Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Five years ago, 49 people were murdered in a violent, hate-filled, mass shooting at an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando, the Pulse nightclub. I thank Congressman Soto for his leadership and our colleagues, Congresswoman Murphy and Congresswoman Demings. I, too, had the opportunity to go to the site and to read the beautiful notes written about the young lives that were taken that night, and the very special place that Pulse was.

I was, in fact, in Florida this weekend with Barbara Poma, the owner of the Pulse nightclub, who was leading an effort to turn this site into not only a sacred place, but a museum. I shared with her what for young LGBTQ people nightclubs were and still are, a place of sanctuary, a safe place where people can be themselves where they go to dance, to be with friends, and to share a sense of community. That was all shattered by the brutality of the events of the evening in which this occurred.

This shooting was an act of terror and an act of hate. It left the Nation really grasping for answers. In the days that followed, we heard stories of incredible courage, bravery, and resolve. But mostly, there was unspeakable pain for those who lost someone in this attack.

Although I pray that the passage of 5 years has brought some measure of relief, the truth is that their pain will never fully go away. It is critical to designate this memorial today so that our country never forgets those who were lost. Congressman Soto will remember we had on the steps of the Capitol a beautiful remembrance with full-sized photographs of each of these young people who had so much to give and so much to offer whose lives were taken that night.

But in addition to remembering, it is also important that we take action to do everything we can to make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. Individuals who are convicted of hate crimes should never own a gun, and that is why I plan to reintroduce the Disarm Hate Act to do just that, because we know if you commit a hate crime, it often escalates and those crimes become increasingly violent as time goes on. No American family should have to suffer because of the loophole that currently exists today. Let's disarm hate once and for all.

Today, we remember the 49 young lives lost at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. Let's be sure that we designate this memorial officially, so that everyone will know the story of what happened to these young people who were killed because they were in a place of sanctuary, and safety, and community, but because they were members of the LGBTQ community, our allies.

Madam Speaker, I thank again the gentleman for yielding and for his incredible leadership on this issue, and I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1333, the NO BAN Act.

This legislation would prevent future abuses of power committed by the previous administration through its xenophobic Muslim ban, a despicable policy which undermined one of our Nation's founding principles, freedom of religion.

My home State of Rhode Island was established by Roger Williams on the principle of religious liberty and separation of church and state, and his leadership inspired the Framers of our Constitution to incorporate these principles into our founding documents. This legislation will help to preserve that principle.

From the very beginning, former President Trump was clear about exactly what his policy was, an explicit attempt to keep out as many people from Muslim-majority countries as possible, regardless of whether they were seeking refuge or asylum. It was never designed to make us safer. It was simply a way to spark fear and hatred among our citizens.

On his first day in office, thankfully, President Biden rescinded this policy.

Yet the impact of the Muslim ban remains. After 4 years of having this policy in place, the time it takes to reimplement normal immigration and travel policies brings delays in otherwise routine procedures, such as obtaining visas, thus delaying the reunion of families.

Thankfully, however, with the Muslim ban rescinded, those families can take comfort in knowing they are a step closer to once again being with their loved ones.

Despite this, it remains necessary to pass this NO BAN Act. Without making the necessary reforms to prevent the abuses of power of the previous administration, they could simply be put back in place by a future President.

The NO BAN Act makes it unequivocally clear that we stand by the American ideal of freedom of religion. It will provide the necessary limitations on the President's ability to use overly broad terms to inappropriately and indiscriminately target and label entire groups of racial, ethnic, or religious minorities because of who they choose to worship.

We must not tolerate discriminatory actions that undermine our core values and threaten our Nation's health and safety.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support passage of the NO BAN Act. I thank the chairman of the committee for his leadership, and I thank Congresswoman Judy Chu for her extraordinary leadership in this regard.

Madam Speaker, I want to start with responding to a complete misrepresentation of what this bill does. We have heard our friends on the other side of the aisle say that this bill requires that counsel be appointed to individuals, and they have even gone so far as to assign a number to it, $800 million.

That simply is not true. At first, I thought maybe it was an honest mistake, but it is being repeated. So now I know it is an affirmative misrepresentation.

What the bill does--and I invite my colleagues to look at the language of the bill. Go to page 3, line 17. A covered individual has a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel and an interested party; they are required to provide a meaningful opportunity to consult with counsel.

There is no requirement in the bill that counsel be provided or paid for. So that claim is just not true. No matter how many times it gets repeated by our Republican colleagues, they are making it up. It is not in the bill.

So I rise in strong support of the H.R. 1573, the Access to Counsel Act.

Our legal system rests on the principle that every person is entitled to due process and a meaningful opportunity to be heard. The ability to consult with legal counsel is critical to both of these principles. For some, it is a matter of life and death. In the context of immigration, access to counsel can mean the difference between someone fleeing persecution, being able to remain safely in the United States, or detained or deported back to a war zone.

These are decisions that are often made away from courts. For example, Customs and Border Protection have the power to remove individuals from the United States without a hearing, based on statements made during an initial screening. Nothing in this bill changes that.

Questioning by Immigration and Customs Enforcement can lead to arrest, detention, initiation of removal proceedings, and removal, all done without access to counsel. The time, expense, and other resources associated with many immigration-related detentions could be avoided entirely if counsel were able to sit in during questioning.

H.R. 1573 confirms that the right to access counsel attaches at the time of holding or detention and requires CBP or ICE to provide people detained and questioned with the ability to make a call and notify an attorney of their detention.

H.R. 1573 does not force CBP or ICE to identify and assign lawyers to individuals subject to inspection. It doesn't require them to provide funds to obtain lawyers and support through the inspection process, nor does it create any obligation for the government to pay for counsel.

This legislation simply opens the door to meaningful access to counsel for those who have an attorney ready to assist, and it ensures that people subjected to prolonged inspection are able to communicate with and receive assistance from counsel or other individuals who can facilitate the inspection process.

This is a commonsense proposal that really does ensure that the system will work more efficiently, particularly for U.S. citizens.

I want to applaud the sponsor of this bill, Congresswoman Jayapal, for her extraordinary leadership. I thank the chairman of our committee for bringing this to the committee and now to the floor. This is something that everyone should support.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1573.

Madam Speaker, our Nation owes a great debt to the healthcare and social service workers fighting on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. These essential workers treat the ill, administer vaccines, care for the elderly, and respond to emergencies across the country. Their efforts are critical to our Nation's response to the pandemic.

Yet, Congress has abdicated its responsibility to protect these essential workers from violence in the workplace. These workers are almost five times as likely to experience a serious injury from workplace violence than workers in other sectors.

That is why I am proud to cosponsor H.R. 1195. I want to acknowledge the principled, compassionate, committed and effective leadership of Congressman Courtney for shepherding this bill to the floor.

This legislation would direct OSHA to quickly issue an interim final standard mandating healthcare and social service employers implement workplace prevention plans.

This is not a partisan issue. I hope we can all agree that everyone deserves to feel safe at work. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Madam Speaker, I include in the Record a letter from the American Public Health Association in support of the legislation.

American Public

Health Association,

Washington, DC, March 23, 2021.

House Committee on Education and Labor,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the American Public

Health Association, a diverse community of public health

professionals that champions the health of all people and

communities, I write in strong support of H.R. 1195, the

Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social

Services Workers Act. This important bipartisan legislation

would require the Occupational Safety and Health

Administration to develop a workplace violence prevention

standard to protect workers who are at the greatest risk from

violence on the job.

Workplace violence is a serious problem that has increased

substantially in the last decade. Every day, nurses,

psychiatric aides, social workers and other caretakers are

assaulted on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports

that in 2019 health care and social service workers

experienced the highest rate of workplace violence injuries

at 14.7 per 10,000 workers, compared to a national average of

4.4 for all workers. In the same year, psychiatric hospitals

had a recorded rate of serious injury due to workplace

violence at 152.4 per 10,000 workers. Since 2010, the rate of

serious workplace violence injuries has increased by 52% in

health care and social assistance jobs. Health care and

social service workers are at greatest risk because they are

on the frontlines of patient and client care, often working

with high-risk populations who need specialized care and

attention. This type of violence has a significant and long-

lasting impact on individual workers and on the public's

health.

Assaults and other violence experienced by health care and

social assistance workers is a preventable problem that

requires a public health approach. This legislation would

require employers who operate health care facilities, mental

health clinics, emergency services and home care to develop a

workplace violence prevention plan. These plans have shown to

be effective and the tools for preventing violence in these

workplaces are available, such as emergency response alarms,

improved lighting and safe staffing levels.

We strongly urge your support for this important

legislation which is a critical step in protecting our

caregivers from work-related violence.

Sincerely,

Georges C. Benjamin, MD,

Executive Director.

Mr. Speaker, this Nation has made far too little progress in the fight for equal pay in the workplace. In 2021, women who work full time year round are paid, on average, only 82 cents for every dollar paid to men. This adds up to over $400,000 in lost wages over the course of a woman's career.

For women of color, the gender gap is a gender chasm, with Latinas earning 55 cents, Black women earning 63 cents, and Asian American and Pacific Islander women earning a mere 52 cents for every dollar paid to a White man for the same work.

The long overdue Paycheck Fairness Act would bring us closer to closing these gaps by ensuring equal pay for equal work. Notably, it would hold employers accountable for discriminatory practices, end pay secrecy, ease workers' ability to challenge pay discrimination, and strengthen the available remedies for wronged employees.

I thank Congresswoman DeLauro for her tireless advocacy on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record a letter of support from the National Women's Law Center.

National Women's Law Center,

April 14, 2021.

Re Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7) and vote no on

harmful amendments.

Dear Representative: As the House votes this week on the

Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 7), we strongly urge you to pass

the Paycheck Fairness Act without amendments that limit its

scope or undermine its critical protections.

Despite federal and state equal pay laws, gender pay gaps

persist, and earnings lost to these gaps are exacerbating the

financial effects of COVID-19, falling particularly heavily

on women of color and the families who depend on their

income. The Paycheck Fairness Act, which has been passed

three previous times by the House of Representatives, mostly

recently in the 116th Congress, offers a much-needed update

to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by providing new tools to battle

pervasive pay gaps and to challenge discrimination.

Women are increasingly the primary or co-breadwinner in

their families and cannot afford to be shortchanged. Women

working full-time, year-round are typically paid only 82

cents for every dollar paid to men, adding up to a loss of

more than $400,000 over a lifetime. This wage gap varies by

race and is larger for many women of color: Black women

working full time, year round typically make only 63 cents,

Native American women only 60 cents, and Latinas only 55

cents, for every dollar paid to their white, non-Hispanic

male counterparts. Latinas lose more than $1 million over a

40-year career due to the wage gap. While Asian American and

Pacific Islander (AAPI) women make 85 cents for every dollar

paid to white, non-Hispanic men, many AAPI communities

experience drastically wider pay gaps. Mothers typically make

only 75 cents for every dollar paid to fathers. And even when

controlling for factors, such as education and experience,

pay gaps persist and start early in women's careers and

contribute to a wealth gap that follows them throughout their

lifetimes. Persistent pay discrimination, often cloaked by

employer-imposed pay secrecy policies, is one factor driving

these wage gaps.

These pay gaps can be addressed only if workers have the

legal tools necessary to challenge discrimination and

employers are provided with effective incentives and

technical assistance to comply with the law.

The Paycheck Fairness Act updates and strengthens the Equal

Pay Act of 1963 to ensure that it provides robust protection

against sex-based pay discrimination. Among other provisions,

this comprehensive bill:

ends secrecy around pay by barring retaliation against

workers who voluntarily discuss or disclose their wages, and

requiring employers to report pay data to the EEOC

prohibits employers from relying on salary history in

determining future pay, so that pay discrimination does not

follow women from job to job

closes loopholes that have allowed employers to pay women

less than men for the same work without any important

business justification related to the job

ensures women can receive the same robust remedies for sex-

based pay discrimination that are currently available to

those subjected to discrimination based on race and ethnicity

provides much needed training and technical assistance, as

well as data collection and research

The COVID-19 pandemic and systemic racism have exposed how

the work performed primarily by women, and particularly Black

and brown women, has long been and continues to be

undervalued and underpaid, even as the rest of the country is

newly recognizing the essential nature of this work. We

cannot build back an economy that works for everyone without

ensuring that all women can work with equality, safety, and

dignity, starting with pay equity. Passing the Paycheck

Fairness Act would mark a vitally important step toward

ensuring this becomes reality.

We urge you to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act without

harmful amendments that weaken its critical protections.

Sincerely,

Emily J. Martin,

Vice President for Education & Workplace Justice.

Maya Raghu,

Director of Workplace Equality & Senior Counsel.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to vote for this package and close the gender wage gap once and for all.

Mr. Speaker, Dreamers are American citizens in every sense of the word. For most, America is the only home they have ever known.

Despite what my colleagues on the other side of the aisle argue, Dreamers are not a drain on the country.

Dreamers contribute to our economy by adding an estimated $42 billion to the GDP every year. That is six times more than the cost of DACA.

They participate in our workforce, own small businesses, create jobs, pay taxes, and spend billions of dollars every year on goods and services. Most importantly, they enrich our lives and are valued members of our communities.

When the pandemic hit, over 62,000 Dreamers stepped up and provided lifesaving healthcare to all of us. Now, it is our turn to look out for our neighbors, our coworkers, and our friends. They have earned the right to call America home.

H.R. 6 provides a path to citizenship for Dreamers as well as temporary protected status and deferred enforced departure recipients.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.'' There is nothing more American than the Dream Act.

Madam Speaker, every person, regardless of sex, must be treated equally under the law. H.J. Res. 17 reaffirms this core American value. It makes clear that the arbitrary deadline in the equal rights amendment may not stand in the way of achieving full equality for women.

With women losing their jobs at disproportionately high rates, the COVID-19 pandemic has only further revealed the need for this amendment.

In 2020, American women lost more than 5 million jobs. A vote for this resolution is a vote for equal access to healthcare. It is a vote for equal pay for the same work. It is a vote for equal opportunity and basic human rights in all other aspects of life for women in this country.

Congress must act now to remove this arbitrary deadline. There must be no time limit on guaranteeing equal rights under the law.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.J. Res. 17.

Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, once again, the vital importance of the Violence Against Women Act.

With the Nation under stay-at-home orders, many women were unable to escape their abusers or find help in their communities.

Thanks to VAWA, organizations like the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence were able to meet women where they are, despite these obstacles.

In 2020, VAWA grants helped the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence assist over 9,000 survivors of domestic violence and answer over 17,000 helpline calls, nearly a 12 percent increase from 2019.

During the pandemic, through VAWA programs, Rhode Islanders have found transitional housing, received counseling services, and obtained assistance with seeking restraining orders.

Violence Against Women Act grants and programs can really be the difference between life or death.

Vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1620, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021.

Mr. Speaker, people often wonder: Does government understand what is happening in my life and the family's life?

Despite the arguments of our Republican colleagues that the pandemic has passed, that the economy is fine, and that no relief is warranted, the truth is that more than half a million people have died, 4 million small businesses have closed, millions of people are out of work, and relief is needed.

The American Rescue Plan will speed up the delivery of vaccines, bolster testing and tracing, and expand access to affordable healthcare. It puts money--up to $1,400 a person--right into the pockets of working people. It extends unemployment benefits and gets help to small businesses.

Today, with President Biden in the White House and Democrats in control of the Congress, we can tell the American people that help is on the way.

To listen to my friends on the other side of the aisle, you wonder, where do they live, because, according to them, all of this has been resolved, the pandemic is gone, people are back to work, and the economy has recovered. That is not reality.

This bill will provide desperately needed relief to those we serve. Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to support the American Rescue Plan.

Mr. Speaker, in 2015, a white supremacist with a criminal record was allowed to purchase a gun which he used to kill nine parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina.

That shooter, who was prohibited under Federal law from owning a gun, was able to purchase one because of a loophole that allows the sale of a gun to proceed if Federal investigators do not complete a background check within 3 days.

Through November of last year there were more than 5,800 incidents where people who are legally prohibited--criminals--legally prohibited from purchasing a firearm still obtained one because of this dangerous provision, which has come to be known as the ``Charleston loophole.''

H.R. 1446, the Enhanced Background Checks Act, closes the Charleston loophole. It strengthens background check procedures to ensure that Federal investigators have enough time to complete background checks before a gun is transferred to the buyer. Common sense.

But closing the Charleston loophole is not enough. Current Federal law only requires a background check for the sale of guns from licensed gun dealers.

Background checks work. Since the law was enacted, 3\1/2\ million gun sales were denied, which means 3\1/2\ million people who were prohibited under Federal law because of a criminal record or some other disqualifying information were denied the right to buy a gun. They work. The problem is more than 20 percent of gun sales or gun transfers happen without a background check.

And that is why H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act requires background checks on all gun sales, including guns sold by unlicensed dealers online or at trade shows.

Every day in this country more than 100 people in the United States are killed with guns. Gun violence is an epidemic that threatens the public safety in communities all across America. We must not wait for another tragedy to strike.

Requiring background checks on all gun sales is a commonsense gun violence prevention measure that serves as a first line of defense to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

I think we can all agree that dangerous criminals should not be able to get guns. There has been a lot of discussion today about Second Amendment gun rights, and we all respect that. But what about my constituents' right to live a life free from gun violence, to take a walk in the park, to go to a movie theater, to go to church and pray, and to be able to do so without the fear of being gunned down and killed? There is a competing interest here of public safety and protecting the security of people to live a life free from gun violence.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 1446 and H.R. 8. Join us in supporting legislation supported by over 90 percent of the American people who have good common sense. Vote ``yes.'' Help end the scourge of gun violence in this country.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the PRO Act. Union membership is at historic lows while inequality is at historic highs. The tremendous income inequality in our country is due, in large part, to antiunion policies that have stripped workers of the freedom to negotiate collectively for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions.

Strong unions are essential to rebuilding the middle class and improving the lives of millions of Americans.

The PRO Act ensures workers have the freedom to decide for themselves, without retaliation, whether to form a union. It strengthens safeguards to ensure workers can hold free and fair union elections and it imposes penalties on companies and executives that violate workers' collective bargaining rights.

Passing the PRO Act will not only strengthen Rhode Island's workers' ability to join a union, it will help rebuild the middle class and create an economy where everyone can succeed.

I urge all my colleagues to support the PRO Act.

Mr. Speaker, George Floyd died under the knee of a police officer 302 days ago. In the time since then, 797 people--more than 2\1/2\ every day--have died during encounters with law enforcement.

Black Americans are 2\1/2\ times as likely as White Americans to be killed by the police. Police use of force is now the sixth-leading cause of death for young Black men in this country. This cannot continue. It is time to address systemic racism in policing.

Mr. Speaker, this bill will begin to do that. It ends choke holds. It will hold bad officers accountable, combat racial profiling, and demilitarize police departments. This bill is about ensuring accountability and restoring trust between law enforcement and their communities. Both the police and the community deserve that and will benefit from it.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be a cosponsor, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

And I would say, there has been a lot of discussion about defunding the police. The only party in this Chamber defunding the police are the Republicans, who just voted against billions of dollars to support local and State government, first responders, police officers. We supported that. We are funding the police. They voted to defund it.

Mr. Speaker, this bill restores relationships between the police and the community, and I urge its passage.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, which would provide the most significant reform to our democratic system in decades.

This landmark legislation will strengthen our democracy by expanding access to the ballot, reducing the corrupting influence of corporate money in political campaigns, and restoring ethics and integrity to government.

H.R. 1 will make it easier for millions of Americans to vote and significantly increase the number of voters in this country by implementing initiatives like automatic voter registration. It will also implement reforms that will hold elected officials to a higher ethical standard, such as requiring Presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns.

These are issues that I have introduced legislation on in the previous Congress, and I am proud that they are included in H.R. 1.

Finally, H.R. 1 will include the DISCLOSE Act, which I introduced to shine a light on unlimited spending that has overrun our elections. Without fixing our broken system and taking power from the powerful special interests and returning it to the people of this country, it will be almost impossible to make progress on the issues

that are important to the American people.

The DISCLOSE Act will require organizations that spend money on our elections to promptly disclose donors who give $10,000 or more during an election cycle, and prevent political operatives from actions meant to conceal the identity of donors.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the For the People Act, restore democracy, return power to the people of this country, and take it away from the powerful special interests.

Madam Speaker, discrimination is wrong. We all know that. As children, we learn the golden rule: Treat others the way you yourself want to be treated.

But, right now, discrimination is a fact of life for millions of LGBTQ Americans.

The fact is that, in most States, an LGBTQ person is at risk of being denied housing, education, or the right to serve on a jury because of who they are. That is why we are here today to consider H.R. 5, the Equality Act.

The Equality Act does no more and no less than say LGBTQ people deserve the same rights and responsibilities as all other Americans, most fundamentally the right to live lives free of discrimination. It builds on the Civil Rights Act and other existing laws to extend anti- discrimination protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans.

President Biden has said that getting this bill signed into law is one of his top priorities for his first 100 days in office.

I want to thank him and a few other people for making this bill a priority: Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Whip Clyburn, and the co-chairs of the LGBTQ Equality Caucus: Mark Takano, Mark Pocan, Sean Patrick Maloney, Angie Craig, Sharice Davids, Chris Pappas, Mondaire Jones, and Ritchie Torres.

I thank them all for being true champions for our community.

Madam Speaker, every American deserves to be treated with respect and dignity. That is what the Equality Act will achieve for the LGBTQ community by providing protection against discrimination in employment, education, housing, credit, jury service, public accommodations, and Federal funding.

I am proud to say this bill has broad support from across the political spectrum, including groups from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the ACLU and everyone in between.

Madam Speaker, 83 percent of Americans support this bill, including 68 percent--more than two out of three--Republican voters.

To my friends on the other side of the aisle: As you consider this bill, I hope you will bear in mind how your vote will be remembered years from now.

Will you be remembered in the same breath as all those who fought for equal rights in the past: Freedom Riders, suffragettes, the anti- apartheid activists? Or will you be remembered along with those who stood in the way of progress?

This bill is personal for me and personal for millions of LGBTQ people and our loved ones. Madam Speaker, you all have family members, friends, and coworkers who identify as LGBTQ.

I want you to ask yourself: What does this vote mean for them and how you will look them in the eye if you vote to uphold the current system that allows them to be discriminated against?

The LGBTQ community has waited long enough. The time has come to extend the blessings of liberty and equality to all Americans, regardless of who they are or whom they love.

Vote ``yes'' and pass the Equality Act today.

Madam Speaker, I have a motion at the desk.