Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3655) to amend the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 to extend the termination date of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3655, a bill to amend the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 to extend the termination date of the Civil Rights Cold Case Records Review Board.

I would like to begin by celebrating that this bill is bipartisan. It is co-led by Senators Jon Ossoff and Ted Cruz, and a companion bill was introduced in the House by my colleague, Bobby Rush of Illinois.

The Civil Rights Cold Case Records Collection Act of 2018 requires public disclosure of cold case files from the civil rights era that are still in the possession of Federal agencies. The 2018 law also created a review board tasked to review any agency decisions to delay public disclosure of civil rights cold case files within their possession.

As part of their examination, the review board will submit recommendations to the President, who has final decisionmaking authority over the public records disclosure. Under current law, the review board will be terminated by January of 2024.

This bill, S. 3655, revises the initial term of the board from 4 to 7 years with an optional extension year, if needed. The extension is critical because the work of the review board has been delayed.

The prior administration did not nominate members to the board when the bill was enacted in 2018. The current administration nominated board members in 2021, and all members were confirmed by February of 2022.

As a result of delays in nomination and confirmation of the review board members, S. 3655 provides the board additional time to complete its mission.

This bill has bipartisan support. In addition, the National Archives supports this bill because the extensions will ensure that review board members have enough time to complete their assignments.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in support of the Civil Rights Cold Case Investigations Support Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush), from the First District, chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy with the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the House sponsor of the Civil Rights Cold Case Investigation Support Act of 2022.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman), from the 12th District, who is the chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security with the Committee on Homeland Security.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 3655, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3510) to require the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to issue guidance with respect to natural disaster resilience, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 3510, the Disaster Resiliency Planning Act, was introduced by my colleague and counterpart in the Senate, Chairman Gary Peters, along with Senator Rick Scott, and it passed the Senate by unanimous consent in June. Our colleague, Representative Troy Carter, is leading companion legislation in the House, which is also bipartisan.

This commonsense, bipartisan bill takes action to implement an important recommendation made by the Government Accountability Office last year. In 2021, GAO issued a report on the efforts of Federal agencies to be responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars by mitigating the impact of natural disasters on Federal property and assets like buildings, roads, bridges, and levees.

In the 5 years leading up to the report, billions of taxpayer dollars were spent repairing the damage done to Federal assets by natural disasters, and current trends demonstrate that the frequency and severity of natural disasters are increasing as a result of climate change.

As the largest real property owner in the United States, the Federal Government's fiscal exposure to natural disasters is deeply concerning. The Federal Government lacks a comprehensive, strategic approach to resilience, which is key to addressing this risk and protecting taxpayer dollars.

Fortunately, agencies have made good progress in creating action plans that identify extreme weather vulnerabilities and steps that can be taken to address them. GAO's report recommended the crucial next step that agencies should be directed to incorporate these assessments into their asset management investment decisions.

That recommendation remains open today, but this bipartisan bill will ensure that it finally gets done. Within 180 days, OMB would be required to establish guidance for the incorporation of natural disaster resilience into the real property asset management and investment decisions of Federal agencies. As recommended by GAO, agencies would be required to incorporate their natural disaster risk information assessments into such decisions.

This commonsense, good government bill has been informed by years of GAO analysis and will protect taxpayer dollars by prioritizing cost- effective resilience strategies. We must implement these action plans before the next superstorm or wildfire deals yet another blow to our Federal assets.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 3510, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1941) to direct the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to standardize the use of core-based statistical area designations across Federal programs, to allow between 120 and 180 days for public comment on any proposed change to such designations, and to report on the scientific basis and estimated impact to Federal programs for any proposed change to such designations, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, S. 1941, the Metropolitan Areas Protection and Standardization, or MAPS Act, focuses on a little-known process at the Office of Management and Budget that may seem arcane at first glance, but which has profound implications for the way the Federal Government serves the people of this Nation.

OMB maintains a set of standards to ensure consistency across the Federal Government in how agencies classify statistics by geographic area. These standards determine whether a county is considered ``metropolitan'' based on its proximity to an urban core. Although these standards are supposed to be used solely for statistical purposes, they are frequently used by Federal agencies to distribute funding, benefits, and programs.

Every 10 years, OMB considers recommendations from an interagency technical advisory committee, with input from the public, to ensure the continued relevance of the standards.

The recommendations for 2020 standards initially included a proposal that, for a county to qualify as metropolitan, it must be near an urban core with a population of 100,000, doubling the current threshold of 50,000 people.

Because this threshold hasn't been changed since it first came into use in 1949, the proposed change would have converted 142 metropolitan statistical areas from the metropolitan designation to the nonmetropolitan designation.

According to the Brookings Institute, this would have impacted 19 million people and increased the share of

America's population residing in nonmetro counties from 14 percent to around 20 percent.

There is currently no inventory of all Federal programs that rely on the standard to distribute services, benefits, and funding, and no process for ensuring that agencies are equipped to review the impacts of potential changes on such programs.

As a result, what should be a purely statistical standards update actually has unknown and potentially profound ramifications for Federal program administration, warranting further review.

While the Standards Review Committee and OMB ultimately chose not to recommend or include this change in the final 2020 Standards, examination of the recommendation make clear that Congress must ensure that these statistical standards can be updated without the risk of unintended consequences cascading across the Federal programs and policies built around them.

To accomplish this, the MAPS Act would clarify that changes to the standards would not propagate automatically for any nonstatistical use by a domestic assistance program. Changes for nonstatistical uses could only take effect if the relevant agency determines that they support the purposes of the program and are in the public interest, and if such changes are affirmatively adopted through notice-and-comment rulemaking.

The bill would also create an inventory of the current uses and impacts of the standards in distributing Federal services, benefits, funding, creating transparency for both policymakers and the public.

In short, the MAPS Act puts in place the safeguards needed to ensure that the Federal Government's bedrock statistical standards can be updated purely based on scientific criteria, without the influence of nonstatistical considerations.

At the same time, it ensures that Federal policies and programs continue to operate as intended and are updated with careful consideration of their unique goals and impacts.

I urge my colleagues to support this responsible, good government bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no further speakers, then I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 1941, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7899) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 75 Commerce Drive in Grayslake, Illinois, as the ``Army Specialist Joseph `Joey' W. Dimock II Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7899, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 75 Commerce Drive in Grayslake, Illinois, as the ``Army Specialist Joseph `Joey' Dimock II Post Office Building.''

Army Specialist Dimock was born in Libertyville on May 25, 1989, to Joseph and Ellen Dimock. He grew up in Wildwood, Illinois, and graduated from Warren Township High School. Growing up, he was a member of the Wildwood Presbyterian Church, Boy Scout Troop 672, and the Warren Blue Devils swim team.

In the spring of his senior year of high school, Army specialist Dimock joined the Army and began service in August of 2007. He served for nearly 3 years with the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.

On July 10, 2010, during his third overseas deployment and second deployment in Afghanistan supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, he died in a noncombat explosion at an ammunition holding facility.

Army Specialist Dimock received several awards during his service to this country, including the Bronze Star Medal and Army Commendation Medal.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and service of

Army Specialist Dimock by naming a Post Office in Grayslake, Illinois, after him.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman from Pennsylvania has no further speakers, then I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 7899, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6917) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 301 East Congress Parkway in Crystal Lake, Illinois, as the ``Ryan J. Cummings Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6917, to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 301 East Congress Parkway in Crystal Lake, Illinois, as the Ryan J. Cummings Post Office Building.

Marine Corporal Ryan John Cummings was born on April 6, 1984, and grew up to be a Cub Scout, honor student, wrestler, and a French horn player.

On September 10, 2001, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and completed basic training in San Diego. He was then stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, in 1st Battalion, 1st Marine Division, ultimately earning the rank of corporal.

Corporal Cummings earned many awards, including the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, the Global War on Terror Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and the Purple Heart, among others.

He was deployed three times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He made the ultimate sacrifice on June 3, 2006, when he was killed.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and service of Corporal Cummings by naming a post office in Crystal Lake, Illinois, after him, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 6917, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2473) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 275 Penn Avenue in Salem, Ohio, as the ``Howard Arthur Tibbs Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2473 to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 275 Penn Avenue in Salem, Ohio, as the Howard Arthur Tibbs Post Office.

Corporal Howard Arthur Tibbs was born on September 23, 1919, in Salem, Ohio. His family had a long history of military service, dating back to the Civil War, when Mr. Charles Howard, Sr., grandfather of Corporal Tibbs, fought in the Grand Army of the Republic.

Following this tradition of service, in World War II, Corporal Tibbs served as one of the Tuskegee Airmen, where he served in the 99th Fighter Squadron and the 477th Medium Composite Group.

In recognition of his military contributions and bravery, Corporal Tibbs was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2007.

After his time in the military, Corporal Tibbs continued his career in private service with a career at the Internal Revenue Service. On January 26, 1986, he passed away in Newark, Ohio.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the bravery of Corporal Howard Tibbs by naming a post office in Salem, Ohio, after him.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 2473, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7518) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 23200 John R Road in Hazel Park, Michigan, as the ``Roy E. Dickens Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 7518 to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 23200 John R Road in Hazel Park, Michigan, as the Roy E. Dickens Post Office.

Mr. Roy Eugene Dickens was born on August 29, 1940, in Lola, Kentucky, to Corbett and Byrdie Dickens. From 1962 to 1965, he served in the U.S. Army. Following his service, he joined the Hazel Park Police Department in 1967. He retired from duty in 1995.

After retirement, he went to work as a court officer until 2010, making him the longest-serving public official in the history of Hazel Park, Michigan. Mr. Dickens is remembered for his 43 years of service to the Hazel Park community.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring the service of Mr. Dickens by naming a post office in Hazel Park, Michigan, after him.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Levin), my friend and colleague from Michigan's Ninth District, the vice chair of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of H.R. 7518, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3826) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1304 4th Avenue in Canyon, Texas, as the ``Gary James Fletcher Post Office Building''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3826, a bill to designate the facility of the U.S. Postal Service located at 1304 4th Avenue in Canyon, Texas, as the Gary James Fletcher Post Office Building.

Mr. Fletcher was born and raised in Amarillo and Canyon, Texas. In 1969, Mr. Fletcher served a tour in Vietnam and was awarded three medals: the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

After his tour, he was an active member of his community as a philanthropist, banker, and rancher. His work ethic around the ranch and banking was inspirational to those around him.

Mr. Fletcher passed away on October 29, 2020, leaving behind his wife, three children, and six grandchildren.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring Mr. Fletcher by naming a post office in Canyon, Texas, after him.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 3826, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3884) to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 404 U.S. Highway 41 North in Baraga, Michigan, as the ``Cora Reynolds Anderson Post Office''.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 3884, a bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 404 U.S. Highway 41 North in Baraga, Michigan, as the Cora Reynolds Anderson Post Office.

Ms. Cora Reynolds Anderson was born in L'Anse, Michigan, on April 10, 1882, and was a member of the Ojibwa Native American Tribe. She attended public school in the Upper Peninsula and the Haskell Institute in Lawrence, Kansas, where she received her teacher's diploma. After graduating, she came back and taught at the Zeba Mission in the Upper Peninsula.

Ms. Anderson organized the first public health service in Baraga County, Michigan, and helped secure their first public health nurse.

In 1924, she became the first woman elected to the Michigan House of Representatives and the first Native American woman elected to serve in a State legislature. Her election came only 4 years after women were granted the right to vote.

During her term in office, Ms. Anderson chaired the Industrial Home for Girls Committee and was on multiple committees, including Agriculture, Insurance, and the Northern State Normal School.

She was an advocate for public health, primarily focused on fighting against alcoholism and tuberculosis. She also fought to recognize Native American fishing rights on Huron Bay.

After her tenure as a representative, Ms. Anderson served as an officer for the Upper Peninsula in the Michigan State Grange. In 2000, the Michigan House of Representatives named the new house office building in Lansing in her honor. She was also inducted into the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame in 2001.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in honoring Ms. Anderson by naming a post office in Baraga, Michigan, after her, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of S. 3884, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Ms. Magazine for its work to provide comprehensive coverage of women's issues and to celebrate the magazine's fiftieth anniversary.

When feminist activists Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pittman Hughes started Ms. Magazine in December 1971 with a 40-page insert inside New York magazine, few could have predicted its longevity and its far- reaching impact. But the magazine immediately struck a chord with women, selling 300,000 copies in eight days and generating 26,000 subscription orders and more than 20,000 reader letters within weeks.

While most magazines marketed to women at the time emphasized domestic topics such as the importance of finding a husband, Ms. Magazine featured stories on prominent women's issues including abortion, the Equal Rights Amendment, domestic violence, and sexual harassment.

In July 1972, the first issue of Ms. Magazine was published with an image of Wonder Woman on the cover. In the same issue, 53 women, including Billie Jean King, Nora Ephron, and Gloria Steinem, signed a ``we have had abortions petition,'' one year before the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Roe v. Wade.

In the years following, Ms. Magazine has covered and influenced the feminist movement. On a personal note, the magazine also profoundly impacted my career aspirations and legislative agenda in both the New York City Council and in Congress.

Over the course of my career, I didn't have to call Ms. five times to convince them to cover issues and legislation like the Debbie Smith Act, the horrific crime of sex trafficking, and the Equal Rights Amendment.

Ms. also faithfully chronicled my 20-year fight to create the National Women's History

Museum on the Mall. Without Ms.' coverage and advocacy, we might still be fighting.

Women comprise half the population. But we get nowhere near half the attention on critical issues. Most other magazines and new outlets swoop in to cover monumental women's issues like the rollback of Roe. v. Wade. But Ms. is there every day to cover issues of importance to women and to shine the light on women's often-hidden contributions to all fields.

Today, the Feminist Majority--the magazine's longest-serving publisher--is proudly maintaining Ms.'s 50-year leadership role in shaping and meeting the feminist agenda.

I join millions of women worldwide in recognizing the extraordinary accomplishments and contributions of Ms. Magazine over the past 50 years, and in wishing them every success in the next 50. Because Ms. isn't just a magazine. It's a movement.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize The Tuchman Foundation for its incredible leadership in creating and donating a temporary medical care unit to Astoria Houses for COVID-19 vaccinations and tests.

Founded by Tuchman Group CEO Martin Tuchman, The Tuchman Foundation has used its platform and capital to support research on health care, including diseases and cures such as Parkinson's Disease. The Tuchman Foundation also provided initial funding to develop the prototype for the temporary medical care unit, which was fashioned through a partnership with the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the University Hospital in Newark in July 2020.

Through this collaboration, temporary medical care facilities were developed to be placed in areas with COVID-19 outbreaks and other disasters as well as regions without adequate health care infrastructure. The containers are 32 by 40 feet long and were made from recycled shipping containers. When I heard about this incredible creation, I reached out to see if we could work together to bring one of these units to Astoria Houses in New York's Twelfth Congressional District, which I have the privilege to represent.

At the time, there were no vaccination sites within half a mile of Astoria Houses, and of the vaccination sites within a mile of Astoria Houses, none of them had vaccines in stock. With limited public transportation options to reach the existing vaccination sites, residents were forced to walk, which was not a practical option for many of the senior residents, who account for a large percentage of the development population.

But The Tuchman Foundation was here to fund and provide this incredibly innovative temporary medical care unit, which has been in place at Astoria Houses to provide COVID-19 tests and vaccines since April 2022.

Health care is and should always be a human right, and The Tuchman Foundation helped to make that a reality for so many New Yorkers by creating and providing this health care unit to the people of Astoria Houses.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the amazing work being done by The Tuchman Foundation and look forward to seeing the work they do next.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the New Jersey Institute of Technology for its incredible work, expertise, and assistance in creating and transporting a temporary medical care unit to Astoria Houses for COVID-19 vaccinations and tests.

The New Jersey Institute of Technology has always been a hub for innovation, and this was made even more clear during the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2020, the New Jersey Institute of Technology, the University Hospital in Newark, and The Tuchman Foundation collaborated to develop temporary medical care facilities to be placed in areas with COVID-19 outbreaks and other disasters as well as regions without adequate health care infrastructure.

These containers are 32 by 40 feet long and were made from recycled shipping containers. When I heard about this incredible creation, I reached out to see if we could work together to bring one of these units to Astoria Houses in New York's Twelfth Congressional District, which I have the privilege to represent.

At the time, there were no vaccination sites within half a mile of Astoria Houses, and of the vaccination sites within a mile of Astoria Houses, none of them had vaccines in stock. With limited public transportation options to reach the existing vaccination sites, residents were forced to walk, which was not a practical option for many of the senior residents, who account for a large percentage of the development population.

But the New Jersey Institute of Technology came to the rescue and agreed to donate one of their units. Donating the unit was one thing but getting it from New Jersey to New York City was another whole process, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology was instrumental in coordinating logistics, including a truck and a crane.

Health care is and should always be a human right, and the New Jersey Institute Technology helped to make that a reality for so many New Yorkers by creating and providing this health care unit to the people of Astoria Houses.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the amazing work being done by the New Jersey Institute of Technology and look forward to seeing what inventive projects they come up with next.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to HANAC, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary celebration. For half a century, HANAC has been working to empower and serve the needs of New York City's most vulnerable residents.

Founded in 1972 by Evangeline Douris and her late husband George T. Douris as the Hellenic American Neighborhood Action Committee, HANAC has a long history of improving our community through a variety of public services designed to help seniors, immigrants, families, youth, and those fighting alcohol and substance abuse.

HANAC continues its mission by developing, implementing, and administering the operation of service programs for the betterment of the community; providing these services to any and all who are in need without discrimination as to race, creed, national origin or other defining characteristic; and working closely with other providers, the city, state and federal governments for the betterment of the community.

Through education programming, employment training, counseling, and senior and family housing, HANAC directly helps to improve the lives of over 35,000 people and their families annually. HANAC has grown into one of the city's largest providers of social services and continues to demonstrate its loyalty to a principle that is the bedrock of our nation: a community is strongest when those who live in it look out for one another.

HANAC currently operates--either independently or in partnership with other entities--several hundred units of low-income senior housing with plans to expand this number by hundreds of additional units. As the city continues to face an affordability crisis in housing, HANAC has provided a critical resource allowing New Yorkers to spend their golden years in the communities in which they have long lived.

In addition to its affordable housing, HANAC operates four senior centers which provide senior specific programming to thousands of Queens residents including New York City Housing Authority residents in western Queens.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the amazing work done by HANAC and in expressing my gratitude for the immense dedication of all the employees, board members, and supporters that have allowed HANAC to improve the lives of so many in our city.

Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize The Floating Hospital for its incredible work to provide healthcare services to medically underserved people living in New York City's Twelfth Congressional District, which I have the privilege to represent.

Founded in 1866, The Floating Hospital was one of the first healthcare charities in New York City and was originally dedicated to caring for the sick children of families living in tenement homes. Today, The Floating Hospital remains committed to the mission of providing healthcare to those in need and provides primary medical, dental, specialty, behavioral health, infectious disease, and reproductive health services to families living in shelters and domestic violence safe houses throughout the city, as well as the medically underserved community of Northwest Queens.

Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked with The Floating Hospital to ensure that the public housing communities of Astoria, Ravenswood, and Queensbridge Houses in Northwest Queens have access to the healthcare that they need. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, in 2012, The Floating Hospital received a $920,833 federal grant to operate a community health center at Queensbridge Houses, which is the largest public housing development in the nation. Since then, The Floating Hospital has provided lifesaving care to the residents of Queensbridge Houses, including tests for COVID-19.

Earlier this year, I also partnered with The Floating Hospital to bring a temporary medical care unit to public housing residents living at Astoria Houses. Since April, staff from The Floating Hospital have provided COVID-19 tests and vaccines to hundreds of residents, which were greatly needed given how few COVID-19 testing and vaccine sites were located within a walkable distance of Astoria Houses.

Healthcare is and should always be a human right, and The Floating Hospital is helping to make that a reality for so many New Yorkers. I commend The Floating Hospital for its work in my district, under the leadership of the great Sean Granahan, and look forward to following their work to provide this critical resource those who need it.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the amazing work being done by The Floating Hospital and to wish them all the best success as they continue to expand health care options to the most underserved New Yorkers.

Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to The Knickerbocker Greys (``The Greys'') for their commitment in supporting children across New York City. Through their afterschool program, The Greys have instilled our nation's youth with the values of leadership, responsibility, and citizenship.

The Greys are a 501(c)(3) charity and the oldest after-school program in the history of the United States. The organization is an institution within New York City, serving children ages 6 to 16. Cadets are afforded opportunities over the years to develop their character, confidence, perseverance, social skills, and problem solving in a fun and unique way.

The Greys were founded in 1881 and incorporated in 1897 in the State of New York by Mrs. Augusta Curtis, who began the organization in response to a lack of after-school programming. Mrs. Curtis wanted to encourage activity for her son and his peers. A year into the program, Mrs. Curtis formed the Board of Knickerbocker Greys, composed originally of fourteen mothers. To this day, the Greys are run by a board of parents who are responsible for everything concerning the program outside of the weekly classes and events. The current board members are Adrienne C. Rogatnick (President), Oscar Ancajima (Vice President), Charles Giovanni Vanzan Coutinho (Secretary), John G. Philips (Treasurer), and Stephanie Tomlin (President Emeritus).

Today, along with the Board, the Corps of Cadets' daily operations are run by Colonel David J. Menegon Commandant USAR (ret.) and Colonel Thomas F. Pike, Jr. USA Assistant Commandant, and the current Cadet Colonel. The organization is run entirely by volunteers who are dedicated to enriching the lives of New York school children.

The group's name was derived from the original uniform's knee-length pants that were known as ``knickerbockers,'' and the color of the dress uniform, ``Cadet Grey.'' Over 4,500 New Yorkers have been members of the Knickerbocker Greys Cadet Corps over the past 141 years, including Nelson and David Rockefeller; Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.; Pierpont Morgan Hamilton; Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.; John Lindsay; Averell Harriman; and Lowell Thomas.

The Greys have shown their commitment to New York City's children from all backgrounds, and pride themselves on being representative of the city's BIPOC communities, inclusive of children with disabilities, and accommodating of those with financial need. Cadets today receive leadership training and are given leadership opportunities as squad leaders, company commanders, and staff officers. Cadets develop skills to motivate others, practice empathy and patience, supervise junior cadets, and command a group of peers.

Cadets undergo a series of experiences over the years that foster confidence, character, etiquette and social skills, perseverance, enthusiasm, public speaking, and leadership. The focus of each weekly meeting is to instill in each child a sense of self-discipline, compassion, and orderliness. Members of the Greys also engage in a variety of activities including field trips to historical sites, color guards, veteran parades, and community events.

Today, the Greys are a part of living history and still proudly drill at the landmarked Park Avenue Seventh Regiment Armory (``The Park Avenue Armory''), as they have since 1902. Boys and girls from a diverse list of independent, magnet, parochial, and public schools located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and even Westchester County have been strengthened by their participation in the Grey's programming for decades and have emerged as young leaders throughout our nation.

Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing The Knickerbocker Greys for its 141 years of service to New York City's most cherished, our children.