Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, for decades, the issue of homeless LGBTQ- plus youth hasn't gotten the attention it deserves, even as it is estimated they make up between 20 and 40 percent of all homeless youth in the United States.

That is why I am so proud that the Federal omnibus recently passed by Congress included $3 billion for 360 Youth Services in Naperville so that they can launch a youth-affordable housing resource center to provide youth-specific housing and homelessness prevention services in DuPage, Kane, Will, and surrounding counties.

In the 11th Congressional District, we value our young people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. I am proud of what 360 Youth Services has planned for this funding.

Altogether, our office secured nearly $19 million for very worthwhile projects in Illinois' 11th Congressional District that will benefit our entire community. This will be taxpayer money well spent.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Ngozi Ezike, a dedicated public servant whose last day as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health was yesterday.

For the past 3 years, Dr. Ezike worked tirelessly to protect the health and well-being of the people of Illinois, including leading our State's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In spite of historic challenges, she remained dedicated to her job and making sure that the people of Illinois always had the most accurate information about how to best protect themselves and their families.

Amid an onslaught of social media misinformation and conspiracy theories, Dr. Ezike helped make sure that Illinois' COVID response operated in reality and was grounded in science. She always made sure that the scientists and public health experts were heard by our elected officials.

Dr. Ezike is a trailblazer--not only because she was Illinois' first Black woman to serve as the director of the department of public health but because she was called to lead a Statewide public health response to an unprecedented pandemic, and she did not blink.

There is no doubt that her work helped save lives in Illinois. So on behalf of the people of our State, I thank Dr. Ezike for her service, and I wish her nothing but the best in whatever she decides to do next.

Community Projects: Clean Drinking Water

Madam Speaker, for decades the city of Joliet has lived under the threat of unsafe drinking water from lead pipes used in service lines to individual homes. In recent years, the lowering of the water tables has threatened even the long-term availability of drinking water to Joliet, and that is why I am so proud that the Federal omnibus recently passed by Congress included $3.5 million for the city of Joliet to help tap into Lake Michigan as the primary source of drinking water and to accelerate the replacement of lead service lines, thereby helping to secure clean and safe drinking water for the entire Joliet community for decades to come.

Altogether, our office secured nearly $19 million for very worthwhile projects in Illinois' 11th District that will benefit our entire community, and this will be taxpayer money well spent.

Community Projects: Stepping Stones

Madam Speaker, for decades substance abuse disorder has torn apart families in Will County and around the country. Often families with young children had nowhere to turn to. That is why I am so proud that the Federal omnibus recently passed by Congress included $2 million for Stepping Stones--a nonprofit that provides clinical services and recovery support for those seeking treatment for substance use disorders so that they can build new housing units for women seeking treatment.

Altogether, our office secured nearly $19 million for very worthwhile projects in Illinois' 11th District that will benefit our entire community, and this will be taxpayer money well spent.

Community Projects: Affordable Housing

Madam Speaker, for decades, Will County has grappled with issues of affordable housing, an issue that has become more and more important in communities large and small across our country.

That is why I am so proud that the Federal omnibus recently passed by Congress included $3 million for the Housing Authority of Joliet to help turn a shuttered golf course into quality, affordable housing for hardworking families who deserve access to the dream of homeownership.

Altogether, our office secured nearly $19 million for very worthwhile projects in Illinois' 11th District that will benefit our entire community, and this will be taxpayer money well spent.

Community Projects: The Old Joliet Prison

Madam Speaker, for decades the Old Joliet Prison has served as the backdrop of Hollywood movies like ``The Blues Brothers'' and hit TV shows like ``Prison Break.'' But years of neglect have left the site unsafe and closed to visitors.

That is why I am so proud that the Federal omnibus recently passed by Congress included $3 million for the Joliet Area Historical Museum so that they can rehabilitate the site of the Old Joliet Prison and make it safe for visitors once again and enhance its potential as a tourist attraction. This project is shovel-ready and will help create and sustain much-needed construction jobs while restoring a historically and culturally significant site in an economically challenged part of the city.

Altogether, our office secured nearly $19 million for very worthwhile projects in Illinois' 11th District that will benefit our entire community, and this will be taxpayer money well spent.

Community Projects: Aurora Quad County Urban League

Madam Speaker, for decades, America has faced a deficit of job training opportunities from underserved and underrepresented communities, and that is why I am so proud that the Federal omnibus recently passed by Congress included $425,000 for the Aurora Quad County Urban League so that they can launch a youth careers program in Aurora to connect young people with jobs and apprenticeship opportunities in construction, transportation, distribution of logistics, and all fields facing an increase in and need for Federally trained workers.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate The White Oak Library on 100 years of service to the community.

In 1922, the Lockport Woman's Club began a volunteer library and led a seven-year fight to solidify the library as a mainstay in the community. The library has persevered, putting the needs of the people first, changing locations and selling land to mirror the ever changing community landscape. A couple of location and name changes later, the Lockport Women's Club's vision has surpassed their initial dreams, with not one, but three libraries serving the greater Crest Hill, Lockport, and Romeoville communities.

The White Oak Library's mission is to be a community anchor while balancing innovation and tradition. The library leaders and staff have tirelessly met this mission with offerings ranging from Citizenship Prep and English-Second Language classes, STEM Fest, Grandparents Day, and various children, teen and adult programming. The thoughtful and far-reaching goals of the White Oak Library are met every day.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent the communities White Oak Library serves. and I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this milestone with best wishes for many more to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the men and women who have been on the front lines of this pandemic from the very beginning: our healthcare workers. On MLK Day, I had a chance to deliver care packages to hospitals and clinics in my district in Joliet, Aurora, and Naperville as a small token of appreciation for the tireless work of our healthcare workers.

As our Nation confronts this, hopefully final, winter surge of COVID, we should all keep in mind the people who are still going to work every day to care for people who are sick. Their dedication to their jobs is truly inspiring, and they are literally saving lives every day. After almost 2 years of battling COVID, our healthcare workers are mentally and physically exhausted, but yet they still show up every day to provide care for others.

We can all learn so much from them.

I am honored to represent so many of them in my district in places like Edward Hospital in Naperville, Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora, and Aunt Martha's Health Center in Joliet; just to name a few.

So I want every healthcare worker in America--doctors, nurses, and support staff--to know that they are not alone. I thank them for being there.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share some great news about our efforts to protect Lake Michigan and the rivers and lakes throughout Illinois and the entire Great Lakes region from invasive Asian carp.

Yesterday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that thanks to the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, $225 million of new funding is headed to Illinois for the Brandon Road Project. The Brandon Road Lock and Dam on the Des Plaines River in Joliet, Illinois, is the last best line of defense against the spread of this invasive species into waterways not just in Illinois but to lakes and tributaries throughout the entire Great Lakes basin.

The economic and environmental consequences of allowing this infestation to spread would be massive, and that is why securing Federal funding for the Brandon Road Project has been one of my most important priorities for several years.

Last year, I joined my colleagues on the Great Lakes Task Force to urge the Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize the Brandon Road Project. And 3 years ago, I hosted members of the then-Republican- controlled Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for a tour of the Brandon Road site so that they could have a first-person look at the importance of this project.

This injection of much-needed funding means that we can move forward on getting this project done and protecting our waterways, and not just our Great Lakes, but the beautiful lakes and rivers that define the entire Great Lakes region for generations to come.

I just wish that more of my Republican colleagues had actually voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill to provide the funding for this great project.

Infrastructure

Mr. Speaker, for decades, Americans have been asking their elected leaders to fix crumbling roads and bridges and modernize our Nation's transportation infrastructure. For decades, politicians of both parties promised to deliver on an infrastructure package. President Trump even promised that he would be the one person to get it done. But he didn't, not even when Republicans controlled the House, Senate, and Presidency.

It was President Biden and this Democratic Congress that finally got it done even though more than 90 percent of my Republican colleagues voted against it. Thanks to this new law, people in my State will benefit from robust Federal investment in the infrastructure that they rely on every day: $11.2 billion for highway and bridge repairs; $1.7 billion to make sure that everyone has access to clean drinking water; $4 billion to enhance public transportation; $616 million for infrastructure enhancements at Illinois airports; and over $100 million for broadband internet expansion.

Just last week, the Department of Transportation announced that $1.4 billion was already on its way to Illinois to repair bridges all across the State. This is the largest investment in our State's bridges since the construction of the Interstate Highway System, and it is just the beginning of the infrastructure investments that will benefit the people of Illinois every day.

I have to say, I look forward to meeting my Republican colleagues at the ribbon cutting ceremonies for all of these projects that they voted against.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor one of my constituents, Blake Burton, on his seventh birthday and to recognize his resilient spirit in the face of unbelievable hardship.

Blake was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of four and has been bravely battling it

ever since. On several occasions, Blake's condition worsened, and his family feared that they might be losing him. After countless surgeries, transfusions, needles, surviving being on a ventilator, kidney dialysis, and three failed stem cell transplants, his fight with leukemia has now come to an end and Blake was recently put into hospice care.

Blake's family describes him a boy with a zest for life who makes an impact on anyone he comes in contact with. Despite a taxing fight against leukemia, he always has the energy to stick up for the underdog--a lesson we can all learn from.

On October 14, Blake will turn seven years old having experienced more challenges than most people will over the course of their entire lives. We can all learn from Blake's bravery and strength, and I am honored to represent him and his family as part of the 11th Congressional District of Illinois.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating Blake on his seventh birthday and in honoring his courage, perseverance, and spirit.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor and recognize the 20th Anniversary of the Naperville Illinois KidsMatter Organization.

Since 2001, KidsMatter has served to develop and empower young people of all races, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds. Their work has been critical to understanding how a child's upbringing and environment can affect their development.

More importantly, they recognize that the obstacles faced by young adults do not determine their future. Through mental health services, tutoring and leadership academies, and many other services, KidsMatter is leading our community's children to brighter futures ahead.

In addition to serving young adults, KidsMatter provides critical resources to families and parents. This influential organization is building a healthy and resilient new generation, and I look forward to the work they will continue doing in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring KidsMatter for their exemplary service to the people of Naperville, Illinois and the surrounding area, and to congratulate them on their 20th Anniversary.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of the life and work of Bill Habel, of Naperville, who passed away suddenly just a few weeks ago at the age of 63.

Bill was a tireless champion for workers and their families, and he never missed an opportunity to help amplify their voices. He started his career as a union electrician in 1986 and was a dedicated member of IBEW Local 701.

Beyond his day-to-day work, Bill made it a priority to give back and to help others begin their careers. He spent 23 years as an instructor for the electrical workers' apprenticeship program, helping introduce others to good-paying career opportunities in the building trades.

He was a leading voice for the economic development of the Naperville community and never missed a chance to advocate for job creation and infrastructure development that attracted so many people to Naperville and to DuPage County.

Madam Speaker, Bill knew instinctively what many of us have learned, that when you prioritize workers and their families, the entire community benefits. Simply put, the Naperville community is a better place because of the work that he did and what he did to help build it up.

I am proud to call Bill a friend and even more proud of the work that he accomplished for his community. We will all miss him dearly.

Mr. Speaker, today we are considering H.R. 2225, the NSF for the Future Act; and H.R. 3593, the DOE Science for the Future Act. Both are tributes to the thoughtful bipartisanship of the leadership and the staff of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, on which I have the honor of serving.

Last Congress, the Science Committee found itself in the remarkable position of discussing dueling bipartisan proposals to essentially double the science budgets, which, needless to say, represents a big change from years past.

Out of that shared commitment to the future came the thoughtful and bipartisan NSF for the Future Act and the DOE Science for the Future Act. These bills, which represent significant and overdue increases to the budgets for the NSF and the DOE Office of Science, are crucial to ensuring that our Nation maintains its leadership in the science that will continue to change the world.

H.R. 2225 was specifically written to ensure that the NSF will have the funds to accept a much larger fraction of the qualified research proposals that it receives every year, which is the single most important thing that we can do to ensure the health of the science it supports.

H.R. 3593 contains aggressive but feasible budget profiles for the existing programs of DOE's Office of Science. It has specific language to reexamine opportunities to expand these programs into new areas under these more ambitious but now, hopefully, realistic budget growth scenarios so that next-generation projects in fields like nuclear fusion, bioinformatics, energy storage, basic energy research, and much more can now be contemplated.

As the only Ph.D. physicist in Congress, I urge my colleagues to support these bills, which I am proudly cosponsoring, to provide our scientific researchers with the support that they need to lead us into the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Maria Manzo for 10 years of service to our office, to the communities that we represent in Illinois, and to our country.

Maria was one of the first people who we hired back in the spring of 2008 when I left the crazy business of science to enter the sane and steady business of the United States Congress.

Maria began as our ambassador to the Hispanic communities in Aurora, the second largest city of Illinois, and she now coordinates outreach to all citizens of Illinois' 11th District.

Maria was with me during the terror of the economic collapse, the historic victories of ObamaCare, and the political firestorm that accompanied it. She was with us during the electoral defeats of the Tea Party wave and the electoral victories of our subsequent return to office. Maria is now a steady and trusted voice in our community as we navigate the coronavirus crisis.

During those 10 years, I had the chance to watch Maria's wonderful children, Elijah and Sophia, progress from early childhood to becoming enchanting adults.

Maria Manzo, it has been a great 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the waiver for General Lloyd J. Austin, III to become our next Secretary of Defense. However, I want to be clear that this vote should not be seen as supporting a precedent for routine granting of waivers for future noncivilian nominees to lead the Department of Defense. We must keep the waiver requirement in place, and waivers should be reserved for the most extreme circumstances.

I strongly support civilian leadership of the military, and the waiver requirement was created to protect this important principle. That being said, our country is facing the simultaneous threats of a global pandemic, unprecedented cyberattacks on our government, and the recent departure of a president who attempted to enlist military personnel to disrupt civilian protest. Considering these extraordinary circumstances, we need a qualified Secretary of Defense in place immediately.

Under normal circumstances, a public hearing before the House Armed Services Committee would be an important part of the waiver process. Unfortunately, because the House Armed Services Committee is not fully set up, the committee cannot hold public hearings on the waiver yet. However, unlike the Trump Administration, the Biden Administration has made General Austin readily available to Congress, and he has demonstrated that he understands the importance of civilian leadership of the Pentagon.

With these assurances, I express my support for General Austin's waiver to move forward in this confirmation process. However, I reiterate to my colleagues that this vote cannot be seen to support a precedent to grant future waivers of the cooling-off period for non- civilian Secretaries of Defense.

Mr. Chair, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chair, I rise today as the only Ph.D. physicist in the U.S. Congress. During my career, I have designed and led the construction of giant particle accelerators and other nuclear equipment, led high-risk and successful R&D programs, and designed equipment using classified neutron transport codes.

Because of its importance to national security and nuclear nonproliferation, I have studied at length the question of minimizing the use of highly enriched uranium in naval propulsion reactors. I received numerous individual and highly technical classified briefings, examined reactor core specifications, and visited the naval nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Virginia.

I believe that continuing the research supported by this amendment is worth pursuing for the reasons given by my colleague.

Several factors must be dealt with in determining the practicality of utilizing LEU in naval propulsion reactors, including the total energy and power deliverable by the core, the volume of the reactor, the enrichment level of the fuel, reactivity limits, and the heat transfer area required for a given power level.

It is complicated, but a 2016 report by the JASON scientific advisory board concluded that using an optimized LEU design instead of the existing HEU design could result in a significantly more compact core. This would be a true operational advantage and one that we should not give up by abandoning this R&D program that has been going on for years.

I close by pointing out that I am not alone in this. This is not only about optimizing submarine performance. As

pointed out by 35 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, it is crucial for nonproliferation that we set a good example for the rest of the world and not use weapons-grade uranium for applications where it is not required. Countries like France and others do not use weapons-grade uranium in their submarines and in carriers. We should set an example and do likewise.

This R&D program will enable that possibility by continuing it for the next decade.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chair, I rise today as the only PhD Physicist in Congress. During my career I have design and led the construction of giant particle accelerators and other nuclear equipment, led high-risk and successful R and D programs, and designed equipment using classified neutron transport codes.

Because of its importance to National Security and Nuclear NonProliferation, I have studied at length the question of minimizing the use of HEU in our naval propulsion reactors.

I received numerous individual and highly technical classified briefings, examined reactor core specifications, and visited the naval nuclear fuel fabrication facility in Virginia.

I believe that the research supported by this amendment is worth pursuing, for the reasons given by my colleague.

The reason is simple, that HEU is one of the most dangerous substances known to man, because it can be used to make a simple, gun- type design nuclear bomb with a multi-kiloton yield.

This is not true of LEU--low-enriched, non-weapons grade uranium.

This distinction is important for the enforcement of Nuclear Nonproliferation. Since the detection of even minute amounts of HEU can and has been used as clear evidence of a weapons program in a nation that has allegedly committed to only peaceful uses of atomic energy based on LEU.

Which is why the elimination of globally held stockpiles has been a U.S. policy objective for over 40 years, and recently supported by a letter from 35 Nobel Prize winners.

But let's talk about the physics and reactor systems engineering.

Several factors must be dealt with in determining the practicality of utilizing LEU in naval propulsion reactors, including total energy and power deliverable by the core, volume of the reactor, and enrichment level of the fuel, reactivity limits, and the heat transfer area required for a given power level.

A 2016 report by the JASON Scientific Advisory Board concluded that, that using the existing HEU design, in order achieve the same total deliverable energy using LEU, the core would have to be approximately 4.5 times larger.

This does not mean, however, that you would need a reactor system with 4.5 times the volume, since most propulsion components scale with the power of the reactor, which would be unchanged in the conversion from HEU to LEU.

The purpose of the R and D funding in this amendment is to develop and qualify a fuel element and reactor design the will result in a much more compact overall design.

Although the exact improvement factor is classified and has been redacted in the public version of the JASON report.

If the R and D program succeeds, it will verify the feasibility of using LEU in Naval reactors with smaller or no performance compromise.

The independent JASON scientific review committee gave this R and D program a positive outlook.

In a July 2016 report to Congress, the Office of Naval Reactors stated that, ``The advanced LEU fuel system concept has the potential to satisfy the energy requirements of an aircraft carrier without affecting the number of refuelings.''

This would massively reduce U.S. consumption of Weapons Grade Uranium.

The situation is more nuanced for submarines.

The Virginia-class replacement propulsion plant is being targeted by this R and D program, with a decision time for transition to LEU of about 10 years from now.

But such progress over the next two decades can only happen if we continue aggressively pursuing the R and D now.

As the JASON report stated, ``If a decision is made soon to proceed with ELE-LEU development, then by the time the design of the Virginia- replacement propulsion plant is being solidified in the 2030 time frame, NNPP will have a good idea of whether ELE-LEU will succeed. . . . [T]hen the Navy's final HEU core might be built as early as 2040.''

If any of my colleagues would like to continue this conversation in a classified setting, I would be more than happy to answer any questions.

I urge my colleagues to join me and vote yes on this critical amendment.

Mr. Chair, FinCEN's mission is critical to our national and economic security. It is charged with safeguarding the financial system from illicit use and combating money laundering.

Our amendment included in this en bloc directs FinCEN and its agency partners to make proactive efforts to identify and oversee one particular space, and that is cryptocurrency exchanges, wallets, and so-called cryptomixers that try to hide the source of cryptocurrency that is getting transmitted.

FinCEN regulates exchanges and money-services businesses that deal with ordinary fiat currency. As FinCEN recognized early on, money transmitters that deal in cryptocurrency are functionally no different, and it only makes sense that they should also have to comply with anti- money-laundering regulations.

That is why, since 2011, FinCEN regulations have made it clear that these kinds of entities are subject to the Bank Secrecy Act. More needs to be done, however.

As of October 2018, only 13 out of the top 100 crypto exchanges had reportedly registered with FinCEN, even though most crypto funds from illicit entities flow through these exchanges.

We need to send a message to these agencies that they cannot hide in plain sight, that they should live up to their obligation or FinCEN and its law enforcement partners will find them and hold them accountable.

I am a big proponent of innovation, including in the fintech space, but no one wants to see innovative products and services being used to support terrorism, facilitate human trafficking, or enable criminals to carry out fraud, identity theft, ransomware, or extortion.

That is why I hope my colleagues join me in supporting this en bloc amendment, so we can encourage FinCEN to continue its important work in the virtual currency space. The integrity and safety of our financial system depend on these efforts.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this en bloc amendment so that we can encourage responsible innovation in financial services while ensuring that such innovation is not undermined by criminals who engage in money laundering, illicit financing, and a whole host of other cyber-enabled crimes.

Mr. Chair, I thank the chair for yielding.

My amendment provides direction to do everything possible to fix the indefensible disparity between States in the per capita allocation of transportation funding through the Highway Trust Fund. Under the current process, known as apportionment, many States receive far more in Federal funding for surface transportation than they contribute through the gas tax.

Apportionment in no way is a scientific or mathematical formula but is simply grandfathering in a table of numbers that were used to buy votes in the Senate generations ago. Unsurprisingly, this table of numbers greatly favors the low-population States that are overrepresented in the Senate.

This problem is compounded by the fact that high-wage States like Illinois pay more in taxes but get no credit for this when income tax funds are transferred into the Highway Trust Fund. As a result, some States receive sometimes five times more per person than Illinois and other large States.

My amendment represents a clear statement by the House of Representatives that we should move toward a per capita allotment that is fair to people no matter what State they live in.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this en bloc package.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues for supporting en bloc No. 2, which included two of my amendments.

The first amendment directs NASA to work toward the development of a low-enriched uranium space power reactor. NASA has been developing a low-enriched uranium propulsion system, but some of the funding for this has been used on other projects, including a power reactor using weapons-grade uranium.

The problem is that if all the spacefaring nations of the world start using large amounts of weapons-grade material in their space reactors, then it will be difficult to ensure that this material would not be diverted to weapons programs in space and on Earth.

If the U.S. develops a low-enriched uranium space power reactor design, it is likely that this type of reactor design will be adopted as a de facto standard by other spacefaring nations, making Earth and space a safer place.

The second amendment directs $6.5 million of the space technology account, which is currently funded at $1.29 billion, to be used by the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts, or NIAC, program. That will put the total budget for NIAC at $15.2 million.

The NIAC program nurtures visionary ideas that could transform future NASA missions with the creation of breakthroughs that could dramatically lower the cost of space travel while simultaneously engaging America's innovators and entrepreneurs as partners in the journey.

The nation that first demonstrates such technologies will own the future of space travel.

At $15.2 million, NIAC is still less than a tenth of a percent of NASA's overall $22 billion budget, but this is a small step in the right direction.

Mr. Chair, I thank my colleagues for their support of these amendments.