Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and my friend, Mr. Bennie Thompson, for organizing this important Special Order hour honoring his fellow Mississippian, Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer.

Yesterday, Cosmopolitan published an article written by Zerlina Maxwell, aptly titled ``Trust Black Women.'' In the article, Maxwell, a fellow New Jerseyian, quoted her colleague, who said: ``Black women have been a part of every great movement that has happened in this country. We always show up.''

Tonight, we celebrate the birth of Fannie Lou Hamer, a black woman who, like many of us, always showed up. In 1964, Fannie Lou Hamer showed up at the Democratic National Convention to speak on behalf of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and highlight the hurdles, both physical and political, that were preventing Blacks in the South from showing up at the ballot box.

During her testimony, she recounted her 26-mile journey to Indianola, Mississippi, to register to vote at the county courthouse where seven other men and women were looking to do the same. On the way, they encountered coordinated opposition from local and State law enforcement and men and women who sought to deter them from exercising their right to vote.

Upon returning home, Fannie Lou Hamer found that she had been fired from her job. According to The New York Times, she said: ``They kicked me off the plantation; they set me free. It is the best thing that could happen. Now I can work for my people.''

That same year, Fannie Lou Hamer ran for Congress as a candidate from Mississippi's Second Congressional District. And even in her defeat, Ms. Hamer continued to show up and work for her people.

In 2014, 50 years after her testimony and her run for Congress, residents in New Jersey's 12th Congressional District elected me, the State's first ever African-American woman to represent them here in the House of Representatives.

During my freshman term, I joined my two amazing colleagues, Representative Robin Kelly of Illinois and Representative Yvette Clarkee of New York, to form the first ever Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, a body of elected officials who work to ensure that Congress shows up for us.

And in 2016, I stood at the Democratic National Convention, standing on the shoulders of Ms. Hamer's legacy, and proudly told America that this Nation is stronger when everyone has a chance to succeed.

Ms. Hamer would beam with pride knowing that my colleagues and I continue to beat back hurdles placed at the feet of minorities and the poor that restrict their access to the vote.

Ms. Hamer, however, would be very sad to know that, instead of being fired for trying to exercise the right to vote, they change polling places or amend requirements for valid identification. It is the same game, she would recognize, it is just different tactics.

I am honored to stand here to honor the birthday of Ms. Fannie Lou Hamer, walk alongside her footsteps of greatness and, like she so often did, lift as I climb. We as women, and women of color, have to be the standard bearers we have been and continue to be. We have always and will continue to fight for what is right and what is necessary, even if we must do this alone.

As we battle back against the racism, the sexism, and the bigotry that runneth over in this administration, we must always be awake, alert, and to show up.

Today, in honoring the birthday of Fannie Lou Hamer, we simultaneously celebrate the strength of women, the ways we can encourage one another to be our sisters' keepers, and continue to build a future for the next generation of women ready and waiting to show up and to lead.

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I did not ever have the pleasure and honor of meeting her in person, but I remember watching television during that Democratic National Convention, which was taking place in my home State in the great city of Atlantic City.

I remember the conscious bearing energy that evolved around all of that activity, and it made me very proud. And I would say that, indeed, Fannie Lou Hamer's work has not gone, has not been in vain. But she also is smiling down knowing that what she started, you are continuing on, and that you are serving in the very district that she loved enough to fight for way back when.

It is my honor to know you, and to know that you have been touched by her. So that means that with less than 6 degrees of separation, I have been touched by her, and that is my blessing.

Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I think it is vitally important on this 100th anniversary of Ms. Hamer's birth to also recognize that we are still fighting for the unfettered access to the vote, and that here in Congress, we have the opportunity to eliminate barriers and to fix the problems with the Civil Rights Act that just negatively impacts access and unfettered access to voting. There are just so many fundamental things that we could be doing today that honor the work that she did and that she gave her life's work to.

In closing for me, I want to just say that I thank the gentleman so very much for doing this because I know that there are people who listen to these moments of Special Orders hours on C-SPAN, or catch it in some other form. It is important for our communities to recognize just how significant this woman's role was in ensuring that they have the access to the things that they have access to today, and to demand their right to vote, and to exercise that right to vote every chance they get.

I am very grateful for the gentleman carrying this message this evening.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

I would just like to note that there was an amazing demonstration of people in front of the Supreme Court demanding that we do something about gerrymandering because that is another way of negatively impacting the impact of one man and one vote.

So it is, again, fitting to be honoring this woman who gave her life's work to ensuring that everybody who was eligible to vote was given the right to vote; to eliminate any obstacles that were placed in their way so that we could open up opportunities to elect people who would be fair in the policies that are important; to ensure that there is equality of opportunity in this country for all people, predicated upon their ability to do the intellect and their willingness to work hard, therefore, the content of their character versus the color of their skin. So it is indeed an honor to have shared this moment with you. Thank you for the invitation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Patrick Awosogba and in support of Children's Cardiomyopathy Awareness Month.

Patrick Awosogba was an avid baseball player and a graduate of East Brunswick High School. In 2015, Patrick tragically passed away while playing pick-up basketball during his freshman year at Rutgers University from an undiagnosed case of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a chronic and degenerative heart disease that thickens the heart muscle, causing an irregular heartbeat and which can tragically lead to death. Patrick was a beloved son and brother and cherished member of his community.

September is Children's Cardiomyopathy Awareness Month. Cardiomyopathy is one of the leading causes of sudden death in young people, and the primary cause of heart transplants in children over the age of one. Knowing your family's history and heart health, and discussing it with your doctor, can help determine whether your child is at risk. The mortality rate for pediatric cardiomyopathy exceeds that of all childhood cancers combined, and yet there is a shocking lack of both awareness and research on this terrible disease.

Children's Cardiomyopathy Foundation, based in my home state of New Jersey, is a leading nonprofit which provides resources and support to families struggling to care for their children suffering from this condition. They work to raise awareness for the potentially fatal disease. Along with their grassroots network of families, they also advocate for research and policies that help those suffering from pediatric cardiomyopathy.

I urge my colleagues to join me in remembering the life of Patrick Awosogba and in raising awareness for pediatric cardiomyopathy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Evans for giving me an opportunity to speak and for hosting this Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, behind a podium adorned by the Seal of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, once again, sank even further in disgrace through remarks that were attacking peaceful American private citizens.

It should not be lost on us that when referencing White supremacy and neo-Nazism, Donald Trump saw fit to speak with calculated language, unlike the phrases he used to describe the Black men and their mothers who used their platform to highlight longstanding injustices. His behavior continues to demonstrate that he is unfit to serve as the leader of this free world, and surely unfit to represent the American rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

We have witnessed 9 months of discriminatory policies and proposals emanating from the Trump White House; bald-faced and bumbling attempts to reverse the progress made not only by President Obama, but progress won decades ago, fights that we thought we had already won, issues that had already been settled, from a woman's right to choose, to environmental protections, to civil rights, to workplace safety, and beyond.

In January, Donald Trump assumed the Presidency and made rescinding the freedoms of people of color, the poor, and the sick his first priority.

We look at the establishment of the fraudulent Voter Suppression Commission; the appointments of Jefferson Beauregard Sessions, Betsy DeVos, Sebastian Gorka, and Stephen Miller, a group of people whose ideology directly stands against the advancement of an equal and more perfect union; his support for discriminatory voter ID laws; reinstatement of the failed war on drugs; attacks on affirmative action at colleges and universities; rollback of consent decrees that keep police accountable; the now extended Muslim ban; the transgender ban in our armed services; the rollback of our civil rights enforcement across Federal agencies; reinstating the use of private prisons; refusing to protect Americans and the Nation from White supremacists; all under the slogan of ``Make America Great'' under the guise of patriotism.

Make no mistake about it, the world is imperfect, and a long view of history shows evil triumphing more often than we would like.

But here in America, in the space in which I work, I will continue to stand with my colleagues here in the Congressional Black Caucus and in the Chambers of Congress to root out racism, sexism, bigotry, and hatred because it cripples this Nation. I will continue to gather in solidarity with my brothers and sisters of color, the Muslim and the Jewish communities, the LGBTQ community, the immigrant community, and every person that is targeted by those who seek to divide us, as this President is doing.

I will take a knee, I will reclaim my time, I will raise my fist, I will stay awake, I will stay alert, and I am ready to mobilize.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer my strong support of this amendment to end the proliferation of private prisons in our Federal justice system.

Following this administration's reversing President Obama's ban on the use of private prisons for Federal prisoners, the for-profit prison industry has not only been rejuvenated, but it is expanding.

Our criminal justice system's only purpose should be to reeducate and rehabilitate individuals who have made mistakes and are serving their sentence. No one should profit from our prison system.

That is what I plan to reintroduce the End For-Profit Prisons Act-- legislation that will require the Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Marshals Service to end its contracts with for-profit confinement facilities and make critical changes to the reentry process for individuals who have been released from Federal prisons.

Mr. Chairman, I call for the immediate passage of this amendment.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring up H.R. 3440, the DREAM Act, to protect New Jersey DREAMERS like Christian, who arrived when he was 7 years old and is a researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Ms. Audrey May Wilson nee Butler on her upcoming 80th birthday on September 3, 2017.

Audrey was born in Clarendon, Jamaica on September 3, 1937. Passionate by wanting to help others, Audrey moved to England to study nursing where she graduated from the Dreadnought Seamen's School of Nursing in London. While in London, she was introduced to her husband Raymond Wilson by her lifelong best friend and Raymond's aunt, Joyce Grant. The two fell in love and got married on December 5, 1972.

Throughout her five esteemed decades of nursing, Audrey worked in various hospitals in England and Jamaica before coming to the States. Shortly after arriving, Audrey became the Head Nurse at the United Hospital Medical Center in Newark, New Jersey. After several years in Newark, she moved to Connecticut to work at John Dempsey Medical Center for over a decade before returning back to New Jersey. Finally, in 2012 Audrey retired from the Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, Employee Health Division, capping off her tremendous career of service.

Audrey and her husband resided in Pennington, New Jersey, where they have lived for the past 18 years. For the past two decades, they both have been active members of the Princeton Alliance Church. Audrey has one daughter, Audra, and her step son Magne. She is a proud grandmother to Ava and her two-step grandchildren, Troy and Mykai.

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in congratulating Audrey on her birthday and to thank her for her amazing career to helping others.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate Daniel Korten and Kristina Carl (KC) Gayagoy on their upcoming wedding on September 9, 2017.

Daniel of East Brunswick and KC of Ventnor met each other working at the Dow Jones' offices in South Brunswick, New Jersey. Daniel and KC went on their first date on August 6, 2011. What started from a single date grew into a loving and flourishing relationship of more than six years.

In that time they have traveled the globe, embarked on new and exciting careers, and have moved across the country. Each step on their journey has been filled with wonder as their love for one another grew. Through thick and thin, Daniel and KC have proven that true love exists and that when you find that special person, you will never be alone.

On Saturday, September 9, 2017, Daniel and KC will confess their love for one another in front of their friends and families--marking the special occasion as the beginning of the next chapter of their journey together. I wish them both a long, joyful, and healthy marriage. May their love only grow stronger and may they always be blessed.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues in Congress to join me in congratulating Daniel and KC.

Mr. Speaker, during consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act of fiscal year 2018 on July 13, 2017, my good friend and colleague Mr. Nadler of New York introduced an amendment to strike section 1022 of the bill prohibiting the use of funds for transfer or release of individuals detained at Guantanamo Bay to the United States. Though I supported the amendment, I erroneously casted a NO vote (Roll Call Vote No. 359); I intended to vote AYE.

I want to make it clear that I support my colleague from New York's amendment and any other measure that leads to closing the detention centers at Guantanamo Bay. Guantanamo Bay is a stain on American values of justice and due process. Since joining Congress, I have signed onto many pieces of legislation to close the facility. In a previous defense appropriation, I voted for an amendment by Mr. Nadler to prohibit funds to be used to renovate and expand the facility at Guantanamo Bay along with supporting an amendment to close the detention facility that was introduced by Representative Mr. Smith of Washington. Yesterday, I voted for another amendment introduced by Mr. Nadler to close the facility.

I appreciate the opportunity to clarify my record and to reassure my constituents that I maintain my opposition to the continuing operations of the detention centers at Guantanamo Bay.

Mr. Chair, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleague from Florida for yielding me some time to speak on what I consider to be a very important issue.

Mr. Chair, I rise to strongly oppose H.R. 2910, the Promoting Interagency Coordination for Review of Natural Gas Pipelines Act.

This industry-backed bill provides FERC with unnecessary authorities that put the interest of companies over that of the people and the environment.

The current process that FERC uses to approve pipelines is inherently flawed, genuinely threatens our green spaces, water resources, and public and private lands.

By allowing this bill to pass, we are permitting FERC to exclude the input of those who would be directly impacted in exchange for benefiting the fossil fuel industry. We need to have a more comprehensive process that considers the effects these pipelines will have on local communities, which is why I introduced H.R. 2649, the Safer Pipelines Act of 2017.

My legislation is about inclusiveness, ensuring that the voice of communities impacted by a proposed pipeline are heard loud and clear.

I have seen this problem up close.

One project before FERC is a proposed PennEast pipeline, which would run through my congressional district. The PennEast plan has been fraught by community concerns on issues ranging from potential contamination of drinking water and destruction of environmentally sensitive areas.

Despite these issues, FERC's final environmental impact statement erroneously concluded that the project would have minimal impact.

Just last month, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection rejected the construction permits due to PennEast's continuous refusal to provide simple environmental surveys and information requested by the State.

Not only does this bill severely threaten clean water in environmentally sensitive areas, it also tramples on the rights of private property owners and communities.

Jacqueline Evans of New Jersey has shared this story with us:

The farm I built with my children would be completely

destroyed by the 36-inch pipe built to the weakest standards

allowable.

The pipeline route is less than 200 feet from my children's

bedrooms, putting them in a designated ``incineration zone.''

Our well, that provides water for our family and our

livestock, is threatened.

PennEast has threatened me by insisting I sign a ``deal''

of less than 4 percent of the value of our home, or lose it

through eminent domain.

PennEast's intimidation tactics include telling us that

FERC will approve the pipeline with or without surveys and

environmental studies that are required.

Mr. Chairman, this is unacceptable.

I offered two amendments to this bill that the Rules Committee refused to allow on the floor. One would have limited the use of eminent domain for gas pipeline projects, and the other would have limited the use of area remote surveys.

We cannot prioritize the wishes of private pipeline companies at the expense of clean drinking water, our environment and natural resources, and the rights of private owners.

So I stand here today begging my colleagues to vote for the people and to reject this bill by voting against it.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

I am opposed in its current form.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit the bill with instructions to add language prohibiting the use, really the abuse, of Federal eminent domain authority by large gas pipeline companies.

Currently, the law allows pipeline companies--given authorization by FERC--to circumvent landowner opposition and exercise the right of eminent domain to acquire land necessary for pipeline construction, which is privately owned, so that the pipeline construction can operate and maintain--meaning for-profit pipeline companies can seize private land from owners who are unwilling to sell.

More often than not, compensation provided to the property owner is far from fair or just and the negotiations are rarely conducted in good faith. In the event that fair compensation is paid, no one should be forced to sell against their will.

The bottom line is simple: too often eminent domain authority is exercised without the determination of a true public benefit. Certificate holders can manipulate this authority to take whatever land they deem necessary for their gas pipeline projects.

With the recent boom in domestic gas production, this is happening all across the United States and harming property owners in many of our districts. This practice is wrong, and it must be stopped.

In my home State of New Jersey, residents, including my own constituents, are very concerned about the pending PennEast Pipeline Project--a proposed 118-mile, 36-inch gas pipeline stretching from northeast Pennsylvania to my district.

Their proposal crosses the property of more than 500 landowners, many of whom have strongly objected to this project going forward.

My constituents and our neighbors who are affected by this project will receive little, if any, local benefits from the project, because most of the natural gas transported through the pipeline is likely destined for markets outside of New Jersey, including for export overseas.

PennEast would cut through districts represented by both Republicans and Democrats, and it is opposed by my colleagues in this body on both sides of the aisle.

Democrats and Republicans alike can agree that one of the most important rights for all Americans is the right to own private property. But today, the growth in gas pipeline projects threatens this right for many Americans.

Everyone deserves a good place to live and a safe place to raise their children. No one should have to worry about losing their hard- earned property, through no fault of their own, just to pad private company coffers.

Preventing these private for-profit companies from having access to the eminent domain authority in section 7(h) of the Natural Gas Act would not only make this law better by halting abuse of that authority by private gas pipeline companies, but also place public interests over private profit.

This motion presents an opportunity to send a clear message to our constituents who have worked hard to own their property and a piece of the American Dream.

Their choice is clear, and it is yours, but I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the motion to recommit and stand with landowners over land takers.

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

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I thank Mr. Smith for including my amendment en bloc and for allowing me to speak on it today.

Mr. Chairman, among the amendments under consideration in this en bloc measure is one that I have authored to address various challenges to the Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve sexual assault prevention and response programs.

While sexual assault among our Active Duty forces has been a frequent topic of discussion, I rise today to draw attention to the same issue that remains just as prevalent within our Reserve component forces.

More than half a million members currently serve in the Army Guard and Reserve. Hundreds of incidents of sexual assault are reported each year, and it is estimated that several hundred more go unreported.

The Reserve components of the Army continue to suffer from staffing imbalances, poor budget management, and slow investigations that delay access to care for hundreds of sexual assault victims. My amendment directs the Department of Defense to take steps to address these issues.

Sexual violence is a criminal behavior, and it has no place in our military.

We must regain the trust of the servicemembers, who have been brave enough to come forward to report those crimes, by bettering our military justice system.

Congress has a responsibility to protect the servicemembers who make immeasurable sacrifices to serve and protect our country. We must foster a system that encourages servicemembers to seek help and care, and that protects the very people who keep our Nation safe.

Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of the amendment.

Mr. Speaker, today my colleagues will vote on H.R. 1215, the so-called Protecting Access to Care Act.

Disguised as a step toward healthcare affordability, in reality, this legislation tramples on the legal rights of Americans harmed in healthcare settings.

This bill would devastate the catastrophically injured by capping noneconomic damages at $250,000, a cap that applies even for loss of limb, permanent disability, or death of a child or spouse. These caps also apply to lawsuits that include accusations of reckless misconduct or violent crimes like assault or rape.

This bill further erodes the right to trial by jury by imposing a 3- year statute of limitations, which is shorter than most State laws.

Legal remedies often stand as the test of the last refuge of justice for the injured and aggrieved, regardless of wealth or influence. Powerful interests have many tools at their disposal to stack the deck against vulnerable populations. But the goal of the American court system at its purest is to provide equal consideration in the eyes of the law. As a nation, our responsibility is to work towards that ideal, not undermine it.

H.R. 1215 is a direct affront to this idea, and I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. Speaker, I stand here proud to represent the New Jersey 12th Congressional District. I stand here proud that Mayor Eric Jackson of Trenton, Mayor Liz Lempert of Princeton, Mayor Francis Womack of North Brunswick, and Mayor Colleen Mahr of Fanwood led the charge in understanding that our global responsibility to combating climate change starts at home.

By passing resolutions that pledge their commitment to the Paris climate accord, these cities understand that American exceptionalism means we lead from the front, not from the back. I consider myself very fortunate to have lived my entire life in a State that has so many progressive nonprofit organizations and individuals that are working every day to protect public health, our environment, and our quality of life.

I commend these cities in my district and the elected officials, the business leaders, and the private citizens nationwide who have chosen to ensure the cultivation and preservation of this Earth for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask a simple question: Who is the National Rifle Association here to protect?

I ask this question because Philando Castile, exercising his constitutionally protected right to bear arms, was shot dead in front of his girlfriend and his young daughter.

At that time the NRA claimed that they were awaiting ``more facts.'' A year later, the investigation is over and the trial is complete. The facts are clear. Philando's killer remains free, but, Mr. Speaker, I and many Americans across this Nation remain confused and dissatisfied.

Mr. Speaker, dashcam video released yesterday confirmed that Second Amendment protections simply do not apply to Black, law-abiding, concealed carry permit-holding, compliant Philando Castile. And still the NRA has had nothing to say.

Mr. Speaker, I ask again: If the NRA isn't here to protect law- abiding gun owners like Philando Castile, then just who are they here to protect?

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Priya Vulchi--a remarkable young woman who, this year, earned the 2017 Congressional Gold Medal.

A resident of Princeton, Ms. Vulchi demonstrated an immeasurable passion for the education and advancement of our nation's leaders. Working with Princeton Public Schools, Ms. Vulchi created a racial literacy tool to assist educators initiate dialogues around race- related topics in the classroom. Ms. Vulchi is also a co-founder of Princeton CHOOSE--a student-led organization that aims to overcome racism and inspire harmony through exposure, education and empowerment. Further, Ms. Vulchi is a published author of a racial literacy teaching tool that was piloted in Princeton Public school in the spring of 2016 and officially used by all 5th grade teachers in the school district for the 2016-2017 school years.

Along with her commitment to education, Ms. Vulchi pursued journalism and became the Head Copy Editor for her school's monthly newspaper. Finally, Ms. Vulchi crossed the country in her travels to Hawaii to visit the Haleakal National Park. There she visited the Eats Maui Volcano and learned more about volcanism and the ecosystems of the National Park.

Beyond the Congressional Gold Medal program, extraordinary individuals like Ms. Vulchi exemplify the best and brightest of our nation's future. As a resident of New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, I couldn't be more proud of her for taking up such a difficult challenge and making a positive change for themselves in their community.

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely hope that my colleagues will join me in congratulating Ms. Vulchi on her amazing accomplishment.