator sarbanes was understated and that was by design. but his work, life, and legacy speak for themselves. john, michael, janet, and the entire sarbanes family, i send my deepest condolences for your loss. my prayers are with you as we remember your father this remarkable man and public servant, senator paul sarbanes. thank you, i yield back the balance of my time. mr. trone: i would like to ecognize mr. raskin.

mr. raskin: thank you, mr. trone, for yielding. i want to thank our distinguished majority leader for sponsoring this special hour devoted to honoring the great senator sarbanes. along with because he served for 30 years in office, he was actually my senator for most of my life. he will always be, in my mind, the image of what a senator is. , meone of immense character intelligence and commitment. but i got to know him primarily as the father of my friend, and now my colleague, john sarbanes. who i have known since law school and therefore i've known

him for most of my life as well. so, i can feel the tremors and the shock of this enormous loss for the people of maryland. and i feel deeply for my friend, john, and for dina and for everyone in the sarbanes family. i see a lot of his father in john sarbanes. just to echo what congressman brown just said. paul sarbanes was a family man who loved deeply his children, john and michael and janet, and his big brood of grandchildren. nothing brought that famous twinkle to his eye more than being in the presence of his beloved kids and grandkids. and of course the love story between him and christine is legendary in our state.

paul sarbanes was a man of exquisite character who loved public things. he loved public schools, public universities, public parks, he loved public museums, he loved the public things. and he thought there was no greater honor than in being a public servant. i remember he once came out and spoke at an event that i had in montgomery county and he said, it really stuck with me, he said, there are many public goods that we try to protect. clean air, clean water, a beautiful bay, good schools, smooth roads. but we should never forget perhaps the greatest public good, the good of being well governed. this is what allows us to sleep at night. and he showed us every day in his career in public life the difference between being a

public servant who instills justice in our institutions, and being one who goes out to exploit public office for private gain. those are simply in two different galaxies of human experience. he showed us that those of us who aspire and attain the public office are nothing but the servants of the people. -- people in a democracy. we are here only to serve the people and the common good, very best that we can. -- in the very best that we can. the moment we start to act as the masters of the people rather than the servants of the people, that is the moment to evict and reject and reject and impeach and remove. and indeed of the many extraordinary moments in senator sarbanes' career, we should never forget that he was the first one to introduce articles of impeachment against richard nixon during the watergate affair. even in the age of celebrity and

the lifestyles of rich and famous that he came to inhabit, an age of vast economic inequality anded a oration of wealth, -- and aa -- and adoration of wealth, senator sarbanes knew what true wealth. is and he knew what it meant to -- wealth is. and he knew what it truly meant to be happy. he loved the greek philosophers, of course, and as a greek american philosopher himself, he showed us the meaning of what a lot of the greeks tried to demonstrate in their writings. he was always the poorest member of the u.s. senate in financial terms. nobody even came close, if i remember correctly. not only did he not trade in the stock market on a daily basis, i don't even think he ever invested in the stock market. he had a savings account. i'm recalling this from memory. perhaps he did end up with a mutual fund or something. but i know that he was recorded

in term after term the poorest member of the senate financially. but senator charlotte baines knew what true wealth is. a sunday night family dinner. the love of your children. friendships that last over decades, across the centuries. the merryment of little children -- merriment of little children. the thrill of being able to deliver a social security check or a v.a. check to someone who couldn't get it. showing respect for our elders. teaching young people the value of education and hard work. having a wife who is your life partner and your soulmate and your equal in all things. a man of extraordinary character and integrity who was interested in not what was popular, but what was right, paul sarbanes to

me embodies a certain kind of politician. when i first got into politics, i quickly recognized two different kinds of politicians. there were justice politicians and there were power politicians and paul sarbanes to me epitomized what it meant to be a justice politician. so, we in maryland have suffered a great loss with the passing of senator sarbanes. but he is instilled in his family and in his staff and in everyone who learned from him a love for public things and we can continue the passionate mission that he had in his life. >> thank you, mr. raskin. i now recognize mr. mfume.

mr. mfume: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, mr. trone. i appreciate the opportunity to be able to join this special order on behalf of the late senator paul sarbanes. i want to just thank john sarbanes, our distinguished colleague from maryland, for being here, for accepting our joint and individual condolences over the last several days. and for being so much, so very, very much like his father. i also want to extend that same thanks to michael sarbanes and to their sister, janet, and to a

larger sarbanes family of inhad been laws, many of whom -- in-laws, many of whom we have not met, all of whom share in this hour of overwhelming sense of loss. and it is loss, both for the family and obviously i hope we would agree for the entire nation, regardless of what side of the aisle we sit or stand on. i first came to know, if i may use that term, paul sarbanes in may of 1974. when, as a student of political science, i devow vow -- i devoured every opportunity i could to watch political proceedings. and i remember the assignment that we got in that may to make sure that we watched, understood and learned from what was then the impending impeachment

proceedings against richard nixon. so, on a small fuzzy tv, i got introduced to paul sarbanes. and along with him, i got introduced that month to peter ridino of new jersey, the chair of the judiciary committee, and to larry hogan sr., the only republican to vote for all articles of impeachment. i was just struck by the fact that no matter how much i had heard or believed or given into the fact that politics was just posturing and that politicians would say anything and do anything in order to secure a vote, i saw three men that day, led by paul sarbanes, who exemplified, to me at least, the highest ideals of moral

character that i had seen coming out of washington or any other chamber, because of the way they conducted themselves. but more importantly, because of the principles that they held on to, that in many instances could in fact and might indeed cost them votes, but they believed nonetheless that the sacred oath of office that we all took when we came to this chamber or when others have gone to the senate must be something that we abide by. and so i got a special sense of pride when i realized that not only was this paul sarbanes, young dashing young man who was absolutely brilliant on details, not only was he saying and doing and representing all of us, i thought, in the best way possible, he was also from the state of maryland, which gave me extra pride and extra pause,

because i said to myself, if i were to ever be elected to the office, that's the standard that i should subscribe to. that's the standard that i should emulate and that's the standard that i think all of us benefit from. a standard bequeathed by paul sarbanes and others. that is just as important today as it was that hot day in may of 1974. and so while the house has a sense of loss, because of paul's time here and his work with so many of us, because the senate has that same sense of loss, i would dare suggest that in annapolis, maryland, that the state legislature feels that same way for the many days that he walked those halls and the many bills that he helped to

usher through them. we all think about sarbanes-oxley, but paul it ever be st misunderstood, fought like crazy to expand affordable housing and to stabilize social security and medicaid trust funds and medicare trust funds. he fought, as john mentioned earlier, for the little things that would escape many of us, that we might feel that we're too big or too proud to do, just the notion of making sure that people got the same mail delivery on a block, who happened to be black and who happened to be citizens. so, there are a lot of things that can and will be said, i think, and i know about paul and his life and what he stood for and what he believed in. let me say a couple of others as i yield back. aul sarbanes had a good heart.

he loved christine. whenever i saw him, i saw her. and i said to him once, paul, isn't christine tired of you dragging her out to this dinner and to this event and to this speaking engagement? he said, no, she's actually dragging me out. because there are some times when i don't want to go out. but he had a very, very good heart and they represented just the best of matry moany. i sent a text -- matrimony. i sent a text to john an hour after i learned of the passing of his dad and i said among other things, john, you and your sisters won the parents sweepstakes. you just had great parents, great role models. who were great americans. so, shakespeare said of that kind of good heart, long, long

ago, on something that he took to pen with, when he said that a good heart is like the sun and the moon. for it shines bright, it never its es, because it keeps course. paul sarbanes kept his course. he was unyou aed by opinion -- unawed by opinion, unseduced by flattery and undismayed by disaster. he instinctively knew that america was not like a blanket. one size, one shape, one texture or one color. but rather and instead he realized that the america that we all love is so much more like a quilt. different shapes, different sizes, different