Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of this censure resolution.

I watched this video, and I was sickened when I saw Mr. Gosar depicting the killing of another Member of this body and brandishing swords at the President of the United States.

This kind of rhetoric is not just unfitting of a U.S. Representative, it is dangerous, and it can be deadly, as we saw on January 6 and in 2011 when an individual shot then-Congresswoman Gabby Giffords after Sarah Palin sent out a video with shooting targets on various congressional districts, including Gabby's.

This is not a joke. This is not about politics. It is about safety.

While healthy debate on the issues, on policy, is important, it is what keeps our democracy alive. This is not that. We cannot allow Members to encourage and incite violence, period.

Mr. Gosar, you are no Alexander Hamilton. You must be held accountable.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak about the President's vision for really investing in working families in this country and doing it in a way, particularly after COVID, that the economy is rebuilt so that everyone has opportunities and that not only people at the top realize their full potential and reap all the benefits, but that everyone in this country can benefit from the economic recovery that the President has articulated in the Build Back Better plan.

I have been in Congress now 11 years. I don't know that we have ever had a better example of what leadership from the President means in terms of understanding that the best way to grow the economy is to invest in working families, to invest in middle-class families by making sure they can access all of the opportunities that exist in this country.

And what are those struggles? Affordable childcare, universal pre-K, job training, lowering prescription drug costs, lowering the cost of healthcare.

When the President made his address to the joint session of Congress, what struck me in that speech was that President Biden identified virtually every single struggle I hear about from my constituents in Rhode Island--the high cost of prescription drugs, the high cost of healthcare, the high cost of childcare, the inability to access pre-K, difficulty retraining because of the absence of job training programs. It is as if the President put together everything I have heard that folks struggle with every day in this country, and he drafted and included all those in the Build Back Better provisions.

When you take the bipartisan infrastructure bill along with the Build Back Better legislation which we are about to pass, we are going to create 1\1/2\ million jobs a year for a decade, and that is extraordinary. These are good-paying, union jobs.

We are going to, for the first time, take on in a serious way the climate crisis. We are going to drive down costs of everything from prescription drugs to childcare to healthcare, and the best part about it is it is paid for by making sure the wealthiest people in this country and the most profitable corporations pay their fair share. My constituents pay their fair share. They expect everyone to do the same.

And so we have this extraordinary investment in working families that is going to give people an opportunity, move so many of the obstacles that allow folks to return to the workforce, particularly women. Women were devastated by the pandemic, particularly devastated.

If we did the bipartisan infrastructure bill alone, a lot of that economic recovery would escape women in this country. The Build Back Better provisions are going to ensure many of those obstacles that prevent women from reentering the workforce are addressed so that our economy can realize the full benefit of the extraordinary talent of women in the workforce.

This economic recovery that we are all craving after 2 years of a very difficult time with this pandemic, that economic recovery is going to reach everyone in this country. It is going to begin with working families and middle-class families, who for the first time, I think, are going to be the focus of a very comprehensive strategy.

I am excited. I feel particularly honored to be in Congress at this moment, and I thank the President for his leadership in developing a plan to rebuild the middle class and address so many of the challenges that working families face.

I thank you for giving me an opportunity to speak during this Special Order hour, and I look forward to the passage of Build Back Better and all it is going to mean for families in my State and all across this country.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, for leading us in this Special Order hour, and for saying out loud the names of the individuals who we have lost.

I am proud today to rise in recognition of Transgender Day of Remembrance, which we will mark this Saturday, November 20, and in remembrance of the transgender and gender nonconforming people whose lives were taken this year.

Madam Speaker, 52 years ago, in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in Greenwich Village. It had become a refuge and a well-known gathering place for LGBTQI-plus individuals.

This was the third such raid on Greenwich Village bars in a short period of time. Tired of harassment and blatant discrimination, patrons began clashing with law enforcement outside the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street.

This was not the first time LGBTQI-plus people fought back, but these clashes sparked an uprising that would unfold over the next 6 days and fundamentally change LGBTQI-plus activism in the United States and around the world.

At the forefront of this uprising were transgender and gender nonconforming people like Marsha P. Johnson, the P standing for ``pay it no mind,'' a common response Marsha would say to questions about her gender.

Too often, transgender individuals are left out of the story of the LGBTQ-plus rights movement, especially transgender women of color like Marsha, as well as Sylvia Rivera and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy.

These three icons and so many other activists like them were and continue to be the backbone of the LGBTQ-plus civil rights movement. Miss Major, currently in her eighties, continues to fight against the disproportionate incarceration rates of transgender people.

Tragically, so far this year, at least 46 transgender or gender nonconforming people have been fatally shot or killed by other violent means in our own country. 2021 marks an alarming milestone for the transgender community: the deadliest year on record for transgender and gender nonconforming people. Let me say it again: the deadliest year on record for trans and gender nonconforming people.

This epidemic of violence particularly affects transgender women of color, specifically Black and Latinx transgender women, who make up more than three-quarters of the recorded 46 violent deaths this year. These deaths are horrific, and we must act to end this violence.

The right to live freely without fear of persecution or discrimination is one that every person needs and deserves. The Equality Act adds sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes through existing civil rights law, ensuring that the transgender community would have the same protections as everyone else. I am so proud that we have passed that out of the House, and it is awaiting action from the Senate.

The 2021 Transgender Day of Remembrance House resolution, of which I am a proud cosponsor, commemorates November 20, 2021, as a day of remembrance and memorializes the lives lost at the hands of anti- transgender violence in the United States and around the world. I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

Now is the time to show solidarity with the trans community. They have done the work to bring injustice wrought against the LGBTQI-plus community to light. They bear the brunt of violence, abuse, and even death. It cannot continue. We must not let it continue.

Madam Speaker, as we remember the names of the transgender individuals who gave their lives for this cause, we honor their legacy by continuing the fight to ensure that all people, regardless of gender and gender identity, are treated equally and justly in this country.

Madam Speaker, the forces working against progress are strong, but we are stronger. I thank Congresswoman Newman for being one of the co- chairs of the Transgender Equality Task Force of the Equality Caucus, for the good work in developing this resolution, and for leading this Special Order hour tonight.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for convening this Special Order hour.

The impact of this legislation is significant in my home State of Rhode Island and all across our country. The United States has the largest economy in the world, yet our roads and bridges are crumbling, our ports and airports are in disrepair, over 10 million households do not have safe drinking water. This is unacceptable.

We cannot compete in a global economy unless we can move goods, services, and information to compete in the 21st century.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill which President Biden signed, and we worked hard to pass, invests $550 billion in new funding to bring America's infrastructure into the 21st century so that we cannot only improve the quality of life, grow our economy, create millions of good- paying jobs, but also to ensure that we can compete globally.

This legislation, which the President signed yesterday, includes the largest ever Federal investments in public transit, clean drinking water and wastewater infrastructure, and clean energy transmission and electric vehicle infrastructure. It includes the largest investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak, and the largest dedicated bridge investment since we built the Interstate Highway System.

This legislation will create millions of good-paying union jobs while also addressing the critical infrastructure needs of our country and of my home State of Rhode Island.

This monumental investment in infrastructure is the first part of a plan to not only create good-paying jobs but to ensure Americans have the support they need to succeed in those jobs. Combined with the Build Back Better Act, these two historic bills will create 1\1/2\ million good-paying jobs each year over the next decade and accelerate America's path to full employment.

For Rhode Island with this bill enacted into law, we will see $2.5 billion coming straight to Rhode Island to help fix our roads and bridges, replace lead pipes, improve our public transportation system, and increase broadband access. And that is not to mention the billions of dollars in dedicated funding for Amtrak's Northeast corridor, which will certainly benefit Rhode Islanders and all of us in New England.

Our State has the highest percentage of structurally deficient bridges in the country. In 2019, 22.3 percent of our bridges were structurally deficient. In 2020, our State's infrastructure was given a C minus by the American Society of Civil Engineers.

This is unacceptable and unsafe.

The funding streams that this legislation will provide are the following: $1.5 billion for Federal aid highway apportioned programs; $242 million for

bridge replacement and repairs in Rhode Island; $272 million to improve public transportation in Rhode Island; $23 million to support expansion of the State's electric vehicle charging network in Rhode Island; $100 million to expand broadband connectivity, including providing access to the 14,000 Rhode Islanders who currently lack it; and 247,000 Rhode Islanders, 24 percent of Rhode Island, will be eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Benefit to help working families afford internet access; $2 million to protect against wildfires; $10.9 million to protect against cyberattacks; $378 million to improve water infrastructure; and $45 million for our airports.

These are significant, historic investments in rebuilding the infrastructure of our State, and the same thing is happening in States all across America.

I salute the President for his strong leadership. I salute my colleagues that worked so hard on this legislation. It is going to help ensure that America can compete again in the global economy.

And most importantly, it will improve the quality of our lives for our constituents. It will improve our economy. It will grow good-paying jobs. And it will make America proud of the quality of its infrastructure once again.

I want to end by particularly acknowledging the men and women in the building trades who are going to do this work; and do it with such pride that they are not only going to improve our economy, but also improve our quality of life. I salute all of the men and women in the building trades.

Will the gentleman yield?

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for the question.

I think when you look at particularly what we experienced during COVID, we saw some of the difficulties that families--particularly families with young children--had in accessing the internet so they could receive school instruction. And the reality is you need internet connections to access the world and to be able to communicate and be able to learn in the 21st century.

And there were young people who were actually going to parking lots of McDonald's and other places that might have internet to do their homework. That can't happen in America.

And so we want to ensure that rebuilding our infrastructure provides opportunities for every single young person in this country to realize their full potential. Because we are not just competing with the kid next door, we are competing with kids in China, Japan, and all over the world.

We want to ensure that we have an infrastructure to support the economic growth we need. We also want to ensure that we can deliver goods, services, and information in the 21st century and that we are training young people and educating young people and training workers to compete successfully. You can't do that without infrastructure to support that development, that knowledge, and the work that needs to be done.

You think of the experiences we saw during COVID. It made it very clear that we needed to move quickly. Our competitors around the world are investing tens of billions of dollars in infrastructure. They are competing directly with us.

This is a race for the 21st century and a race we are going to win in large part because we are finally investing in America's infrastructure.

Absolutely.

Mr. Speaker, as the United States reasserts itself on the world's stage, it is time for robust engagement. We must reengage with our allies and regain our footing as a global leader. But we are standing in our own way.

Mr. Speaker, 100 ambassadorial positions are currently unfilled, with 60 awaiting Senate action. Where is the Senate?

Mr. Speaker, more than 300 national security professionals asked this same question this morning in a letter to Senate leadership.

We do not have representatives to NATO, the European Union, ASEAN, or the Organization of American States. Despite our significant interests in the Middle East, we lack an Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs and an ambassador to Israel.

Mr. Speaker, we are sending a dangerous message of neglect and indifference to our allies and adversaries. The Senate must act.

I join the hundreds of esteemed former ambassadors and Pentagon officials in urging the Senate to begin hearings and to schedule votes for all pending State Department and USAID nominees.

I include in the Record a letter from Foreign Policy for America.

Foreign Policy for America,

Washington, DC, October 28, 2021.

Hon. Charles Schumer,

Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,

Washington, DC.

Senator Bob Menendez,

Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Mitch McConnell,

Minority Leader, U.S. Senate,

Washington, DC.

Senator James E. Risch,

Ranking Member, U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations,

Washington, DC.

We write as senior national security professionals to

express our alarm over the dangerously slow pace of Senate

confirmations of State Department and USAID officials over

the past ten months. The resulting vacancies have damaged

U.S. national security and our ability to address

international threats. We ask for your urgent attention to

resolving this situation.

The United States cannot afford to be absent at this time

of strategic competition with China. Yet, at this moment, 100

Ambassadorial positions are unfilled with 60 awaiting Senate

action. As President Biden prepares to meet with world

leaders at the G20 summit, the Senate has confirmed just two

of the president's Ambassadorial nominations to G20 member

states. As the world works to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,

the United States lacks both an Assistant Secretary for

International Organization Affairs and a USAID Assistant

Administrator for Global Health. Of the 17 world leaders

known to be attending the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in

November, only one has had the opportunity to coordinate in

advance with a confirmed U.S. Ambassador. Nearly half of

Ambassadorial posts on the African continent have nominees

stalled in the Senate. The sum total of missed opportunities

is staggering.

In addition to placing the United States at a strategic

disadvantage, Washington has sent an unfortunate message of

neglect and indifference. We currently lack Representatives

to both NATO and the European Union, to ASEAN, and to the

Organization of American States. In Canada, France, Germany,

and the United Kingdom, the lack of confirmed U.S.

Ambassadors neglects historic allies. Despite our significant

interests in the Middle East and the threats posed by Iran,

the United States currently has neither an Assistant

Secretary of State for Near East Affairs nor an Ambassador to

Israel. As we call for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the

United States lacks an Ambassador not only to China, but to

Australia, Bangladesh, India, Japan, New Zealand, the

Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and

Vietnam.

In Washington, widespread leadership vacancies and stopgap

appointments have resulted in an overstretched workforce and

unacceptable risks. As conflicts and natural disasters spur

population displacement unseen since World War II, the United

States has neither an Assistant Secretary of State for

Population, Refugees, and Migration nor an Assistant

Secretary of State for Conflict and Stability Operations.

President Biden's nominee for Assistant Secretary of State

for South and Central Asian Affairs, whose nomination was

announced on April 23rd, was not confirmed until September

13th, well after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. The

State Department is planning to host a global Summit for

Democracy in December, but does so without an Assistant

Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. Countless

other vacancies have resulted in unsustainable workloads,

undermining morale and retention.

As you are aware, the Senate has thus far confirmed only

two of President Biden's ambassadorial nominees, and just

eleven Assistant Secretaries of State. At USAID, only two

appointees requiring Senate confirmation have been approved.

Of the 235 Senate-confirmed State Department positions, only

24 have confirmed occupants, while 83 are at the Senate

awaiting confirmation. This is well below the number of

nominees confirmed at similar points in the first terms of

Presidents Trump, Obama, and George W. Bush.

We note with particular regret that individual Senators

have blocked the confirmations of exceptionally qualified

nominees for reasons completely unrelated to their

credentials. There is no question that this practice, which

has been employed by members of both parties, has eroded

America's global leadership and contributed to a perception

among our friends as well as our adversaries that the United

States is in decline.

The steady atrophying of our diplomatic capacity poses an

unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. We urge you to

exercise decisive leadership to swiftly facilitate committee

hearings and votes for all pending State Department and USAID

nominees. If unanimous consent agreements cannot be obtained

to expedite votes, we ask that you once again dedicate the

floor time necessary to approve these nominations by regular

order.

Sincerely,

Ambassador (Ret.) Bernadette M. Allen,

Ambassador (Ret.) Frank Almaguer),

Major General (Ret.) Joseph T. Anderson,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Steven M. Anderson,

Ms. Wendy R. Anderson,

Major General (Ret.) Marcia M. Anderson,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Ricardo Aponte,

Honorable Bernard Aronson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Liliana Ayalde,

Ambassador (Ret.) Daniel Baer,

Ambassador (Ret.) Robert Cushman Barber,

Ambassador (Ret.) Adrian A. Basora,

Ambassador (Ret.) Leslie Bassett,

Ambassador (Ret.) Robert M. Beecroft,

Honorable Rand B. Beers,

Ambassador (Ret.) Colleen Bell,

Mr. John B. Bellinger III,

Ms. Jenna H. Ben-Yehuda,

Mr. Robert J. Berg,

Honorable Stuart Bernstein,

Ambassador (Ret.) Bruce G. Berton,

Ambassador (Ret.) John R. Beyrle,

Dr. Hans Binnendijk,

Ambassador (Ret.) Clyde Bishop,

Ambassador (Ret.) James Bishop,

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Robert R. Blank,

Ambassador (Ret.) Jeff Bleich,

Ambassador (Ret.) Peter W. Bodde,

Ambassador (Ret.) Barbara Bodine,

Ambassador (Ret.) Michele Thoren Bond,

Ambassador (Ret.) Amy L. Bondurant,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) David M. Boone,

Ambassador (Ret.) Eric Boswell,

Ambassador (Ret.) Richard Boucher,

Vice Admiral (Ret.) William Bowes,

Ambassador (Ret.) Robert Bradtke,

Ambassador (Ret.) Aurelia Brazeal,

Ambassador (Ret.) James Brewster,

Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela E. Bridgewater,

Ambassador (Ret.) Kenneth C. Brill,

Ambassador (Ret.) Timothy M. Broas,

Ambassador (Ret.) Sue Brown,

Ambassador (Ret.) Kenneth Brown,

Ambassador (Ret.) Steven Browning,

Ambassador (Ret.) George Bruno,

Ambassador (Ret.) Susan Flood Burk,

Ambassador (Ret.) A. Peter Burleigh,

Ambassador (Ret.) Prudence Bushnell,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) John D. Butler,

Honorable Louis E. Caldera,

Honorable Carlos Cardozo Campbell,

Ambassador (Ret.) Piper Campbell,

Brigadier General (Ret.) George J. Cannelos,

Ambassador (Ret.) David L. Carden,

Dr. Patrick Carrick,

Mr. Steven A. Cash,

Ambassador (Ret.) Judith Beth Cefkin,

Mr. Christopher M. Centner,

Ambassador (Ret.) Wendy Chamberlin,

Ambassador (Ret.) Daniel A. Clune,

Mr. Harry Coker Jr.,

Honorable Erin C. Conaton,

Ambassador (Ret.) Elinor G. Constable,

Mr. Patrick C. Costello,

Ambassador (Ret.) William Courtney,

Mr. Allen B. Craft,

Mr. Daniel T. Crocker,

Ms. Marilee Cunningham,

Ambassador (Ret.) James B. Cunningham,

Ambassador (Ret.) Walter Cutler,

Honorable Janine Davidson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Glyn T. Davies,

Ambassador (Ret.) Ruth A. Davis,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Scott Deitchman, MD, MPH,

Ambassador (Ret.) Greg Delawie,

Major General (Ret.) Richard T. Devereaux,

Ambassador (Ret.) Miguel H. Diaz,

Ms. Suzanne DiMaggio,

Ambassador (Ret.) Kathleen Ann Doherty,

Ambassador (Ret.) Shaun Donnelly,

Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas Dougherty,

Honorable John Wade Douglass,

Ambassador (Ret.) David J. Dunford,

Major General (Ret.) Paul D. Eaton,

Ambassador (Ret.) Luigi R. Einaudi,

Ambassador (Ret.) Susan M. Elliott,

Ambassador (Ret.) Gregory W. Engle,

Honorable William Enyart,

Major General (Ret.) John L. Estrada,

Ms. Elisa Catalano Ewers,

Ambassador (Ret.) Kenneth J. Fairfax,

Dr. Evelyn N. Farkas, Ph.D.,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Robert Felderman,

Ambassador (Ret.) Gerald Feierstein,

Brigadier General Robert Felderman (Ret.),

Ms. Ilsa Ferro,

Ambassador (Ret.) Kathleen M. Fitzpatrick,

Honorable Michele A. Flournoy,

Ambassador (Ret.) Robert S. Ford,

Ms. Stephanie Foster,

Major General (Ret.) Eugene Fox,

Vice Admiral (ret.) Michael Franken,

Ms. Anita E. Friedt,

Ambassador (Ret.) Julie Furuta-Toy,

Mr. Melvin Gamble,

Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard Jr.,

Master Gunnery Sergeant (Ret.) Joseph H. Geeter,

Ambassador (Ret.) Robert S. Gelbard,

Honorable Rose Gottemoeller,

Ambassador (Ret.) Gordon Gray,

Vice Admiral (Ret.) Kevin P. Green,

Ms. Naima Green-Riley,

Vice Admiral (Ret.) Lee Gunn,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Donald J. Guter,

Ambassador (Ret.) Lino Gutierrez,

Ambassador (Ret.) Sheila Gwaltney,

Ambassador (Ret.) Ken Hackett,

Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela K. Hamamoto,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Janice M. Hamby,

Ambassador (Ret.) S. Fitzgerald Haney,

Lieutenant (Ret.) Kenneth E. Harbaugh,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Charles Dulaney Harr,

Ambassador (Ret.) Anthony Stephen Harrington,

Ambassador (Ret.) Douglas Hartwick,

Dr. and Major General (Ret.) Ralph L. Haynes,

Mr. Leif Hall Hendrickson,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Leendert ``Len'' Hering,

Ms. Margaret H. Henoch,

Ambassador (Ret.) Bruce Alan Heyman,

Ambassador (Ret.) William H. Hill,

Honorable Eric L. Hirschhorn,

Ambassador (Ret.) Heather Hodges,

Ms. Sally K. Horn,

Ms. Sharon A. Houy,

Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas C. Hubbard,

Ambassador (Ret.) Vicki J. Huddleston,

Ambassador (Ret.) Cameron Hume,

Honorable Robert Hutchings,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) John D. Hutson,

Admiral (Ret.) Bobby R. Inman,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Lawrence B. Jackson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Janice Jacobs,

Ambassador (Ret.) Susan Jacobs,

Ambassador (Ret.) David Jacobson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Roberta Jacobson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Dennis C. Jett,

Ambassador (Ret.) Brenda Johnson,

Ambassador (Ret.) David T. Johnson,

Representative (Ret.) Donald Johnson,

Brigadier General (Ret.) James D. Johnson,

Mr. Lionel C. Johnson,

Ms. Susan R. Johnson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah Jones,

Ambassador (Ret.) John Melvin Jones,

Ambassador (Ret.) Richard H. Jones,

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jan-Marc Jouas,

Mr. Philip Karsting,

Ambassador (Ret.) Richard D. Kauzlarich,

Ambassador (Ret.) Craig Kelly,

Honorable Raymond D. Kemp Sr.,

Ambassador (Ret.) Laura Kennedy,

Ambassador (Ret.) David T. Killion,

Ambassador (Ret.) Michael Klosson,

Dr. Susan J. Koch,

Ambassador (Ret.) Eleni Kounalakis,

Ambassador (Ret.) Lisa Kubiske,

Ambassador (Ret.) Daniel Kurtzer,

Ambassador (Ret.) Mark P. Lagon,

Mr. Brett B. Lambert,

Ambassador (Ret.) Joyce E. Leader,

Ambassador (Ret.) Richard LeBaron,

Vice Admiral (Ret.) Michael A. LeFever,

Ambassador (Ret.) Alfonso E. Lenhardt,

Major General (Ret.) Michael Lehnert,

Ambassador (Ret.) Michael C. Lemmon,

Major General (Ret.) Steven J. Lepper,

Ambassador (Ret.) Melvyn Levitsky,

Ambassador (Ret.) Dawn Liberi,

Dr. David M. Litchman,

Ambassador (Ret.) David C. Litt,

Ambassador (Ret.) Hugo Llorens,

Ambassador (Ret.) Carmen Lomellin,

Ms. Kerry Lowry,

Mr. Frank E. Loy,

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Charles D. Luckey,

Ambassador (Ret.) Douglas Lute,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Ron J. Maclaren,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Archer M. Macy,

Major General (Ret.) Albert J. Madara,

Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah R. Malac,

Ambassador (Ret.) Eileen A. Malloy,

Ambassador (Ret.) Steven R. Mann,

Major General (Ret.) Randy Manner,

Major General (Ret.) Frederick H. Martin,

Ambassador (Ret.) Vilma S. Martinez,

Ambassador (Ret.) Gail Dennise Mathieu,

Ambassador (Ret.) Jack F. Matlock Jr.,

Ms. Barbara Estock Mays,

Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah Ann McCarthy,

Mr. Michael V. Mcclary,

Ambassador (Ret.) Donald McConnell,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) William J. McDaniel,

Ambassador (Ret.) Michael McFaul,

Ambassador (Ret.) Steven McGann,

Mr. David L. McGinnis,

Mr. James McIlmail,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Joseph V. Medina,

Ms. Subhi Mehdi,

Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas J. Miller,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Michael H. Mittelman,

Ambassador (Ret.) Patricia N. Moller,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Mark A. Montjar,

Ms. Regina T. Montoya,

Vice Admiral Edward Moore,

Ambassador (Ret.) Roderick W. Moore,

Mr. Edward T. (Tom) Morehouse,

Ambassador (Ret.) Luis G. Moreno,

Ambassador (Ret.) Allan Mustard,

Ambassador (Ret.) Larry C. Napper,

Ambassador (Ret.) David D. Nelson,

Ms. Barbara Estock Mays,

Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah Ann McCarthy,

Mr. Michael V. McClary,

Ambassador (Ret.) Donald McConnell,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) William J. McDaniel,

Ambassador (Ret.) Michael McFaul,

Ambassador (Ret.) Steven McGann,

Mr. David L. McGinnis,

Mr. James McIlmail,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Joseph V. Medina,

Ms. Subhi Mehd,

Ambassador (Ret.) Wanda Nesbitt,

Mr. Brian H. Nilsson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Crystal Nix-Hines,

Ms. Suzanne Nossel,

Honorable Sean O'Keefe,

Ambassador (Ret.) Kevin F. O'Malley,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) David Rogers Oliver, Jr.

Ambassador (Ret.) Richard G. Olson,

Mr. Stanley A. Otto,

Ambassador (Ret.) Maurice S Parker,

Ambassador (Ret.) William Robert Pearson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Tom Perriello,

Ambassador (Ret.) June Carter Perry,

Ambassador (Ret.) Robert C. Perry,

Honorable F. Whitten Peters,

Ambassador (Ret.) James D. Pettit,

Ms. Annie Pforzheimer,

Major General (Ret.) Jeffrey E. Phillips,

Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering,

Mr. William Richard Piekney,

Ambassador (Ret.) Steven Pifer,

Ambassador (Ret.) Joan Plaisted,

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Joseph M. Plenzler,

Ambassador (Ret.) Michael C. Polt,

Ambassador (Ret.) Jo Ellen Powell,

Mr. Jeffrey Pryce,

Ambassador (Ret.) Jon R. Purnell,

Ms. Karen Puschel Segal,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) William Putnam,

Honorable Marilyn A. Quagliotti,

Ambassador (Ret.) Jack R. Binns,

Major General (Ret.) William M. Rajczak,

Ambassador (Ret.) Robin Raphel,

Ambassador (Ret.) Charles Ray,

Ambassador (Ret.) Frankie Reed,

Ambassador (Ret.) Helen Patricia Reed-Rowe,

Mr. Ben Rhodes,

Honorable Clyde E. Robbins,

Ambassador (Ret.) Thomas Robertson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Peter Romero,

Ambassador (Ret.) Selwa Roosevelt,

Ambassador (Ret.) Jim Rosapepe,

Ambassador (Ret.) Leslie V. Rowe,

Mr. Joel Rubin,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Murray G. Sagsveen,

Ms. Heather Samuelson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Janet Sanderson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Miriam Sapiro,

Ambassador (Ret.) Teresita C. Schaffer,

Ambassador (Ret.) Andrew H. Schapiro,

Ambassador (Ret.) Arthur Schechter,

Mr. James Schumaker,

Mr. Jack Segal,

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Norman Seip,

Congressman Joe Ambrose Sestak,

Honorable Andrew J. Shapiro,

Ambassador (Ret.) Mattie Sharpless,

Honorable David B. Shear,

Ambassador (Ret.) Robert A. Sherman,

Dr. Russell Shilling,

Ambassador (Ret.) Douglas A. Silliman,

Ambassador (Ret.) Lawrence Silverman,

Mr. John Sipher,

Ambassador (Ret.) Emil M. Skodon,

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Michael E. Smith,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Paul Gregory Smith,

Ambassador (Ret.) Alan Solomont,

Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela L. Spratlen,

Ambassador (Ret.) Sylvia Stanfield,

Honorable Gregory Starr,

Honorable Clifford L. Stanley,

Major General (Ret.) Howard D. Standahl,

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mitchell Herman Stevenson,

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Vincent Stewart,

Ambassador (Ret.) Timothy Towell,

Dr. Gregory F. Treverton,

Major General (Ret.) F. Andrew Turley,

Rear Admiral William S. Stokes,

Ambassador (Ret.) Cynthia Stroum,

Dr. Gordon Sumner, PhD,

Ambassador (Ret.) Teddy Taylor,

Ambassador (Ret.) Harry Thomas,

Mr. Jack Thomas Tomarchio,

Dr. Michael H. Van Dusen,

Ambassador (Ret.) Alexander Vershbow,

Ambassador (Ret.) Melanne Verveer,

Ambassador (Ret.) Marcelle M. Wahba,

Ambassador (Ret.) Jake Walles,

Brigadier General (Ret.) George H. Walls, Jr.,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Steve Warnstadt,

Ambassador (Ret.) Alexander Watson,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Marianne Watson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Linda E. Watt,

Ambassador (Ret.) Earl Anthony Wayne,

Honorable Andy Weber,

Honorable William H. Webster,

Lieutenant General (Ret.) Jack Weinstein,

Ambassador (Ret.) Allan Wendt,

Mr. Louis M. Werdebach,

Ambassador (Ret.) Alexa Wesner,

Ambassador (Ret.) David Bruce Wharton,

Ambassador (Ret.) Kevin Whitaker,

Ambassador (Ret.) Barry B. White,

Ambassador (Ret.) Pamela White,

Mr. Jon A. Wiant,

Ambassador (Ret.) Bisa Williams,

Major General (Ret.) Michael Wilson,

Ambassador (Ret.) Frank G. Wisner,

Brigadier General (Ret.) Kevin B. Wooton,

Captain Pamela Jean Wynfield,

Ambassador (Ret.) Kenneth Spencer Yalowitz,

Ambassador (Ret.) John M. Yates,

Ambassador (Ret.) Stephen M. Young,

Ambassador (Ret.) Marie L. Yovanovitch,

Honorable Joseph Zengerle,

Honorable Jane B. Zimmerman.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of H.R. 5763, the Clerk be directed to make the correction I have placed at the desk.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of holding Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress for refusing to answer a Congressional subpoena and in support of truth, transparency, and the rule of law.

January 6 was one of the most heinous attacks on American democracy that our country has ever seen. We have mountains of evidence that these rioters, encouraged by and organized by some of our country's highest officials, intended to overthrow our democracy at the behest of Donald Trump.

We must get to the bottom of what happened, not only to hold these insurrectionists accountable, but to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

Steve Bannon clearly had inside knowledge of what was going to happen that day. He even said on January 5 that ``all hell was going to break loose'' on January 6. He has information that must be shared.

The January 6 commission is a bipartisan effort to get the truth.

This goes beyond party politics--this is about the safety and security of our democracy.

I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to hold Steve Bannon in contempt for his refusal to comply with the Committee's subpoena. Vote for yes.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act--known as the PUMP Act.

All too often, the workplace is not an equal place for women as they face unequal pay for equal work and other forms of gender-based discrimination. Mothers face even greater barriers.

Mothers who choose to breastfeed should not be forced to choose between returning to work and breastfeeding. And they certainly should never have to pump in a place that is not safe, private, or comfortable.

The PUMP Act takes the long-overdue step of ensuring that every employee who chooses to breastfeed will have the time and a designated, private space to pump without penalty.

Nine million American workers will be covered by these new protections, ending unfair, discriminatory practices and allowing more mothers and infants to receive the scientifically proven health and nutritional benefits of breastfeeding.

I want to thank Chairwoman Maloney for her leadership on this important, bipartisan bill to support working mothers, and her historic leadership on supporting working women and families.

I am proud to support this vital legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it as well.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as we mark nearly 2 months since the bombing that killed more than 116 innocent Afghanis and American military personnel at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, I rise in strong support of this legislation to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal to the 13 U.S. servicemembers who gave their lives that day.

Those individuals are Sergeant Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Sergeant Nicole Gee, Staff Sergeant Darin Taylor Hoover, Corporal Hunter Lopez, Corporal Daegan Page, Corporal Humberto Sanchez, Lance Corporal David Espinoza, Lance Corporal Jared Schmitz, Lance Corporal Rylee McCollum, Lance Corporal Dylan Merola, Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, Navy Corpsman Maxton Soviak, and Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss.

Mr. Speaker, as we recognize these extraordinary heroes and also understand that this honor cannot come close to filling the void left by their loss, I cannot think of anyone more deserving of such a distinction.

These brave servicemembers represent the very best of America, knowingly putting themselves in harm's way to help evacuate thousands from the region, a true embodiment of the American spirit.

Their legacies live on in the thousands of Afghan refugees they saved, who now have an opportunity to live lives free of violence and persecution.

And so as we remember these extraordinary American heroes and recognize them with the Congressional Gold Medal, let us all live lives worthy of their sacrifice and service to our great Nation.

I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' and to join me in honoring these great American heroes.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Across the country, the opioid epidemic is devastating families and communities.

In Rhode Island, the COVID-19 pandemic is only worsening this crisis. In 2020 alone, accidental overdose deaths in Rhode Island increased by 25 percent, with most involving opioids.

State Opioid Response funding has been critical to combating this deadly epidemic and helped provide Rhode Islanders with the resources we need to combat drug abuse, prevent overdoses, and save lives.

The majority of Rhode Islanders who lost their lives to an opioid overdose in recent years had a history of substance abuse without treatment, and we need resources to intervene now.

State Opioid Response funding has helped provide the support and treatment people suffering addiction need so desperately.

It means access to naloxone and training on how to use it. It means paths to recovery. And it means saving lives.

I thank Representative Trone for introducing H.R. 2379, the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act of 2021 to support States in their fight against this opioid epidemic.

I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation and save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the EQUAL Act which eliminates the discriminatory sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine.

I want to thank Chairman Nadler for his leadership in bringing this bill before our committee and its quick passage. And, of course, I thank Chairman Jeffries and Mr. Armstrong and Chairman Scott for their leadership on this issue.

As you know, Mr. Speaker, 35 years ago, Congress passed the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which created this drastic sentencing disparity between two types of cocaine; the same substance, just in a different form. And as has been explained, under the disparity you needed 100 times the amount of powder cocaine than crack cocaine to get the same sentence.

There was no scientific basis for this, no empirical evidence that there was any difference. The harm that this caused was devastating to so many. For more than three decades defendants have suffered under this disparity with highly disproportionate impacts on communities of color. That has led to mass incarceration and, as I said, the destruction of so many lives unnecessarily.

In 2010, Congress changed the sentencing disparity from a 100:1 to 18:1. And while that was some progress, in 2018, we improved on that even more under the extraordinary leadership of Mr. Jeffries by making it retroactive. But while it was a step in the right direction, making the disparity smaller did not make the sentencing fair. And today we finally do that.

I served as a public defender and a criminal defense lawyer for many years, and I have seen, unfortunately, how often our criminal justice systems fails to deliver justice. And this disparity is just one of those examples. This vital legislation will at last fully resolve the discriminatory sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine and correct this injustice for so many.

Our prisons are overcrowded and lives are unfairly harmed every day, especially in communities of color, because of unjust and discriminatory sentencing laws resulting in mass incarceration and other harms.

The EQUAL Act is one important step of so many that we have to take to end this cycle. I want to end again by thanking Mr. Jeffries for his extraordinary leadership on this bill. I thank Mr. Nadler for bringing this bill to the floor, and I am delighted it is bipartisan.

And if Mr. Gohmert is right, that Texas did this some years ago, 1:1, I will say words that I never expected to say on the House floor in my life: We need to follow the lead of Texas.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Women's Health Protection Act.

If we truly value women, we must protect their right to control their own bodies and their freedom to make their own healthcare decisions.

This includes the right to safe abortion, guaranteed by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade almost 50 years ago--not more, nothing less.

But this right is under fierce attack. We have seen wildly restrictive abortion bans, a $10,000 bounty on people who help women who are seeking abortion care. This is unconstitutional and dangerous.

This bill will guarantee women all across this country the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions, a basic and well-established constitutional right.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Iron Dome Supplemental Appropriations Act.

Israel has the right to defend itself against any assault on its sovereignty and its people. This funding will help replenish Israel's Iron Dome to safeguard the Israeli people from Hamas rocket fire and other terrorist threats.

It is unfortunate, Mr. Speaker, that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have decided to politicize such an important and serious issue even after the recent deadly hostilities between Israel and Hamas. They tried to play political games with something as deadly serious as Iron Dome by claiming we should have included this in a different vehicle, which every single Republican voted against.

Too much of a risk.

Today's vote is a reminder that the United States will always stand with our ally Israel, and we have always supported funding for Iron Dome, we will continue to do so.

Enough with the politics. Israel wants bipartisan support. This political gamesmanship must end. Today's vote will help do that.

Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself 3 minutes.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of my amendment, which makes clear that the statutory rights of servicemembers and their families under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or SCRA, cannot be waived through forced arbitration unless it is agreed to by the servicemember after a dispute arises.

Americans who serve in our military, our veterans and their families sacrifice much in service to our country. Often they have fought to protect the fundamental idea that we are a Nation of laws and institutions that guarantee the rights and prosperity of every American.

Since the Second World War, Congress has created many laws, including the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, to expand and strengthen the rights and protections of servicemembers and veterans. These laws are essential protections that guarantee every veteran and active duty servicemembers, including the Reserves and National Guard the right to be free from workplace discrimination on the basis of their military service, and the right to their day in court to enforce these provisions. We are a stronger and better Nation because of these rights.

SCRA prevents landlords from enacting eviction proceedings, mortgage holders from foreclosing on a home, and lenders from repossessing a vehicle while a member of our armed services is on active duty. However, forced arbitration clauses embedded in mortgages and titles prevent accountability for bad actors taking advantage of our servicemembers while they are protecting our country.

For too long, forced arbitration has eroded these fundamental protections by funneling servicemembers' claims into a private system set up by corporations. Buried deep within the fine print of everyday contracts, forced arbitration clauses block the brave men and women in uniform, as well as their family members, from having their day in court to hold corporations accountable for breaking the law.

Charles Beard's story is an example of how forced arbitration impacts our servicemembers. While Charles, a former sergeant in the Army National Guard, was on tour in Iraq, the bank repossessed his family car in clear violation of SCRA. It was the only vehicle his wife and five children could rely on.

When they attempted to hold the bank accountable for violating his rights, they forced his claim into arbitration citing a clause in Charles' contract that he was required to sign to purchase the car, which waived his constitutional right to a jury trial.

This private system does not to have the same procedural safeguards of our justice system. It is not subject to oversight, it does not have a judge or jury, and it is not bound by laws passed by Congress or the States. These clauses allow companies to choose the arbiter and venue while denying servicemembers any right to appeal.

This is nothing short of corporate takeover or our Nation's system of laws, and the American people have had enough. The overwhelming majority of voters, including 83 percent of Democrats and 87 percent of Republicans support ending forced arbitration. It is time to act.

My bipartisan amendment would end this shameful practice by clarifying that arbitration clauses are only enforceable if agreed to by servicemembers or their family after a dispute arises, thereby protecting their rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.

As a Nation devoted to protecting our brave men and women in uniform, we have to ensure that their rights are actually enforceable in court.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues, Guy Reschenthaler, Jared Golden, Anthony Brown, and Veterans Affairs Chairman Mark Takano for their strong, bipartisan support for this amendment to protect our men and women in uniform.

This provision was incorporated in both the 2020 and 2021 NDAA. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues, again, to support this amendment and protect American servicemembers, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Takano), the distinguished chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time remains?

Madam Speaker, when my friend said that the arbitration generally works, he is right, it generally works for big, powerful corporations, employers, financial institutions, but it doesn't work for servicemen and women who are serving our country in the military.

It makes it harder, it is more difficult, it is more costly. And, by the way, if you want to go to arbitration, you can elect to do it, you just can't be forced into it if this amendment passes. We hear our friends all the time say to stand up for the men and women in uniform, show it by voting for this amendment.

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

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, it is a great honor to be part of this Special Order hour, and I thank Chairman Takano, who is not only a leader in the Equality Caucus but also chair of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for organizing our Special Order hour.

I know we are joined by several other members of our caucus, including one of our new members, an extraordinary gentleman from New Hampshire, Chris Pappas, who we will hear from in just a moment.

As chair of the LGBTQ-Plus Equality Caucus. I am very proud to be here tonight to stand alongside my colleagues as we mark this very important anniversary.

Ten years ago, a, historic wrong was corrected when Don't Ask, Don't Tell was repealed. I wish I could say it is hard to remember when members of the LGBTQ community had to push for their right to serve our country openly. But we continue to struggle for full equality in our military and in many other areas of our lives.

A few years ago, President Trump imposed a ban on transgender people serving their country in the military. Thankfully, President Biden reversed that move and just in the past days his administration has taken additional steps to ensure equal access to services for those unfairly discharged.

Thousands of members of the LGBTQ community have served and continue to serve in our Nation's military, and we are grateful for their service. We understand that military service is inherently stressful and dangerous, and those who serve are heroes for putting themselves in harm's way to protect us all.

Now imagine conducting that service knowing that your very identity must be kept hidden at the risk of being thrown out with a dishonorable discharge. And we know that LGBTQ servicemembers had more to fear than separation. They had to face discrimination and potentially violence within their ranks should their identity be known.

The problems facing LGBTQ servicemembers did not vanish immediately upon repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. I am proud of my colleagues who continue to push to create a level playing field for those discharged under this discriminatory policy. I particularly want to acknowledge Congressman Takano and Congressman Pocan. But there is still more work to be done, and the LGBTQ-Plus Equality Caucus is committed to continuing this fight alongside those who have served.

Today, as Chairman Takano mentioned, my colleagues and I will read some firsthand accounts from people discharged under Don't Ask, Don't Tell so the American people can really understand the story of their lives.

My story is from John Hegwood, who served in the Army and identifies as a gay, bi-racial cisgender man.

He writes: ``I joined the military knowing, at least intellectually, that I couldn't be my authentic self. However, it would take several years of introspection to realize what impact this would have on my life. I told myself it would be easy to navigate as a gay man since I grew up in the very rural and antigay western part of Texas. I thought this would be a proverbial `walk in the park.'

``When I first heard that Don't Ask, Don't Tell would be repealed, I was incredulous and nearly in tears. It was almost unimaginable that this would occur within my lifetime. My then-partner and I were both military and couldn't even acknowledge our relationship in the workplace. The darker side of this otherwise heartening news is that the coming months until it was fully repealed would feel like an even more hostile environment.

``With Don't Ask, Don't Tell as the status quo for over a decade, I had the privilege of mostly flying under the radar of most of my colleagues who deemed LGBTQ soldiers as a benign part of the fighting force. Now with the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell at the forefront of the military's collective consciousness, it all but painted a target on my back as I became the focus of everyone's ire if they disagreed with the repeal that was looming on the horizon.

``I now carry with me a sense of resentment towards the military because of the harassment, hazing, bullying, and discrimination I encountered while serving from those that I was supposed to trust my life with. I had to choose between serving my country and my relationship.

``Now, we might have made some progress as a society. Last month I celebrated 10 wonderful years with that same man I couldn't even acknowledge in the workplace 10 years ago. He is now my husband, and the military that would have discharged him a decade ago now honors our marriage and was very accommodating in granting a compassionate reassignment of duty location when I was diagnosed with stage III non- Hodgkin's lymphoma.

``This doesn't mean that homophobia simply disappeared, or that everyone suddenly had no issues with us simply existing as we are. To this day it is not entirely safe for us to hold hands in public, and members of the LGBTQ community are still facing discrimination in our Armed Forces and in society as a whole.''

Madam Speaker, those words powerfully written are really a call to action as we celebrate 10 years of the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell to recognize we have much more work to do to ensure that all members of the LGBTQ community can live full lives free from discrimination of any kind.