Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 452) to award a Congressional Gold Medal to Willie O'Ree, in recognition of his extraordinary contributions and commitment to hockey, inclusion, and recreational opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 452, the Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act.

I thank Michigan Senator Stabenow and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for their work on this bill which honors Willie O'Ree, a trailblazer for diversity and inclusion in sports and the first Black player in the National Hockey League.

Born in 1935 in the predominantly White town of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, O'Ree made a name for himself as a standout athlete in both ice hockey and baseball. At age 21, he was being scouted by professional baseball teams in the United States. However, upon experiencing racial discrimination and the effects of segregation firsthand while in the south for minor league tryouts, he shifted his focus solely to ice hockey.

In 1958, at the age of 22, O'Ree was called up to play professionally as a winger for the NHL Boston Bruins. In doing so, he became the first Black professional ice hockey player in the league. Despite being blind in one eye from an injury during his time as an amateur hockey player and enduring racist attacks from hockey fans and players alike, O'Ree persevered and continued to play professional hockey for 22 years.

In 1996, the National Hockey League hired O'Ree as its first-ever diversity ambassador, which set out to transform the predominantly White sport of ice hockey by providing greater access and opportunity for children of all races, ethnicities, and origins.

O'Ree has personally devoted thousands of hours to Hockey is for Everyone programs which provide community outreach and support for youth participants to partake in physical fitness and live out hockey's core values of commitment, discipline, and respect for your teammates, coaches, and parents.

In 2018, 60 years after O'Ree first broke the color barrier for ice hockey, he was inducted into the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame in recognition of his longstanding support for greater access and diversity in the sport.

This bill honors O'Ree's trailblazing legacy both on and off the ice. I thank Ms. Stabenow and Mr. Quigley for their work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge members to vote ``yes'' and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from Massachusetts (Ms. Pressley).

Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentlewoman from Massachusetts an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Higgins).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Willie O'Ree is often referred to as the ``Jackie Robinson of ice hockey'' for helping to end racial segregation in the National Hockey League. Mr. O'Ree's positive impact on the sport of ice hockey goes far beyond his role in ending racial segregation in the sport.

This bill honors O'Ree for both his barrier-breaking role and his decades of championing diversity and greater youth access to the sport. I thank Ms. Stabenow and Mr. Quigley, the lead sponsor of the House version of the bill, and our other colleagues who worked so hard on this bill for ensuring that Mr. O'Ree and his trailblazing legacy of sportsmanship and inclusion receive the recognition he so richly deserves.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, 2 days ago our country took time to celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and reflect on our ongoing effort to ensure racial equality in America. It is fitting then that today this body considers legislation to honor the life of Willie O'Ree who, like Dr. King, was on the frontlines of racial integration in America and has dedicated his life to the ideals of diversity and inclusion.

In 1958, Willie O'Ree integrated the sport of hockey by becoming the first Black player in the National Hockey League. Well, known are the stories of barrier-breaking athletes like Jackie Robinson in baseball and Bill Russell in basketball; Mr. O'Ree's story is lesser known.

He was born in Canada, the youngest of 13 children. His grandfather, Paris O'Ree, escaped slavery in South Carolina and fled to Canada. Growing up in Canada, O'Ree quickly developed a love and talent for hockey. During his early years playing hockey, he was blinded in one eye by a stray puck. However, this setback did not deter him from his dream of playing professional hockey. A few years later, Willie finally got the call to play in the NHL with the Boston Bruins, becoming the first Black player to do so.

But the road ahead was not an easy one. During his time playing for the Bruins, Willie endured racist slurs by fans and opposing teams. He suffered illegal hits and rough treatment constantly. But that was not enough to deter him. He remained committed to playing hockey and would do so for 22 years in the NHL and the minor leagues. Think about that, Mr. Speaker, he played 22 years of professional hockey while enduring racism and bigotry; oh, and only having vision in one eye.

Willie never intended to stop the fight for inclusion in the league once he left playing hockey. After hanging up his skates, he became the NHL's diversity ambassador, a role he continues to this day.

In the 1990s, he established the Hockey is for Everyone initiative to offer marginalized and underrepresented children an opportunity to play hockey and develop important life skills. Since its inception, more than 120,000 children have participated in the program.

After his remarkable career on and off the ice, Willie has begun to receive the recognition he has long deserved. In 2018, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and just last night, his jersey was retired by the Boston Bruins.

It has been my honor to know Willie over the past decade and help lead this bill to award him a Congressional Gold Medal. I am thankful to my colleagues, Representatives Higgins, Pressley, Emmer, and Katko, who led this legislation in the House with me, and Senators Stabenow and Scott who led this bill in the Senate.

When I was young, my heroes were hockey players. They were talented, strong, and skilled. They taught me many things. At the time they were all White. Willie fought his entire life to change that during and after his career. Hockey, the sports world, and our country are better off because of his efforts.

I had no idea that the year I was born Willie O'Ree broke the color barrier in hockey. And it wasn't until many years later when I had the honor of meeting him that I learned that my own heroes from the Chicago Blackhawks and their fans gave him some of the harshest treatment during his time in the NHL.

But his life has been a true testament to those values I learned as a young hockey fan: strength, courage, and perseverance even in the face of tremendous odds. He is a true gift to our country and to a sport that I and so many others love. Awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal will serve as a small but important token of our country's gratitude.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of our bill, the Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act, legislation which honors the historic career and life of service of the one and only Willie O'Ree.

With today's vote in the people's House, we honor a giant, and it has been an honor to be a steward in this effort. Willie is a trailblazer, an ice breaker, a hero, and an activist whose powerful story is unknown to too many. That ends here today. We change that.

Mr. Speaker, 64 years ago, in the midst of the fight to end Jim Crow, Willie O'Ree made history with the Boston Bruins by becoming the first Black player to play in the National Hockey League.

A descendant of enslaved people who escaped the horrors of slavery through the Underground Railroad, Willie was born and raised in New Brunswick, Canada, and was the youngest of 13 children. His love of the game began at the young age of 3 when he earned his stripes playing alongside his older siblings.

Known as the Jackie Robinson of hockey, Willie played 45 games in the NHL and spent more than two decades playing professional hockey--all while hiding the fact that he was nearly completely bind in one eye.

Willie O'Ree was a young and fast left winger, but he could not out- skate the racist backlash in response to his desegregating the National Hockey League. As the sole Black player in the NHL at the time, Willie endured relentless bigotry, racism, discrimination, and even violence from fans and players both on and off the ice. And despite it all, Willie embodied resilience, grace, dignity, and never gave up on the determination to live out his dream.

In the decades following his historic career on the ice, Willie has spent his time paying it forward to the next generation of ice breakers. As the NHL's director of youth development and diversity ambassador, he has worked to increase opportunities for young Black and Brown players so that they too can take their rightful place in the big league.

In 2018, Willie was formally inducted into the NHL Hall of Fame; and while his time with the Boston Bruins was short, his legacy lives on to this very day. Earlier this week, Mayor Michelle Wu declared January 18 in the city of Boston Willie O'Ree Day marking the momentous day 64 years ago when Willie hit the ice and changed the game forever.

Just yesterday, the Boston Bruins formally retired Willie's number 22 jersey, raising it up in the rafters at the Garden alongside other Bruins legends.

Mr. Speaker, Black history is American history, and today we salute an American hero and inspiration. Willie demonstrates for us the power of holding on to one's dreams--an ice and ceiling breaker.

I would like to thank my esteemed colleagues, Representatives Quigley, Katko, and Emmer, for their partnership, and the 290 colleagues who cosponsored this piece of legislation in order to get it across the finish line. My team and I have been working diligently pushing and organizing since 2019, and this work would not have been possible without the support and partnership of the longtime grassroots activists who organized to ensure that Willie, who took up space and who created space, now takes his rightful space in our history books.

The Congressional Gold Medal is Congress' highest expression of national appreciation and recognition. With this honor, Willie will join history-makers like Jackie Robinson, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Coretta Scott King, and the Tuskegee Airmen-- incredible company for an incredible man.

Mr. Speaker, at the age of 86 years young today, we give Willie O'Ree his flowers.

Go Bruins.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise in support of S. 452, the Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act.

Willie O'Ree's story is one of determination and perseverance, one of the greatest qualities a human being can have.

Willie, born October 15, 1935, was the youngest of 13 children of parents Rosebud and Harry O'Ree. The O'Ree family was one of only two Black families that lived in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Willie is a descendent of Paris O'Ree, a slave who escaped servitude in South Carolina in the late 1700s at only 15 years old.

When he was 3, Willie fashioned skates out of wooden blocks with metal blades attached to the bottom and took to his frozen lawn in the backyard. He had a knack for skating. Two years later at age 5, Willie began to play organized hockey. Many refer to Willie as the ``Jackie Robinson of hockey.''

Interestingly, at Dodger Stadium in 1949, 2 years after Robinson broke baseball's color barrier, a 14-year-old O'Ree had the opportunity to meet his hero. In one interview, Willie recalls that as Robinson made his way down to the receiving line, Willie waited patiently. When his turn arrived, he spoke to Jackie and said, I am a baseball player. But what I really love is hockey.

Robinson replied, Oh, I didn't know Black kids played hockey.

Nearly 9 years later, on January 18, 1958, Willie put on a Boston Bruins uniform for a game against the Montreal Canadians and became the first Black player in NHL history.

From 1958 to 1961, O'Ree played in 45 games for the Bruins, all while hiding a secret that he was, in fact, blind in one eye.

Willie paved the way for a new generation of hockey players. Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs was quoted as stating:

Willie set the table for everyone else to eat, and he did

it all with dignity and class. I used to think about Willie's

story whenever teachers or hockey parents or coaches would

laugh at my dream of making it to the NHL.

Willie's story did not end after he left the ice. Seventeen years after he retired from professional hockey, the NHL hired O'Ree as their first-ever diversity ambassador. This role put Willie in a position to grow the sport by providing access, opportunity, and motivation for children of all races, ethnicities, origins, and abilities.

In November of 2018, O'Ree was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and just last night, 64 years to the day of his historic entrance into the league, his number 22 jersey was raised to the rafters in TD Garden and retired; an act of ultimate recognition of what a player means to a franchise, a fan base, and a community.

Mr. Speaker, Willie O'Ree forever changed the sport of hockey. His determination and perseverance should be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Emmer). This Member of Congress not only played collegiate hockey, he is a hockey dad, and spent over 20 years as a hockey coach, he is one of the best fans of the game of hockey in the United States Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to, once again, reiterate the significance of this Congressional Gold Medal. Willie O'Ree not only forever changed the sport of hockey, but he truly helped change the history of this country. His determination and perseverance and his trailblazing spirit should be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I wish to submit to the Senate a budget scorekeeping report. The report, which covers fiscal year 2022, was prepared by my staff on the Budget Committee and the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 308(b) and in aid of section 311 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, as amended. This information allows the Senate Budget Committee to determine if budgetary points of order lie against pending legislation.

The report shows the effect on spending and revenues of congressional action through September 15, 2022, as compared to the levels the Senate agreed to in the budget resolution for fiscal year 2022, S. Con. Res. 14. Since my last scorekeeping report on April 28, seven laws with significant budgetary effects have been signed by the President, and I have revised the levels in the budget resolution two times for legislation.

The Democratic staff of the Budget Committee prepared tables 1 and 2. Table 1 compares the mandatory spending of each authorizing committee against the enforceable allocations under section 302 of the Congressional Budget Act. It shows 10 of the 16 authorizing committees are in compliance with their allocations, either because no legislation with significant budgetary costs was enacted or the legislation qualified under the budget resolution for an allocation adjustment. Most of the spending above allowable levels is attributed to either the CHIPS Act of 2022 or the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022.

Table 2 shows the Senate pay-as-you-go--PAYGO--scorecard tallying enacted legislation with significant effects on mandatory spending and revenues. The scorecard shows a savings of $4.7 billion in 2022, a deficit of $174 billion over the 2022-2026 period, and a deficit of $528 billion over the 2022-2031 period. When compared to the allowable amounts on the PAYGO scorecard last adjusted on September 12, there is a deficit of $1.3 billion on the scorecard for 2022, $185 billion over the 2022-2026 period, and $667 billion over the 2022-2031 period.

In addition to these tables, I am submitting a letter from the Congressional Budget Office with further detail. For fiscal year 2022, current budgetary levels are within allowed amounts. Current law budget authority is $2.6 billion below the maximum allowed in the revised budget resolution, outlays are $17 billion below the allowed maximum, and revenues are $68 million above the allowed minimum. The tables also show that there has been no net change for Social Security.

I ask unanimous consent that the letter and accompanying tables from CBO be printed in the Congressional Record.