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THROUGH THE RAGS AGENDA I'LL
CONTINUE FIGHTING TO BRING
REGULATORY RELIEF TO THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE.
THANK YOU AND I YIELD THE
REMAINDER OF MY TIME.
THE
GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE
GENTLELADY FROM CALIFORNIA, MS.
LEE, FOR FIVE MINUTES.
THANK YOU.
I ASK UNANIMOUS CONSENT TO
ADDRESS THE HOUSE FOR FIVE
MINUTES.
WITHOUT OBJECTION.
THANK YOU, MR.
SPEAKER.
FIRST, LET ME TAKE THE MOMENT
TO THANK THE GENTLELADY FROM
OHIO, CONGRESSMAN MARCIA FUDGE,
FOR HER FEARLESS AND HER
TIRELESS LEADERSHIP IN
PROTECTING OUR DEMOCRACY AND
THE BEDROCK, OF COURSE, OF OUR
COUNTRY AND THAT IS THE RIGHT
TO VOTE.
SHE'S DONE AN AMAZING JOB
KEEPING US VERY FOCUSED AND
POINTED WITH ALL THE
INFORMATION WE NEED TO FRY TO
ADDRESS THIS IN -- TRY TO
ADDRESS THIS IN A BIG WAY.
ONCE AGAIN, I AM HERE TO SOUND
THE ALARM BECAUSE, MAKE NO
MISTAKE ABOUT IT, THE
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT TO VOTE,
WHICH IS AT THE HEART OF OUR
DEMOCRACY, ITS UNDER ATTACK.
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS AND
GOVERNORS ARE PROPOSING
PARTISAN LAWS THAT WE CROWD
VOTERS TO SHOW
GOVERNMENT-APPROVED -- --
GOVERNMENT-APPROVED I.
DEMPLET'S.
I CAME HERE AFTER THE STOLEN
PPTAL ELECTION IN FLORIDA TO
PROTEST THE RESULTS OF THOSE
TWO ELECTIONS THAT WERE FILLED
WITH VOTER SUPPRESSION.
IT WORKED FOR THE REPUBLICANS
BEFORE.
AND SO LEGISLATORS IN 42 STATES
IN THIS MASS OF SHAME HAD TO
DOUBLE DOWN ON THESE STRATEGIES
TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR CERTAIN
COMMUNITIES TO VOTE.
THESE PROPOSALS WOULD
AMERICANS.
DISENFRANCHISE 21 MILLION
THAT'S OVER ONE IN 10 ELIGIBLE
VOTERS IN AMERICA WHO DO NOT
HAVE ADEQUATE IDENTIFICATION.
NOW, HOW IN THE WORLD, FOR
EXAMPLE, WOULD MY 100-YEAR-OLD
AUNT GET HER BIRTH CERTIFICATE
TO PROVE WHO SHE IS TO GET A
GOVERNMENT I.D. TO VOTE?
SHE WOULDN'T KNOW WHERE TO
START NOR HOW TO PAY FOR IT.
AND IT'S NO COINCIDENCE THAT A
DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF
THESE AFFECTED VOTERS COME FROM
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AS WELL AS
STUDENTS.
THE POOR, THE ELDERLY AND
ONE IN FOUR OTHERWISE QUALIFIED
AFRICAN-AMERICANS WOULD BE
UNABLE TO VOTE UNDER THESE
VOTER I.D. LAWS.
AROUND ONE IN FIVE ASIAN
AMERICANS, LATINOS AND YOUNG
ADULTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18
24 WOULD BE BLOCKED.
IN MY HOME STATE OF CALIFORNIA,
A VOTER I.D. BILL WAS
INTRODUCED TO SUPPRESS VOTER
PARTICIPATION.
IT WOULD COST $26 JUST TO GET
THE REQUIRED DOCUMENT TO
QUALIFY OR A GOVERNMENT-ISSUED
I.D.
NOW, HAVING BEEN BORN AND
RAISED IN TEXAS, THIS CERTAINLY
LOOKS LIKE A POLL TAX TO ME,
WHICH THOSE OF US REMEMBER AS A
WAY TO PREVENT
AFRICAN-AMERICANS FROM VOTING.
THESE VOTER I.D. LAWS HAVE A
PARTISAN AGENDA, SEEKING TO
DISENFRANCHISE AND DENY
SPECIFIC POPULATIONS OF VOTERS
BEFORE THEY HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ELECT THEIR
REPRESENTATIVES IN GOVERNMENT.
THESE PARTISAN LAWS, THEY'RE
SHAMEFUL AND THEY ARE A
DISGRACE TO OUR COUNTRY.
IF THESE REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS
WERE TRULY CONCERNED WITH
FINDING VOTER FRAUD, THEY WOULD
TAKE ON ACTUAL DOCUMENTED
PROBLEMS SUCH AS DISTRIBUTING
FLIERS WITH FALSE INFORMATION
MEANT TO TRICK VOTER,
IMPROPERLY PURGING VOTERS OR
TAMPERING WITH ELECTION
EQUIPMENT AND FORMS.
INSTEAD, THEY'RE PUSHING LAWS
DESIGNED TO CHANGE ELECTION
OUTCOMES BY REDUCING VOTING,
REPRESSING TURNOUT AND TURNING
JIM CROW.
THE CLOCK BACK TO THE DAYS OF
THIS IS THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF
WHERE OUR COUNTRY NEEDS TO GO.
WITH ALMOST 40% OF ELIGIBLE
VOTERS REGULARLY STAYING AWAY
FROM VOTING BOOTHS, WE NEED TO
BE EXPANDING PARTICIPATION IN
OUR DEMOCRACY, MAKING THE
BALLOT MORE ACCESSIBLE, NOT
LESS.
WE CANNOT AND WE MUST NOT ALLOW
DEMOCRACY TO BE UNDERMINED,
ESPECIALLY WHILE WE'RE
PROMOTING DEMOCRACY ABROAD.
WE MUST UNMASS THESE SHAMEFUL
ATTEMPTS TO DISENFRANCHISE
VOTERS.
LET'S STOP THIS PARTISAN EFFORT
THAT STRIKES REALLY AT THE CORE
OF OUR COUNTRY.
LET'S WIN THIS WAR AGAINST
VOTERS.
WE SHOULD BE ABOUT DISMANTLING
AND REDUCING BARRIERS SO WE CAN
TO REIGNITE THE
AMERICAN DREAM FOR THOSE WHO
HAVE LOST HOPE.
SO I WANT TO THANK MY
COLLEAGUE, ESPECIALLY
CONGRESSWOMAN FUDGE, FOR THEIR
CALLS TO PROTECT THE RIGHT TO
VOTE ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE
CITIZENS ACROSS THIS GREAT
NATION.
THANK YOU AND I YIELD THE
BALANCE OF MY TIME.
THE
GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE
GENTLELADY FROM CALIFORNIA, MS.
CHU, FOR FIVE MINUTES.
AMERICA DOESN'T HAVE A
SMALL BUSINESS PROBLEM.
IT HAS A STARTUP PROBLEM.
THAT WAS THE TITLE OF A RECENT
"WASHINGTON POST" ARTICLE.
IT POINTED TO THE FACT THAT
SELF-EMPLOYED STARTUP
BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN THE CHOSEN
ALTERNATIVE FOR MILLIONS OF
AMERICANS, BUT WE MUST DO MORE
TO HELP THEM.
TODAY, ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE
NEW JOBS IS CREATED BY
SELF-EMPLOYED STARTUP
BUSINESSES.
BUT WE CAN DO BETTER.
COMPARED TO OTHER WEALTHY
COUNTRIES, THE U.S. RANKS 23RD
IN NEW BUSINESSES FORMED PER
1,000 WORKING ADULTS.
THESE ENTREPRENEURS TAKE RISK
TO MAKE IT ON THEIR OWN, BUT
THEY COULD DO BETTER IF WE HELP
THEM BE COMPETITIVE.
THAT IS WHY YESTERDAY I
INTRODUCED THE ENTREPRENEUR
STARTUP GROWTH ACT.
ONE OF THE MOST INTIMIDATING
TIMES OF THE YEARS FOR NEW
OWNERS IS TAX SEASON AS THEY
LEARN AND NAVIGATE DIFFERENT
BUSINESSES.
TAX STANDARDS FOR DIFFERENT
MY BILL TURNS THIS TOUGH TIME
INTO AN OPPORTUNITY BY OFFERING
NOT ONLY AFFORDABLE BUSINESS
TAX ASSISTANCE BUT BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SO THAT
THESE COMPANIES CAN GET THE
ADVICE THEY NEED IN ORDER TO
GROW.
THIS BILL BUILDS ON THE
SELF-IMPLEMENT TAX INITIATIVE
LAUNCHED BY CFED, THE
CORPORATION FOR ENTERPRISE
DEVELOPMENT, A NONPROFIT
ECONOMIC ORGANIZATION.
ACCORDING TO CFED, NEARLY 2/3
OF ALL SELF-EMPLOYED PEOPLE ARE
OPERATING BUSINESS STARTUP.
SELF-EMPLOYED STARTUPS IN THEIR
FIRST YEAR OF EXISTENCE CREATE
AN AVERAGE OF THREE MILLION
JOBS PER YEAR.
IN FACT, WITHOUT BUSINESS
STARTUPS, THERE WOULD BE NO NET
JOB GROWTH IN THE U.S. ECONOMY.
NEARLY ALL NET JOB CREATION
SINCE 1980 HAS OCCURRED IN
SELF-EMPLOYED STARTUPS LESS
THAN FIVE YEARS OLD.
THEY ARE CRITICAL TO OUR
ECONOMY.
IN MY BILL, COMMUNITY-BASED
ORGANIZATIONS, LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS AND HIGHER
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ARE
ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR GRANTS UP
TO $75,000 TO OPERATE THIS
PROGRAM.
THE I.R.S. WILL WORK WITH THE
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
TO ENSURE THAT THE OPERATORS OF
THE PROGRAM HAVE EXPERTISE IN
BOTH FAX ASSISTANCE AND
BUSINESS -- TAX ASSISTANCE AND
ASSISTANCE.
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WORKS.
WITH SUCH A MODEST INVESTMENT
IN THIS ASSISTANCE, 62% OF
BUSINESSES WERE ABLE TO GET
REFUNDABLE TAX CREDITS SUCH AS
EITC AND MAKING WORK PAY,
REFUNDS THAT THEY MIGHT
OTHERWISE HAVE MISSED OUT ON.
THE ENTREPRENEUR STARTUP GROWTH
ACT WILL HELP BUSINESSES GROW
AND HELP LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS
BUILD THE ASSETS THAT THEY NEED
IN ORDER TO SURVIVE.
THEY WILL GET THE ECONOMIC
SECURITY THEY DESIRE.
WE WILL HELP PEOPLE CLIMB UP
THAT LADDER OF OPPORTUNITY AND
REACH FOR THAT AMERICAN DREAM.
THE
GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK.
THE CHAIR RECOGNIZES THE
GENTLELADY FROM CALIFORNIA, MS.
SPEER, FOR FIVE MINUTES.
-- MS. SPEIER, FOR FIVE
MINUTES.
THANK YOU, MR.
SPEAKER.
I RISE AGAIN TODAY FOR THE 13TH
TIME TO TALK ABOUT A STAIN ON
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, A STAIN ON
THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT.
ASSAULT AND ***.
I AM TALKING ABOUT MILITARY
I'M TALKING ABOUT THE 19,000
SOLDIERS EACH YEAR WHO ARE
VICTIMS OF *** ASSAULT OR
*** IN THE MILITARY.
THOSE ARE FIGURES BY THE
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
AND YET ONLY 13% WILL REPORT
BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT IF THEY
DO REPORT THEY WILL BE SMARELY
REMOVED.
MOST ARE HONORABLY DISCHARGED
AFTER THEY REPORT ***.
A FEW WEEKS AGO NOT FAR FROM
HERE AN ORGANIZATION, A
NONPROFIT, PROTECT OUR
DEFENDERS, WAS BORN.
IT LAUNCHED TO GIVE VOICES TO
SURVIVORS OF *** ASSAULT IN
OUR MILITARY.
MORE THAN 6,000 AMERICANS HAVE
SIGNED SURVIVOR TERRY ODOM'S
PETITION, WHOSE STORY I TOLD
HERE ON THE FLOOR.
TERRI'S PETITION DEMANDS
CONGRESS TAKE THE REPORTING OF
*** ASSAULT AND *** OUTSIDE
THE NORMAL CHAIN OF COMMAND.
I IMAGINE MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES
HAVE RECEIVED EMAILS AND TWEETS
MESSAGES FROM THEIR
CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
THIS IS A MOVEMENT AND WE MUST
ADDRESS IT.
OUR TROOPS PROTECT US AND WE
MUST PROTECT THEM.
BOTH REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
SHOULD BE ABLE TO AGREE WE NEED
TO FIX THIS SYSTEM.
TODAY, I'M GOING TO TELL YOU
THE STORY OF PETTY OFFICER
AMBER DEROHRABACHER.
PETTY OFFICER DEROHRABACHER --
DEROSCH SERVED IN THE NAVY FROM
DECEMBER, 2000 TO DECEMBER OF
2005.
IN AUGUST OF 2001 PETTY OFFICER
DEROSCH WAS *** IN A HOTEL IN
THAILAND.
ONE OFFICER RIPPED OFF HER
CLOTHES AND HELD HER DOWN WHILE
THE OTHER ASSAILANTED ***
HER.
THEY TOOK TURNS HOLDING HER
DOWN AFTER THE OTHER *** HER.
AFTER THEY HAD THEIR WAY WITH
HER, ONE OF THE RAPISTS THREW
HER IN THE SHOWER IN ATTEMPT TO
WASH OFF THE EVIDENCE.
THEY THEN TOOKED HER OUT OF THE
ROOM AND ONTO THE UNFAMILIAR
STREETS OF THAILAND.
THE NEXT DAY SHE WENT TO GET A
MEDICAL EXAMINE.
PETTY OFFICER DEROSCH WAS
BRUISED THAT THE PHYSICIAN HAD
TO STOP THE EXAM AND BEGAN TO
CRY.
PETTY OFFICER DEROSCH DECIDED
TO REPORT THIS TO HER COMMAND.
SHE BECAME THE TARGET OF SEVERE
HARASSMENT, WAS IMPRISONED IN
THE MEDICAL WARD AND DENIED
FOOD.
I KNOW THIS SOUNDS UNBELIEVABLE
BUT THIS IS GOING ON IN OUR
MILITARY.
WHEN THE PETTY OFFICER WAS
RELEASED FROM THE MEDICAL WARD,
HER COMMAND REFUSED HER TO
LEAVE THE SHIP AND FORCED HER
TO BE ONCALL 24 HOURS A DAY
WITHOUT RECEIVING ANY
COUNSELING TO HELP HER COPE
WITH HAVING BEEN ***.
THE PETTY OFFICER SOUGHT OUT
THE SHIP'S CHAPLAIN AND TOLD
HIM SHE WAS SUICIDAL BECAUSE OF
HER RAPES AND HER SUBSEQUENT
MISTREATMENT.
SHE WAS FINALLY PERMITTED TO
LEAVE HER SHIP AND SERVE OUT
THE REMAINDER OF HER DUTY ON
ANOTHER SHIP.
AS IF THE HORRIFYING ASSAULT
AND SUBSEQUENT MISTREATMENT OF
THE PETTY OFFICER IS NOT
HEARTBREAKING ENOUGH, HER
PREDATORS DIDN'T GET THE
PUNISHMENT THEY DESERVED.
IN FACT, SOMETHING VERY
DIFFERENT.
INSTEAD OF COURT MARSHALLING
THE PREDATORS, HER COMMAND
DECIDED TO HANDLE THE RAPES
WITH SO-CALLED NONJUDICIAL
PUNISHMENT.
THE PUNISHMENT REQUIRED THE
RAPISTS TO ADMIT THEIR CRIMES
SO THEY ADMITTED THEM.
THEY GOT SIX MONTHS DOCKED PAY
AND A REDUCED RANK FOR ONLY ONE
OF THE RAPISTS.
BOTH OF THE RAPISTS WERE
PERMITTED TO REMAIN ON ACTIVE
DUTY.
WHEN COMMAND INFORMED THE PETTY
OFFICER OF THE OUTCOME, THEY
ALSO ADVISED HER TO, QUOTE,
REFRAIN FROM SPEAKING OUT
THE LACK OF PUNISHMENT
OR ACCOUNTABILITY.
THE PETTY OFFICER'S STORY LIKE
MANY OTHERS HIGHLIGHTS A SYSTEM
THAT IS UNIMAGINABLE TO SO MANY
.
OF US.
AND A SYSTEM THAT IS SO CLEARLY
BROKEN.
IN THE MILITARY, A BASE
COMMANDER HAS COMPLETE
AUTHORITY.
LET ME REPEAT THAT.
COMPLETE AUTHORITY AND
DISCRETION OVER HOW A DEGRADING
AND VIOLENT ASSAULT UNDER HIS
COMMAND IS HANDLED.
IF THEY DON'T WANT A BLACK MARK
ON THEIR RECORD OR IF THEIR
FRIENDS IS ACCUSED OR IF THEY
DON'T KNOW HOW TO DEAL WITH A
CASE, THEY GET A SLAP ON THE
MY BILL, THE *** ASSAULT
WRIST.
TRAINING OVERSIGHT AND
PREVENTION ACT, THE STOP ACT,
TAKES THIS ISSUE AND PUTS IT IN
THE HANDS OF OTHERS WHO CAN
HANDLE IT APPROPRIATELY.
I YIELD BACK.
THE
GENTLELADY YIELDS BACK.
PURSUANT TO CLAUSE 12-A OF RULE
1, THE CHAIR DECLARES THE HOUSE