{"database": "openregs", "table": "congressional_record", "rows": [["CREC-2016-12-30-pt1-PgE1741-2", "2016-12-30", 114, 2, null, null, "REMARKS ON THE 114TH CONGRESS", "HOUSE", "EXTENSIONS", "ALLOTHER", "E1741", "E1742", "[{\"name\": \"Grace Meng\", \"role\": \"speaking\"}]", null, "162 Cong. Rec. E1741", "Congressional Record, Volume 162 Issue 185 (Friday, December 30, 2016)\n\n[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 185 (Friday, December 30, 2016)]\n[Extensions of Remarks]\n[Pages E1741-E1742]\nFrom the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]\n\n                     REMARKS ON THE 114TH CONGRESS\n\n                                 ______\n\n                            HON. GRACE MENG\n\n                              of new york\n\n                    in the house of representatives\n\n                       Friday, December 30, 2016\n\n  Ms. MENG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the 114th\nCongress. To be honest, I feel we failed the American people at times.\nWhen calls were made for sensible gun reform after the Pulse nightclub\ntragedy, the majority in this body refused to listen. When the American\npeople clamored for policy solutions that would mitigate the effects of\nclimate change during the warmest year on record, the majority refused\nto listen. When workers demanded increased wages, seniors called for\nthe protection of retirement security programs, and the poor simply\nasked to be treated with a bit more dignity in the face of assistance\ncuts, the majority failed to listen.\n  Despite these disappointments, however, there were opportunities for\ngood that were seized. We recently passed the ``21st Century Cures\nAct'', we shepherded through multi-year water resource development and\nsurface transportation reauthorizations, we began to address the opioid\nepidemic, and we finally replaced ``No Child Left Behind''. In each of\nthese instances, there were opportunities for Members to improve these\npieces of legislation, and I feel fortunate to have had several\nopportunities to do so successfully on behalf of my constituents. Mr.\nSpeaker, I would like to take this opportunity to read into the Record\nsome of the legislative achievements that were signed into law this\nCongress on behalf of the people of the Sixth Congressional District of\nNew York:\n  (1) H.R. 4238, ``To amend the Department of Energy Organization Act\nand the Local Public Works Capital Development and Investment Act of\n1976 to modernize terms relating to minorities'', which struck the\noutdated and offensive term ``Oriental'' from the U.S. Code in each\nplace it appeared referring to a person.\n  (2) Section 111 of H.R. 3700, the ``Housing Opportunity Through\nModernization Act of 2016'', which requires the U.S. Department of\nHousing and Urban Development to publish model guidelines for minimum\nheating requirements for public housing units. This effort originated\nin response to reports of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)\nresidents receiving inadequate unit heating when outside temperatures\nwere well below freezing.\n  (3) Section 5511 of H.R. 22, the ``Fixing America's Surface\nTransportation Act'', which requires a national review of existing\nfederal and state rules covering the transportation of elementary and\nsecondary school children on school buses, and mandates the creation of\nbest practices for ensuring safe and reliable school bus\ntransportation.\n  (4) Section 6025 of H.R. 22, the ``Fixing America's Surface\nTransportation Act'', which requires the U.S. Government and\nAccountability Office to publish a report detailing the organizational\nreadiness of the U.S. Department of Transportation to address\nautonomous vehicle technology challenges, including consumer privacy\nprotections. This provision mirrors H.R. 3876, the ``Autonomous Vehicle\nPrivacy Protection Act of 2015'', which was the first federal\nlegislation ever introduced dealing solely with autonomous (driverless)\nvehicle concerns.\n  (5) Section 24407 of H.R. 22, the ``Fixing America's Surface\nTransportation Act'', which requires improved data collection and\nreporting of child car seat performance during vehicle crashes, and a\nnational study to be published on the topic within three years.\n  (6) Section 565 of S. 2943, the ``National Defense Authorization Act\nfor Fiscal Year 2017'', which reauthorized the Yellow Ribbon\nReintegration Program, an expiring suicide prevention and resilience\nprogram for members of the National Guard, Reserves, and their\nfamilies.\n  (7) Section 1291(a) of S. 2943, the ``National Defense Authorization\nAct for Fiscal Year 2017'', which authorizes the Secretary of Defense\nand the Secretary of State to enter into water resource agreements with\nforeign governments. Pursuant to this provision, the United States will\nbe permitted to partner with nations such as Israel to research and\ndevelop initiatives that will ensure access to water for U.S. troops\nstationed in regions of the world that experience water scarcity, such\nas the Middle East.\n  (8) Section 5301(a) [Sec. 856. Art. 56. (b)(2)(F)] of S. 2943, the\n``National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017'', which\nmakes conspiracy to commit rape or sexual assault an offense that\nrequires dismissal or dishonorable discharge under the Uniform Code of\nMilitary Justice.\n  (9) Section 1814(a) of S. 2943, the ``National Defense Authorization\nAct for Fiscal Year 2017'', which requires the Small Business\nAdministration (SBA) to provide annual training to the Defense\nAcquisition University, the Federal Acquisition Institute, and other\nfederal entities regarding regulations altered by the SBA during the\nprior year that affect federal acquisition procedures. This provision\nof law mirrors H.R. 4337, the ``Education for Contracting Personnel\nImprovement Act of 2016''.\n  (10) Section 1150 of S. 612, the ``Water Infrastructure Improvements\nfor the Nation Act'', which authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to\npursue projects and technologies that prevent and mitigate flood damage\nassociated with ice jams.\n  (11) Section 704(a) of S. 1635, the ``Department of State Authorities\nAct, Fiscal Year 2017'', which strengthens the Department of State's\nRewards for Justice Program by authorizing the Secretary of State to\npay rewards to individuals who provide information about persons aiding\nor abetting war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and other\ncriminal acts.\n  (12) Page 43 of House Report 114-497--``Female providers.''\n(Incorporated by reference into the Joint Explanatory Statement\naccompanying H.R. 5325, the ``Continuing Appropriations and Military\nConstruction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations\nAct, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness Act''). This provision\nurges the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs ``to seek to hire more\nfemale health care professionals in order to provide female veterans\ngreater opportunities to choose the gender of their healthcare\nprovider.''\n  (13) Page 46 of House Report 114-497--``Medical opinions from non-VA\nhealth care providers.'' (Incorporated by reference into the Joint\nExplanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 5325, the ``Continuing\nAppropriations and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related\nAgencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika Response and Preparedness\nAct''). This provision encourages the U.S. Department of Veterans\nAffairs (VA) ``to accept medical opinions from non-VA health care\nproviders when the evidence is sufficient for rating purposes'' in\norder to ``conserve VA's resources, enable faster rating decisions, and\nreduce the number of appeals.''\n  (14) Page 54 of House Report 114-497--``Placement of emblems of\nbelief on headstones of unclaimed, deceased veterans.'' (Incorporated\nby reference into the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R.\n5325, the ``Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction,\nVeterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and\nZika Response and Preparedness Act''). This provision encourages the VA\n``to permit the placement of emblems of belief on headstones of\nunclaimed, deceased veterans if reliable . . . documentation of the\nveteran's beliefs can be produced (such as through dog tags or other\nmilitary identification documents).'' This provision will make it\npossible for the Queens County American Legion to bury veterans who die\nwithout any living family in a manner consistent with the burial of\nother veterans.\n  (15) Page 56 of House Report 114-497--``Asian American representation\non the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans.'' (Incorporated by\nreference into the Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying H.R. 5325,\nthe ``Continuing Appropriations and Military Construction, Veterans\nAffairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, and Zika\nResponse and Preparedness Act''). This provision encourages the VA ``to\nconsider appointing, in keeping with the demographic make-up of\nAmerica's veteran community, an additional Asian American to the\nAdvisory Committee [on Minority Veterans] in the coming year.'' This\nprovision led to the appointment of Flushing, New York resident Fang\nWong to the Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans in August of 2016.\n  Additionally, Mr. Speaker, I would also like for my constituents to\nknow that the following legislative items were passed through the U.S.\nHouse of Representatives in their name, and that I am committed to\nensuring each of these items are signed into law during the 115th\nCongress:\n\n[[Page E1742]]\n\n  (1) H.R. 2669, the ``Anti-Spoofing Act of 2016'', which would make it\nillegal for scam artists to purposefully disguise telephone numbers\ndisplayed on caller ID, or over texts, in order to lure unsuspecting\nvictims into answering the phone. This bill would significantly deter\nthe rise in fraud being perpetrated by individuals claiming to\nrepresent a government agency, bank, hospital, or credit card company\nwho then demand unwarranted payments over the phone.\n  (2) H.R. 4570, the ``100 Years of Women in Congress Act'', which\nseeks to rename the Women and Minorities in STEM Fields Program at the\nU.S. Department of Agriculture the ``Jeannette Rankin Women and\nMinorities in STEM Fields Program'' in honor of the 100 year\nanniversary of the election of the first woman to Congress--Jeannette\nRankin.\n  (3) Section 2(5) of H.R. 6303, ``To designate facilities of the\nUnited States Postal Service, to establish new Zip Codes, and for other\npurposes,'' which would designate a single, unique ZIP Code for\nGlendale, New York. This section stems from H.R. 657, ``To direct the\nUnited States Postal Service to designate a single, unique ZIP Code for\nGlendale, New York'', an effort whose origins begin with former-\nRepresentative, and Vice Presidential candidate, Geraldine Ferraro\nalmost 40 years ago.\n  (4) Amendment No. 63 to H.R. 5293, the ``Department of Defense\nAppropriations Act, 2017'', which would increase funding for the Peer-\nReviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) by $8 million. These\nadditional funds would be used to combat bladder, brain, colorectal,\nliver, pancreatic and stomach cancers, as well as lymphoma, melanoma\nand other skin cancers, mesothelioma, and cancer in children,\nadolescents and young adults. Unfortunately, the federal government\nwill instead be funded pursuant to a continuing resolution through the\nNew Year.\n  (5) Amendment No. 117 to H.R. 5538, the ``Department of the Interior,\nEnvironment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017'', which\nwould increase funding for the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American\nCenter (APAC) by $300,000, tripling APAC's federal funding.\nUnfortunately, again, the federal government will instead be funded\npursuant to a continuing resolution through the New Year.\n  (6)Amendment No. 66 to H.R. 5485, the ``Financial Services and\nGeneral Government Appropriations Act, 2017'', which would increase\nfunding for Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) by $5 million\nfor a total funding amount of $130 million, an amount sufficient to\nplace a new SBDC assistance center in New York's Sixth Congressional\nDistrict. Again, unfortunately, the federal government will instead be\nfunded pursuant to a continuing resolution through the New Year.\n  (7) Section 1259R of H.R. 4909, the ``National Defense Authorization\nAct for Fiscal Year 2017'', which would renew for three years an\nexpiring Iranian sanction that requires monitoring and tracking of\ncertain ships and airlines traveling to and from Iran.\n  (8) Section 568 of H.R. 4909, the ``National Defense Authorization\nAct for Fiscal Year 2017'', which would require an independent U.S.\nGovernment Accountability Office (GAO) report on the admissions\npractices and gender composition of each U.S. service academy in order\nto ensure adequate female and minority representation (which would ten\ndirectly translate into a more diverse officer corps in the U.S.\nmilitary).\n  (9) Amendment No. 6 to H.R. 2406, the ``Sportsmen's Heritage and\nRecreational Enhancement Act'', which would permit U.S. Fish and\nWildlife Service Law Enforcement Officers to be placed in U.S.\ndiplomatic and consular posts in African nations in order to assist\nlocal wildlife rangers in the protection of elephants.\n  (10) Section 597 of H.R. 1735, the ``National Defense Authorization\nAct for Fiscal Year 2016'', which would require directors of\nunderperforming VA regional offices to explain why their regional\noffice did not meet minimum national standards for claims processing\nand accuracy in a given year, describe what additional resources would\nbe needed to meet such standards in the following year, and describe\nwhat new actions they will implement in response to their poor\nperformance.\n  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with you on behalf of the\nAmerican people in the coming Congress."]], "columns": ["granule_id", "date", "congress", "session", "volume", "issue", "title", "chamber", "granule_class", "sub_granule_class", "page_start", "page_end", "speakers", "bills", "citation", "full_text"], "primary_keys": ["granule_id"], "primary_key_values": ["CREC-2016-12-30-pt1-PgE1741-2"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 23.638264974579215, "source": "Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API", "source_url": "https://www.federalregister.gov/developers/api/v1", "license": "Public Domain (U.S. Government data)", "license_url": "https://www.regulations.gov/faq"}