Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, last year, I had the opportunity to visit Sudan and hear from the Sudanese people. I saw firsthand the devastating toll that the Sudanese regime has taken on the country of Sudan and its citizens.

Sadly, today, the hardship and violence have escalated after months of peaceful protests by the brave Sudanese people.

Sudan's longtime leader, President Omar al-Bashir, was removed from power. Since then, the Transitional Military Council has attacked protesters who are peacefully calling for a transition to democratic governance.

The news we continue to see from Sudan over the past few weeks has been nothing short of heart-wrenching as peaceful protesters have been attacked, threatened, and killed.

Congress cannot sit idly by while this regime kills its own citizens, blocks communication to the outside world, and continues to commit serious human rights abuses.

Congress must do everything we can to help end this conflict. We are morally obligated to use this platform to call attention to what is happening there and to say with a unified voice that the Sudanese Government's treatment of its people is completely unacceptable.

For these reasons, I have introduced a bipartisan resolution this week calling attention to the situation in Sudan. I am honored that the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. Engel, joined two other leaders on this issue, Representative McGovern and Representative Bilirakis, in supporting this legislation as original cosponsors.

I ask my colleagues to all join as cosponsors for this important resolution, a resolution that affirms that it is Congress' position that the Transitional Military Council must immediately stop all violence against peaceful protesters and begin to immediately transition governance to a democratic and civilian-led body.

The Sudanese people have the right to freedom from oppression and violence and to live in a country where they can choose their own leaders without fear of persecution, without fear of violence, and without fear of being killed for simply asserting their right to self- determination, as all human beings ought to be allowed.

Simply, the ability to peacefully assemble and have one's voice heard is a basic human right. It should be afforded to all people, including all citizens of Sudan.

This resolution also makes it clear that Sudan must improve dramatically if it wants to continue a productive engagement with the United States of America, including political reform and respect for basic human rights.

This resolution affirms the right of Sudanese people to assemble peacefully and condemns the government's use of violence against protesters and journalists. We emphasize that absent political reforms and respect for human rights, it will be impossible for the U.S. to engage Sudan as a partner.

It is time that we step up. It is time that we have our voices heard, that we stand up for people whose voices are being silenced by violence. We have a chance to speak in a clear voice and send a message that the United States and its government will support the people of Sudan.

Sudan must do better because we and the world are watching. Sudan cannot be allowed to go down this dangerous path.

We have to stand with the people of Sudan, stand for their democratic rights, allow their voices to be heard, and allow them to live in freedom.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for his leadership on bringing this important legislation to the floor.

Let's say what this bill really does. It provides Americans who work hard access to retirement with dignity and respect. It allows workers who don't have

access to retirement accounts--including home healthcare workers, part- time workers, as well as multiple employers--to have access to retirement accounts.

The SECURE Act fixes this. This is an important step forward in providing much-needed retirement security for so many Americans. It encourages small employers to develop 401(k) plans. It helps build our workforce by allowing apprentices access to college savings accounts to cover the cost of purchasing equipment necessary for their training for their chosen trade. This is a big step forward for those workers.

Finally, Madam Speaker, I appreciate the fact that this bill also addresses some of the many oversights of the 2017 Republican tax bill, including addressing how children are taxed, especially Tribal children.

This is a good bill, and I support it.

Mr. Speaker, this week, the Head Start program turns 54. Since this life-changing education program was created in 1965, it has served millions of children, giving them and their families a brighter future.

Head Start and Early Head Start provides comprehensive early childhood

education, health, nutrition, social services to low-income children and their families. It is one of the most important investments that we can make to make sure our children have the greatest opportunities to succeed.

It is particularly important and crucial to my hometown of Flint, Michigan, where early childhood education is the most important thing we can do to help children mitigate the effects of lead exposure.

I am really proud of the school districts in Michigan who host this incredible program and provide wraparound services to children and to their parents.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the teachers, the workers, and the volunteers who support our Head Start kids every day.

To keep Head Start working, we have to fully fund this program in Congress. Support for Head Start is bipartisan. We need to continue that. We need to make sure that we fully fund this program.

I celebrate the success of Head Start. We ought to make sure that every child that seeks that sort of early childhood education has an opportunity to have it.

Mr. Chairman, I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. This is a persistent crisis in our country that requires Congress to act.

While a lot of progress has been made since VAWA was first passed in 1994, too many women still face violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in three women will experience some form of physical violence in their lifetime.

Protecting women from violence has been, and should always be, a bipartisan issue. In 1994, Republicans and Democrats came together to pass VAWA. Since then, this act has been reauthorized three times, including in 2013, just after I became a Member of this body.

Because of this law, victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking have been able to access support, as well, while offenders have been held more accountable by our criminal justice system.

Since VAWA first passed, the rate of intimate partner violence declined by 67 percent. This law works, and we can strengthen it with this action.

Mr. Chairman, I am proud to be a cosponsor of the Grijalva amendment No. 13, which deals with some of the issues we see in Tribal communities. This is an important bill, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

Madam Speaker, well, the President says that Republicans are ``the party of healthcare.'' I think it would be more accurate to say that they are the party of taking away your healthcare.

The Trump administration is moving to eliminate the Affordable Care Act in its entirety, every provision, which would mean millions of Americans would lose health coverage.

Let's remind ourselves what would happen if the ACA were eliminated:

Millions of Americans with preexisting conditions, including 1.7 million in Michigan, would be at the whim of big insurance companies who once again would be free to discriminate against them because they are sick or once had an illness;

Millions of Americans, including 690,000 Michiganders enrolled in the Healthy Michigan Medicaid expansion, would lose health insurance. If they prevail, they lose health insurance;

Eliminating the ACA would also hinder our ability to deal with the

opioid crisis, since the ACA requires insurance companies to cover substance abuse treatment.

And the Republicans have no plan. Take away the healthcare from Americans; no plan to replace it. We ought to reject that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today and will be joined by a number of my colleagues from the State of Michigan to pay tribute to a person that I have known of and got to know as an adult, but I have known Congressman John Dingell virtually all of my life. Having grown up in Michigan and grown up in a family involved in politics in Michigan, I was aware of John Dingell from my earliest days.

He served in this House with incredible dignity and great distinction, longer than anyone else in the history of this country, of this government. In fact, nearly one out of four Members of the House of Representatives in its entire history served with Congressman John Dingell.

Yesterday, several of us made an attempt to fly, we left Andrews Air Force Base in a storm and attempted to fly to Michigan and were, unfortunately, unable to land due to the weather.

We are here and will be able to honor him this evening and also honor him tomorrow at the funeral that will take place here in Washington.

So our thoughts go to the Dingell family, especially to our colleague, John's wife, Congressman Dingell's wife, whom he often referred to as ``the lovely Deborah.'' She is a friend and a colleague. I have known her myself, as well, for as long as I can possibly remember.

I will have more to say about Congressman Dingell, but I think there are just a few aspects of his career that I just want to make sure I noted for the ecord.

The longest-serving Member of this House, he is known not just for the longevity and the quantity of his time here, but for the incredible impact that he had on our country, on our Nation, and on the policies that he believed in and stood for.

He served as the chairman or the ranking member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee from 1981 to 2008, shaping very important legislation on clean air, clean water, protecting endangered animals, advocating for national healthcare. In fact, in every Congress that he served in, he continued the legacy of his father, who preceded him in Congress, by introducing legislation that would guarantee healthcare for every American.

Some of the legislative highlights: National Wilderness Act, 1964; Water Quality Act, 1965; National Environmental Policy Act, 1970; Endangered Species Act, 1973; Natural Gas Policy Act, 1978; Prescription Drug Marketing Act, 1988; Clean Air Act Amendments, 1990; Energy Independence and Security Act, 2007; National Instant Criminal Background Check System Improvements, 2008; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2010; FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, 2011.

Any one of these would constitute the highlight of a legislative career, and every one of them are attributable to the work of Congressman John Dingell.

Before I yield to my colleagues, I want to mention one other piece of legislation that he is known for. In my first term--the only term that I shared with Congressman Dingell--we celebrated, as a nation, the 50th anniversary of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Late that evening, commemorating that day, I happened to turn on C-SPAN and was watching old videotape of the signing ceremony where President Lyndon Johnson stood with the civil rights and legislative leaders of our Nation. I saw this tall figure walk into the frame, shake President Johnson's hand, and receive the President's congratulations for his work on that historic piece of legislation.

I went to bed, and the very next day, I got up and walked over here for a session. I sat in that chair right there, next to the one that Congressman John Dingell sat in for all those years, and I spoke to the guy who I saw the night before in a moment of American history. He was still here fighting for the very same things that he had fought for, for so long. I took that as a personal privilege, to have been able to serve with him.

As I said, this is a tremendous loss for our country. It is a tremendous loss for me personally. Our hearts go out to Debbie.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for those remarks. I think it says a lot about John Dingell that the affection that we feel for him not only spans the middle aisle here across party lines, but it transcends it. It is meaningless, in some ways. He had a relationship with people here just based on the human touch that he had. He was a wonderful, wonderful person, and you, obviously, had a close relationship with him.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens)-- we have Democrats and Republicans here--a freshman, a person who did not have a chance to serve directly with him but knew him and admired him.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Stevens for her comments.

Yesterday, as we stood on the east front steps of the Capitol, I stood next to Congressman Paul Mitchell as Congressman Dingell and Congresswoman Dingell and the motorcade came by. It was an emotional moment that we shared with one another, and I know he meant a lot to him, so I now yield to Congressman Paul Mitchell.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Mitchell), and I remember, as well, when he told me--I used to call him Mr. Chairman, mainly because I was afraid of him most of my life. And when he told me to call him John, I think it might have been a full year before I developed enough courage to call him by that name.

Another one of our Members who I know is very close to John, has worked in Michigan politics and knew John Dingell for a long time, is our colleague Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Lawrence for her comments.

Mr. Speaker, I know that Congressman Fred Upton was a very close friend with John Dingell. They served together. They served on the same committee together. They were one another's chairman at different times, but I know, first and foremost, they were just real friends.

I now yield to the dean of the Michigan delegation, Congressman Fred Upton.

Mr. Speaker, I recall yesterday, when we were attempting to get to the funeral in Detroit, Congressman Upton participated in an impromptu observance for Congressman Dingell at 30,000 feet as we flew back to Washington, because of our failure to land. I will never forget that.

Another one of our colleagues who I know, like me, has known the Dingell family and Congressman John Dingell for as long as he can remember, and whose father served with Congressman Dingell, and was also once the dean of the Michigan delegation, Congressman Andy Levin. I know this means a lot to the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan, (Mr. Levin).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Michigan.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Levin for his kind words.

Mr. Speaker, I would now like to call on the last of our Michigan Members to speak, a new Member, a freshman, someone who I know had a very special relationship with Congressman Dingell.

I yield to the gentlewoman from Michigan, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Tlaib.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), who served a very long time--most of his career--here in the House side by side with Congressman John Dingell. Congressman Brad Sherman is a member of the Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee and a good friend of Congressman John Dingell.

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow we will lay Congressman John Dingell to rest, and it will be a painful time. But we can take a lot of comfort in the contribution that he has made, not just to this body but to the quality of life in this country; and as individuals with our own perspective, our own experience here, we can take some comfort in knowing that his wife--the love of his life--will continue his legacy by serving here with us side by side.

Our hearts go out to her. I know this is a very difficult time for the Dingell family, but especially for Debbie. They loved one another. They were inseparable. They were one. I know this will be a difficult time for her. We stand with her.

Mr. Speaker, John Dingell served with 11 Presidents and 11 Speakers of the House. Mr. Speaker, 2,419 Members of Congress served with him. He served 21,551 days in this House and cast over 25,000 votes. But as he would say and has said many times: It is not the longevity that counts, it is the way you serve.

He served in a way that brought honor to this Congress and made it a better institution. He led in a way that made this country a better place. And I know for each of us who came to the floor and each of us who served with him, he not only made us better Representatives of the people whom we work for, but he made us better people.

We honor John Dingell's life and legacy.

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

Madam Speaker, last night, the President came to the floor here and highlighted important issues like the need to fix our aging infrastructure and lower the cost of prescription drugs.

These are issues that I know I and many of my colleagues are ready to work with the President on. However, the President does have some history of saying things and then not necessarily following through.

In fact, last State of the Union, the President promised a $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan, but the next month, released an inadequate proposal that put nearly all the burden on States and local governments to fund those necessary repairs.

In October of 2016, then-candidate Trump promised in Michigan that not one plant would close on his watch. But this year we saw General Motors slash 14,000 jobs in North America, including in my district. And while the President has promised to protect public health, we have seen his own administration refuse to act on important drinking water and health protections.

Throughout his calls to fix the broken immigration system, he continues to govern by tweet, chant, and manufactured crises. The President has to rise for the occasion. We have an agenda that is for the people, and I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle to enact it.

Madam Speaker, every day I hear from constituents about how this manufactured crisis is hurting them and hurting their families. Mitch McConnell's and President Trump's refusal to reopen government has consequences for real people.

A Marine veteran from Bay City, Michigan, won't receive his monthly housing allowance this week that he needs to pay his rent and make his car payment. His words to me were this: ``I never thought the President would be putting us veterans that he says he loves so much in harm's way just to get money for his harebrained immigration solution.''

That is from a United States veteran who served this country and is now being treated by the President of the United States as a pawn in a political game to get something that he is not willing to submit to the legislative process.

Shame on this President. Shame on him. Open this government. Do it now.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this legislation, H.R. 31, the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019. I am a proud original cosponsor of this legislation.

Over 7 years, nearly half a million Syrians killed, 6 million Syrians driven from their country, over 10 million Syrians displaced and forced from their homes, and countless acts of atrocities from the Assad regime.

Clearly, it is time for this Congress to act, and this bill would do that. It would bring much-needed accountability to the Assad regime, which is responsible for horrific crimes, crimes against its own people. It would do so by allowing sanctions to be imposed on people who contribute to these coldhearted and merciless acts.

It would require the Treasury Department to determine whether to target Syria's Central Bank with money laundering countermeasures.

Quite simply, I agree with Chairman Engel. We need a political solution that ends Assad's crimes, removes him from power, and allows the Syrian people to develop their own future for their own country.

Assad must be held accountable for the massacre of his own people, and this bill will begin to do just that.

Additionally, Russia and Assad must stop standing by and systematically allowing ISIS to attack minority populations in Syria, including the Druze people.

We cannot expect much from these actors, but it is incumbent upon them to protect minority populations in Syria in the territory that they control. Further, it is also the responsibility of the President of the United States and his national security team to speak with one voice regarding our policy in Syria and the region.

The President has, time and time again, illustrated that our allies and our adversaries simply cannot trust what the President says. The administration needs to articulate a cohesive strategy for the region and for Syria, particularly after the President, with no warning to our partners, announced the U.S. withdrawal.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, like Chairman Engel, I thank all of those who have advocated for this bill, for their tenacity, for their engagement, and I urge my colleagues to join with them and stand up for them and immediately pass this critical legislation to hold Assad accountable.

Madam Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding and for his leadership in bringing this legislation, which I support, to the floor, legislation that would fund the Department of Agriculture for the rest of the year.

This bill would end part of the shutdown that this President has orchestrated and fund the Department of Agriculture, which helps people from going hungry and supports our farmers.

With the shutdown of the Department of Agriculture, we are not implementing the farm bill that we passed here, which means we are not helping increase access to fruits and vegetables through programs like the Double Up Food Bucks program in Michigan. We are not helping struggling farmers sign up for crop insurance, our best risk mitigation tool. The agriculture industry is already being hurt by President Trump's poor trade practices. This is just another attack on them.

Also, programs cannot proceed to address drinking water needs in our rural communities. We have places like Oscoda in my home district experiencing a drinking water emergency from PFAS. They have relied on the Department of Agriculture for help. That help won't be available.

By passing this bill, we put thousands of Michigan workers back to work. We ensure families who rely on food nutrition assistance will get the help they need. Right now, they are only guaranteed that help through the end of February.

Additionally, there are contractors who are essentially doing much of the same work as government employees but are not getting paid and will not see a paycheck when all of this is over.

During this Trump shutdown, these hardworking employees don't know where their next paycheck is coming from. They can't turn to their parents like some can when they run out of money to pay their bills. They need help for healthcare. They need help to pay for childcare. They need to be able to cover their housing costs. They need to be able to buy food for their families. They can't plan for their own future when they don't know what they are going to be able to do next week.

President Trump is using these families and farmers who work or depend on the Department of Agriculture as pawns in a political game. We may have disagreements, but we should never, ever shut the government down in order to achieve something that the President and his party are unwilling to submit to the legislative process.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor the life of Don Krzysiak.

Don and his family are longtime members of the Bay City community. Sadly, he passed away on Friday, after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He is survived by his wife, Lois, and their children, Tom, Donnie, and Melanie.

Don founded Krzysiak's House Restaurant in 1979, with just a handful of employees, and grew it into the successful Bay City business that it is today. In fact, the very first event after I announced I was running for Congress was at Krzysiak's. He welcomed me with open arms and made me feel welcome in the neighborhood.

I remember always buying paczkis from Don on Fat Tuesday. Every year,

all the money he made from those sales was donated to the Salvation Army.

Don was not just a small-business owner, but also an important part of our community. He helped people struggling to find employment and supported people coming out of jail trying to start a new life.

Everyone who knew him at the family restaurant described him as more than a boss, but everybody's friend. He loved to spend time with his family and in his neighborhood, and he loved to listen to polka music.

Before opening the restaurant, he served in the U.S. Army. His commitment to our country will always be remembered.

Mid-Michigan lost a great friend and a bright spirit this week. The entire State of Michigan, the Bay City community, and I, personally, will miss him.

Thank you, Don, for everything you have done.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that the House join me in a brief moment of silence in Don's memory.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1165, condemning the Assad regime and its backers for their continued support of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria: nearly half a million Syrians killed, 14 million Syrians displaced, and countless acts of atrocities from the Assad regime supported by its backers in Iran and in Russia. Clearly, it is right that Congress takes this step and acts.

This resolution urges a political solution to this conflict, to ensure the Assad regime cannot use the air to target its own civilians.

This resolution brings much-needed attention to the atrocities of this regime, which is responsible for horrific crimes, again, against its own people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their hard work and advocacy for this resolution that seeks to hold this regime accountable, and I urge my colleagues to pass this legislation. It shines a bright light on what is happening in Syria and the crimes committed by the Assad regime, along with its backers in Russia and in Iran.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this resolution, and, again, I thank my colleagues for their work on this effort.

Mr. Speaker, during the campaign, then-candidate Trump came to Warren, Michigan, and promised workers: ``You won't lose one plant, I promise you that.''

Well, the President's promises ring hollow. Just this week, General Motors announced plans to close five plants, including factories in Michigan just miles from where President Trump made his broken campaign promise.

These plant closures are symbolic of the Trump economy, one that does not work for the American worker. It works for boardroom executives. It works for wealthy shareholders. It works for corporations and the people at the top.

I am a Flint, Michigan, kid. General Motors was founded in my hometown. We know what happens when companies move their jobs overseas. We used to have 80,000 auto jobs in my town--now, less than 10,000. These plant closures have a devastating impact on the lives of thousands of people.

We need an economy that works for everyone, and we need a President who is willing to work with Democrats and Republicans to craft an industrial policy that puts America to work, that stands up for the American worker.

No more hollow promises.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, Michiganders went to the polls and elected a new Democratic majority.

Because of this, I have the privilege of welcoming four new Michigan Democratic Members of Congress, folks who are committed to passing meaningful policies that will help everyday Americans. This means reducing the cost of healthcare. Prescription drug prices are too high. No one should have to choose between filling a prescription and feeding their family.

These new Members are ready to work to protect Social Security and Medicare from cuts that Republicans have been proposing. We are pleased that we are going to be able to have these new allies in this fight.

My own hometown of Flint knows firsthand the price of failing to invest in infrastructure. It is important that this Democratic majority advance a broad and meaningful infrastructure bill to fix our broken roads and bridges, and to repair our damaged water systems.

It is past time that we took on these issues. I am anxious to welcome these new Members of Congress who are committed to moving this bold agenda forward.

Mr. Speaker, this week, House Republicans are rushing through yet another tax bill that gives the superwealthy and the well- connected a big tax break at the expense of working families in my district.

The first Republican tax bill already cost $2 trillion, exploding our national deficit and setting up huge cuts for Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

The overwhelming number of Americans do not support these massive handouts to the wealthiest Americans and biggest corporations. They have already funneled these corporations almost $1 trillion in stock buybacks to shareholders--money that is not going to workers.

This week, House Republicans are just doubling down on this deeply unpopular and dangerous tax scam. This latest bill has Republicans scheming to make tax breaks for billionaires permanent, handing tens of billions of dollars to the wealthiest 1 percent. This latest bill will add to our national deficit.

Mr. Speaker, Democrats support real bipartisan tax reform that would give relief to working American families.