Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I am delighted to send my sincere congratulations and heartfelt thanks to the members of Thespian Troupe 3991 at Hightstown High School for their incredible efforts in collecting 84 pounds of food for Rise Food Pantry as part of New Jersey Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat. The dedication that they have shown to this program--from re-creating a national initiative at the state level so they can continue fighting childhood hunger, to achieving such tremendous feats in their 2020 food drive--is a true testament to the character and focus of their members.

Whether this drive is their last, their first, one of many, or the only one that they will participate in, I hope that they can feel the impact that they have had on the community they live in, and that they remember that they are always capable of such impact. I applaud them on this achievement, and I look forward to all that they will accomplish in their futures.

Again, Congratulations.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call out the blatant racism in the President's tweets.

I believe his rant and his defense of that rant merit censure from this body.

The phrase ``Go back where you came from'' is a racist trope that has been used by segregationists, neo-Nazis, White nationalists, and the Ku Klux Klansmen to create a framework in which non-White people are not truly American.

Describing non-White countries as ``broken'' and ``crime infested'' echoes the racist trope the President has used before that such countries are dysfunctional, dirty, and violent because their populations are Black.

His comments are indefensible, and so is the silence from my colleagues across the aisle.

Mr. Speaker, I wouldn't bother seeking an apology from him, but I do hope Republicans here will join us in fully and roundly condemning his words, and I would remind them that history won't look kindly on those who refuse to stand up for what is right.

It is not lost on me, however, and I hope not my colleagues either, that this is simply a distraction from the President's friendship with a documented pedophile and news reports that he lied to the Supreme Court about his census question.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues the story of one of my constituents, Geraldine, as a reminder that the work that we do here on the floor impacts people's lives.

Geraldine received assistance from the Senior Community Service Employment Program, which is also known as SCSEP.

We provided $464 million to SCSEP in the minibus package that we passed yesterday, H.R. 2740. The bill included fiscal year 2020 funding for critical programs at the Department of Labor that help Americans like Geraldine find jobs and gain new skills in their journey to become reemployed, programs like Job Corps, Registered Apprenticeship, YouthBuild, and, of course, SCSEP.

Geraldine is a perfect example of why this funding is so important. She is a mother and a grandmother and the main provider for her granddaughter and two grandchildren.

When the financial crisis of 2008 hit, she lost her job, a devastating moment for her family's only source of income. She quietly retired, but like far too many Americans, she did not have enough savings to stop working.

Her family needed her, and she needed to find work, a task made difficult with her age, existing skill set, and, now, gap in employment. Fortunately, Geraldine was able to take advantage of SCSEP through Easterseals in New Jersey.

Created by the Older Americans Act of 1965, the Senior Community Service Employment Program has helped low income, unemployed seniors learn new, in-demand skills and reenter the workforce for more than 50 years. Participants enrolled in SCSEP receive a subsidized minimum wage for work at a nonprofit agency while learning skills to help them reenter the workforce.

But SCSEP does more than just skills training. Its greatest success is helping seniors regain their sense of confidence and self- fulfillment. Some programs have services that help seniors get glasses or even pay rent and utility bills.

Geraldine shared this with me, that SCSEP was instrumental in helping her regain her sense of purpose. She was so successful in her program, that she was offered a position at Easterseals to support new participants in the program through their own journeys to reemployment, people who were previously in the same position as she.

Increasingly, seniors like Geraldine have become the primary caretakers for their grandchildren. This is especially true for places that have been ravaged by the opioid crisis.

That is why it is so important that we support more programs at SCSEP at the Department of Labor. There are countless seniors out there with nowhere to turn. SCSEP is one of the answers that gets them back to work.

Madam Speaker, before I close, I want to share with you one last anecdote from Geraldine.

She shared with me her story about a boy in her community who didn't want to throw away broken crayons. In defiance of his dad, this little boy said even broken crayons still color just as brightly as ever. Geraldine says that she sees herself in broken crayons and knows that her colors shine just as brightly as any others.

We must ensure that critical programs like SCSEP are fully funded as grandparents across America are increasingly becoming the primary breadwinners in their families.

I am proud that my colleagues and I voted to pass H.R. 2740 yesterday, and as a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, I am committed to advocating for more programs that support our seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California for giving me this opportunity to speak on what I think is a very important and very good bill.

I am here to speak on H.R. 2740, which contains the fiscal year 2020 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Defense; State and Foreign Operations; and Energy and Water Development funding bills.

As a new member of the Appropriations Committee this year, I am particularly proud to support this bill, which includes, among many other things, $100 million in programming for reentry programs; $250 million for registered apprenticeships; and $128 million for Youth Build, a program that provides critical skills to youth in my district, which is New Jersey's 12th Congressional District.

I thank Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro for her leadership of our subcommittee. I was pleased to work with her to include language and funding that addresses maternal mortality, including various provisions to address the persistent gaps in our healthcare system that result in Black mothers being 2 to 6 times more likely to die than White moms.

I also thank her for working with me to include funding to address the suicide epidemic among our youth. This is needed urgently, as the suicide rate for children has increased 70 percent in the last decade, with a disproportionate increase among Black youth. To inform further efforts to address this epidemic, the bill requests a report from the Surgeon General on contributing factors and evidence-based interventions.

In closing, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the rule and ``yes'' on the underlying bill.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats continue to fight for access to healthcare in our work to deliver progress for the people because it is essential to daily life. You cannot work, you cannot care for your children, you cannot do anything without your health.

I was recently blessed to come through a health challenge myself, and I believe more strongly than ever that, whether it is cancer therapy or prescription medication, access to the best treatment cannot be reserved for only the wealthy.

Last week, I secured funding in the Appropriations Committee to study the impact of prior authorization policies on patient health. People are dying because insurance companies want to see lower cost treatments, see them fail before they will cover more expensive ones, even if your healthcare provider specifically recommends it.

Whether you have cancer like I did or you are dealing with a chronic illness, you shouldn't have to endure extra pain or wonder if you can survive long enough to get to the treatment that will work for you.

I will continue to fight for access to high-quality healthcare for all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

The Department of Homeland Security's mission is complex and diverse. Not only is DHS charged with preventing terrorism, but it is the lead Federal agency for emergency management, cybersecurity, and border, maritime, and transportation security.

Given the breadth of DHS' responsibilities, it is essential that its limited resources be aligned with its missions to meet the ever- challenging threat landscape. As such, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, or QHSR, which DHS is mandated to carry out every 4 years, is critical to ensuring that the Department is positioned to effectively carry out its multifaceted mission.

To date, DHS has issued two such reviews, as we have heard. Unfortunately, the Department's third is 16 months overdue. This legislation seeks to make refinements to the law to address weaknesses identified by the Government Accountability Office in the prior two reviews.

GAO, for example, emphasized that documentation of the review process is essential to ensuring the repeatability of the review process. Accordingly, H.R. 1892 requires that DHS retain and, when requested, provide to Congress certain documentation related to the QHSR.

H.R. 1892 also seeks to ensure more robust consultation with Homeland Security stakeholders, including State and local governments and academic institutions. H.R. 1892 ensures that DHS undertakes and documents a risk analysis to inform its policy positions.

This House unanimously approved this measure in both the 115th Congress and the 114th Congress; however, the Senate has, indeed, failed to act on the bill on both occasions.

Enactment of this bill will help chart a thoughtful path on how to align its resources with its mission and make the Nation more secure. Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 1892.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Audrey E. Willis for her 100th birthday.

Audrey was born on April 9, 1919 in Trenton, New Jersey. She graduated from Trenton Central High School and completed courses at Mercer County Community College.

Audrey's 100 years of life have been filled with great success. She served 34 years with General Motors before retiring; she went on to work, and retire again, for Mercer County government as a Senior Citizen Program aide. Audrey was also an active member of the Neighborhood Civic Association for the Trenton Housing Authority. Despite a busy life, Audrey has always found time to give back to her community, frequently volunteering with Meals on Wheels. Audrey continues to be an active member at my church, Shiloh Baptist in Trenton, and serves as a Trustee Aide Member and Senior Ministry Member.

In 100 years, Audrey has been blessed to see her family grow and prosper. With her husband, the late Lloyd Willis, Sr., Audrey raised two sons, the late Lloyd Willis, Jr. and Forrest Willis. She also has four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

I have had the pleasure to know Audrey for more than 50 years. As an integral part of our church, she always shares her warmth and caring personality with anyone she meets. Although she has a quiet demeanor, Audrey is a social butterfly who will find a way to go everywhere. I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating Audrey's 100th birthday. We wish you a wonderful and joyful birthday, and many more blessings in the year ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call out a growing insidious threat to women.

There are bills in at least eight State legislatures that would outlaw abortions if a heartbeat can be detected. Typically, this is at about 6 weeks of a pregnancy, though it can be earlier.

Six weeks is before many women even know that they are pregnant, effectively taking away their right to choose whether or not to begin or expand their family.

These laws are cruel. They are also in direct violation of the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, a precedent that has stood for over 45 years.

That is the point. Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant recently signed into law one of these bills, and he did so knowing it was unconstitutional. He even admitted he was signing this bill for his own religious reasons knowing that it was likely to be challenged. He wants to see it go to the Supreme Court because he wants credit for trying to overturn Roe v. Wade.

But the women of this country will not go back. We have fought tooth and nail to obtain our rights in this country. Those who believe women will give up their right to control their own bodies will quickly learn that that are sorely mistaken.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of John Henry Haggins, who passed away recently at 102 years of age.

John was born in Raleigh, NC on February 15, 1917 to Dorsey McAllister and William Haggins. John grew up in Raleigh with seven siblings and first moved to his eventual home, Washington, D.C, in the 1930s, following his older brothers to find work.

His natural skill and ingenuity led John to a long and storied career in engineering and construction. He worked with C.W. Freitag Construction Co. and George Hyman (now Clark) Construction Co., moving to cities in West Virginia, South Carolina and New York throughout that career. While his time in West Virginia was spent doing some of the hardest work of his professional life, it was well worth the effort when he met his future wife, Lorene Epps. The pair were married on September 14, 1945 after a long courtship and remained together until John's passing, raising four children in the Northeast Washington, DC home that John would later build by hand.

After more than 30 years of hard and dedicated work, John retired from Clark Construction Co. as the Concrete Superintendent in 1987. He remained a member of the Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons, America's oldest building and construction trades international union.

Over the course of his 102 years, John and Lorene built a large and loving family that will continue to carry his legacy, including children Shirley, Phyllis Joann, Cynthia Jean, Pamala Francine, and John Anthony; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Madam Speaker, I send my condolences to the family and friends of John Haggins. I ask that my colleagues join me in commemorating his incredible life and legacy.

Rest in peace, John.

Madam Speaker, I had a saying when I was chair of New Jersey's appropriations committee: Show me your budget, and I will show you your priorities.

So let's take a look at what the President's budget prioritizes:

An additional $8.6 billion for his misguided, hate-fueled wasteful wall;

A 5 percent increase in the already bloated Pentagon budget, including money for his childish space force; and

Making tax cuts for the rich permanent, the same cuts that exploded the deficit.

Now let's look at what he apparently does not value:

Medicare, $845 billion in cuts;

Medicaid, $241 billion in cuts; and

SNAP--that is meals for families that have fallen on hard times--$220 billion in cuts.

He also clearly doesn't prioritize:

The environment, 31 percent cut from the EPA;

Education, $207 billion cut from student loan programs; or

Infrastructure, 22 percent cut from the Department of Transportation.

Madam Speaker, any way you look at the budget, it is clear: This President needs to get his priorities in order.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 1, the For the People Act.

America is not a democracy if we don't protect the right to vote. We should be expanding voter rolls and making every single American voice heard at the ballot box, and that includes currently and previously incarcerated Americans. A mistake made and paid for should not strip your constitutional rights and silence you for life.

I offered an amendment to this bill that would have included those Americans in our democracy, however, I have withdrawn that amendment at this time. I will continue to work with my colleagues to fight for re- enfranchisement for these Americans.

Mr. Chairman, I close by noting that this bill represents a paradigm shift in our approach to voting rights, and it is a reflection of the priorities of Democratic leadership in this body. It is long overdue and exactly the type of legislation that went overlooked until Democrats retook this Chamber.

Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to support our democracy by voting for its passage.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Reverend Lukata Agyei Mjumbe on his appointment as Pastor of the Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church of Princeton.

Reverend Mjumbe has been a lifelong leader in his community. He has assumed roles as activist, grassroots community organizer, and anti- violence advocate centered in Black and Brown communities. During the aftermath of the 1992 Rodney King Rebellion, he rose to the occasion to assist as a campus and community leader in the city of Atlanta. He has been recognized as a leader for his work in organizing campaigns with organizations and formations in the Black Belt and across the Southern United States. Reverend Mjumbe currently serves as the National Coordinator of the Black Organizing Capacity Support Project of the Praxis Project and as a Member of the Coordinating Committee of the Black Alliance for Peace.

On Sunday, January 27, 2019, Reverend Mjumbe will give his inaugural sermon at the historic church. I wish him many wonderful years leading his congregation and success in his new role.

I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Reverend Mjumbe on his appointment and I pray for God to bless him, his congregation, and the greater Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church community.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share a letter I received from a constituent last week. He writes:

``Being out of work and not knowing how many days or weeks it will take to get back to work leaves me worried. These days off are no fun. So please, make them worthwhile by standing firm against the stupid Trump wall.

``This colossal waste of government funds could be spent doing so many worthwhile projects: fix the water in Flint, Michigan; hire more people to process the paperwork of people who want to be citizens; give more people access to healthcare.

``If Democrats cave during this shutdown, it will all be wasted.

``We Federal workers are unhappy, but we've been through this before. We can stand the wait and the frustration. What we cannot stand is the racism, cruelty, and criminality of this administration.

``We are with you. Please be with us.''

Mr. Speaker, my constituents are ready to go back to work. They resent having their livelihoods being used as bargaining chips, and even in this shutdown, they are very unhappy. They just want to do their work, and they are asking us to do ours.

Mr. Speaker, I wanted to take a moment today to praise the work of a longtime New Jersey reporter who has announced his retirement from The Bergen Record. Herb Jackson is one of New Jersey's most cherished reporters. He has covered my state's congressional delegation in Washington for over 20 years and reported on critical issues and concerns for New Jerseyans encountered. At a time when reporters are under attack, it is essential to honor the role that journalists play--in telling stories that need to be heard and holding elected officials accountable. Herb has done that with fervor and pride, giving insight on issues that matter in New Jersey and beyond. I greatly value the work that Herb put in each day here in D.C. to keep my constituents informed of the work that we do here in Congress. The news community is losing a successful journalist who is respected by many. He will be hard to replace and we are eternally grateful for all the time that he put in with the Record. The New Jersey delegation will miss Herb, and I wish him good luck in the next chapter of his life.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Linda Brown Cochran, who passed away on September 29, 2018, following a lengthy battle with cancer.

Linda was the daughter of Ernest and Betty Brown and grew up in Massillon, Ohio. She graduated Washington High School in 1978, and later attended Franklin University.

She was the President of Cochran & Assoc. Sales and Marketing Company. She worked hard to develop new businesses and provided support to her team. Additionally, she was a true advocate who championed many causes close to her heart. Among those include the Jack and Jill of America Inc., Junior League, Cuyahoga Democratic Women's Caucus and Court Appointed Special Advocates of Lorain County.

Linda fostered a loving family with her husband of 35 years, Harold L. Cochran, in Avon Lake, Ohio. She raised two wonderful daughters, Courtney and Taylor. Along with them, she leaves behind her three sisters, Saundra, Marsha, and Vicki, and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

It has been a joy to work with Courtney, who currently serves as my Communications Director & Senior Advisor in my Washington Office. Linda's love, intelligence, and grace shines through her daughter every day. While this is certainly a sad occasion, it is clear that Linda's spirit carries on through the excellence of her children, and the positive impact on her loved ones and community.

Mr. Speaker, I send my condolences to the family and friends of Linda. I ask that my colleagues join me in commemorating her wonderful life and legacy.

Rest in peace, Linda.