Sheila Jackson Lee: “Let me congratulate the proponents of the amendment and indicate to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan) that I…”

“Let me congratulate the proponents of the amendment and indicate to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Donovan) that I think many of us are on the same page. The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act authorizes the Attorney General to make grants to State and local governments for prison-based family substance abuse treatment programs for the incarcerated parents of minor children. These programs can provide a comprehensive response to the needs of incarcerated parents of minor children, not only substance abuse treatment, but also a range of family-related services. These can include child early intervention services, family counseling, medical care, mental health services, parental skills training, pediatric care, physical therapy, and prenatal care. The importance of the value of these programs to pregnant women who find themselves incarcerated as well as to women who are already mothers is beyond dispute. We want to give our children--no matter who they are and where they are born in this country--a great and wonderful pathway to success. This amendment makes pregnant women equally eligible to participate in such programs. As indicated earlier on the floor today, I am planning to introduce the Stop Infant Mortality and Recidivism Reduction Act of 2016, which is to respond to women who have children while they are incarcerated, to provide them with some sort of support system where their babies are not separated from them.…”