Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise to honor the life and work of Professor William (Bill) Leuchtenburg, who celebrated his 100th birthday on September 28 and will be feted by his friends in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the hometown we share, this weekend. Bill is a distinguished scholar, devoted educator, and friend and counselor to many, including myself.

In fact, reading Bill's ``The Perils of Prosperity, 1914-32'' as an undergraduate 62 years ago helped attract me to completing a history major at UNC-Chapel Hill. In the 1980s, I assigned successive editions of ``In the Shadow of FDR'' to my classes in American Political Thought. In the meantime, I had gotten to know Bill personally through his fellowships at the National Humanities Center and his assumption-- after a distinguished 30-year career at Columbia University--of a Kenan professorship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Bill won the Bancroft Prize and the Parkman Prize of the Society of American Historians for ``Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, 1932- 1940.'' with Samuel Eliott Morrison and Henry Steele Commager, he took the two-volume ``The Growth of the American Republic'' through two editions. He dealt with key aspects of the Roosevelt era in ``The Supreme Court Reborn: The Constitutional Revolution in the Age of Roosevelt'' and ``The FDR Years: On Roosevelt and His Legacy.'' His published articles range from ``The Needless War with Spain'' to ``Court Packing Plans,'' ``Jimmy Carter and the Post-New Deal Presidency,'' and ``The Boston Red Sox, 1901-1946.''

Bill's long, varied, and impactful bibliography earned him his first Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. Prize for distinguished writing in American history of enduring public significance, awarded by the Society of American Historians. But the printed record only begins to reveal Bill Leuchtenburg's impact on America's self-understanding and public life. By virtue of his effervescent personality, boundless energy, and strong ethic of civic engagement, Bill's range of activities and their impact are remarkable even for a 100-year life span. His political engagements go back to the 1940s, when he was a state director for the Americans for Democratic Action, field staff for the A. Philip Randolph Institute, and an organizer for Richard Bolling's first campaign for the U.S. House. In 1987, he joined Walter Dellinger and John Hope Franklin in testifying against Robert Bork's appointment to the Supreme Court. He served over many years as an election analyst and commentator on presidential inaugurations for national networks. He has advised and appeared in many of Ken Burns' acclaimed documentaries on topics including the Civil War, the Roosevelts, the Vietnam War, National Parks, baseball and country music.

When Bill's international colleagues honored him at Cambridge University upon the 30th anniversary of ``Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal,'' they entitled the session ``In the Shadow of Leuchtenburg,'' a takeoff on the title of the book on FDR's impact that he took through six editions. Indeed, Bill casts a long shadow with works translated into multiple languages, a teaching and lecture circuit that includes most of the U.S. and Western Europe, Russia, Israel, and South Africa, and a huge worldwide network of students, colleagues, collaborators, and admirers.

I am privileged to count myself in that circle of colleagues and friends, and North Carolina is exceedingly grateful and proud that this preeminent scholar and exemplary citizen has

lived and worked among us these past 40 years. I extend to Bill and his wife, Jean Anne, hearty congratulations and good wishes for health and happiness in the years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise in support of S. 1098, the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act.

I am the author of the House version of this bill and have introduced it every Congress since the 115th, always with a Republican cosponsor.

I would like to start my remarks today by thanking the Members, past and present, who have helped bring us to the floor today.

I thank our former colleague Bradley Byrne of Alabama for his cosponsorship of the first iteration of this bill. I thank Congresswoman Haley Stevens and other current bipartisan cosponsors; Senators Mark Warner, Marco Rubio, and John Cornyn, who recently steered this bill to passage in the Senate; and my colleague from North Carolina, Senator Richard Burr, who expedited the review of this bill by his committee.

This bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June 15 of this year.

I also thank my good friend Chairman Bobby Scott and his staff. They have vetted this bill and worked over this bill very carefully. He is an outstanding leader of the committee, and he has been a longstanding supporter of this bill. He included it, in fact, in various versions of the Higher Education Act.

I also thank the staff, entrepreneurial staff, who picked up on this problem from casework years ago and devised a legislative solution. That would be Kate Roetzer and Nora Blalock of my staff initially, Janssen White and Elizabeth Adkins more recently, and other personal and committee staff, House and Senate.

Thanks, too, to the advocates, people affected by this problem, who have come to our offices and our town meetings and relentlessly advocated for relief. A number of these advocates are our guests in the gallery today.

The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, or JCL for short, is simple in its intent but significant in its impact on thousands of student loan borrowers who have waited for relief for far too long.

From 1993 to 2006, the U.S. Department of Education issued joint consolidation loans to married couples where both borrowers agreed at the time to be jointly liable for repayment. As you might expect, this proved problematic if that couple ever needed or wanted to separate the loans.

Congress wisely eliminated this program in 2006 but with one critical oversight: Congress did not provide a means of severing the existing loans, even in the event of domestic abuse, economic abuse, or an unresponsive partner. There was, in other words, no grandfather clause.

As a result, there are borrowers nationwide who remain financially liable for their absconded or abusive or uncommunicative spouse's portion of their consolidated debt with no legal options for relief.

The bill before us would allow such borrowers to submit an application to the Department of Education to split the joint consolidated loan into two separate Federal direct loans. The joint loan remainder would be split proportionately based on the percentage that each borrower originally brought into the loan.

It was an unfortunate mistake not to grandfather in the severing of these loans with the 2006 cancellation of the program, so this bill is a long overdue, commonsense correction. Congress does occasionally make mistakes; in case we hadn't noticed.

Let me just illustrate to you what the solution means for the lives of borrowers.

I first became aware of this issue in 2014, 8 years ago, through constituent casework. My constituent consolidated his $25,000 loan with his ex-wife's $75,000 loan. After their divorce, the Department continued to collect on the combined loan from both parties, even though my constituent had paid off his portion of the loan. That is just one of the many examples that cover the spectrum of unpleasant situations with this shared debt.

Let's assume that one partner attended community college and the other an expensive private school, and their loan amounts are vastly different. When they consolidated their loans, they both agreed to be jointly liable for repayment. But say the partner who attended private school became unresponsive and stopped paying into the loan. That left the partner who attended community college saddled with their total debt, along with the partner's private school education cost.

We have also heard horror stories of couples who have survived abusive relationships but continue to remain tied to their partners through the loan. Former partners have exerted financial abuse by refusing to copay with their exes. In other instances, individuals are unable to get in contact with the copartner of their loan and are similarly left to shoulder the debt all by themselves.

These borrowers have seen their wages garnished and their credit scores ruined to the point where they cannot assist their own children in taking care of Federal student loans. This has become a generational impact.

These loan holders are often in punishing situations with no hope in sight for action to fix this mistake unless we pass the bill before us today.

This bill has been thoroughly vetted by the Department of Education, the House Committee on Education and Labor, and numerous checkpoints in the Senate. It passed by unanimous consent in the Senate a few short months ago. We have made accommodations all along the way, including Republican changes that I did not prefer, for the sake of getting the bill to the floor in both Chambers. With tomorrow's vote, it will go directly to the President's desk.

This is a bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation. I believe it is the end product of a fair process that has withstood the rigors of legislative scrutiny. As far as legislative impact goes, this one is simple but profound in its impact on borrowers.

The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act presents a rare opportunity for Congress to right a wrong, to correct an omission in its own legislative process. I urge that we do so. The bill offers a fair and equitable relief to borrowers who have suffered great hardship, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and to place the following statement from IFES in the Record.

Resolution of Support for Ukraine

The Board of Directors of the International Foundation for

Electoral Systems (IFES), meeting in Arlington, Virginia, USA

on this 15th day of March 2022, does hereby declare its full

support for the people of Ukraine, and the sovereignty,

independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The Board of Directors condemns the invasion of Ukraine by

the Russian Federation as a flagrant act of aggression and

violation of international law, including the Helsinki Final

Act and the United Nations Charter.

Since Ukraine became an independent country more than 30

years ago, its people have repeatedly chosen the path of

freedom and democracy. Over the course of three decades, IFES

has been honored to support Ukrainians in their efforts to

strengthen and safeguard their democracy. The Board of

Directors of IFES affirms its continued solidarity with the

Ukrainian people, who are bravely resisting this unprovoked

assault on their freedom and democracy.

The Board of Directors pays tribute to the contributions of

current and former IFES staff in Ukraine who have helped to

build Ukrainian democracy. We stand in solidarity with these

IFES staff, with the Central Election Commission of Ukraine,

and with our civil society partners and the members of the

public institutions with whom we work. The Board of Directors

further recognizes the important work of those fighting for

democracy and human rights in and around Russia and Belarus,

especially those who have worked to oppose the invasion of

Ukraine.

The IFES Board of Directors eagerly looks forward to the

day when peace in Ukraine, and respect for the sovereign and

democratic rights of the Ukrainian people are restored. We

pledge to stand with the people of Ukraine now and in the

future.

Madam Chair, I thank the chairwoman for those kind and generous words. And I do rise in strong support of this critical legislation. As chairman of the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, or T-HUD as we call it, I first thank my partner and ranking member, Mario Diaz- Balart, for his cooperative and collaborative relationship this year and for many years prior, including when our roles were reversed.

Madam Chair, the bipartisan work we do in assembling our subcommittee bills reflects an earlier era when the Appropriations Committee presented a united front throughout the process. That era, regrettably, has passed, but the cooperative work remains at the subcommittee level. What we have done has made this a better bill, and hopefully will help us achieve agreement eventually and finalize T-HUD and other bills.

Division A of the bill, the T-HUD section, represents our continued commitment to upgrading our aging transportation infrastructure, addressing our Nation's affordable housing and homelessness crises, bolstering our resiliency in the face of climate change and natural disasters, remedying inequities and disparities in our housing and transportation systems, and prioritizing safety--whether that is eliminating hazards in public housing or improving the certification of aircraft.

Overall, the bill includes $90.9 billion in discretionary funding; that is an increase of $9.85 billion over the current year.

The bill also provides $77.6 billion to fully fund programs that utilize the Highway Trust Fund as part of last year's historic and bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

For housing, we continue to ensure housing stability for five million people by fully renewing all Housing Choice Vouchers and meeting the renewal needs of public housing, homeless assistance grants, and several other initiatives. This is coupled with new investments, including more than 140,000 new tenant-based vouchers for low-income families and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, over 5,600 new affordable housing units for seniors and people with disabilities, and more than 6,700 new vouchers for veterans experiencing homelessness and youth aging out of foster care.

The bill also provides an 8 percent increase for the HOME program, an 11 percent increase for NeighborWorks programs, and a historic 29 percent increase for Choice Neighborhoods, a program that, like housing for the elderly and for people with disabilities, our subcommittee has brought back into production after they were on life support.

I was able to see some of these life-changing investments firsthand in my own State in Winston-Salem, where I toured a Choice Neighborhood with my colleague, Kathy Manning. And there are more to come.

Importantly, the bill provides, for the first time, a major investment in our Nation's manufactured housing, by providing $500 million for a new program to preserve and revitalize this essential form of housing that has been too long overlooked. Many of these communities have faced significant infrastructure and resiliency challenges. This bill recognizes the opportunities that will come from direct investments in manufactured housing, a portion of our housing stock that provides for over 20 million people.

On the transportation side, the bill upholds the commitment to respond to transportation needs across all modes: highways, transit, rail, aviation, bike and pedestrian projects, and ports. It invests in the safety and reliability of our passenger and freight rail systems, including a combined $1.2 billion for the CRISI program and the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail. That has been and remains a signature emphasis of our subcommittee.

I am particularly proud of this aspect of the bill as we build out the Raleigh to Richmond corridor, the next step in the Southeast Corridor from Washington to Charlotte and eventually Atlanta. These regional corridors represent the future of passenger rail in this country, and they are critical to reducing congestion and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

The bill also provides robust funding for our transit infrastructure, including $3 billion for Capital Investment Grants, or New Starts, to create new transit routes nationwide, and $646 million for Transit Infrastructure Grants to help transit agencies innovate and improve public transit.

Madam Chair, before closing, I, too, thank our staff for their immeasurable contributions to this bill and for guiding the Members and staff on both sides of the aisle through this process.

Starting with our wonderful chief clerk, Christina Monroe, as well as Josephine Eckert, Winnie Chang, Xavier Arriaga, Samhita Subramanian, and Rachel Keyes, along with Leigh Whittaker on my personal staff, and Doug Disrud on the minority side.

Since this is my last time presenting the T-HUD bill, I also want to mention all of the staff who helped me and my colleagues through the subcommittee process since I took on the ranking member and eventually the chairman's role. That includes three previous clerks: Kate Hallahan, Joe Carlisle, Matt Washington; and it includes Angela Ohm, Sarah Puro, Becky Salay, Jenny Neuscheler, and Gladys Barcena at the subcommittee, as well as Laura Thrift, Kate Roetzer, Sean Maxwell, and Nora Blalock from my own staff. A hearty thanks to all of you.

Mr. Chairman, in closing, this year's T-HUD will make forward-looking investments in our housing and transportation infrastructure while bolstering safety and uplifting vulnerable populations. It will benefit communities across America and lay a strong foundation for economic growth and resiliency.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to sit up and take notice of this. This is quite an amendment--quite a radical amendment.

It indiscriminately would cut a total of 36 percent from programs in Transportation and Housing without any regard for the merits of the programs, just indiscriminate whacking away.

This is only in the T-HUD section of the bill, and I will limit myself to that. I can't imagine that Members would dream of supporting this amendment.

Investments in our transportation and housing infrastructure will stall. Jobs will be lost. Some of our most vulnerable people, including veterans, children, will be harmed.

This amendment will result in a reduction--I want to stress--in the very programs Republicans profess to support. Let me give you some good examples.

The FAA's Contract Tower Program that enjoyed strong bipartisan support, critical to air safety--whacked away.

NeighborWorks, which supports local solutions to expand affordable housing, increased housing counseling assistance, and strengthens economic development. We increase NeighborWorks under bipartisan urging--slashed.

Community Project Funding. Republicans and Democrats alike have requested these appropriations to address transportation and housing challenges in their local communities. Believe me: If we don't do it, no one will. Those would be drastically cut.

Port infrastructure, another Republican emphasis--cut.

The amendment would even cut the small amount of defense spending included in the T-HUD section of the bill: That would be directed to critical maritime security programs.

Here is what else this amendment would mean the eviction of tens of thousands of low-income households, half of which are elderly or disabled, a growing backlog of roof, elevator, and other critical health and safety repairs to public housing; thousands of homeless veterans, survivors of domestic violence, youth out on the street; and a halt in the production of affordable housing, which already is in short supply.

Roads, bridges, aviation, transit, rail, and port systems across rural and urban communities--having their repair and upkeep halted or slowed, becoming less safe.

The bill before us helps us make progress in rebuilding and restoring our infrastructure. This amendment would take us backward.

It is strange, isn't it, that deficits only seem to matter when it comes to helping people keep a safe roof over their heads and creating a more resilient infrastructure that can withstand the next tornado or earthquake or flood, something every one of our districts benefits from.

This isn't just a run-of-the-mill amendment. I suggest that Members look carefully at what is in it and what it would do and what kind of totally justified criticism they will be subject to if this amendment even comes close to passing. I urge its defeat.

Mr. Chair, I strongly oppose this amendment. It seeks to waive longstanding prevailing wage requirements that are contained in the Davis-Bacon Act.

This act ensures that workers are paid decent wages while preventing contractors from undercutting competitors by offering wages or setting wages below prevailing levels.

Davis-Bacon helps protect workers. It helps protect the government. Davis-Bacon applies government-wide, but it does particularly apply to the T-HUD sections of the bill. Hence, I strongly oppose it.

I often noted immodestly over these last years when everybody was talking infrastructure--and ``Infrastructure Week'' almost became a punch line--that while everybody else was talking about it, we were doing it. We were doing it on the T-HUD Appropriations Subcommittee and in the Congress, year after year, plugging away at our infrastructure needs.

And that is what we have done. We have actually made investments in the annual T-HUD bill, and these investments are practically synonymous with construction. That is what they are about. Construction. Construction workers.

There are countless transportation formula and competitive grant programs, as well as affordable housing programs in the bill that follow Davis-Bacon requirements--have done so happily and productively over many years--and they would suddenly face new standards.

Davis-Bacon has helped construction workers in all trades all throughout the Nation since 1931, and there is no need to abandon it now--although Republicans have been trying to abandon it for a good number of those years.

Instead of actively trying to reduce wages, we should be working to lift up workers and increase wages. The Congress has rejected similar amendments in the past because there is a strong bipartisan support in this body for fair labor standards for construction contracts.

So it is my hope that we stop disrespecting working people. Stop disrespecting working people. Stand up for working people. Defeat this amendment before us today.

Mr. Chair, I urge all Members to oppose the en bloc amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke University on his retirement. Blue Devils everywhere are proud of his remarkable legacy, a historic career that has seen Coach Krzyzewski win five national titles and five Olympic gold medals.

I previously taught at Duke and have represented the campus and Durham for a number of years. I know firsthand of Mike Krzyzewski's character and integrity. He is not only a world-class coach; he is also a committed educator who has trained and inspired his players to succeed in whatever they undertake in life. Over his career, his players earned a combined 81 All-ACC Academic Team honors.

A native of Chicago, Coach Krzyzewski, affectionately known as ``Coach K,'' began his 46 year-long coaching career at the United States Military Academy before becoming the longtime coach at Duke. Over his 42 years as their head coach, he garnered three Naismith Hall of Fame Coach Awards, 15 ACC championships, 13 Final Four appearances, and five NCAA Division I national championships.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski's 1,000th career victory came on a Sunday afternoon in New York City at Madison Square Garden against the Red Storm of St. John's University, surpassing his former Coach Bob Knight and establishing himself as the winningest coach in basketball history and becoming the first head coach with a four-figure win total.

With 1,129 of Duke's 2,246 all-time victories coming under Coach K, he holds claim to the NCAA record for most wins by a coach at one school and has presided over more than half of all Duke men's basketball victories. Coach K is a five-time Olympic gold medal winner--in 1984 and 1992 as Team USA's assistant coach, and in 2008, 2012, and 2016 as its head coach. Krzyzewski has consistently made history by winning.

Mike Krzyzewski's accomplishments are impressive by any measure. Equally as impressive, though, is his work off the basketball court and commitment to his local community.

I am proud to have collaborated directly with Coach K, and his wife Mickie, in securing federal support for what became the Emily Krzyzewski Family Life Center, which opened in Durham in 2006. Named after his mother,

the Center has helped to revitalize Durham's West End neighborhood and provide a safe and positive environment for disadvantaged children and families from the community. Its educational programs are unusually intensive, taking students from elementary school through college and equipping them with skills to successfully complete higher education, connect to promising careers, and become agents of change in their communities.

Beyond the Center, Coach K has been active in the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research, named after his long-time friend and North Carolina State University Coach, Jim Valvano, Duke Children's Hospital, the Brain Tumor Center at Duke, and many other endeavors that have strengthened the community.

Over the course of his career, Coach K built a legacy that few in the history of basketball can compare with--his career is nothing short of astonishing. On behalf of Duke University and basketball fans everywhere, I ask all of my colleagues to join me in congratulating Coach Mike Krzyzewski on his historic career and to wish Mike, Mickie, and the rest of the Krzyzewski family all the best on their next journey.

Madam Speaker, on March 2nd, 2022, due to a visit by Vice President Kamala Harris to my congressional district, I was unable to be present to cast my votes for amendments to H.R. 3967, the Honoring our PACT Act of 2021, and H.Res. 956, a resolution supporting the people of Ukraine. Had I been present for roll call No. 51, 52, 53 and 54, I would have voted ``YEA'' on H.Res.956, voted ``YEA'' on the Bipartisan En Bloc No. 1 offered by Mr. Takano, voted ``NAY'' on Amendment No. 5 offered by Mrs. Miller-Meeks and Mr. Bost, and voted ``YEA'' on Amendment No. 6 offered by Mrs. Brownley and Mrs. Miller-Meeks.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the rule for the Honoring our PACT Act, which includes the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. This legislation would allow marines and their families who were exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune over 34 years--34 years of neglect and denial--finally to pursue their long overdue day in court.

Toxicity rates in Camp Lejeune's water were staggering. They ranged from 240 to 3,400 times what is permitted by today's national safety standards. This greatly increased the risk of cancers, adverse birth outcomes, and other medical tragedies. And now many veterans and their families are suffering from no legal recourse.

The Camp Lejeune Justice Act will correct an anomaly in North Carolina law by providing a legal pathway for affected veterans and their families to pursue fair compensation, which would already be permitted had their exposure occurred anywhere else except the State of North Carolina.

Today's effort is a culmination of the decades-long bipartisan campaign to

provide servicemembers affected an opportunity for justice long deferred. First by Congressman Brad Miller and Senator Burr, as well as the late Congressman Walter Jones.

I am also grateful for the tireless advocacy of the affected marines and their families, the sustained efforts of diverse groups of supporters, and my congressional colleagues, including the bill's sponsors, Congressmen Matt Cartwright and Greg Murphy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of the rule for this Honoring our PACT Act and with it the adoption of the Camp Lejeune Justice Act, a critical step to honor the promises we have made to our veterans.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the continuing resolution before us. I am pleased we came to an agreement, but it is only a stopgap. A bicameral, bipartisan omnibus bill must be passed to fund government for the remainder of fiscal year 2022.

Limping along from continuing resolution to continuing resolution keeps us from making necessary investments in critical programs, and it halts progress on new programs, including a number included within the bipartisan infrastructure law.

The infrastructure initiative makes historic investments in roads, bridges, public transportation, broadband, and much more, but without a full-year bill, formula funding is going to be restricted to fiscal year 2021 levels, and our ability to transform our Nation's transportation infrastructure will be limited.

For example, the newly created Carbon Reduction program and the PROTECT grant program to promote resilience can't be initiated. Restricting funding to fiscal year 2021 levels for some programs will delay contracts and grants.

A full-year Transportation-HUD bill would update our aging transportation infrastructure, remedy inequities in housing and transportation, prevent evictions, and make our infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and a changing climate.

We also spent months, Madam Speaker, vetting hundreds of Community

Project Funding requests in a bipartisan manner for well-designed housing, transportation, and economic development projects. Without completing the annual appropriations process, none of these investments will happen.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this CR today. I urge my colleagues to work together to meet Congress' most basic constitutional responsibility, funding our government and directing investments for the future. We must come to the table with a constructive path forward for fiscal year 2022 appropriations.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of the America COMPETES Act, in particular the inclusion of legislation to reauthorize title VI of the Higher Education Act sponsored by myself and Representative Young of Alaska.

This will help our Nation develop a strong foundation in international education, research, and world language studies, especially in languages that hold special strategic interests.

The bipartisan, bicameral bill will increase and expand these programs incorporating some 200 languages and also build international capacity at minority-serving institutions.

In addition, the America COMPETES Act enhances the Advanced Technological Education Program at the National Science Foundation, doubling the authorization for a program that I helped initiate which strengthens high-tech worker training through community and technical colleges. It incentivizes critical partnerships between businesses and schools to meet local workforce needs.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of the America COMPETES Act to better equip our citizens to succeed in an increasingly interconnected world.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this continuing resolution. But I want to make clear: This is a stopgap measure, necessitated by Republican refusal to work with Democrats on a bicameral, bipartisan basis to find a path forward for the balance of the fiscal year.

Specifically, I can attest to the need for a full-year transportation T-HUD bill to update our aging transportation infrastructure, to remedy inequities in housing and transportation, prevent evictions, and make our infrastructure more resilient to natural disasters and climate change.

We need to fortify safety as the primary function of the Federal Aviation Administration, providing full-year funding to strengthen certification activities, modernize air traffic control, and hire highly qualified personnel.

We need to fully renew all Section 8 and other housing vouchers for nearly 5 million low-income and working families to ensure that they can remain stably housed. We also need to keep pace with the cost of upgrading our Nation's public housing, which houses more than 2 million low-income residents.

We also spent months vetting over 1,000 Community Project Funding requests in a bipartisan manner for well-designed housing, transportation, and economic development projects that produce direct community benefits throughout the country. Without completing the annual appropriations process, none of these investments will be possible.

Madam Speaker, I urge adoption of this CR today but I also urge my Republican colleagues to meet Congress' most basic constitutional responsibility of funding our government and directing investments for the future by coming to the table. Come to the table. Let's find a constructive path forward.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this critical legislation. I want to start by thanking my partner, Ranking Member Mario Diaz-Balart, for his collaboration and his cooperation, which have made this a better bill reflecting many bipartisan priorities which we can proudly support.

Division G, the T-HUD section, represents a renewed commitment to the upgrading of our aging transportation infrastructure, addressing our Nation's affordable housing and homelessness crises, bolstering our resiliency to natural disasters and climate change, remedying inequities and disparities in our housing and transportation systems, and promoting safety--whether it be preventing carbon monoxide poisoning in public housing or improving the certification of complicated aircraft to improve aviation safety.

Overall, the bill includes $84.1 billion in discretionary funding. That is an increase of nearly $8.7 billion over the fiscal year 2021 enacted level.

The bill also includes major increases in contract authority for formula grant programs that draw on the highway trust fund rather than discretionary funding, and in that respect, of course, we are mirroring the INVEST in America Act recently passed by this body.

On the housing side of the ledger, we are preventing the evictions of more than 4.8 million households by fully renewing all housing choice vouchers and meeting the renewal needs of several other programs. This is coupled with critical new investments, including more than 125,000 new tenant-based vouchers for low-income families and people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and over 4,000 new affordable housing units for seniors and people with disabilities.

The bill increases the public housing fund by 11 percent to preserve nearly 1 million units of affordable housing and improve the living conditions for more than 2 million individuals served by our public housing programs. The bill also includes significant increases for Community Development Block Grants, the HOME Program, and NeighborWorks to help expand affordable housing, spur community revitalization, and generate jobs and economic activity.

Our bill, Madam Speaker, does right by transportation as well. All modes receive robust funding, including highways, transit, rail, aviation, bike and pedestrian projects, and ports. This bill nearly doubles our investments in passenger and freight rail. It expands port infrastructure programs by about one-third and emphasizes safety at the Federal Aviation Administration. The bill includes the necessary resources to ensure all projects in the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grants pipeline--New Starts and Small Starts--can move forward in 2022 and provides $1.2 billion for the oversubscribed RAISE program.

Madam Speaker, we are proud of this bill, and we urge our colleagues to support it with confidence.

Madam Speaker, I rise to oppose this particularly reckless amendment. Surely, we can do better in this body than undiscriminating, mindless, across-the-board cuts. It doesn't matter what works or what doesn't. It doesn't matter what deserves investment or what doesn't. Just cut it all.

Look at the damage to individual initiatives including many, and I have singled out some, that Republicans are noteworthy for having supported at least in the past.

Think about the FAA's Contract Tower Program that has been so important for aviation in small communities; our improvement and certification processes for major aircraft; the NeighborWorks programs to support expansion of affordable housing opportunities; the housing opportunities in this bill for veterans; the supportive service for disabled people; housing opportunities for all kinds of people in need; critical investments in our port infrastructure. Funding in this bill increases that by about a third, and on it goes.

This amendment would not encourage DOT or HUD to do more with less. It would force our constituents to do less with less.

Surely, we can do better than this. This is the opposite of responsible, discriminating legislating, and I urge defeat of this amendment.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Edward Tiryakian, Duke University Professor Emeritus of Sociology, for the creation of a library wing in his honor at Yerevan State University in Yerevan, Armenia. Dr. Tiryakian donated his professional library to the university and was recognized in an official dedication ceremony on May 24, 2021.

Dr. Tiryakian is a renowned scholar, widely published in sociological theory, sociology of religion, and sociology of development. As a leading sociologist for 65 years, Dr. Tiryakian has amassed a large collection of important works in the field, ranging from 19th century texts written by founding sociologists to mid-20th century works written by prominent sociologists he has studied under. Over two years ago, Dr. Tiryakian approached Yerevan State University about donating his professional library to the university. The university enthusiastically agreed and constructed a dedicated wing in their main library to house the collection.

This generous gift included over 300 published books, many of which are rarities in the field and are no longer in print. Dr. Tiryakian cited his desire to honor his Armenian heritage as a source of inspiration for the generous donation. The University held an official commemoration this month for the library wing that will hold Dr. Tiryakian 's beloved books.

Dr. Tiryakian's donation is the latest demonstration of his dedication to students and study of sociology as well as his leadership in the field. He joined Duke University as a professor in 1965, and he and I became friends and colleagues when I joined the faculty a decade later. At Duke, he has served as the Sociology Department Chair as well as Director of International Studies and was instrumental in internationalizing the university. He also has held national leadership positions as President of the American Society for the Study of Religion and Chair of the American Sociological Association History of Sociology Section. Dr. Tiryakian received his bachelor's degree from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Harvard University. He taught at both institutions before joining the faculty at Duke.

Throughout his career, Dr. Tiryakian has remained steadfast not only in his own pursuit of knowledge, but in his dedication to supporting the next generation of scholars at home and abroad. His generous donation opens the door for the university's students to learn from great scholars in the field of sociology, including Dr. Tiryakian himself.

Madam Speaker, it has been a pleasure to know and work alongside Dr. Tiryakian during his extraordinary career. We have had many conversations about Armenian history and politics over the years, but I had never visited the country until 2019, when, as chairman of the House Democracy Partnership, we engaged the Armenian parliament in the wake of the country's Velvet Revolution. I thought of Ed Tiryakian often during that visit. It is especially satisfying to see him close the circle personally and professionally with this gift to Yerevan State University, knowing that it will benefit Armenian students and enrich Armenian-American ties for years to come

Madam Speaker, I am proud to advocate the passage of H.R. 1112, the Protect Democracy in Burma Act; and H. Res. 134, a resolution condemning the military coup taking place in Burma.

I commend Chairman Meeks and Ranking Member McCaul for their leadership. As chairman of the House Democracy Partnership, I am happy to work alongside Representative Connolly to champion this bill, and I commend Representative Levin for his good work, as well.

What is going on in Burma demands action. The very foundation of Burmese democracy and, consequently, the country's international standing now hang in the balance as a result of the Burmese military's reckless action. The situation is deteriorating rapidly, with Burmese military and security forces violently attacking and rounding up peaceful protestors, civil servants, community leaders, journalists, and even emergency medical personnel. The death toll is now estimated at 200.

The democratically elected Government of Burma, to be sure, had serious flaws, but it had made significant progress in improving the lives of Burmese citizens. The House Democracy Partnership had begun to work with the democratically elected parliament, as had the National Democratic Institute. The International Republican Institute had begun to work on local governance. That progress must be consolidated, built on, and expanded, not washed away by the greed of a few generals in fear of losing their wealth, losing the control they exercise at the expense of the Burmese people.

I strongly support the Biden administration's decision to place sanctions on senior military leaders and military-owned businesses. The economic and political pressure must be intense.

We must do more, including working with our friends and allies in the region, particularly members of the ASEAN community, to keep up the drumbeat, to keep up the pressure, for the junta to step down and to restore the democratically elected government.

We must do all we can, and time is not on our side. These two bills are a beginning. They signify a unified and urgent sense on the part of the House that this coup simply must be reversed and democratic government restored in Burma.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to stand with colleagues today in solidarity, and I urge support of these two bills.

Madam Speaker, the President has engaged in conduct that is criminal, impeachable, and profoundly threatening to our democracy.

He pressed State officials and Members of this body to overturn a legitimate election and to keep him in power. He then invited and activated a violent mob to invade the Capitol and achieve his desired result by insurrection.

If that is not impeachable conduct, I don't know what is. The President must be removed from office immediately and never allowed to hold office again. Our democracy requires it.

Madam Speaker, the president has engaged in conduct that is criminal, impeachable, and profoundly threatening to our democracy.

He has sought to overturn an election to keep himself in office and to prevent the peaceful transfer of power.

He has done this by perpetrating a big lie, despite counts and recounts and dozens of judicial rulings, and has pressed state officials and members of this body to reject and reverse popular and electoral vote outcomes.

He then invited and activated a violent mob of right-wing extremists, domestic terrorists, and white nationalists to invade the Capitol and achieve his desired result by insurrection.

If that is not impeachable conduct, I don't know what is.

The President must be removed from office immediately and must never be allowed to seek office again, and a marker must be laid down for all time as to what the Constitution and our democracy require.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of the en bloc amendment, which includes my proposal to require the Administration to report to Congress on the status of United States military-to-military and diplomatic deconfliction channels with Iran.

This amendment is cosponsored by my colleagues Jan Schakowsky, Gerry Connolly, John Yarmuth, Lloyd Doggett, Barbara Lee, Peter Welch, and Earl Blumenauer. I thank them for their support, and I thank Chairman Smith for his consideration.

Last month, President Trump came dangerously close to conducting a military strike on Iran in retaliation for the downing of an American surveillance drone.

During that week in June, officials from the U.S. and Iran traded public accusations before any investigation into the downing of the drone was complete.

Meanwhile, oil tankers have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian regime is beginning to increasingly enrich uranium, and U.S. troops are being moved around the region.

These events demonstrate the extraordinary need for established military-to-military and diplomatic channels of communication and deconfliction to prevent miscalculation, define ambiguities, and correct misunderstandings that could otherwise lead to unintended and possibly devastating consequences.

In January 2016, such diplomatic lines of communication saved U.S. sailors on two Navy riverine command boats that were seized by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps after entering Iranian territorial waters. Secretary of State John Kerry called Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif. Within 15 hours, the sailors were released unharmed.

Since withdrawing from the JCPOA, the Trump administration has eliminated those channels of communication. Can you imagine what would happen now should U.S. forces be captured by Iranian forces? Can you imagine the cost and consequences of military action provoked by a misunderstanding or miscalculation?

Even Department of Defense officials caution that spiraling escalations put our troops in the region at risk, and that we cannot be pulled into an unnecessary armed conflict with Iran.

This amendment would assert Congressional oversight to ensure that we have information about the status of vital military and diplomatic channels of communication that must be in place to prevent miscalculation.

I urge the adoption of this En Bloc amendment.