Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the minibus appropriations bill the House passed earlier today.

This legislation includes my bill to support the revitalization of vacant shopping malls like the Gwinnett Place Mall in my district. This provision would catalyze additional investment in these projects and enhance economic activity, access to housing, and mobility for local residents.

The minibus also includes six of my community project funding requests, including funding for the acquisition of African-American books and historical artifacts at the Hooper-Renwick Memorial Library, as well as projects to increase wraparound services for Latino families and youth through Ser Familia, provide transportation to low-income students through Corners Outreach, and enhance access to transit and clean drinking water for many communities in Georgia's Seventh District.

Altogether, the T-HUD bill and the minibus include important investments that will make our communities stronger.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the Water Resources Development Act of 2022. I am grateful for Chairs DeFazio and Napolitano and Ranking Members Graves and Rouzer as well as the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee staff for working with my office and me to ensure that some key needs for Georgia were met.

My district specifically is home to Lake Lanier and the Buford Dam, which are critical resources in the Chattahoochee River Basin. The Chattahoochee River supplies 70 percent of metro Atlanta's drinking water, and it is hard to overstate how essential the lake and river are to the metro area. The river is also a key source of water for farmers and agriculture throughout the State. But according to the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, more than 1,000 miles of waterway within the watershed do not meet water quality standards.

This bill would authorize a watershed-based study for the Chattahoochee River Basin which will allow the Army Corps of Engineers to assess the water resource needs of the basin, including ecosystem protection and restoration, flood risk management, watershed protection, water supply, and drought preparedness.

This bill also includes my important legislation, Lake Lanier and Upper Chattahoochee River Safety Act, which would direct the Army Corps to carry out a review of potential threats to human life and safety from the use of the river. Unfortunately, there are parts of the river that are extremely dangerous, and during a release of water from Buford Dam, the Chattahoochee can rise as much as 11 feet in 1 minute. Based on the findings of this review, the bill would authorize the Corps to take measures necessary to make the river safer and minimize or eliminate some of these hazards.

Finally, I am proud to see Lake Lanier included as a focus area in the previously authorized harmful algal bloom demonstration program which will allow the Corps to work with local stakeholders to research tools for freshwater HABs detection, prevention, and management which is critical to protecting the drinking water of millions of people.

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today delivers for my constituents and the people of Georgia. It delivers for the people of this country. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, my vote via voting card was not recorded for the House vote on H.R. 7500, Roll Call Number 201. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 201.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the bipartisan supply chain resilience subtitle in the America COMPETES Act.

The COVID pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the United States' supply chains. When disruptions occur in our supply chains, it leads to higher prices for families and businesses.

The America COMPETES Act includes my bill to map and monitor our supply chains and other important provisions that would create good- paying manufacturing jobs here in the United States.

Studies have found that Georgia lost 25 percent of its manufacturing jobs since 1999. Not only is this bad for workers, it is harmful to our national security when we are dependent on other nations to manufacture critical goods and services.

The America COMPETES Act would address this vulnerability by making a historic investment in our Nation's manufacturing capabilities and would equip us to prevent and mitigate future supply chain disruptions.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to retain this critical subtitle as we work to pass a final competitiveness bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the Atlanta spa shootings.

Across our country, the Asian-American community has been under attack because of misinformation and xenophobia that wrongly blamed them for the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 16, 2021, 1 year ago, in Atlanta, eight innocent people, six of whom were women of Asian descent, were senselessly murdered. The victims of this attack included mothers and grandmothers, fathers and sons, teachers, and veterans. These are lives that cannot be restored, leaving pain that cannot be forgotten.

These attacks in Georgia were a wake-up call for the public to the reality the Asian-American community is facing each and every day.

Acts of violence like these demonstrate why we must always call out bigotry and hate whenever or wherever we see it. We must all speak out against it.

I would like to thank CAPAC Chair Judy Chu for her leadership on this issue and encourage my colleagues to continue to speak out as we stand together with the Asian-American community.

Mr. Speaker, in the fall of 1912, Forsyth County, in my district was the site of an appalling racial cleansing.

Following the death of a White woman named Mae Crow, three Black men, Rob Edwards, Ernest Knox, and Oscar Daniel, were accused of her murder and lynched without due process.

Following this, White men on horseback dubbed ``night riders'' rode throughout Forsyth County terrorizing families and burning Black churches, homes, and businesses, ultimately driving out over 1,100 Black residents.

Forsyth County continued to have little to no Black residents for almost a century.

Today, I am introducing a resolution condemning the lynchings of Rob Edwards, Oscar Daniel, and Ernest Knox in 1912 and condemning the actions of the white supremacist mobs which forced out nearly the entire Black population of Forsyth County.

It is particularly important during Black History Month that we as a Nation acknowledge horrific events such as this one and honor the memory of the victims of these tragedies.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution and reaffirm this body's commitment to fighting white supremacy and seeking justice to right the wrongs of our past.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the America COMPETES Act, a bill that would bolster American leadership in critical economic sectors for decades to come.

In addition to necessary provisions to spur American production of semiconductors, the America COMPETES Act would take action to address supply chain disruptions and shortages.

My bill, the Supply CHAIN Act, is included in this package and would ensure the newly created Office of Supply Chain Resiliency and Crisis Response at the Department of Commerce has the tools it needs to map and monitor critical supply chains, as well as prepare for and respond to supply chain shocks and disruptions.

I have heard from families and small businesses and manufacturers in Georgia's Seventh District of the challenges presented by supply chain disruptions, especially amidst the pandemic.

This package of supply chain resiliency measures will help us to identify and mitigate these disruptions moving forward.

In closing, I would like to commend my colleagues for their hard work in assembling this critical legislation. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the America COMPETES Act.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Korean- American Day, which marks the arrival of the first group of Korean immigrants to the United States in 1903.

I am proud to represent tens of thousands of Korean Americans in Georgia's Seventh District. These individuals are critical members of our community. From small business owners to healthcare workers, they continue to support us throughout the pandemic.

I would like to take this time to acknowledge Korean-American leaders in my district. Representative Sam Park is the grandson of refugees from the Korean war who became the first Asian American and openly gay person elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives.

Michelle Kang serves as president of the Korean-American Public Action Committee and is a tireless leader in the community. It is an honor to work with each of you.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been challenged with an increase in the number of anti-Asian hate crimes. This Korean- American Day, I am particularly grateful to all of those working to address and end anti-Asian hate in Georgia and across the country. I look forward to continuing this work in Congress.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Build Back Better Act.

This bill increases access to affordable healthcare by expanding Medicaid in States like Georgia and significantly reducing the cost of health insurance premiums on the exchange.

With this bill, we will finally ensure that every Georgian has access to quality, affordable healthcare.

This bill will also ensure that nearly 200,000 additional 3- and 4- year-olds in Georgia will have access to universal pre-K.

The Build Back Better Act is the largest effort to combat the climate crisis in American history and realigns our tax code to support economic growth in our clean energy economy.

These are just some of the highlights in this critical bill that is fully paid for and makes long-overdue investments in our community and in our country.

I urge the Senate to act swiftly to pass the Build Back Better Act and invest in the future of all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution, H. Con. Res. 44, which the House will consider later today.

When I came to Congress, I promised my constituents that we would make responsible decisions about our Nation's fiscal future. It is extremely difficult, however, to make good decisions without good information.

The Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution will require the Comptroller General to provide an annual assessment of our Nation's finances to Congress, a small but important first step in getting our fiscal house in order.

Similarly, my bipartisan bill, the Duplication Scoring Act, would ensure

Members are aware when new bills potentially duplicate existing programs in areas which have already been identified by the GAO.

I urge all Members to support passage of the Fiscal State of the Nation act today and renew our commitment to putting our Nation on a sustainable fiscal trajectory.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the tremendous achievement of the Atlanta Braves and wish them good luck in their first World Series since 1999.

The story of the 2021 Braves is one of resiliency. The team lost two of their stars--Ronald Acuna, Jr., and Mike Soroka--to injuries early this season.

Despite these setbacks, the Braves persevered and won the National League's Eastern Division title for the fourth year in a row.

The Braves have been underdogs in each of their playoff series, but thanks to big performances by players such as Eddie Rosario, whose 14 hits against the Dodgers tied the record for the most hits in a single series, tonight, they will take the field to compete in the World Series.

Many of the players on the Braves' roster honed their skills in Georgia's Seventh District, playing for the Gwinnett Stripers, the Braves' Triple-A affiliate in Lawrenceville.

The 2021 Atlanta Braves embody the never-quit spirit of the State of Georgia, and I wish them good luck as they begin the World Series tonight.

My family, staff, and people of Seventh District are cheering you on. Go Braves.

Madam Speaker, I rise today, October 21, to recognize Latina Equal Pay Day, the day when the pay for Latina women catches up to that of White men from the previous year. Latinas typically earn only 57 cents for every dollar earned by White men.

This disparity harms women, their families, and the communities that depend on their wages for survival. This inequity is why I am a proud cosponsor of H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act in an effort to break the patterns of pay discrimination and strengthen workforce protections for women, especially women of color.

I would also like to take this time on Latina Equal Pay Day to acknowledge the recent conclusion of Hispanic Heritage Month and to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the American Hispanic community and the over 60 million Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino.

I am proud to represent one of the most diverse districts in the United States and the more than 170,000 Hispanic Americans who call Georgia's Seventh District home.

One of my most significant legislative accomplishments was borne out of conversations with Tony Rodriguez, CEO and president of the Aurora Theater in Lawrenceville. My conversations with him encouraged me to introduce the Paycheck Protection Program Extension Act, which extended the deadline to apply for forgivable PPP loans from March 31 to May 31 and gave small businesses more time to access this critical assistance.

I would also like to recognize Antonio Molina, chair of the board of Georgia's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, for his hard work ensuring Hispanic small business owners have the resources they need to be successful.

I also recognize Santiago Marquez, the executive director of the Latin American Association, which provides a critical safety net service for so many in the Seventh District.

I would also like to thank two Hispanic members of the Cabinet: Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra and SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman, who visited Georgia's Seventh District this year. It was an honor to host each of them and introduce them to the wonderful place we call home.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge my chief of staff, Estefania ``Stefy'' Rodriguez, for her work leading my staff to serve the great people of the Seventh District.

As I host and attend events across my district, I am struck by the vibrancy of the Hispanic communities.

Recently, I visited with the Latino Lions Club of Norcross, the Latin American Association, the Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia, and Latino Community Services to discuss how we can work together to address the issues that matter most to our community.

We all benefit from the contributions Hispanic Americans have made and will continue to make. The inclusion of their voices and values in our community make my district and the United States so much stronger.

They are the scientists, doctors, nurses, and essential workers who have helped us get through the COVID-19 pandemic; the teachers who educate the next generation of Americans; the artists who grace our television screens and our stages; the small business owners who drive our economy; and the many Hispanic elected officials, some who walk these very halls, who work every day to make a positive difference for our community.

I am a proud cosponsor of critical legislation, such as H.R. 6, the American Dream and Promise Act, and H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which extends the American Dream to millions of people who already call this great Nation home.

Today, on Latina Equal Pay Day, and following the conclusion of Hispanic Heritage Month, I reaffirm my commitment to always work to support and strengthen our vibrant Hispanic communities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, which will be considered by the House later this week.

As a working mother, I strongly support this bipartisan bill to provide reasonable accommodations to nursing mothers in the workplace.

The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, among other critical changes, would extend the break time and space protections to workers who are currently excluded from overtime protections, including teachers, transportation workers, and agriculture workers.

I was proud to work as part of a bipartisan group along with the bill's sponsor, Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, to offer an amendment which maintains the undue hardship exemption threshold at its current level of 50 employees.

The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act is supported by a broad coalition of stakeholders, including the National Retail Federation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Education Association, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

Mr. Speaker, I enthusiastically support this bill and urge all Members to do the same when it comes before the House this week.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Earlier this year I was honored to work as a member of the Problem Solvers Caucus to participate in developing the bipartisan infrastructure framework that formed the foundation of this legislation. I deeply appreciate my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and their willingness to work together to find common ground.

In the Seventh District, we know the importance of this bill since we have one of the worst commutes in the country. Businesses have left our community because of the congestion and lack of access to transit.

The significant increases in funding for roads, bridges, transit, high-speed rail, electric charging stations, among many other investments will help unlock gridlock, spur economic growth, and make a critical down payment on tackling climate change.

I appreciate the work on both sides that has gone into crafting this bill. I urge all Members to support it.

Mr. Speaker, Georgia was one of the first States in the country to pass a voter suppression bill after the 2020 general election, but S.B. 202 is just our State's latest attempt to disenfranchise minority communities.

Georgia has a long history of undermining the right to vote, from the Jim Crow era to more recent voter roll purges and exact-match policies. This week, news from Georgia and Florida confirmed, yet again, that bills like S.B. 202 were adopted because Republicans are afraid that they will lose elections if all eligible voters participate.

It is time for Congress to fix what the Supreme Court broke in 2013 when they effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act.

I proudly supported the For the People Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, both of which laid essential groundwork toward protecting our democracy. I now look forward to supporting the Freedom to Vote Act in the coming weeks.