Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the distinguished gentlewoman, and I want to personally thank her for her constant and needed fight for women's…”

“I thank the distinguished gentlewoman, and I want to personally thank her for her constant and needed fight for women's rights and, particularly, protecting these women against sexual assault and sexual abuse. I cannot tell you how many stories that we have heard at the border of young women who have come either by coyotes, or even when they get here to this country, the fear that they have of sexual assault and sexual abuse. It is a long walk and a long journey from the Northern Triangle, and I want to thank the gentlewoman again for recognizing that. So, I rise to support the Kuster amendment, and I rise to support the underlying bill, H.R. 3239. I thank the gentlewoman from California for her leadership, and I thank my good friend Dr. Raul Ruiz. We have talked about this. The gentleman has talked about this. I have heard the gentleman on many occasions speaking to us as Members of Congress, not Democrats, but Democrats and Republicans and Independents who would listen. In his conversation, we did not hear anything that would suggest that we would undermine, in any way, our friends or veterans who are in need of great medical care. We stand ready, as we have done over the past, to continue to try to push dollars to help them. This bill in particular deals with CBP to perform an initial health screening on all individuals in CBP custody, and ensures that everyone in custody has access to water, sanitation, hygiene, food, nutrition, and safe shelter.…”