Providing for Consideration of H.R. Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, and Providing for Consideration of H.R. Schools Not Shelters Act
Floor Speech
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Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 597 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows: H. Res. 597
Resolved, That at any time after adoption of this resolution the Speaker may, pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XVIII, declare the House resolved into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for consideration of the bill (H.R. 3935) to amend title 49, United States Code, to reauthorize and improve the Federal Aviation Administration and other civil aviation programs, and for other purposes. The first reading of the bill shall be dispensed with. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. General debate shall be confined to the bill and amendments specified in this section and shall not exceed one hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective designees. After general debate the bill shall be considered for amendment under the five-minute rule. In lieu of the amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure now printed in the bill, an amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print 118-11 shall be considered as adopted in the House and in the Committee of the Whole. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as the original bill for the purpose of further amendment under the five-minute rule and shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived.
Sec. 2. (a) No further amendment to the bill, as amended, shall be in order except those printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution and amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution.
(b) Each further amendment printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules shall be considered only in the order printed in the report, may be offered only by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole.
(c) All points of order against the further amendments printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules or amendments en bloc described in section 3 of this resolution are waived.
Sec. 3. It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or his designee to offer amendments en bloc consisting of amendments printed in part A of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution not earlier disposed of. Amendments en bloc offered pursuant to this section shall be considered as read, shall be debatable for 30 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure or their respective designees, shall not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question in the House or in the Committee of the Whole.
Sec. 4. At the conclusion of consideration of the bill for amendment the Committee shall rise and report the bill, as amended, to the House with such further amendments as may have been adopted. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion except one motion to recommit.
Sec. 5. Upon adoption of this resolution it shall be in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 3941) to prohibit the use of the facilities of a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education to provide shelter for aliens who have not been admitted into the United States, and for other purposes. All points of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on Education and the Workforce now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be considered as read. All points of order against provisions in the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any further amendment thereto, to final passage without intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce or their respective designees; (2) the further amendment printed in part B of the report of the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, if offered by the Member designated in the report, which shall be in order without intervention of any point of order, shall be considered as read, shall be separately debatable for the time specified in the report equally divided and controlled by the proponent and an opponent, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the question; and (3) one motion to recommit.
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Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave
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Mrs. HOUCHIN. Mr. Speaker, last night, the Rules Committee met and produced a rule, House Resolution 597, providing for consideration of two measures, H.R. 3935 and H.R. 3941.
The rule provides for H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, to be considered under a structured rule with 104 amendments made in order. It provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, or their designees, and provides for one motion to recommit.
The rule also provides for consideration of H.R. 3941, the Schools Not Shelters Act, under a structured rule with 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, or their designees.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this rule and in support of the underlying pieces of legislation.
H.R. 3935, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act, was subject to a thorough committee process, one that saw a 2-day markup and eventually passed out of committee in an overwhelming fashion. This is a work product the whole House can be proud of.
Chairman Graves and his team, working with Ranking Member Larsen and his team, have produced a comprehensive and timely bill. I am sure I am joined by all of my colleagues in thanking them for their hard work.
As Chairman Cole mentioned in his opening remarks at the Rules Committee hearing yesterday, since the birth of flight, the United States has been a world leader in aviation safety and innovation. Mr. Speaker, I firmly believe this bill follows in and adds to that tradition.
Our aviation industry needs certainty, and it needs opportunities to innovate. At the same time, we need to ensure that there are proper guardrails for safety. I believe the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee delivered on these goals.
As a testament to meeting the mark, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure has provided a lengthy list of groups in the aviation industry that are supportive of this bill.
Aviation plays a crucial role in the American economy. This holds true in each and every congressional district represented by this body, whether that be large international airports or smaller regional airports in districts like mine.
In preparing for the bill's passage, I have spoken to local aviation officials in southern Indiana to gather input. One of my constituents even referred to the underlying bill as ``one of the best'' FAA reauthorization bills they have seen.
Comments like this give me great confidence in the policies we are advancing and the importance of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, the United States must remain the leader in aviation safety. We must preserve the United States' position as a world leader in providing an efficient, innovative, and safe aviation transportation system.
Simply put, we must remain at the forefront of global aviation, and this FAA reauthorization is a strong illustration of our leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I will move on to H.R. 3941, the Schools Not Shelters Act.
I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 3941. As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, we were presented with staggering statistics that provide further evidence of Biden's border crisis.
We learned that over 2,500 migrants are pouring into New York City weekly with over 87,000 migrants arriving since last spring. It is obvious that action must be taken.
These statistics from our larger cities preview what could happen across the country if action is not taken. We know some Democrats are willing, even eager, to ignore Federal immigration law, and that is why I am concerned with proposals to house illegal migrants in our schools and what that means for our students and school safety all across the country.
While every child should have access to all the resources they need to be successful in their education, K-12 facilities should be used for educational purposes, not as housing units for illegal immigrants. Colleges and university campuses should not be distracted from meeting the educational needs of students because the Biden administration has failed to secure the southern border.
I am sympathetic to the issues created by this administration leading to the influx of migrants into the interior of the United States, but I vehemently disagree that these problems should be borne by our schools and their students. That is why this legislation is necessary and why I am, again, proud to be a cosponsor.
I will note that new laws will not keep guns from criminals any more than the current ones that we have.
This legislation does not defund schools. I think there is a disconnect from my colleagues on the other side of the aisle because we have before us legislation that would simply say that schools need to be focused on education and not on housing illegal migrants--migrants that the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain) pointed out have no background checks--and that they have no ability to verify and determine if they would be safe.
Meanwhile, parents of students in my school corporation have to have background checks to go in for classroom parties.
We are not defunding schools. We are simply saying that schools cannot house these migrants as a matter of safety for our children.
Mr. VAN ORDEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rules package.
The United States has long been recognized as a global leader in aviation safety, and each day, thousands of men and women work tirelessly to ensure smooth operations at our Nation's airports. However, in recent months, we have witnessed a concerning increase in fatalities of our ground crews, especially in rural airports like those in my district.
First and foremost, it is crucial to understand and acknowledge that, historically, the United States has been a leader in aviation safety. For decades, we have set the standard for the rest of the world with safety protocols that have undoubtedly saved countless lives.
Nonetheless, we cannot ignore the disturbing trend that has emerged in recent months. Close calls in our airspace and tragedies in our airports have become alarmingly frequent. These incidents remind us that we cannot be complacent on issues that threaten the safety of my constituents who work in rural airports and who spend their days helping Americans get from point A to point B.
I am proud to be the first cosponsor to this amendment that was introduced by the gentlewoman from the great State of Oregon (Ms. Hoyle), my Democrat colleague, because it just makes sense. It requires the FAA to develop and publish safety training materials for airport ground crew workers, including supervisory employees.
This amendment will help incidents involving aircraft engine ingestion and jet blast hazards decrease, and it is critical to keeping the airport workers in Wisconsin's Third Congressional District safe.
The 2023 FAA reauthorization is bold and necessary, and it takes steps toward protecting the men and women who make it possible for most of us to travel to this Chamber so we can serve our constituents.
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Mrs. HOUCHIN. Malliotakis).
We face another week of big legislation under consideration for a vote on the House floor to better the lives of everyday Americans.
Both the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act and the Schools Not Shelters Act are important steps in delivering on our promise for a nation that is safe.
Republicans are keeping our Commitment to America.
With the passage of these two bills, we can continue to lead in aviation safety and innovation and keep the promise to our students that schools are a place dedicated to learning and safety.
I look forward to moving these promises out of the House this week, and I ask my colleagues to join me in voting ``yes'' on the previous question and ``yes'' on the rule.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in strong opposition to the Rule for H.R. 3941, ``Schools Not Shelters Act of 2023''.
This bill is an absurd measure to condemn the use of elementary and secondary school facilities that provide shelter for people caught up in emergencies, just like we do for other disasters.
Using the facilities of a public elementary or secondary school to provides shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States should not be politicized, as this is humanitarian issue and failure of our broken immigration system.
As a Member on the Homeland Security committee, and more specifically the Border Security and Enforcement subcommittee, I interact with those at the border and migrants frequently.
I believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to find a lasting solution to the current immigration crisis.
However, I think it is essential that migrants are brought and allowed into the country through legal immigration.
I am a strong proponent of humanitarian aid efforts in the immigration context, from preventing the breakup of individual families because of a wrongful deportation to ensuring that victims of civil wars and national disasters around the globe receive a temporary protected status under the U.S. immigration laws.
We should not condemn the use of public elementary or secondary schools provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States.
I acknowledge that school are places of learning and development for students, but there are time periods when school campuses are not being used, such as during school breaks.
Because of this, the space could be used for humanitarian aid purposes, such as allowing migrants to stay there while they wait for legal processing and paperwork to conclude.
Other exceptions need to be reviewed, such as whether migrants could stay at schools when school is in-session, but humanitarian aid should not be overlooked in the immigration context.
As a leading country on the global stage, it is our duty and responsibility to assist who we can in a legal manner.
More importantly when it comes to schools in America, we should be addressing critical issues that are truly impacting our educational system--namely, the hostile state takeovers of majority-minority school districts--as is what is happening in my district with the Texas Education Agency takeover of the Houston Independent School District.
State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures, layoffs, and no improvements in test scores.
The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined.
With data ranging back to the late 1980s, researchers found that most state takeovers don't translate to academic improvements.
We have to stop the State from intermeddling and overstepping into our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our communities,
That is why I have called upon President Biden and the Department of Education to investigate and take immediate I action to address the recent systematic and dangerous efforts underway by state and local officials in Texas seeking to undermine and undo decades of civils rights protections and advancements in educational institutions and student populations.
And so, I am here today to say that these are the issues that the American people truly care about and want us to be fighting for, for the protection and preservation of their educational rights .
Emergency response agencies have always used school facility sheltering to provide emergency services to affected individuals and communities; the use of these facilities as a temporary shelter for migrants puts no students in danger.
These school facilities have always been used as emergency shelters during disasters such as weather-related events.
No colleges or public K-12 schools should lose federal funding because they provide temporary relief to migrants.
If Republicans are really concerned about measures needed to ensure school safety, they should support all measures that address gun violence prevention and mental health issues.
If my colleagues genuinely want to address students' safety, they should join with us to focus on the real causes of violent deaths in our country--guns.
Gun violence is decimating our families and communities--mass shootings in schools, places of worship, shopping malls, concerts, and urban neighborhoods.
A majority of Americans, including parents, teachers, students, and educational workers support common sense and meaningful actions that address the surging violence in our schools and colleges.
All that this bill does is to punish schools that Republicans think are helping migrants.
By singling out emergency use for migrants, this bill is only about Republicans' continuous opposition to any effort that provides support for the migrant community.
That is why I had offered the following amendments to be considered by the Rules Committee:
Jackson Lee Amendment 13 would simply prevent the enactment of H.R. 3941 until we actually address and enact comprehensive immigration reform in the United States such that the Federal immigration system operates efficiently and offers a fair, humane, and orderly pathway to citizenship.
Jackson Lee Amendment 15 would also prevent enactment of this bill until my bill the ``Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation (GRACE) Act of 2023'' is implemented such that the ``exceptional and extremely unusual hardship'' term as defined in Section 240A(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 12229b(b)) is amended, to include hardship resulting from separating a family member who is a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident or an individual lawfully admitted to the United States and a family member who is subject to deportation or removal from the United States.
A study on Facts and Fictions of Race and Family in U.S. Immigration Policy found that the United States governing framework of family sponsorship is rooted in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, also known as the Hart-Celler Act.
The act eliminated the 1924 national origins quotas while maintaining the principle of numerical restriction by specifying annual caps as well as per-country limits on immigration.
Under the act, ``immediate family,'' specifically spouses, minor children, and the parents of U.S. citizens, are admitted without numerical quotas.
After that, there is a system of hierarchical preferences in which the claims of U.S. citizens are placed above those of legal permanent residents.
There is also a ranking of the family relationship that is based on assessments of familial proximity and of age, especially in the case of parents and children.
The dominant political narrative of the 1965 act at the time of its passage was one of national values, family unity, and the American commitment to ending racial discrimination.
However, according to the Washington Post, the Trump administration's immigration policies separated more than 5,400 children from their families, sending families to Mexico to await the chance to make asylum claims and seeking the chance to detain children indefinitely.
My amendment, the ``Grant Relief for American Children's Elevation Act'' or ``GRACE Act,'' would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish certain family separation as an exceptional and extremely unusual hardship.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted that ``highly stressful experiences, like family separation, can cause irreparable harm, disrupting a child's brain architecture and affecting his or her short- and long-term health.
This type of prolonged exposure to serious stress--known as toxic stress--can carry lifelong consequences for children.''
Just last year, two pediatricians wrote in the Houston Chronicle that ``this kind of stress makes children susceptible to acute and chronic conditions such as extreme anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, hypertension and heart disease.''
As we take into consideration the long term negative psychological effects of family separation as the result of immigration, it becomes abundantly clear that we cannot move forward until this cycle is stopped.
As a Member on the Homeland Security committee, and more specifically the Border Security and Enforcement subcommittee, I interact with those at the border and migrants frequently.
I believe that a comprehensive approach is needed to find a lasting solution to the current immigration crisis.
However, I think it is essential that migrants are brought and allowed into the country through legal immigration.
Under the Jackson Lee Amendment 15, the Immigration and Nationality Act would have no longer subjected human beings to extreme trauma by separating a family member who is a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or an individual lawfully admitted to the United States and a family member who is subject to deportation or removal from the United States.
And the Jackson Lee Amendment 16 strikes one word--``not'' from Sect. 2(a) such that it reads as follows:
In General.--As a condition on receipt of Federal financial assistance under applicable program by a public elementary school, a public secondary school, or an institution of higher education, the facilities of the school or institution may [not] be used to provide shelter or housing for specified aliens.
Thus, my amendment strikes the very language preventing the use of school facilities for the purpose of providing shelter or housing to individuals as defined by section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)) who has not been admitted (as so defined).
I am a strong proponent of humanitarian aid efforts in the immigration context, from preventing the breakup of individual families because of a wrongful deportation to ensuring that victims of civil wars and national disasters around the globe receive a temporary protected status under the U.S. immigration laws.
We should not condemn the use of public elementary or secondary schools to provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States.
Whenever appropriate, space in our schools should be made available for humanitarian aid purposes, such as allowing migrants to stay there while they wait for processing and paperwork to conclude their legal residency status.
Other exceptions need to be reviewed, such as whether migrants could stay at schools when school is in session, but humanitarian aid should not be overlooked in the immigration context.
As a leading country on the global stage, it is our duty and responsibility to assist who we can in a legal manner.
More importantly, when it comes to schools in America, we should be addressing critical issues that are truly impacting our educational system--namely, the hostile state takeovers of majority-minority school districts--as is what is happening in my district with the Texas Education Agency takeover of the Houston Independent School District.
State takeovers in other districts have led to school closures, layoffs, and no improvements in test scores.
The vast majority of school districts that have been taken over by state agencies (TEA included) have not improved but declined.
With data ranging back to the late 1980s, researchers found that most state takeovers don't translate to academic improvements.
Republicans provide no evidence that the academic progress of students is negatively impacted simply by attending a school which houses migrants.
H.R. 3941 is distractive, it is uninformed, it is pointless, provocative, inflammatory, and at best, an absolute waste of time.
Using the facilities of a public elementary or secondary school to provide shelter for non-U.S. nationals who are not admitted into the United States should not be politicized, as this is a humanitarian issue and failure of our broken immigration system.
Instead of denying innocent people temporary humanitarian relief we should focus on stopping the State from meddling in and overstepping the boundaries of our educational systems--causing further harm and damage to our communities.
Lastly, the Jackson Lee Amendment 19 was offered to add the word ``freeze'' to be included in the definition of ``specified disaster''.
This definition is particularly important to signify the dangers of deadly and disastrous weather conditions without snow.
In February 2012, my home state of Texas experienced an unprecedented deep freeze that crippled our state as temperatures dropped to as low as six degrees.
The freeze triggered the worst energy infrastructure failure in Texas state history, leading to shortages of water, food, and heat.
More than 4.5 million homes and businesses were left without power, some for several days and at least 246 people were killed directly or indirectly, with some estimates as high as 702 killed during the crisis.
These Jackson Lee Amendments 13, 15, 16, and 19 would have ensured that unaccompanied minors and migrants in need of temporary relief may be provided emergency shelter or housing using institutional facilities where appropriate.
It is a shame that we not made in order, and that we here with such an offensive and counterproductive bill, and that we are spending time on ineffective efforts instead of focusing on real immigration reform and resolutions for our nation's broken pathways for citizenship.
The text of the material previously referred to by Ms. Scanlon is as follows: An Amendment to H. Res. 597 Offered by Ms. Scanlon of Pennsylvania
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 6. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the resolution (H. Res. 178) affirming the House of Representatives' commitment to protect and strengthen Social Security and Medicare. The resolution shall be considered as read. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the resolution and preamble to adoption without intervening motion or demand for division of the question except one hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Ways and Means or their respective designees. Sec. 7. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the consideration of H. Res. 178.
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