Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today as a Member of the House Appropriations Committee in opposition to this mindless amendment which would gut the important investments this bill makes on our Nation's physical and social infrastructure.

Our Nation faces an unprecedented housing crisis. This bill would ensure 4.8 million people remain stably housed by increasing investments by $8.7 billion.

Our Nation's infrastructure is falling apart. This bill provides robust funding for highways, transit, rail, and aviation, and we must do better for our Nation's veterans when it comes to mental health.

This bill almost doubles the funding for the Veterans Suicide Prevention and Outreach Program and for the Veterans Crisis Line. These investments benefit our constituents from Montgomery County to Garrett County.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Chair DeLauro for caring so much for all Americans. I urge a ``no'' vote to this amendment and support the work of the Appropriations Committee.

Madam Speaker, on June 25, 2021, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``YEA'' on Roll Call No. 185.

I strongly support S.J. Res. 14 to invalidate the Trump Administration's 2020 Methane Recission Rule and restore methane pollution standards for new and modified oil and gas facilities. I am pleased this Joint Resolution was signed into law.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of our Nation's veterans struggling with PTSD and their family members anxious for help.

This week, I spoke with the mother of a young man who joined the Marines out of patriotic duty following 9/11. He served four tours.

His mother told me that when he came home, he was a changed man struggling with PTSD.

She took him to the VA when he said he was contemplating suicide. She was told all the beds were full; they couldn't help.

He was later denied extended treatment at an inpatient facility after he began self-medicating. A year-and-a-half ago, he died of an overdose.

We have to do better. The VA needs more and better addiction and mental health resources. This young man's mother said to me, after losing her son, she is in the fight now. I am, too, and I hope you will join me.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to urge a ``yes'' vote on H.R. 433, the Family Support Services and Addiction Services Act.

I introduced this bill with my friend and fellow businessman, Dan Meuser, in order to show our support for the millions of families that are struggling to help their loved ones suffering from addiction.

In 2016, my nephew Ian lost his life to an overdose after years of struggling with addiction. But he didn't fight this battle alone. My wife and I were with him every step of the way, working to support his recovery efforts. Getting him the help he needed was hard for us to do, even with the resources we had at our disposal.

Our story is not unique. For most families, it is nearly impossible to navigate our behavioral healthcare system, and COVID-19 has made it even harder.

While our country faced an addiction crisis prior to COVID-19, the pandemic has made this crisis a five-alarm fire. Last year, more Americans died from drug overdoses than ever before, nearly 90,000 Americans. That is a 29 percent increase in just one year. American families need help, and they need it now.

This bipartisan bill provides the funding for nonprofits working with families struggling with addiction. The bill will provide grants to reach more families, create a more tailored approach, and save lives.

I want to thank Congressman Meuser for his support and partnership. He has been an absolute champion on this issue.

I also want to thank Chairman Pallone, Chairwoman Eshoo, and Ranking Member Rodgers for their laser-like focus on this issue.

Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, after spending most of my life in the business world, I have seen firsthand how immigrants bring immense contributions to American business. Whether it is a CEO of a Fortune 500 company or the frontline worker who has kept our workers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, immigrant workers, entrepreneurs, and leaders drive our economy.

Immigrants bring revolutionary new ideas to our country. Immigrants create jobs. Immigrants inspire innovation that pushes us forward as a country, keeping us on the cutting edge of technology and medical advances.

As the Speaker often says, ``diversity is our strength, unity is our power.''

Immigrants bring their diverse experiences and ideas to our country, to our economy, and make it better. Our Nation would be foolish to take them for granted.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge support for my amendment, which addresses the barriers to finding a job that justice- impacted individuals face when they leave prison.

Stable employment is one of the single biggest factors for determining whether Americans who have been incarcerated will return to prison or jail. Returning citizens face significant barriers to employment, with an unemployment rate five times higher than the national average.

My amendment will help support the establishment and expansion of the apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship workforce training programs in all Federal correctional facilities. It will reduce recidivism and help formerly incarcerated individuals lead productive lives and build strong communities.

The criminal justice system in the United States is anything but just. We can fix it. It is time to lead with compassion. It is time to focus on rehabilitation, not retribution. It is time to give those who serve their time, and are trying to start a new life, a second chance.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a communication from the Signatory Wall and Ceiling Contractors Alliance, and I urge bipartisan support.

Madam Speaker, I was not present in the House chamber for Roll Call vote no. 11. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

Madam Chair, I am pleased that the four amendments I proposed to this bill will be made in order. These amendments reflect some of the most important priorities in my district.

First, they offer an amendment to increase funding for mental health courts, which lower the recidivism rate for justice-impacted individuals with mental illness.

My second amendment underlines the importance of modernizing the National Institute of Standards and Technology's infrastructure. This funding will help NIST remain a leader in driving economic growth in Maryland's Sixth District and across the country.

The last two amendments put additional funding toward expanding rural broadband deployment and combatting the opioid crisis in rural communities, two critical priorities of western Maryland.

Madam Chair, I thank Representatives Riggleman of Virginia and Neguse of Colorado for working with me on these amendments.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to show my support for a Stronger CAPTA.

The opioid crisis is devastating communities across the country, and we are seeing rising rates of child abuse and neglect as a result of this crisis. In order to reverse these trends, we must invest in smart primary prevention efforts like those included in this bill.

Passing Stronger CAPTA will mean stronger networks of prevention services that will benefit children and communities for decades to come.

It will also mean a stronger child welfare workforce. Some States see a 40 percent annual turnover rate among the child welfare workforce. We must do more to equip our workers to better serve our most vulnerable children and families.

That is why I am pleased this bill includes a provision I authored with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Wright), my colleague, that will help develop and retain a high-quality workforce in the child welfare system.

I urge a ``yes'' vote from my colleagues on this commonsense bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor my nephew, Ian Jacob Trone, who was born May 18, 1991. This Saturday, he would have been 28 years old. But on December 31, 2016, Ian died alone in a hotel room from a fentanyl overdose.

Ian was a nice young man. He, like many of us, was destined to grow up, find a partner, and start a family. He was a huge sports fan, and like many young boys his age, he had a sense of humor, he was a friend to many.

But last year, 72,000 people died of an overdose. Almost 70 percent of those involved fentanyl. This is the most important issue in America today.

In Congress, we must be determined to end this devastation, both Democrats and Republicans.

Ian Jacob Trone left us too soon, and I will do everything in my power to make sure we don't senselessly lose more lives to this epidemic.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

In 21st century America, having reliable, high-speed internet broadband isn't a luxury; it is a necessity. Just like running water or electricity, it is part of our essential infrastructure, yet millions of Americans in rural communities, including some in my district in western Maryland, remain disconnected from the internet.

That lack of connectivity leads to homework gaps, healthcare gaps, and economic development gaps. It is our job in Congress to eliminate those gaps.

The Federal Communications Commission is required to report accurate data to the public so that we can make effective decisions about rural broadband infrastructure policy and investment.

But there is strong evidence that the percentage of Americans without broadband access is much higher than the FCC's numbers indicate.

In order to justify Chairman Pai's deregulation agenda, the FCC released highly flawed and misleading data that paints a false picture of broadband deployment in rural America.

We now know the FCC's data was based on a massive error that was brought to his attention before the FCC disseminated the press release touting their success. That kind of deception could lead to millions of our neighbors in rural America being locked out of this critical good.

This amendment seeks to address this issue by, one, prohibiting the FCC from releasing a report based on information it knows to be inaccurate; and, two, specifying the Commission must use its best efforts to ensure all future reports are accurate, and they must correct past inaccuracies prior to the release of new data on broadband deployment.

It is pretty simple. We need accurate information to make the best decisions regarding broadband deployment. Let's ensure we get that from the FCC moving forward, and then let's ensure every American has access to reliable high-speed broadband.

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

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his comments.

Mr. Chairman, good policy simply needs good data. We need accurate, reliable information to target our policies and resources as effectively as possible.

This amendment simply ensures reports issued by the FCC are accurate, and we should all be able to agree on that. And I thank the gentleman for that.

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

Mr. Chair, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Michael F. Doyle).

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

Madam Speaker, it was a true honor to hear the wisdom of Dr. Lora Hargrove this afternoon. Her call for unity, shared humanity, and peace is perhaps more important today than ever before.

Dr. Hargrove is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, just like our distinguished Speaker. She holds a doctorate in ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary, and she is working towards her second Ph.D. in African Diaspora from Howard University.

Dr. Hargrove comes from a long line of servant leaders. Her father, the late Judge John R. Hargrove, Sr., was the first Black Federal prosecutor in Baltimore and the first Black deputy U.S. attorney. Her mother, Shirley H. Hargrove, was a teacher and guidance counselor.

Dr. Hargrove now serves as interim minister at Rockville's Mount Calvary Baptist Church, where my wife, June, and I have seen her practice many times what she preaches. From hosting HBCU college fairs to finding shelter for women and children, Dr. Hargrove lifts up our community every day.

Thank you, Dr. Hargrove.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1, the For the People Act.

I ran for Congress to be a voice for those without a powerful PAC or a special interest group to represent them.

The wealthy and connected, they will be fine.

For the people is who we are here to fight for: for the people who are suffering from the addiction epidemic, for the people who are living with diseases with no cure, and for the people who are targeted by a broken criminal justice system that is anything but just. These people don't have a PAC. These people, they don't have a lobbyist.

We won't be able to help those people until we end the corruption and fix our democracy. That is why I am supporting the For the People Act.

Mr. Speaker, I urge our colleagues to send this bill to the President's desk so we can get to work on behalf of those without a lobbyist, without a PAC.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to voice my support for the joint resolution. It is important for us in this institution, in this critical moment, to undertake serious debate regarding the use of U.S. military in the conflict in Yemen.

As my colleagues have pointed out, Article I of our Constitution clearly states that the power to declare war belongs to the Congress. Congress must put down a marker stating it is unacceptable for our military to support hostilities we have not authorized.

Our support for the Saudi-led coalition's efforts in Yemen has proven problematic in so many ways. The impact on civilian lives is real and painful. Overall, 60,000 lives have been lost.

Ultimately, the question should be really simple: Did Congress authorize our military to engage in hostilities in Yemen? The answer is no.

So, today, we must pass this resolution to stand up for our Constitution and stand up for what is right.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to lend their support to that effort.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak on behalf of this amendment, which would guarantee the United States Secret Service receive a 2.6 percent pay increase with the rest of the civilian workforce.

The underlying bill will nullify the President's executive order that froze pay for Federal workers. It is important we include all employees of the Secret Service in that correction.

The Secret Service's most well-known mission is to spend every day protecting the President of the United States. That is why it is unfortunate. First, he froze their pay, and then he didn't pay them for 35 days in the longest government shutdown in history.

I represent a district right outside of Washington, D.C., and a lot of my friends and fellow constituents are Federal workers. I was disheartened to learn in December they would not be receiving a pay increase. They go to work every day to serve our country. They are American workers; they are patriots; they are friends; and they deserve better.

This amendment will ensure that no Secret Service employees are inadvertently left out of a much-needed pay raise. They work every day to protect the President and the Vice President from harm and protect against crimes of our Nation's financial and banking infrastructure, and they deserve recognition, and they deserve a raise.

I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I would like to point out that this is just a clarifying amendment.

The Secret Service has pay authority for certain positions. We want to be sure that none of those positions are inadvertently left out of this underlying bill. In short, the amendment guarantees all Secret Service employees are treated the same--fair and simple.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Connolly).

Mr. Chairman, I thank the Rules Committee for making this amendment in order. I urge adoption of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.