>> the house debating a number -- a number of bills today, three new members also being sworn in. members will be working on 18 suspension bills dealing with sex trafficking, infrastructure, and also a resolution honoring the late queen elizabeth ii. furn motions to suspend the rules on

which a recorded on this vote or the yeas and nays are ordered. or votes objected under clause six of rule 20. the house will resume proceedings on the postponed questions at a later time. for what purpose does the the gentleman from new york seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass s.3103, eliminating limits to justice for child sex abuse victims act of 2022. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 3103, an act to amend title 18 united states code to eliminate the statute of limitations for the filing of a civil claim for any person who while a minor was a victim after violation of section 1589, 1590, 1591, 2241-c, 2242, 2243, 2251, 2251-a, 2252, 2252-a, 2260,

2421, 2422, or 2423 of such title. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york , mr. nadler, and the gentleman from ohio, mr. jordan, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from new york. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on s.3103. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, s.3103, the eliminating limits to justice for child sex abuse victims act of 2022, is bipartisan legislation that would ensure that survivors of child sex abuse are not barred by a statute of limitations in seeking civil damages in court. that has suggested 86% of child sexual abuse goes unreported.

also common is delayed disclosure. with the tendency of survivors of child sexual abuse to wait many years for disclosing abuse to others. this is because survivors of sexual abuse often take a long time to process their trauma and many survivors who were abused as a child may not even recognize the abuse they suffered until much later in life. unfortunately, because survivors of child sexual abuse offense play reporting, any statute of limitations may prevent survivors accessing justice and seeking damages in civil court. the current federal civil remedy statute for victims of child sexual abuse includes a statute of limitations requiring all claims to be filed within 10 years of the injury or not later than 10 years after the victim turns 18 years old. these statutes of limitations can serve to protect abusers and enable them to continue to exploit their power by allowing victims' claims to expire.

this bill will enable survivors who are victims of federal child sex abuse offenses, including aggravated sexual abuse, sex trafficking, human trafficking, forced labor, and sexual exemploymentation to seek civil damages in federal court regardless of the amount of time that has passed since the abuse. i want to thank the gentlewoman from north carolina, ms. ross, for joining senator durbin in introducing this important legislation. and for recognizes that the challenges sur -- of the challenges to survivors face in reporting the trauma they have experienced should not bar them from accessing justice in the courts. i urge all of my colleagues to support the bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from ohio, mr. jordan, is recognized. mr. jordan: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. jordan: thank you, mr. speaker. senate bill 31 o 3 eliminates the statutes of limitations for 3450eu7bor vicktism human trafficking offense or federal sex offense to file a civil

action to recover damages. studies indicate many of these crimes go unreported or victims sometimes wait years to disclose their abuse to others. under current law a victim may file a federal civil claim up until -- when the victim reaches the age of 28 or 10 years after the discovery of the violation or injury. this legislation would allow victims human trafficking or sex offenses to seek civil remedies regardless of when the crime took place. mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i now yield four minutes to the sponsor of the bill, the gentlelady from north carolina, ms. ross. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from north carolina is recognized for four minutes. ms. ross: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you so much to the chair of the judiciary committee. i am heartened that today we will vote to send this bill to the president's desk to guarantee justice for victims of

child sex abuse. experts estimate that more than 85% of child sex abuse goes unreported. kids experiencing abuse face a variety of barriers to reporting. often they don't know how to recognize abuse. they don't know how to talk about their experiences. or they don't have a trusted adult they can contact. even when survivors do report their abuse, their experiences often fail to reach the people in the justice system who can stop the predator. for all of these reasons, the process of disclosure of abuse can take decades. the average age of reporting child sex abuse is 52 years old. tragically, statutes of limitations often prevent survivors who disclose their abuse as adults from getting their day in court. but justice systems are slowly beginning to understand how delayed disclosure impacts

access to justice. in the past two decades 48 states and washington, d.c. have amended child sex abuse laws to expand or eliminate statutes of limitations. congress previously eliminated the federal criminal statute of limitations for child sex abuse and sex trafficking, and slightly lengthened the federal civil statute of limitations. however, the short extension of the civil statute of limitations does not reflect current data on just how long most survivors delay disclosure of their abuse. all survivors deserve access to justice no matter how long it takes them to talk about the trauma they suffered. today, one in five girls and one in 13 boys experience sex abuse before their 18th birthday. i have heard about far too many cases of child sex abuse in my home state of north carolina.

a case currently before the north carolina supreme court involves the wrestling team at a gaston county high school where teenage athletes were sexually abused by their coach. while the coach was convicted and sentenced to decades in prison, the athletes were initially unable to sue in civil court because of the statute of limitations. this case is currently before the north carolina supreme court because a three-judge panel ruled that the state law opening the window for adult survivors of sex abuse was unconstitutional. we cannot provide effective remedies to survivors while the federal civil statute of limitations remains in place. i want to thank my colleagues, representative swalwell, representative salazar, and representative reschenthaler for leading this effort with me in the house as well as senator durbin and senator blackburn for

leading the bill in the senate. i urge support of the bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from ohio is recognized. reserves. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: i guess we are prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is really to close. the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. jordan: thank you, mr. speaker. we yield back our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yield back. the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: thank you. mr. speaker, s.3103 is bipartisan legislation that would ensure that survivors of child sex abuse are not barred by a statute of limitations when seeking justice in the courts. this bill recognizes that many victims child sexual abuse delay reporting the trauma they have experienced. therefore it will enable survivors who are victims of more than a dozen federal sex abuse offenses to seek civil damages in federal court regardless of the amount of time that has passed since the abuse. i urge all members to support t

i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 3103. so many as are in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded in the affirmative, the rules are suspend, the bill is passed, without objection the motion to reconsider is laid upon the table. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i move to suspend the rules and pass s.4785, a bill to extend by 19 days the authorization for the special assessment for the domestic trafficking victims fund. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 4785, a an act to extend by 19 dwais the authorization for the special assessment for the domestic trafficking victims' fund. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from new york, mr. nadler, and the gentleman from ohio, mr. jordan, each will

control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from new york, mr. nadler. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on s.4785. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york is recognized. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, s.4785 is bipartisan legislation that would extend until september 30 of this year, 2022, the mandatory special assessment of $5,000 imposed on those convicted of certain offenses involving sexual abuse, sexual exploitation or human trafficking. human traffic something a multibillion dollar criminal industry that denies freedom to 24.9 million people around the world and generates more than $150 billion annually in illicit profits. it is reprehensible crime that touches communities across the country. from major cities to suburban

enclaves and rural back roads. and can cause devastating, sometimes irreparable harm to victims who fall prey to traffickers. the fight against human trafficking requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary strategy that includes prosecution of traffickers so this cannot harm again. protection of victims through services to increase safety and treat trauma. and prevention efforts to eleavate social vulnerabilities to exploitation. from providing immediate emergency care when victims are identified to long-term care that helps survivors recover from their victimization. victim assistance is vital to the federal anti-trafficking strategy and efforts to combat sexual abuse and exploitation as well as child pornography. which continue to be a threat to our children and other vulnerable persons. the justice for victims trafficking act commonly referreds to-to-as the jbta, requires sentencing judges to impose a special assessment of

$5,000 and those convicted of federal crimes involving sexual abuse, child pornography, sexual exploitation, or human trafficking. the fees collected from the special assessment are transferred to the domestic trafficking victims fund and used to fund and ns hands vital services and programming that assist victims and survivors who have been abused e. ploited and/or trafficked. this past sunday the provision that requires judges to impose a special assessment expired. which necessitates the passage of this extension until the end of the fiscal year when it can be renewed as part of other ongoing legislation to fund the government. congress must do all we can to ensure that resources are available to support the needs of victims and survivors of human trafficking, sexual abuse and sexual exploitation who often have complex needs requiring a broad away of -- broad array of trauma focused services and treatment. although we are considering the bill as introduced by senators

klobuchar, i must also thank representative karyn bass for they are bourque to introduce the house companion, h.r. 8684, and for her continued dedication to helping victims and survivors of human trafficking, sexual abuse, and sexual exploitation. i urge all my colleagues to support the extension of the $5,000 special assessment. i reserve the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new york reserve, the gentleman from ohio is recognized. mr. jordan: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognize. mr. jordan: this extends the special assessment by 19 days. it's a $5,000 fund of someone convicted of certain offenses, these offenses include human smuggling, sexual abuse of minors among others. this $5,000 fine is in addition to other restitution or compensation offenders may be forced to pay such as court ordered fines and other fines.

of course and additional $5 thowcialtion fine can never adequately deter criminals from committing heinous acts a much more effective solution would be to make it more difficult to traffic people across the border: unfortunately the biden administration is unwilling to close our borders. for 21 months we have seen how people smuggle people and drugs, particularly fentanyl, into our country they have blame for the border crisis and the crime crisis lies squarely at the feet of the radical left's agenda and their anti-law enforcement agenda. republicans are willing to increase fines but we can and must do more to address the border crisis from president biden's failures. literally in 20 months we went from a secure border to no

border. it would help if we had a border again to deal with the issues we're discussing here today. i reserve the balance of our time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york. the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from ohio. mr. jordan: i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio yields back. the gentleman from new york. mr. nadler: mr. speaker, s. 4785 is bipartisan legislation that would extend the $5,000 special assessment that provides funding to help victims and survive yofers sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, child pornography and human trafficking througher is virks programming and treatment tailored to their specific needs. each of us should make every effort to support programs that help rescue survivors of these reprehensible crimes and provide them with the resources thy node to become whole again. while also holding perpetrators accountable for the harms they caused. i urge my colleagues to support s. 4785 and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass

senate 4785. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 being in the affirmative -- the gentleman -- >> i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona requests the yeas and nays. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5315 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 357, h.r. 5315, a bill to direct the secretary of transportation to establish in the department of transportation a drone infrastructure inspection grant program and a drone education and training grant program and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from louisiana, mr. graves, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative

days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5315 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is renecked -- is recognized. ms. norton: i rise in support of h.r. 5315, the drone infrastructure inspection grant act. legislation sponsored by mr. stanton of arizona and mr. graves from louisiana. in recent years, small, unmanned systems, also known as drones, have been valuable assets in the inspection, maintenance, and repair of the nation's critical infrastructure. drens have many uses from surveying transmission lines and inspecting bridges, to assessing damages from natural disasters. as this aviation technology

continues to evolve, state and local governments should have the opportunity to leverage these systems to help identify and address the growing infrastructure needs across the country. h.r. 5315 establishes a drone infrastructure inspection grant program and a drone education and work force training grant program. at the u.s. department of transportation to help increase efficiency, reduce costs, improve worker safety and reduce carbon emission related to critical infrastructure projects. specifically the bill authorizes competitive department of transportation grants for state, tribal and local governments to purchase, lease, contract for services or support the operational management of small drones to perform certain infrastructure projects.

h.r. 5315 ensures these funds can only be used for small drone technology, manufactured or assembled by a u.s. company, includes safeguards for related labor agreements and prioritizes projects conducted in historically disadvantaged communities. in order to help equip the future u.s. transportation work force with the skills necessary to capitalize on drone technology and compete globally, h.r. 5315 also invests federal funding in drone work force training and education programs at universities and community colleges. this program will be particularly beneficial as the u.s. aviation sector works to achieve a work force that better reflects the diversity of the country as a whole. h.r. 5315 has the support of

co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle and the endorsement of several key organizations representing the u.s. aviation and aerospace sector and state, tribal and local governments. to that end, i ask unanimous consent to insert into the record a letter of support from these organizations. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. graves: thank you, mr. speaker. mr. speaker, h.r. 5315 is bipartisan legislation that addresses problems we've seen in the united states. mr. speaker, we had a bridge collapse in minnesota, we had a bridge collapse in georgia, and more recently right on the tennessee-arkansas line, on the interstate, we saw a bridge

collapse. all of these accidents that resulted in deaths and injuries and incredible impacts to traffic could have been prevented. they could have been prevented by lowering the threshold, by doing safety inspections to critical infrastructure like blijs and this legislation helps to facilitate that. mr. speaker, over 90% of the drones in the united states used to be foreign made. in fact from china. this legislation not only helps to facilitate the incorporation of drone inspection which is cheaper, it's more thorough, more easily accessible, lowers the threshold for safety inspections, doesn't put workers at risk but also ensures we continue making progress on this domestic drone industry and no longer cede this leadership role to china. this bill ensure this is a domestic industry, u.s. technology, american jobs. and as the gentlelady just said,

this legislation also ensures that we have the work force able to do this. this bill is for two years. it's not designed to be in perpetuity. it's two years. it's helping to seed the industry, helping to incorporate the technology into our state d.o.t.'s, into our programs related to utilities and transmission lines, and even in the aftermath of disasters which unfortunately my home state of louisiana, we often experience. i want to thank my friend for working with us on a bipartisan basis on this legislation. the gentleman from arizona, the sponsor of this legislation, and mr. speaker, i urge adoption of this legislation and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i wish to yield five minutes to the representative from arizona, mr. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona is recognized for five minutes. mr. stanton: thank you very musm i thank the gentlewoman for

yielding. mr. speaker, i rise today in strong support of this commonsense, bipartisan legislation and i thank chairman defazio and the gentleman from louisiana, mr. graves, for working with me on it. our country must do a better job inspecting infrastructure. there's a nationwide backlog and it's because traditional methods of inspecting critical infrastructure are often time-consuming, dangerous and expensive. inspections are essential, though. we have seen tragic results around the country when structural flaws go unnoticed. modern technology has given us a great tool that we can use for inspections, drones. using a drone to inspect infrastructure in this order reach places such as underneath bridges can speed up the inspection process so we can get through the backlog more quickly and it can help save money as well. in fact, the mesh association of state highway and transportation

officials estimate that utilizing drones reduces the cost of infrastructure inspections by 74% and the time needed to conduct the inspection by 88%. not only that, but drone inspections are much safer for the workers than having a human hang under a tall bridge. it is an easy way to improve job safety. in my home state, the arizona department of transportation has been using drones for several years to inspect hard to reach areas on bridges and surveys near highways where falling rocks or ground movements are potential hazards. what this bill does is simple. it gives more states, tribes, and local government, the opportunity to use drones. it creates competitive grants to purchase, contract for services or develop program capability for american-made small unmanned

aircraft systems to perform critical infrastructure inspection, maintenance operation, or repair projects. and it provides resources to train the next generation and upskill our existing work force. this bill has broad support for the u.s. chamber of commerce, national association of counties, national league of cities, national conference of state legislatures, national organization of state officials, the association for unmanned vehicle systems international, and many, many others. i urge my colleagues to support this important, bipartisan bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: i have no more speakers so in closing i urge my colleagues to support the legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back.

members, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5315 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 being in the affirmative -- the gentleman from arizona. >> i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8, rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 884 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 884, a bill to direct the secretary of transportation to establish a national aviation preparedness plan for communicable disease

outbreaks and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from louisiana, mr. graves, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton. ms. norton: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 884 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i rise in support of the national aviation preparedness plan act of 2022, legislation sponsored by mr. larsen from washington. if there is one lesson of the coronavirus pandemic, it is that we were not prepared for a pandemic and must be prepared for the next one.

while a number of mitigation efforts were eventually implemented in aviation, they should not have -- it should not -- they should not have taken almost a year to put in place. in fact, in 2015, the government accountability office issued a recommendation to develop a national aviation preparedness plan for communicable disease outbreaks. the government accountability office has since found that had the department of transportation implemented such a plan it -- and i'm quoting -- could have improved coordination between public health and aviation sectors during covid-19 to address issues like passenger screening, end quote. h.r. 884 seeks to resolve this oversight by requiring the department of transportation, in collaboration with the department of health and human

services and the department of homeland security, to develop a national aviation preparedness plan. that plan, at a minimum, would lay out the responsibilities of airports, airlines, and government entities in responding to future pandemics, improve coordination among stakeholders and identify appropriate equipment to protect frontline aviation employees, among other things. this means we could establish the necessary procedures and methodologies to combat pandemics prior to their onset and eliminate the confusion surrounded who should take action. fortunately, we have come a long ways since the start of the pandemic. vaccines are one of the available, daily covid hospitalizations and death rates have decreased, and air travel

is returning to prepandemic levels. but we could have done better. this bill, which received overwhelming bipartisan support in committee, will ensure the lessons learned from the current pandemic are not forgotten during the next one. for these reasons, i encourage my colleagues to support the bill, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. graves: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. graves. mr. graves: h.r. 884, the national aviation preparedness act, responds to a 2015 government accountability office recommendation and looks to establish clear roles and responsibilities among federal agencies and air transportation operators in the event of communicable disease outbreak. i want to be clear this bill only applies to future disease outbreaks and it's intended to

guarantee the confusion we've seen among federal agencies and air carrier operators is addressed and does not repeat itself as we saw in the past few years. america's aviation sector is absolutely critical to our economy. it's critical to moving travelers for business, travelers to visit family, for tourism purposes, goods must be transported all across the united states and the globe. and we've got to make sure we're able to limit contained -- limit, contain, reduce the outbreaks in a timely, decisive and coordinated matter. i want to thank chairman larsen and chairman defazio for working on this bill. i urge my colleagues to support it and reserve the balance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i have no more speakers and continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from tdistrict reserves. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. graves: i'm prepared to

close, mr. speaker. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. graves: thank you, mr. speaker. again, i want to reiterate this bill is only for future outbreaks. it only applies to future communicable disease outbreaks and issues no pandemic related authorities to federal agencies. it makes sure there is a plan in place so they can develop a timely and decisive response plan in the event of a future outbreak. i urge support of this legislation and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, in closing, i urge my colleagues to support this legislation 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 the bill h.r. 884, as amended. those in favor say aye. those no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- the gentleman from texas.

>> request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5776, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5774, a bill to amend the robert t. stafford disaster relief and emergency assistance act to ensure that unmet needs after a major disaster are met. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from louisiana, mr. graves, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of

columbia. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on h.r. 5774, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i support h.r. 5774, the expanding disaster recovery act, legislation introduced by mr. graves of louisiana. this legislation is designed to expedite the delivery of federal disaster assistance and address the unpaid -- unmet needs of disaster survivors. the authorizations in this bill allow the federal emergency management agency to estimate the total cost of disaster

recovery and provide states up to 10% of this estimate when the major disaster is declared. states would be able to use these funds to administer a broad range of recovery solutions not covered by fema's individual assistance program. such activities could include home repair and support for business activities. i ask my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from louisiana, mr. graves, is recognized. mr. graves: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. graves: thank you. mr. speaker, h.r. 5774 is designed to do two primary things. number one is to prevent the federal government from revictimizing disaster victims. number two, it's designed to save money. in the aftermath of a disaster,

we watch as countless federal agencies, the alphabet soup of federal agencies come rushing to the aid of these disaster victims from food assistance, housing assistance. you see them offering -- having organizations coming in offering clothes, offering loans. you see all of these uncoordinated activities. yet, we have one federal agency that's responsible for disasters and that's fema, the federal emergency management agency. and this fema, they come in, and what happens with all of these other programs you see disjointed responses. let me give you an example, mr. speaker. in the aftermath of a 2016, 1,000-year flood that we had in my hometown, fema came in, started offering out assistance. we saw aid offered to different folks. you had another recovery program come in and provided $1.7 billion -- $1.7 billion. mr. speaker, here we are six

years after, six years after this disaster of the $1.7 billion, less than $700 million have actually been granted to flood victims. granted to disaster victims. mr. speaker, i know your home state of texas got pounded by hurricane harvey and some areas experiencing 36 inches -- 42 inches of rain in 36 hours. you have recovery and assistance programs that are disjointed among the federal agencies. they cause a biden administration. they revictimize these people that have lost everything in these disasters. this is designed to get recovery dollars where they're needed, to expedite recovery, to save money because you're saving funds that are being spent on long-term shelters, save funds that are being spent in some cases approaching $300,000 to provide a trailer, a trailer for someone to temporarily live in.

saving money, again, hotel rooms and getting people back in their homes faster. we still have people from our disaster six years ago that have homes that have been mucked and gutted, stripped down to the studs without any additional recovery because they can't connect the dots. so as the gentlelady from the district of columbia said, this is designed within 30 days of a disaster, estimate the impacts, provide an initial payment to where states and local governments can lead the charge in directing and prioritizing recovery dollars where they need to go. this has importantly -- it has a 5% administrative cap. 5%. mr. speaker, two years after the disaster i mentioned in my home state, we had more money that was paid to the program managers two years later than we had actually given to the disaster victims. these programs aren't designed to enrich contractors, to enrich

program managers, to enrich people running these programs. these dollars are designed by congress to get to the victims, to expedite recovery to allow for the community -- the economy to be recovered as quickly as possible. and so i want to be very clear. my co-sponsor, the co-sponsor that worked very closely with this on this legislation, congresswoman plaskett from the virgin islands, was incredibly affected by hurricanes irma and maria. hosted us down there to see the devastation. years later still having her constituents that are adversely impacted, unable to recover. requiring additional federal funds. so in closing, mr. speaker, i want to be very clear. this legislation is intended to reduce the expenditure of federal funds. it's designed to expedite recovery. it's designed to cap the bureaucracy and ensure no more than 5% of these funds are actually going to program

management. that way the dollars can get immediately to the disaster victims and stop seeing this years and years of federal government dollars being shelled out for temporary housing and temporary recovery efforts. we need long-term recovery. we need our economy restored. we need our communities restored. i urge adoption of the legislation and reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from the district is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i have no more speakers. i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from louisiana is recognized. mr. graves: mr. speaker, i'm prepared to close. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized, mr. graves. graves grafs i just want -- mr. graves: i just want to urge that members of this house that they support this legislation. there are two types of members in this house. people that have been through disasters like the gentlewoman from the virgin islands and i and those that will and those that will are going to want to ensure they have supported legislation like this one designed to reform, to modernize, to apply lessons

learned from disasters and make sure that we're treating these victims as true priorities. that we have federal programs that reflect the urgency of the situation that they're in. when their homes have been destroyed, they lost their vehicle, they lost their clothes, they've lost their possessions, they've lost all of these family air loom it's, making -- heirlooms making sure we get them back in their community and more importantly, get the economies restored, again, as quickly as possible. i urge support of the legislation and yield back the balance. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: i ask my colleagues to support the legislation and i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5774, as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed say no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the

yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1468 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: union calendar number 359, h.r. 1468, a bill to amend title 40ing united states code of the securities and exchange commission commission and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from louisiana, mr. graves, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton.

ms. norton: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: the securities and exchange commission real estate leasing authority revocation act, which i introduced, would revoke the independent real estate leasing authority of the securities and exchange commission and direct the government accounting office to update its 2016 report on independent real estate leasing authority in the federal government. while a number of federal agencies have independent leasing authority, the s.e.c. has a history of egregious real estate practices. in 2005, the s.e.c. disclosed it

had unbudgeted costs of approximately $48 million for the construction of its headquarters near union station. in 2007, after moving into the headquarters, the s.e.c. shuffled its employees to different office space at a cost of over $3 million without any cost-benefit analysis or justifiable explanation. in 2010, the s.e.c. conducted a deeply flawed analysis to justify the need to lease 900,000 square feet and commit over $500 million over 10 years, over-estimating its space needs by over 300%. in addition, the s.e.c. failed to provide complete and accurate information and prepared a faulty and back-dated

justification and approval after it had already signed the lease. in august, 2016, the general services administration and the s.e.c. entered into an occupancy agreement to authorize g.s.a. to secure a new 15-year lease. in december, 2016, g.s.a., with the approval of the s.e.c., submitted a prospectus to congress for approximately 1.3 million square feet which congress approved in 2018. by july, 2019, g.s.a. had received final bids, resolved all protests and even selected a final bidder. a month later, the s.e.c. canceled the occupancy agreement, citing concerns about

the value of the purchase option. which the s.e.c. refused to document to congress. the s.e.c. effectively vetoed the entire three-year procurement process, despite not having the authority or funding to exercise the purchase option without g.s.a.'s involvement. finally, after much back and forth between the two agency, the g.s.a. entered into a lease for a new s.e.c. headquarters in september, 2021. the s.e.c. says it will continue to have g.s.a. do its leasing in the future but the s.e.c.'s history of egregious leasing conduct, having squandered hundreds of millions of dollars, makes this bill necessary.

these public blunders also risk undermining the reputation of g.s.a. and the federal government among developers and building owners that participate in the federal leasing procurement program and ultimately depriving -- driving up the cost of all g.s.a. real estate procurements due to the threat of uncertainty. it is time for congress to return the s.e.c.'s leasing authority to g.s.a. the federal government's civilian real estate arm. as the s.e.c. demonstrated over three decades, it is incredibly inefficient, wasteful, and redundant to have the s.e.c. involved in real estate procurements when g.s.a. exists for that very reason. like other federal agency, the s.e.c. would continue to have input and involvement in the real estate decisions -- real estate decision making process.

but g.s.a. would have the ultimate authority. i urge my colleagues to support this bill and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from louisiana, mr. graves is recognized. mr. graves: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. tbraifs: h.r. 1468 -- mr. graves: h.r. 146, as the -- h.r. 1468 as the gentlelady stated, this helps restore the leasing authority back to the confines of the general services administration. it ensures we have a uniform approach to leasing space in the federal agencies. i want to thank the gentlelady from district of columbia for her perseverance on this bill. i know this has been a priority of hers for a long period of time. i want to give you a little background in. 2012, the s.e.c. leased approximately 1.4 million square feet of office space for $566

million. let me say that again. the s.e.c. leased 1.4 million square feet of office space for $566 million. in violation of the law. they exceeded their authority when they entered this lease. there was republican leadership, there was an investigation that the committee on transportation and infrastruck did over the s.e.c.'s actions. the s.e.c. inspector general similarly commissioned an investigation, and the conclusion of these investigations found that not only did they exceed the securities and exchange commission exceed their authority in that lease but this was a trend they had a history of mismanagement of leasing authority. of managing its leasing authority. and so unfortunately, recent actions by the s.e.c. during g.s.a.'s procurement of lease space for the s.e.c. indicates

they may be returning back to their old ways. soipt to say again, i commend the gentlelady from the district of columbia, ensuring that we have a uniform approach, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are being manied in a way we can all be proud of, respect that people have worked hard for those dollars and we don't need to be mismanaging them. the bill will ensure the securities and exchange commission, like other federal agency, use the g.s.a., the general services administration, for its space needs and provide more safeguard for taxpayer dollars. i urge support of the legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: i have no more speakers and continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves. the gentleman is recognized. mr. graves: in closing, h.r. 1468 will better protect taxpayers' money by ensuring the

g.s.a. works to reduce cost and minimize anti-efficiency act violations in the future. i, adoption of this legislation and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields. the gentlewoman is reck in hissed -- is recognized. ms. norton: i urge my colleagues to support this legislation 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 the bill h.r. 1468 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas -- >> request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

for what purpose does the gentlewoman from district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 1066 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report tee the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 1066, a bill to amend the robert t. stafford emergency assistance act to provide flexibility with the cost sharing for fire fght assistance and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia. ms. norton: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and end collude -- and

include extraneous material on h.r. 1066 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: i rise in support of h.r. 1066, the wildfire recovery act, a bill introduced by mr. neguse of colorado. this legislation will remove some of the financial burdens communities face after suppressing a wildfire. wildfires are causing an unprecedented amount of damage to the natural and built environment. this bill will require the federal emergency management agency to cover at least 75% of the cost to suppress wildfires that qualify for a fire management assistance grant. local officials have said that this fix would allow them to pick up the recovery process and invest more money in mitigation efforts.

rural communities that most typically receive this type of grant assistance will benefit most from this legislation. providing more federal assistance in the wake of the worst fires will assist stretched local budgets. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford. mr. crawford: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized mr. crawford: the wildfire recovery act ensures a community affected by wildfire disasters are treated similarly to those affected by other disasters. it makes the federal cost share amount adjustable for fire management assistance grants, ensuring it's consistent with other fema programs at 75%. h.r. 1066 also clarifies the ability for fire management assistance grants to help communities recove after -- recoverer after wildfire

disasters. i would like to thank my colleagues, including mr. lamalfa of california, for their leadership on this legislation. i urge support of the legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: i have no more speakers and i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: i'm prepared to close. i urge support of this legislation and thank our colleagues for co-sponsoring and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: i urge my colleagues to support this legislation 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 the bill h.r. 1066 as amended. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman

from texas rise? >> request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having risen this yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill s. 2293. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 2293, an act to amend the robert t. stafford disaster relief and emergency assistance act to provide certain employment rights to reservists of the federal emergency management agency and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the

gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton. ms. norton: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on s. 2293. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. i i rise in support of the civilian reservist emergency workforce act of 2021, which extend uniform services employment and reemployment rights, protections, to the federal emergency management agency's reservist workforce. reservists are on an oncall basis. they're prepared to deploy when disaster strikes and make up the majority of fema's workforce.

while reservists are critical to federal disaster response, these essential personnel are only paid by fema during deployments and have no protections that prevent them from losing their full-time jobs when called to a disaster. fema's workforce has been stretched to its limits by increasingly frequent and intense disasters, climate change, and the coronavirus pandemic. a larger reservist workforce is required to meet the current challenge, but fema has reported that it is difficult to retain reservists and recruit a diverse workforce without being able to offer them basic protections. fema administrator diana criswell has stated the ability to recruit and maintain a skilled reservist workforce is

necessary if the agency is to fulfill its mission and helping people before, during, and after disasters. this bill will help fema continue to fulfill that mission and ensure that these brave women and men do not have to worry that they could lose their livelihoods when they are called by their country to serve. it is time we give reservists the respect they deserve and provide them protections. and i would like to express my gratitude to reservists who have answered the call and to those who will do so in the future. i ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. s. 2293, the crew act, helps

fema reservist who is are a critical component. it would retain or recruit a workforce. fema is able to respond quickly to disasters. i urge support of this legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i wish to yield as much time as she may consume to representative titus from nevada. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you, madam chairman. i, too, rise in support of s. 2293, the civilian reservist emergency workforce, or crew, appropriately named, act. which is the senate companion to legislation i introduced to protect fema reservists. it would protect them from losing their full-time

employment when they are called up to assist our communities after disasters. fema reservists have in the past and continue to step up time and time again when communities need help in the wake of severe storms and wildfires, other climate events and also we saw them on the frontlines during the covid-19 pandemic. unlike military reservists, however, fema's workforce is not afforded employment protections during deployment. when these men and women are answering the call of duty, they shouldn't have to worry about losing their means of income back home where they can take care of their own families. i'm proud to lead the house companion with this big, along with my colleague, representative katko. i thank him for his leadership and urge my colleagues to support the bill. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentlewoman from the district reserves. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from the district is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i have no more speakers and i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. and i'm prepared to close. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. in closing, s. 2293 will help support fema's intermittent workforce and help better meet responses to disasters. mr. speaker, i urge support of this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, in closing, i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. members, the question is will the house will suspend the rules and pass senate 2293. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the

yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 4205. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: senate 4205, an act to require the administrator of the federal emergency management agency to establish a working group relating to the best practices and federal guidance for animals in emergencies and disasters, and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five

legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on s. 4205. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may con consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 4205, the planning for animal wellness act. the transportation and infrastructure committee marked up the companion bill h.r. 7789, introduced by representative titus, earlier this summer. this bill requires the federal emergency management agency to establish a working group of experts to review and if necessary update its guidance for addressing the needs of animals and pets before, during, and after disasters. animals are among the most vulnerable when disasters strike. like people, they may be displaced or require evacuation and sheltering.

however, disaster shelters are often unable or unwilling to accommodate animals. pets are beloved members of the family and owners should not have to choose between abandoning their animals and getting to safety. when individuals are forced to make this terrible decision, they often refuse to evacuate before a natural disaster. this bill will remove barriers to ensure animal welfare is properly considered in emergency planning so that all members of the family, human and pet, are safe during disasters. i ask my colleagues to support this legislation, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas, mr. graves, is recognized. mr. crawford. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, is recognized.

mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. s. 4205, the planning for animal wellness, or paw act, establishes a fema working group for animal during natural sdas -- animal care during natural disasters. people are reluctant to evacuate if they can't bring their pets with them. this affects keeping individuals safe. whether it's household pets, farm animals, we made improvements to address this however issues still exist. we need to make recommendations to better prepare and respond to disasters. i urge support of this legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i wish to yield as much time as she may consume to representative titus from nevada. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from nevada is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. and thank you, madam chairman. as a member of the congressional animal protection caucus, i rise

in support of s. 4205, the planning for animal wellness, or paw, act. this is the senate companion to legislation i introduced along with chairman defazio to help protect our beloved pets during disasters. when preparing for and responding to disasters, animal welfare often is not taken into consideration and sadly, some owners make the risky decision of refusing to evacuate in order to stay with their pets. we have seen heartbreaking pictures of people on their roofs during floods clinging to their animals along with their children and few household possessions. the paw act establishes a fema advisory group to align agency guidance with current best practices and animal welfare for emergency preparedness. this will ensure first responders and federal disaster response workers can help pet owners plan to keep every member

of their family, even the furry and feather ones, safe during disaster. i ask my colleagues to support this legislation and thank senators peters and johnson, for their leadership on this in the other chamber. i urge vote in support and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia reserves. and the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. i'll reserve at this time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i have no more speakers, and i continue to reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. i'm prepared to close. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crawford: thank you, mr. speaker. in closing, the paw act will help identify persistent problem areas and best practices when it comes to dealing with pets and disasters in -- animals in disasters and save more lives. i urge support of this

legislation and yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, in closing, i urge my colleagues as well to support the legislation, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman yields back. members, the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass senate 4205. those in favor say aye. those opposed say no. 2/3 having responded in the affirmative -- the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the district of columbia seek recognition? the speaker pro tempore: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules the bill h.r. 442. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill.

the clerk: senate 442 -- ms. norton: senate 442, sorry. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report senate 442. the clerk: senate 442, an act to amend title 40, united states code, to require the administrator of general services to procure the most life-cycle coast effective and energy efficient lighting products and to issue guidance on the efficiency, effectiveness, and economy of those products and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from arkansas, mr. crawford, will each control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on s. 442.

the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i rise in support of s. 442, the bright act. the transportation and infrastructure committee marked up the companion bill, h.r. 7636, introduced by representative titus, earlier this summer. this legislation encourages the general services administration to use the most up-to-date and efficient lighting for all routine maintenance, alterations, and construction, and gives g.s.a. the flexibility to choose the most efficient option for installation. additionally, this bill asks that g.s.a. provide guidance to federal agencies and state, local, and tribal entities on how cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting

systems can help achieve broader efficiency goals. while the energy independence and security act of 2007 did include guidelines for energy-efficient light bulb utilization, g.s.a.'s facility managers are not incentivized to choose the most energy and c cost-efficient option in prokruments. by directing g.s.a. to have the most cost and energy efficient lighting systems practicable over the life cycles of the systems, this legislation aims to maximize resource conservation and use of taxpayers' dollars in all g.s.a. lighting procurements. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and i reserve the balance of my time. . the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman, mr. crawford, is recognized. mr. crawford: i yield myself as much time as i may consume. this bill directs the g.s.a. to use the most cost-effective options so long as it does not interrupt working -- working conditions. updating outdated lighting systems with the most cost effective and energy efficient options willlessen the froth's energy bill, saving taxpayers money. efficient lighting systems tend to be lower cost solutions with higher return on investment. this is commonsense legislation that ensures that liking updates are made only if a retrofit is cost effective. i urge support of the legislation and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentlewoman, ms. norton is recognized. ms. norton: i ask to yield as much time as she may consume to representative titus of nevada. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from nevada,

ms. titus, is recognized. ms. titus: thank you, mr. speaker. thank you, madam chairman. based on the bipartisan backing in the house and the senate, i think it's appropriate to say we can call this bill a bright idea. it will make public buildings more energy efficient and ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent as judiciously as possible. the bright act requires the g.s.a. to produce the most cost effective and energy efficient lighting in public buildings to the extent practicable. recognizing that each installation is unique and technology is ever-changing this bill doesn't endorse nor does it prohibit any specific technology. but rather it guides the g.s.a. to purchase and pursue the most efficient options which will save millions when fully implemented. for example, simply replacing compact floressent down-light lamps and linear floressent

lamps with l.e.d.'s could save taxpayers up to $15.5 million every year. i'm proud to sponsor the house companion to this commonsense legislation that is led by senators peters and johnson. it promotes taxpayer savings at all levels of government and is good for the planet, so i urge my colleagues to support it. thank you and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman from nevada yield back. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia reserves. the gentleman from arkansas, mr. mr. crawford: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: i have no more speakers and continue toe reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from arkansas. mr. crawford: i'm prepared to close and yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. crawford: the bright act will implement only cost effective retrofits that will save taxpayers money and low they are federal government's

energy bill. i urge support of the legislation and yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: i urge my colleagues to support this legislation 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 senate 442. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise a sufficient number having risen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? >> mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 7939 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 7939, a bill to make permanent certain educational assistance benefits under the laws administered by the secretary of veterans affairs in the case of changes to courses of education for reason of emergency situations and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. takano, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. takano. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert

extraneous material on h.r. 7939 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. takano: thank you. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. takano: i rise in support of h.r. 7939 as amended. this comprehensive package from economic couldn't subcommittee chairman levin includes several improvement -- improvements for student veterans. the covid-19 pandemic revealed several flaws for student veterans. we never could have -- could have foreseen making all students online. without action, the v.a. would have had to cut housing for millions of student veterans. however we passed a law, these

actions meant student veterans were protected from losing benefits but only for a limited time. while i'm relieved we never left student veterans without their benefits, we came close far too many times. h.r. 7939 as amended does away with these artificial benefit cliffs for student veterans and makes permanent many of the protections passed as short-term measures permanent that means the next time there's an emergency, be it a flood, tornado, another pandemic or another event that forces students to take their classes online for a short period of time, v.a. will be able to fully pay out benefits to student veterans who are forced to attend classes remotely. i want to thank subcommittee chair levin for introducing h.r. 7939 as amended to safeguard these benefits.

in addition, included in this legislation is h.r. 5752, also from chairman levin. this provision will allow service members to get out of contracts they may be wrongly bound to because of their orders. families suffered fines, excessive bills, and damage to their credit scores due to circumstances completely outside of their control. also, from chairman levin, h.r. 7939 as amended includes the text from h.r. 7369, the venture act which allows more disabled veterans to use the self-employment track for the veteran readiness and employment program. previously, this option was only available to a very small cohort of veterans. the venture acts keep prioritization of several disabled veterans, but also allows additional veterans to pursue this option if they wish. finally this package includes countless additional improvements for student veterans such as improving which

programs are available for g.i. bill approval and removing unnecessary red tape for schools so school certifying officials can spend more time with students and less time on paperwork. this legislation is supported by disabled american veterans, veterans education success, student veterans of america, veterans of form wars and v.a. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation, thank you, mr. speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois, mr. mr. bost: thank you, i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bost: i rise in support of h.r. 7939 as amended, the student veterans emergency relief act of 2022. this is a bipartisan bill led by chairman levin and ranking member moore of the subcommittee on economic opportunity.

the base text would provide emergency protection for maintaining current g.i. bill payments for student veterans if a pandemic, like covid-19, hits our country again. i am supportive of the entire package but i'm especially pleased that five republican proposals have been included. this bill includes congressman joyce's language that would extend full post-9/11 g.i. bill benefits to the service members who have been discharged under d.o.d.'s sole survivor rules. a sole survivor discharge is designed to protect members of a family if they've already lost family members to military service this issue directly impacts congressman joyce's constituents, the winingers family, whose is on tragically passed away in 2020. and i'm happy to honor the

sergeant for his service to the united states and provide this benefit to his brother. i thank his family, congressman joyce, and the tragedy -- and the tragedy assistance program for sur viers for bringing this important issue to our attention. now this package also includes texts from -- text from congressman moore's bill that improve the way schools are approved for the g.i. bill to help prevent waste, fraud and abuse. recent think li there's been a rise in schools abusing this benefit. g.i. bill fraud takes away a veteran's benefit and wastes taxpayer dollars. this bill would make it much harder if for a bad school to be approved for g.i. bill benefits and will -- and well before they can harm veterans. i want to thank the student veterans of america and the v.f.w. and the veterans education success for assistancs

in writing this provision. i also want to thank the office of inspector general and inspector general mizell for their hard work in protecting veterans by helping us draft this text. h.r. 7939 as amended also includes a g.o.p. proposal that would help improve access to study abroad programs while using the g.i. bill. i want to thank the student veterans of america and other higher education groups for bringing this issue to our attention. another proposal is the bill in this bill would amend the service members' civil relief act to make it easier for military spouses to transfer license across the states. this bipartisan proposal would allow spouses to transfer their state-based medical and professional licenses when they move due to a spouse's military orders.

this is an important change that would help reduce unemployment among military spouses. i want to thank congressman mike garcia for originally proposing this legislation and i'm pleased to see it in the list of bills today. the bill is also includes the text for h.r. 4702, originally introduced by congressman cawthorn. that would help clarify the state that a military spouse can file taxes in when their family is deployed to another state. i urge my colleagues to support the bill. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: i have no further speakers and i'm prepared to close. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. mr. bost is recognized. mr. bost: i yield one minute to the gentleman from texas, mr. roy. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from texas, mr. roy, is recognized. mr. roy: i thank the speaker, i

thank the ranking member and i thank the chair. all i want to say is there are a number of bills here that pertain to the veterans affairs committee jurisdiction. i support a number of those bill, maybe not a couple of them. i appreciate that we're having them down here. as many people know, the house freedom caucus and other colleagues have been raising the issue that we should debate, amend on different issue, have a different conversation about how the floor operates so we continue to require a roll call votes on a number of bills that might otherwise pass by voice. but in doing so it's not a statement necessarily always on the content of the legislation in question. and we'll be make some roll call votes this afternoon. i want to make sure as a member of the veterans affairs committee, i make clear my support for a number of these measures which will obviously be clear in the roll call vote later. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from illinois -- reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized.

mr. takano: i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman continues to reserve. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, mr. chairman. i urge all of my colleagues to support the bill and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, yields back. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: thank you again, i ask all my colleagues to join me in passing h.r. 7939 as amended, the student veteran emergency relief act of 2022 and i yield back the balance of my time.thee question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 7939, 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, the -- the gentleman from texas is recognized. mr. roy: request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this

question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. takano: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 7846. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 7848 of 46. a bill to increase, effective december 21, 2022, the rate of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. takano, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, each will control 20 minutes. the chair now recognizes the gentleman from california, mr. takano. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on h.r. 7846. the speaker pro tempore: without

objection. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 7846, the veterans' compensation cost of living adjustment act of 2022. this bill would require that the department of veterans affairs increase the amounts payable for war time disability compensation, compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. specifically, v.a. would be required to increase benefit amounts by the same percentage as the cost of living increase and benefits for social security recipients. to me, the cost of living adjustment to veterans' compensation is more than just a rate adjustment tied to inflation. it is a quality of life guarantee for veterans and their families. this annual cola is not only a source of personal comfort for former service members as they age, it is sure that their -- it ensures their survivors will not see a decline in earned benefits should the economy fluctuate and costs rise once their bloived

veteran is no longer with us. i know this because veterans and their family members from all over the country relay this exact sentiment to me. the cola is the continued recognition by a grateful nation of the service and sacrifice of those who have stepped up to serve. this gesture of appreciation is one of the most rewarding responsibilities of the committee on veterans affairs -- committee on veterans' affairs and as chairman i'm honored to be leading this effort to express our thanks. i would like to recognize the subcommittee on disability assistance and memorial affairs for once again originating this legislation for floor consideration today, and i thank chair luria and ranking member nehls for their sponsorship and steadfast assistance to our veterans. i am pleased we are voting on this bill early to alleviate any doubt that this adjustment will be in place come december. i wholeheart lid support h.r. 78 -- wholeheartedly support

h.r. 7868 and urge my colleagues to do the same. thank you, mr. speaker, and reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois, mr. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of h.r. 7846, the veterans' compensation cost of living adjustment act of 2022. i want to take -- wanted to thank the subcommittee on disability and assistance in memorial affairs, chair luria, and ranking member nehls for introducing this bill. it would increase the rate of disability compensation and d.i.c. compensation for survivors to keep up with the steep rise in the cost of living. this legislation is absolutely vital in the face of rampant inflation, a potential recession and high cost of living under the biden administration. we must ensure that our veterans

are able to pay their bills and put food on the table for their families. if we do not act, our veterans and their families will bear the burden of careless financial actions of this administration. and i am glad to offer my support today and i hope my colleagues will do the same. with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, at this time i'd like to yield five minutes to my good friend who is the chair of the disability assistance and memorial affairs subcommittee, mrs. luria from virginia. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. mrs. luria: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of h.r. 7846, the veterans' compensation cost of living adjustment act of 2022. with inflation rising and costs impacting americans across the country, we must continue to ensure that the needs of our disabled veterans and their

families are being met. for the past four years i've been proud to introduce and pass bipartisan cost of living adjustments to increase compensation and benefits for our disabled veterans. as chair of the disability assistance and memorial affairs subcommittee, and author of this bipartisan legislation, i'm once again honored to present this year's annual veterans' cost of living adjustment legislation on the floor. the cost of living adjustment act of 2022 would once again recognize that v.a.-related compensation requires adjustment in the same way that social security benefits are updated to meet the cost of living realities. this includes disability compensation, clothing allowance, and dependency and indemnity compensation payments. our veterans' service organizations understand the realities that many of our veterans and military families face to make ends meet. and the importance of this cost of living adjustment. as the veterans of foreign wars put it, this would provide a guarantee to veterans and survivors that their payments

will always be aligned to counter inflation. in our current economic climate, veterans in my district and across the country have many of the same economic concerns as every one of us. veterans are not immune from concerns about putting food on the table or their ability to adequately provide for a comfortable and sustainable life for themselves and their families. as a veteran myself, i understand first-hand the concerns faced by our active duty service members and our veterans as they balance professional responsibilities with the necessities of home life. every bit helps. and this is especially true for those who have lost a loved one in the course of their service or is a result of the service-connected injury or illness. dependency and indemnity compensation provides a sustainable rate, ensures economic economic fluctuations are not an additional burden for survivors already managing difficult days without their veteran by their side. with the high cost of disability care, child care and other costs, it's vital that we continue to provide benefits that meet the financial demands

faced by veterans and their families on a day to day basis. this cost of living increase provided by my legislation would bolster beneficiaries against price fluctuations and provides relief to our disabled veterans and many military families. the cola act of 2022 is recognition of the need to ensure that those receiving v.a. compensation are always supported. this is responsible, commonsense, bipartisan legislation and proof of the good that can come from both parties working together. our veterans and their families deserve no lels. i thank ranking member nehls for being a co-sponsor of this year's legislation and also full committee ranking member bost who worked with me for two years on this legislation and previous years as well. and chairman takano for his reliable support and leadership for our veterans, their families and adequate disability compensation. with that, mr. speaker, i encourage full support of h.r. 7846 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i'd like to yield two minutes at this time to the gentleman from north carolina, mr. cawthorn. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. cawthorn: mr. speaker, i'd like to rise and add my voice to support h.r. 7846, i'd like to thank the ranking member, bost, chairman takano and especially ranking member nehls on the subcommittee for his great work on it. i also would like to add my voice of support to h.r. 7939. i'm honored to speak today in support of our military service members and their families. america's warriors are always on the move and their spouses often change duty stations every two to three years. in order to keep their families together and remain close and supporting their service members. requiring the spouses of service members to operate under entirely arbitrary tax standards, prioritize bureaucracy over bravery, and undermines the support we provide our service men and women. that's why i'm deeply grateful to support many -- the support of many of my colleagues who join me in introducing important

language of the military spouse tax act and to h.r. 7939. the student veteran emergency relief act, ensuring that military spouses will be able to keep their home domicile for state income tax purposes if they so choose. this policy change provides much-needed financial stability to the families of those risking their lives in the defense of our lives and liberties. thank you. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers and i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: mr. speaker, i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill 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 california is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i ask all my colleagues to join me in passing h.r. 7846, the veterans' compensation cost of living adjustment ability of 2022, and yield back the balance of my

time -- act of 2022, and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 7846, as amended. -not 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 gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. rosendale: thank you, mr. speaker. i would request the yeas and nays, please. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. all those in favor of taking this vote by the yeas and nays will rise and remain standing until counted. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek

recognition? mr. takano: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 7735, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, -- the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 7735. a bill to drect the secretary of veterans affairs to update the appraisal requirement for service loans guaranteed by the department of veterans affairs and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. takano. , and the gentleman from illinois, mr. bost, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from california. mr. takano: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to insert extraneous material on h.r. 7735, as amended. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. takano: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. takano: mr. speaker, i rise in support of h.r. 7735, as

amended, the improving access to the v.a. home loan benefit act of 2022. it directs v.a. to make needed improvements to t the appraisal portion of the program where some veterans are experienced delays. the veteran home loan benefit is one of the most important transition benefits afforded to service members and veterans. over the last few years, during an unprecedented housing market, we've seen how even slight delays in the program can put service members, veterans and their families behind conventional home loan users. the legislation from ranking member bost directs v.a. to look internally at where these delays might be and make needed changes to make veteran homebuyers as competitive as possible in a challenging buying market. during our committee's may markup i was pleased the ranking member supported my amendment to his legislation, which would ensure that the changes v.a. is directing -- is directed to make to the program only improve the

product for veteran homebuyers, without weakening homebuyer protections such as inspections and appraisals. i urge my colleagues to support this legislation and i thank you, mr. speaker, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. bost: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise today in support of house -- h. -- support of bill h.r. 7735, as amended, the improving access to the v.a. home loan benefit act of 2022. every veteran deserves the chance to own a home and pursue the american dream. we know that with increasing inflation, economic uncertainty brought about by the failed economy and the policies of the biden administration this this dream -- administration, that this dream is hard for veterans to achieve. with interest rates on the rise, we should do whatever we can to make the v.a. home loan benefits the best option for veteran

homebuyers and sellers alike. we have heard that the time it takes to complete a v.a. appraisal is a barrier to veterans who want to use the v.a. home loan program. my bill would address that issue by requiring v.a. to update the regulations on how and when the appraisals must be completed. while not eliminating my bill would make the process for veterans to purchase a home more efficient by shortening the appraisal timeline to match industrial standards. i would also -- it would require v.a. to consider when changes to the appraisal process would save a veteran money during the closing process. i want to thank the mortgage bankers and other stakeholders for their work in crafting this bill in making the v.a. loan more competitive. with their support, we have been able to create a solution that i

hope will help thousands of veterans. i thank the chairman for moving this bill forward. i urge all of my colleagues to support it. and with that's correct i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: i'm prepared to close. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from california. mr. takano: join me in passing h.r. 7735 improving access to the v.a. home loan benefit act of 2022 and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 7735 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those in favor say aye.

-- those opposed, no. 2/3 being in the -- >> i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those in favor of a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. takano: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 5916 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5916 a bill to amend 38 united statescode to allow for request of certain records and for other purposes. pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california,

mr. takano, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. boast, each will -- bost, each will control 20 minutes. mr. takano: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on h.r. 5916 as amended. without objection. mr. takano: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i am in support h.r. 5916 as amended. representative's aguilar wounded warrior access act which would require to have a website to enable a claimant or representative to make records request to v.a. claims and benefits. this bill would add a provision requiring v.a. to warn claimants about benefit scammers and provide a way to prevent fraudulent activity and provide a tool for claimants to search

for accredited representation. to make records' requests, veterans must submit a freedom of information act, foia or private act request. submitting this form followed by waiting for it to upload into the individual's' claim file and then waiting action on the request can be very time consuming and can negatively the ability to understand what records v.a. is evaluating and what information could better assist the claims' positive ajudication. establishing and maintaining a secure internet-based website to enable a claimant to make records request related to v.a. claims and benefits would modernize this essential process and assist and more timely positive claim outcomes. this bill would also add another

tool in the tool box for veterans when navigating the complexities of the claims' process and help veterans gain a little more autonomy over their claim. it is my hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: i yield myself such time as i may consume. i rise in support of h.r. 5916 as amended, wounded warrior access act. h.r. 516 as amended would require v.a. to establish a secure public website that veterans can use to request a copy of their v.a. records. this would make v.a. more accessible for veterans by modernizing its system. specifically, the bill would be able to have veterans review

their claim. over the years, i have heard concerns about organizations that attempt to swindle veterans out of their v.a. benefits. this is unacceptable and it is about time we do something about it. this proposal also would require v.a. to warn veterans about greedy claims, practices, when they log into the v.a.'s website. i hope that these warnings will prevent veterans from being taken advantage of by these bad actors. with that, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: i ask all my

colleagues to join me in passing h.r. 5916 as amended wounded warrior access act and i yield 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 the bill h.r. 5916 as amended. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative -- for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition? mr. rosendale: i request the yeas and nays. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. for what purpose does the gentleman from california seek recognition? mr. takano: mr. speaker, i move that the house suspend the rules and pass h.r. 8260.

the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will -- does the gentleman intend to call the bill up as amended? mr. takano: mr. speaker, i do call up h.r. 8260 as amended. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 8260 a bill to amend title 38 united statescode to shorten the time frame for designation of benefits under the life insurance program to improve the treatment of life insurance benefits under the department of veteran affairs and for other purposes pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from california, mr. takano, and the gentleman from illinois, mr. boft each will control 20 minutes. mr. takano: i ask unanimous consent that members may have five days to insert extraneous material and remarks on the bill

under consideration. the speaker pro tempore: without objection mr. takano: i yield myself such time as i may consume. h.r. 8260 as amended, the bipartisan faster payments to veterans' survivors' act will provide help to families. families face financial hardship when a veterans' policy hole dice making payment is therefore essential. v.a. does a job of quickly paying the vast majority beneficiaries upon the death of a loved one. yet in other cases, the v.a. is unable to determine the identity or location of a surviving spouse, child or family member. at the end of fiscal year 2020, the department owed more than $150 million in undisbursed life insurance proceeds to 15,000 survivors. 10% of this money had been owed

for more than five years. this legislation introduced by representative chris pappas ensures that v.a. will make the necessary improvements to expedite these payments with the goal of disbursing all unpaid benefits within two years. the bill is co-sponsored by more than 40 members on both sides of the aisle and support of the v.f.w., american legion, iraq and afghanistan veterans of america, military officers association, modern military association of america and paralyzed veterans of america. i thank representative pappas for his work and urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. thank you. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: i yield myself such time as i may consume.

i rise in support of h.r. 8260, faster payments of veteran survivors' act. this bill would improve v.a.'s delivery of insurance benefits to survivors. one of the provisions would streamline insurance payments to beneficiaries under the nsli and usgli programs. another section would make improvements to the v.a. process for identifying and paying beneficiaries. i thank congressman pap ation and his commitment to help v.a. honor its obligation to surviving family members. with that, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from california is recognized. mr. takano: at this time, i would like to yield five minutes to my good friend who serves as chair of the subcommittee on oversight and investigations, veterans affairs committee, the gentleman from new hampshire,

mr. pappas. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized papadopoulos thank you -- mr. pappas: i rise in support of my bipartisan legislation h.r. 8260 faster payments to veteran survivors act, a bipartisan bill that v.a. loathes and pays surviving family members the life insurance benefits. v.a. insurance service has tools in place to identify, locate and pay hard to find beneficiaries but more can be done for survivors to wait what is a difficult time emotionally and financially. the faster payments to veteran survivors act will make needed reforms to locate family members. by making these reforms, we will make sure they receive the benefits and payments. the department owed more than 155 million to 15,000

individuals at the end of september, 2020. for a widow or widower who is struggling a payment of $10,000 makes a world of difference. a constituent in rochester shared. his father-in-law passed away last year. but alfred's spouse waited for months owed to her. he contacted our office for help remedying this issue, and no family should have to jump through hoops. this bill dress the publicize that families of veterans can use to search for past-due benefits and has data sources that will help track down veteran survivors and make sure that the department is ad equal staffed. it shortens the long time frame in which v.a. is authorized to designate and pay alternate

beneficiaries and ensures paying is consistent across several different life inurns programs. this will leave to faster payments. i thank congresswoman mace for leading this bipartisan bill and i appreciate the bipartisan support from my colleagues and including v.f.w., american legion, vietnam veterans of america, military officers of america, military association of america and paralyzed. once enacted, it will have a positive impact on thousands of veteran families. our veterans sacrifice so much and their families contribute and sacrifice and most important that we honor those commitments and support their family members. the bill has passed in july and i urge the full house to support

its passage today and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentleman from california reserves. the gentleman from illinois is recognized. mr. bost: reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from california. mr. takano: ifer no further speakers and am prepared to close. reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from illinois. mr. bost: i am prepared to close. i encourage my colleagues to support this bill and i yield back. mr. takano: i ask my colleagues to join me in passing h.r. 8260, as amended. the faster payments to veterans survivorsa act. and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 8260, 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 gentleman from

montana seek recognition? mr. rosendale: thank you, mr. speaker. i would request the yeas and nays, please. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, the yeas and nays are ordered. pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed.

the speaker pro tempore: for what purpose does the gentlewoman from the district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: i move that the house suspend the rules and agree to the bill, h.r. 5952. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5952. a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 123 east main street in vergas, minnesota, as the jon glawe post office. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from florida, mr. franklin, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia. ms. norton: i ask unanimous consent that all members have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i rise

today in support of h.r. 5952, to designate the facility of the united states postal service located in vergas, minnesota, as the jon glawe post office. jon dplawy was born in -- glawe was born january 9, 1949, in detroit lakes, minnesota. he grew up on a farm near vergas and graduated from high school in 1967. after graduating he moved to california and went to ventura community college for two years. obtaining his associate's degree in 1970. mr. glawe was drafted into the u.s. army and was a sergeant in the third armored division, stationed in frankfort, germany. after being honor -- honorably discharged in march of 1972, he married his high school sweetheart, dara olsen.

in june, 1973. as a kid, during snowstorms, mrh his brothers and dad who was a rural mail carrier in vergas to help shovel snow every time their vehicle stopped or became stuck along the mail route. he officially began his career with the u.s. postal service in minneapolis in 1975. after the passing of his father, he added a second full-time job, taking over the rural mail route, delivering mail for vergas and the surrounding areas for 36 years until his retirement in 2001. mr. glawe became well known and revered by many on his route and served as a lifeline for many in the community. through minnesota's harshest

winter storms, he was known to not only deliver mail, but would often bring medicine, food and other goods to those in need. i encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring mr. jon glawe by supporting h.r. 5952. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. franklin: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. franklin: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this bill which would name a post office in vergas, minnesota, for mr. jon glawe. growing up in vergas, minnesota, mr. glawe rode along with his father who was the rural mail carrier in vergas. after serving in the u.s. army after vietnam, he moved to minneapolis and began his we're career with the u.s. post -- his career with the u.s. post office. he later moved back to vergas and resumed work on his family's dairy farm. after his father's death in 1982, mr. glawe added a second

full-time job and took over the rural mail route, delivering mail to the town of vergas and the surrounding area for 36 years. he was well known on his route and served as a lifeline for many in the community. even during the harshest of minnesota winters, he would deliver mail, medicine and food to those in need. there is no better way to honor jon glawe's decades of service to the postal service than by naming a post office after him. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: if the gentleman has no further speakers, i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. franklin: mr. speaker, i yield three minutes to the gentlewoman from minnesota, mrs. fischbach. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized for three minutes. mrs. fischbach: thank you, mr. speaker. i thank the gentleman from for florida for yielding me time. earlier this year, i introduced h.r. 5952, a bill that honors the life of jon glawe of vergas, minnesota.

he was a mail carrier for 36 years, who left a remarkable impact on his community. born in 1949, jon grew up in the vergas area. he was a wrestling champion, which took him to college in california. after being drafted into the army in 1970 and faithfully serving his country, he returned home and married his high school sweetheart, darryla olsen -- darla olsen. as a boy, jon would join his father on the mail route, shoveling the car out of the snow and many minnesotans know that feeling. after his father passed away, jon took up the reins, taking on a second full-time job as a mail carrier. while also running the family dairy farm. over the years, he became a beloved staple of the community, regularly going above and beyond to help his neighbors. this bill appropriately names the post office after jon to honor his service to his neighbors and to the local area.

in a letter his family noted that since the bill's introduction, the outpouring of support from those who live in the vergas area has been overwhelming. i agree with their words, that there's no better way to honor his decades of service than this. jon passed away in 2016 and left behind a loving family and many, many friends. i urge my colleagues to hear the voices of those jon impacted every day and support this bill. with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, if the gentleman from floridas into further speakers -- from florida has no further speakers, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. franklin: mr. speaker, i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized. mr. franklin: thank you, mr. speaker. i support this bill and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i urge passage of h.r. 5952 and i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields back the balance of her time. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5952. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 of those voting having responded 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 gentlewoman from the district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: i move that the house suspend the rules and pass the bill, h.r. 5650. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5650.

a bill to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 16605 east avenue of the fountains in fountain hills, arizona, as the dr. c.t. wright post office building. the speaker pro tempore: pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from the district of columbia, ms. norton, and the gentleman from florida, mr. franklin, each will control 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from the district of columbia. ms. norton: i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. ms. norton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i rise today in support of h.r. 5650, to designate the facility of the united states postal service located at 16605 east avenue of the mountains in fountain hills,

arizona, as the dr. c.t. wright post office building. dr. c.t. wright was raised in a family of sharecroppers as a native of a social circle -- of social circle georgia. he went on to graduate from fort valley state university before earning his master's of science from ■clark,atlanta university and his ph.d. from boston university. he was a teacher, an administrator, devoting much of his time to education, and working for many historically black colleges and universities, including morris brown college and talladega college. in 1982, he became the president of chaney university, the first hbcu. dr. wright also focused his efforts on community service. founding the line of hope institute that promotes human rights around the world. for the last 21 years in his life, he lived in arizona,

serving as a community leader. he was chair of the arizona board of clemensy, president of the fountain hills club, and president of the arizona african society. in addition, dr. wright served as a delegate for the electoral college and met six presidents. i encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the life of dr. c.t. wright by supporting h.r. 5650, and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. franklin: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. franklin: thank you, mr. speaker. i rise in support of this bill, which would name an arizona post office building for dr. c.t. wright. dr. wright was a georgia native and dedicated public servant who devoted his life to education and community service. he went to school in georgia, graduating with a bachelor's degree from fort valley state university and a master's degree from clark atlanta university. after obtaining his ph.d. from

boston university, he served as a teacher and school administrator. over the course of his career, he worked for many of the country's historically black colleges and universities. he also emphasized the importance of community service and established the light of hope institute, which promotes human rights around the world. for the last two decades of his life, he moved to arizona and lived in fountain hills, outside of phoenix. there he remained involved in the community, serving as the president of the fountain hills club and president of the arizona african society. dr. wright was a devoted public servant and i encourage my colleagues to support this bill. i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: mr. speaker, i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady reserves the balance of her time. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. franklin: mr. speaker, i yield four minutes to the gentleman from arizona, mr. schweikert. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from arizona is recognized for four minutes. mr. schweikert: thank you, mr. speaker pro temp. and -- mr. mr. speakerrer pro temp. and chairwoman -- mr. speaker pro tempore. and chairwoman and ranking

member. you've also touched on c.t.'s resume. but i get to do something that's a little unique right now. i'm not going to give his resume again. he was my neighbor. he and mary were my friends. you have ever had someone in your life, and they're just sort of an acquaintance, and they just ooze something really unique called love? c.t. was a big guy. powerful voice. he could sing and the rafters shook. every time he gave the prayer as a meeting, or a republican meeting or something else, i almost felt like i was going to do an altar call. being catholic, that's a little odd. i thought that would be funnier. but he and his wife did something amazing. they were involved in everything. from my school board to the arizona clem ensy board. and the fact of the matter is he

had a powerful impact on a lot of us that live in an upper income suburb on the side of scottsdale, arizona, it's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful place. and i remember sitting down with him saying, ok, c.t., you're my neighbor, you're my friend. why are you a republican? and in this in this powerful voice, son, i'm going to be part of that abolitionist party and he went on to explain his history, his life and i know often we break down into partisan this and partisan that but to have someone who didn't look like every suburban person in our neighborhood but his intellect and he and his wife's love, they

became icons in the community because of their intellect and love and leadership. it proved so powerful for the community because so often if something was happening, we have to ask dr. wright, what does he feel, what is his understanding of what's going on. we lost him a couple of years ago and the community has mourned and felt a little bit more hollow since and by naming our post office, i'm hoping my seven-year-old daughter and 10 week old son will see the plaque and will tell the story and become part of the heater taig of my little town fountain hills, arizona, and with that, i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentlelady from district of columbia is recognized.

ms. norton: if the gentleman from florida has no further speakers, i'm prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. franklin: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. i support this bill and i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentlewoman from the district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: i urge passage of h.r. 5650 and i yield. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady yields. the question is, will the house suspend the rules and pass the bill h.r. 5650. 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 and without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

for what purpose does the gentlewoman from from district of columbia seek recognition? ms. norton: i move the house suspend the rules and agree to the bill h.r. 5865. the speaker pro tempore: the clearing will report the title of the bill. the clerk: h.r. 5856 h 65 a bill to designate the fa sit of the united states postal service located at 410 bluebonnet drive in stafford, texas, as the leonard scarcella post office building pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from from district of columbia and the gentleman from florida will each have 20 minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from district of columbia. ms. norton: i ask that all members may have five legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this

measure. the speaker pro tempore: without objection ms. norton: i yield myself such time as i may consume. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized. ms. norton: i rise in support of h.r. 5865 to designate the fa sit of the united states service located at 410 bluebonnet drive in stafford, texas as the leonard scarcella post office building. mayor leonard scarcella was a life-long resident of stafford, texas and went on to attend university law school and admitted to the state bar. from 1963 to 1969 mayor served in the texas national guard active duty in the united states air force where he attained the rank of sergeant. he was first elected as mayor of

the city of stafford in 1969 and lockest continuing serving mayor in the united states. during his tenure as mayor, he fought for six years to create and create the stafford municipal school district the only break-away school district to gain the approval of the federal courts. in addition, mayor scarcella initiated the stafford municipal educational television station to bring informative programming to the city via cable and internet video streaming as well as serving as mayor he held various positions as president of the board of directors of the fort bend county and chair of the home rule charter commission and president of the stafford economic development corporation.

i encounseling my colleagues to join me in honoring the accomplishments by supporting h.r. 5865. and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. franklin: i lies in support of this bill which honors mayor scarcella. he was first elected in 1969. he continued to serve as mayor until his death in 2020 making him the longest continuous mayor in the united states. he helped the townt develop a strong economy. he worked to eliminate the city property tax and eliminated the general obligation debt in 2014. he was a true public servant. i reserve. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman reserves.

the gentlewoman from district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: if the gentleman has no further speakers, i am prepared to close. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlewoman reserves. the gentleman from florida is recognized. mr. franklin: i have no further speakers and am prepared to close. i yield back. the speaker pro tempore: the the gentleman yields back the balance of his time the gentlewoman from district of columbia is recognized. ms. norton: i urge passage of h.r. 5865 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 the bill h.r. 5865. those in favor, say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, 2/3 being in the affirmative, the rules are suspended -- for what purpose does the gentleman from montana seek recognition?

mr. rosendale: i request the yeas and nays, please. the speaker pro tempore: the yeas and nays are requested. those favoring a vote by the yeas and nays will rise. a sufficient number having arisen, yeas and nays are ordered pursuant to clause 8 of rule 20, further proceedings on this question will be postponed. pursuant to clause 12-a, rule 1, the chair declares the house in recess until approximately 6