Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose H. Res. 957.

I have a question. If we have open borders, which is what I hear on the

Homeland Security Committee all the time, then let me ask this question: Why are people dying--children--in the Rio Grande while attempting to enter our country?

Let me ask another question. Why are there over 38,000 people right now sitting in immigration detention? If the borders are open, why are families living in fear of separation by deportation?

We know many of them because they go to church with us--at least, I go to church with some of those immigrant families.

Republicans are not serious about making real policy change because if they were, they would do a couple of the things that you see on my board here: allocate resources and capacity to make our borders safer; adopt smart tech to stem fentanyl brought into the U.S. through the ports of entry, much of it by American citizens; expedite and expand work permits to address our labor shortages that are driving inflation; and alleviate the conditions across Latin America that motivate families to migrate.

I have been to the border. My mother crossed the border with me. I can tell you that the borders are not, in fact, open.

I invite those serious about change, though, to support any or all of the solutions, the things that we were sent to do here--find solutions.

I invite you to abandon H. Res. 957, which is a political stunt, and those sham impeachments that make no meaningful policy progress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to see through the political performance of 2023. Let's leave it in '23. We shouldn't have brought it into '24. Let's vote hell no to H. Res. 957.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order.

Madam Speaker, we are here talking about the work that we have done, or tried to do, in this past year. This week is the last week Members of this body will gather to work on legislative business for 2023.

The last time I convened the Special Order hour, my colleagues and I came to the floor to discuss the impact that the debt ceiling would have on everyday, working people. We said over and over that a debt ceiling agreement that shortchanged funding for vital programs shortchanges everyday people.

I find that, much like in May, we are in the same place fighting to protect and to preserve the programs our communities need. Just like in May, I am here to remind this body why we were sent here and who sent us here: Our constituents.

Let me be clear. Who sent us here are our constituents, not MAGA extremists, not lobbyists, and definitely not Donald Trump.

This year, my colleagues and I on the Congressional Progressive Caucus have been fighting like hell for policies that protect people, including expanding healthcare for DACA recipients; addressing gun violence; securing protections for the workforce; and centering our policies around equity and justice.

I am proud to say that we have been able to deliver for our communities, yes, even in the midst of chaos. While we were able to accomplish so little--although I know that my colleague tried to talk a little bit about what the GOP tried to do--I am convening this Special Order hour to speak truth to power.

Madam Speaker, let me be clear and say that Republicans have held progress hostage. It has been a year, and we have spent more time on speakership elections--19 to be exact--pointless censures, and political theater, jeopardizing the safety and the well-being of people, instead of moving policy that improves their lives.

We have spent countless hours subjected to words that dehumanize and devalue Brown and Black people, and I have witnessed firsthand as Members across the aisle call immigrants vile names like infestations over and over again, not just here but during my committee hearings; denying their humanity.

I have spent more time attending vigils than celebrating life because Republicans are intent on holding up bills that would address gun violence.

I have spent more time voting ``no'' to protect my constituents from harmful cuts and reckless policies than I have had the opportunity to vote ``yes'' to legislation that prioritizes working people and families.

I have spent more time on picket lines affirming that workers deserve living wages, protection from retaliation, and the right to collectively bargain than actually passing policies that ensure that all workers are compensated well, respected, and valued.

When I was elected to Congress, I told my community that I was committed to delivering results. I am here today to say that in the face of everyday Republican-manufactured obstacles to progress, their political games, their disorganization, and their opposition to honoring our shared humanity, I remained true to my commitments and my values as a Member of Congress.

I have remained focused on delivering results for Illinois' Third Congressional District and honoring our diverse multicultural, multigenerational community.

I am not alone.

My colleagues in the Congressional Progressive Caucus have also remained true to their commitment and their values and focused on delivering for their districts. I am grateful to be flanked by such dedicated, persevering, and courageous leaders.

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to welcome one of my colleagues to share some of the progress that she has made and what Congress must still continue to do to accomplish and deliver for the people.

Madam Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Lee).

Madam Speaker, as the gentlewoman was talking, I started asking myself that if our colleagues that are in the majority were actually serious about delivering for their constituents, then perhaps we would spend less time in censures; perhaps we would spend less time fighting each other, doing whatever kidney-elbow situation; arguing with each other on the corners, and all the games and all the other things they do, and actually pass legislation that helps people's experiences improve, like legislation around housing, making it more affordable so that no one has to live in a tent.

It is interesting because Republicans seem to really care about homelessness when it is someone that is undocumented, that is an immigrant or asylum seeker, but they have had the opportunity in leadership in these past 12 months to pass legislation to address housing, and instead, they are cutting funds for housing.

They say they care about families and women and their wives and their children, but they refuse to pass paid leave.

They say they care and are worried about healthcare, but are they really? Because if they were worried about healthcare, we would be doing less of the crazy theater here--19 elections for a darn Speaker-- and actually pass quality healthcare.

Let's talk a little bit more about what they haven't done and what we should be focusing on.

I know that the gentleman from Utah attempted to talk about the GOP accomplishments, but I couldn't figure out which one accomplishment he was able to actually tangibly prove.

Let's talk about housing. It is no secret that housing prices are skyrocketing.

In Chicago, for example, we have seen a 5.7 increase in the cost of rent in 1 year. In some communities, it is as high as a 20 percent increase.

As temperatures plummet, more people find themselves in tents suffering cold nights in unsafe conditions, or they are just one paycheck away from homelessness.

You would think that our colleagues would be concerned about government shutdowns since so many people are just one paycheck away from homelessness. While working families are struggling to pay rent, we faced not one, but two threats of a Republican national shutdown.

I have to say it over and over. This is what my constituents ask me about every time I go back home, or message me: We didn't elect you all to spend your time fighting each other because you don't like each other, or because one person said this thing that this other person didn't like. All this time you spend censuring each other and fighting instead of negotiating appropriation bills that would fully fund our communities.

Yet, that is what 12 months in Congress have looked like. The Republicans are leaving everyday American families literally out in the cold.

In spite of Republican chaos, I, along with Representatives Rashida Tlaib from Michigan-12, Ayanna Pressley from Massachusetts-07, Jimmy Gomez from California-34, and Greg Casar from Texas-35 are delivering when it comes to housing.

We introduced H.R. 5827, the Tenants' Right to Organize Act, legislation that will protect the power of tenants with Federal vouchers to organize.

We know that throughout our Nation, from big cities, like Chicago, to smaller cities, tenants have recognized that when we fight, when we come together and claim our power, we win.

Tenant organizing is not only winning battles against unfair housing practices, unjustified evictions, housing discrimination, and uncontrolled price hikes; it is also changing housing public policy.

The Tenants' Right to Organize Act, my bill, aims to amplify their efforts by protecting the organizing rights of tenants with housing choice vouchers and tenants living in low-income housing tax credit properties. It also expands protections for mixed-status families and those who may not be eligible for tenant-based rental assistance.

Currently, only public housing tenants have legally recognized the right to organize. By extending this right to housing choice vouchers and low-income tax credit tenants, the bill acknowledges that all tenants deserve decent, safe, stable, and sanitary housing.

The fight for safe, stable, equitable housing must also include tenants, and as we are encountering a worsening housing affordability crisis, we understand that now, more than ever, all tenants must have the right to organize.

Now, let's talk about immigration. This is a place where I find the most dissonance. The same people that love to quote Scripture--God has called me to love him above all things--and then they seem to forget the second commandment: Love your neighbor as you love yourself--it couldn't be more clear as it comes to immigration.

I cannot count the number of times the same people who quote Scripture come to this podium to respond while scapegoating immigrant communities, demonizing them, and then saying that they care about them, ``poor immigrants.''

Well, if you cared about them and if you cared about humanity, and certainly if we were living our Christian values, then we would be looking for legal pathways so no one would have to endure what so many people seeking asylum have to do every single day.

Republicans have repeatedly tried to introduce legislation and resolutions that deport unaccompanied children. These are the same people that say that they are the ones of family values, they are the ones protecting life and children. They want to end asylum, and they want to jail families.

They are trying again right now. They are seeking to extort immoral and deplorable border provisions in exchange for aid for Ukraine. I have said it before and I will say it again and again and again: It is hypocritical, cynical, to target immigrants when many of the people who serve in this Chamber, some of them with me right now, have reaped the benefits of immigrant labor and become wealthy on the backs of immigrant sacrifice.

It takes courage to cross the border, to seek a job, to pursue an opportunity to raise your children in safety. The courage of our people stands in stark contrast with the cowardice of my colleagues.

There is nothing people-centered, nothing noble, nothing redeeming about their extremist approach to border immigration policy. Let's just be clear. They are scapegoating immigrants right now so they can say to their voters that they are doing something about the border, but they are not going to want to do enough, because they want to take the border conversation and issue to the polls in November.

Their unwillingness to negotiate, to actually get to the root cause of migration, is mind-boggling. They don't want solutions. Because if they wanted solutions, they would understand that actually addressing immigration, passing comprehensive immigration reform, would actually prioritize our economy. It would actually address the root causes of migration in Central and South America by creating legal pathways, by working with these countries, by ensuring that we help strengthen their democracies.

Yet, in spite of all the Republican chaos, a number of us have reintroduced the Dream and Promise Act, and we will work and work until we deliver it.

In spite of my Republican colleagues' inability to act beyond the border, we are here taking that first step in the right direction to give Dreamers and immigrants in America an earned pathway to citizenship that reflects our values as a Nation, a multicultural democracy of diversity and inclusion. We are here moving the needle to a real comprehensive immigration reform package that embraces our values as a nation.

Now, let me talk a little bit more about that. There are 9.8 million job openings right now. You can go to your local grocery store, go to Aldi, because some of us shop there still, very proudly, or you can go to absolutely any

other store. You talk about supply chain, and you realize that we don't have the workforce we need in order to address the issues of economy of the moment.

Now, just imagine, if the people that are here already, of the 11 million people living in the shadows, some of them for the last 30 years, if they were able to get a work permit, they would pay taxes, generate revenue for the Federal Government, helping address our issues of budget. They would address supply chain issues, our manufacturing, hospitality, agriculture, and the list goes on in terms of the different trades that are desperately needing workers that would get the workers they need. They would actually extend Social Security by decades if we passed comprehensive immigration policy, but that is not what we want to do.

We are so insecure perhaps about ourselves that we are unable to see the bigger picture of the economy for our country. Comprehensive immigration reform is a solution to the economy. Comprehensive immigration reform is the American way. This country was founded by immigrants, and every single person in this Chamber right now comes from a family who also migrated to this country, unless you are from the original indigenous communities.

Let me say this. As the only Member of Congress married to a Dreamer, this issue is extremely personal to me. I am committed to fighting this fight until we have a humane immigration policy that doesn't question the validity of people's lives and claims, that doesn't impose hurtful limitations on our communities, or doesn't leave anyone behind. No bans. No walls. No raids. Punto.

I want to talk to you a little bit about education and veterans. While extreme Republicans have served up hate and fear from every direction with no regard for the harm it causes our communities, I have been focused on addressing the real issues everyday people face--people like Army veteran Christopher Brown from Des Plaines, Illinois, who was promised by ITT Tech that his GI benefits would cover his tuition, only to be left with $95,000 in student loans, or Navy veteran Bryan Tario from Lisle, Illinois, who was left with a significant debt after DeVry failed to be clear about the amount of money needed to complete his education.

Constituents in our districts have real problems that require real policy solutions. There are bad actors who should be held accountable and whose impact on our constituents can be minimized through prevention and redress.

These are the problems we should be addressing. If we spent the actual time addressing these issues, we would see the American people feel the improvement in their day-to-day lives.

Too many veterans are defrauded by predatory, often for-profit institutions that see the GI Bill education benefits and only see a profitable exploit.

In spite of the Republican chaos, I, along with Representative Mike Levin from California, have introduced the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act, my very first piece of legislation in United States Congress.

H.R. 1767 establishes an across-the-board process for student veterans to have their GI Bill education benefits restored in qualifying instances, such as when a student veteran has been defrauded by an educational institution.

While Republicans waste our time doling out impeachments and censures, they deny veterans who have been defrauded justice, leaving them without recourse or the ability to start again in a reputable institution using the benefits they earned while serving our Nation.

It is time to bring H.R. 1767 to the floor, and I know that our veterans are watching closely and deserve it.

Now, I want to talk about health. Every person in Illinois' Third Congressional District has a right to achieve their dreams. As Members of Congress, our policy choices should enable them to realize their full potential.

Access to healthcare and healthcare services are critical supports to that end. That is why, while Republicans have made it their mission to cut funding for hospitals, healthcare providers, on-the-ground organizations that support health equity efforts, and programs that enable the healthcare ecosystem to function, my colleagues and I have made expanding access to healthcare services a priority.

Republicans proposed a Labor-HHS appropriation bill that cuts vital programs and services by 28 percent, equivalent to $64 billion. Democrats held the line, and this bill did not pass. However, my colleagues, of course, did not stop there.

In spite of their chaos, I, along with so many of my colleagues, continue to deliver for our communities. Our fearless chair, Representative Jayapal, also introduced the Medicare for All Act, which would expand healthcare coverage to everyone, and I am a proud cosponsor of it.

We advocated for and we are proud to see the proposed rule from the Department of Health and Human Services that would grant eligibility for healthcare coverage to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, recipients.

I introduced an amendment to the Labor-HHS appropriation bill that affirmed how critical it is for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to maintain its independence from congressional meddling so that it can continue to address practices that harm consumers, especially predatory lending that leads to medical debt.

Medical debt puts people in an impossible position, having to choose between seeking necessary healthcare services and paying for their basic needs, like housing, food, and heat.

We didn't do that work alone. Achieving health equity requires collective action, which is why I am proud to highlight the work of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. In partnership with over 200 organizations and with funding support from the Ryan White program, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago served over 8,000 individuals last year through case management, housing, emergency financial assistance, and food support. Services include, but are not limited to, connections to housing, medical care, transportation, and behavioral health support.

The last thing I want to talk about is appropriations, something that this leadership doesn't seem to figure out. We are on our second continuing resolution, and the way things are going, we might have to go to a third one in January.

Let's not forget that Democrats have effectively kept the government open amid Republican infighting and, goodness, so much disorganization.

If we remember their first attempt at a continuing resolution, it included terrible anti-immigrant provisions and about a 30 percent cut to government services, which would have meant that in Illinois' Third District, 10,901 women and children would have gone hungry, 28,187 active and reserve servicemembers would have gone without payment in Illinois, and 5,000 residents in Illinois' Third District would have lost access to Federal help and vouchers.

These are not the goals of people who care about working families. How can you say that you are the party of family and then do everything you can to slash resources for them? To me, on the contrary, it is a vicious attack on working families.

At that time we said that if the Republicans were serious about averting a shutdown, they would bring a clean CR to the floor to keep our government running and to continue bipartisan conversations about funding priorities.

With less than 24 hours to avoid a shutdown, Republicans presented another CR. In spite of the Republican chaos, I, along with so many of my colleagues, delivered.

We defeated the extremist CR, and that victory made the clean CR that averted a shutdown possible.

We forced them to, at least momentarily, back down from their anti- immigrant demands and their cold disregard for working families. Let's remember that fight is not over.

You just heard a number of my colleagues, particularly the last one, talk about H.R. 2. H.R. 2 is the most anti-immigrant bill we have ever seen pass the Homeland Security Committee. We call it the child deportation act.

They want to bring back draconian Trump-era border policy. In the same sentence, they talk about how they are concerned about the women and children crossing the border. If that is not dissonance and hypocrisy, I don't know what is.

Let me say this loud and clear. It is our responsibility to deliver for the

people who sent us here. We are looking like chaos under Republican leadership. We must continue to double down, push back, and fight for working families.

I am committed to continuing the fight for an appropriations package that protects essential safety net programs and vital services, brings Federal resources back to my district and the State of Illinois, and prevents further cuts that threaten the well-being of our communities.

Madam Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Summer Lee for joining me today as we talked about the Progressive Caucus' Special Order hour, the things that we continue to work on, and the victories in the midst of the chaos.

Here is what I want to say as I wrap up. Two days ago, I got back from Guatemala and Honduras. I went on my first committee delegation trip. As I visited Guatemala as a United States Congressperson, I couldn't stop thinking about my mother and how she has reminded me over the years of the 1,800-mile journey she took, walking and suffering as she was pregnant with me. She left poverty. She left a place she loved to have a better opportunity for me, her daughter.

I think about the moment that we are in today. I am very proud that I am the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants. I am very proud that I am the very first Latina of many to come from the Midwest. But I am more proud and honored to be able to be in this place, in this Chamber, fighting every single day for working families.

I am fighting for women who deserve paid leave and for constituents across the country who deserve quality healthcare.

I am fighting for clean water, clean energy, affordable housing, and the ability of the American people not to have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck.

I am fighting for that senior in my district who calls me crying: ``If the government shuts down and I don't get my Social Security check, at 74 years of age, I am out in the street.'' These are the people who send us to Congress.

Madam Speaker, most of my colleagues, while celebrating and partying at holiday celebrations, perhaps having many spirits, should be reminded why they were sent to this Chamber. They were sent to represent the people who see them as their voice.

I will say to women, women of color, immigrants, the working class, children and our youth, Brown and Black people, the LGBTQ community, advocates and activists, on-the-ground organizations providing critical services, and anyone who feels afraid or invisible right now, to friends and allies of the progressive movement, and to my constituents in Illinois: I see you. I am fighting for you every single day.

There have been hard days in Washington, D.C., when I have been the only woman, the only Latina, the only elected official with a mixed- status family where people are making decisions that will impact my life and your life, things that will impact the people I care about and the people you care about.

If there is ever a moment I falter, I think about my roots. I think about who I was sent here to fight for, and I find my footing again. My community is with me wherever I go, no matter how far away from home I might be.

While Republicans and their destructive agenda seek to decay the trust we have with one another, and they seek to divide us by holding resources hostage, community holds us together.

I refuse to allow Republicans and their obstruction of justice stop my colleagues and I from achieving true progress. I believe that progress is possible and that we can build a country that honors and respects the humanity and dignity of all marginalized people.

I believe that seeking asylum is a human right. I believe housing is a human right. In a country as rich as ours, no one should ever go hungry. No one should be trapped by crippling debt, whether it be student loan debt or medical debt. Brown and Black people are not disposable.

I fiercely fight for a world in which no one has to make impossible choices between going hungry or keeping the lights on at home.

I fight for a world where my loved ones like my uncle, who has been waiting for so long, can finally feel like this country is his home; where the color of our skin isn't a death sentence; and where we don't have to protest to ensure that climate change is taken seriously and the land and the people who take care of it are respected.

I believe in a self-determined future where all Palestinians and Israelis are free and safe. Our futures are intersected, and that realization can provide a path to coexistence.

A more just and loving world is possible. Progress is possible. It is possible because of the collective movement we are building--a progressive movement that does not move in fear but moves in courage.

The work is nowhere near done. Whether Republicans like it or not, I am here to stay and do the work that secures the future for all people. May we be reminded in this new year why we are here, who sent us here, and the responsibility we have to represent our constituents.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend and constituent, Oscar Ortiz, a devoted organizer and champion for educational equity. Oscar was a visionary: he fought for a just, inclusive future where everyone thrives. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, son, and respected member of the Illinois Third Congressional District community.

Born in our great City of Chicago on April 21, 1962, to Benito and Mirta Ortiz, Oscar dedicated his life to empowering our community through education. He believed that education was a powerful tool to build a just future. He knew education could unlock our collective potential and enable us to realize our dreams. With that in mind, Ortiz became an elementary and high school teacher, helping our young people find their power and joy in learning. Whether it was at Jahn and Lowell Elementary Schools or Jefferson Alternative School, el maestro Ortiz was always present for all his students, their parents, and faculty.

His desire to serve our community and defend public education in Chicago led him to join the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) in May 2003, where he quickly became a committed and active member, never missing a meeting or event. There, Oscar served as a sergeant-at-arms, as the Lowell delegate, and as a member of the Legislative Committees, always with the intention of advancing social justice and equity through education.

Oscar generously committed his time on earth to countless social justice causes. He believed in the power of organized communities and worked tirelessly to build a better future for Chicago and our nation. I, personally, will miss his calls to action and the way he could stir our passions and stoke our courage on the bullhorn at direct actions. May his passion for change and love of community always--guide us! I will miss him dearly, and I know that countless others will, too. He was a true, loyal friend.

His wife, Sabina; sons, Gabriel and Daniel; brother Ed; parents, Benito and Mirta; all his loved ones, and to the entire CTU family, are in my heart and in my prayers. Together, as we mourn his passing, let us celebrate the blessing he was in all of our lives, the impact he had on our community, and the mark he has left in our great City of Chicago. Oscar vive, la lucha sigue. Rest in power, Oscar.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on a crisis of displacement, tax evasion, and lack of housing affordability that is directly affecting our communities, including the people of Illinois' Third Congressional District and their families.

Because of Act 22 and Federal tax loopholes, Puerto Rico is the only place where a wealthy American with no tie to the island can move and evade paying any Federal taxes--taxes that represent essential funds for safety net programs and critical infrastructure in our districts.

While those Americans seek out a tax shelter in Puerto Rico, they are driving up the price of rent by 600 percent, privatizing lands that belong to the people, robbing Puerto Ricans of affordable housing, and driving the second largest migration that the island has seen.

Congress has a responsibility to close the Act 22 loophole that is hurting Puerto Rico and depriving our districts of vital services.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my dear friend and constituent, Oscar Ortiz, a devoted organizer and champion for educational equity. Oscar was a visionary: he fought for a just, inclusive future where everyone thrives. He was a beloved husband, father, brother, son, and respected member of the Illinois Third Congressional District community.

Born in our great City of Chicago on April 21, 1962, to Benito and Mirta Ortiz, Oscar dedicated his life to empowering our community through education. He believed that education was a powerful tool to build a just future. He knew education could unlock our collective potential and enable us to realize our dreams. With that in mind, Ortiz became an elementary and high school teacher, helping our young people find their power and joy in learning. Whether it was at Jahn and Lowell Elementary Schools or Jefferson Alternative School, el maestro Ortiz was always present for all his students, their parents, and faculty.

His desire to serve our community and defend public education in Chicago led him to join the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) in May 2003, where he quickly became a committed and active member, never missing a meeting or event. There, Oscar served as a sergeant-at-arms, as the Lowell delegate, and as a member of the Legislative Committees, always with the intention of advancing social justice and equity through education.

Oscar generously committed his time on earth to countless social justice causes. He believed in the power of organized communities and worked tirelessly to build a better future for Chicago and our nation. I, personally, will miss his calls to action and the way he could stir our passions and stoke our courage on the bullhorn at direct actions. May his passion for change and love of community always guide us. I will miss him dearly, and I know that countless others will, too. He was a true, loyal friend.

His wife, Sabina; sons, Gabriel and Daniel; brother Ed; parents, Benito and Mirta; all his loved ones, and to the entire CTU family, are in my heart and in my prayers. Together, as we mourn his passing, let us celebrate the blessing he was in all of our lives, the impact he had on our community, and the mark he has left in our great City of Chicago. Oscar vive, la lucha sigue. Rest in power, Oscar.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of my friend and constituent, Oscar Ortiz, a devoted champion for educational equity.

Oscar was a visionary. He believed that education was a powerful tool to realize our collective potential and dreams. As a teacher, ``el maestro,'' ``teacher,'' Ortiz helped the students find their power and joy in learning. As an organizer with the Chicago Teachers Union, he energized our community to advance social justice and equity through education.

Oscar committed his time on Earth to building a future for everyone. His passion and optimism were infectious. I am going to miss him dearly, and I know countless others will, too.

To his family and loved ones, know you are in my heart and prayers. Together, let's celebrate the blessing he was in our lives and the mark he has left in our city of Chicago. A bullhorn will never be the same after Oscar Ortiz. May his passion for change and love of community always guide us.

Rest in power, Oscar Ortiz. We love you.

Mr. Chair, we just got back from a week with family. Many of us sat around the table, and we thanked God for the family, for the children, and for the ability to have a roof over their head. Some of you remembered that your family came 100, 200 years ago. In my case they came 40 years ago from Guatemala, and now we are back here with the same rhetoric that we continue to play over and over and over. Republicans are using human beings as bargaining chips to try to realize their extreme and their very harmful policies.

Despite their efforts to cut funding for land protection, cut social safety net services, and bankrupt our Federal infrastructure, they also want us to believe that providing emergency refuge and services to asylum seekers is what is causing all our economic problems.

Now, let me talk about that for a second. Immigrants are not the problem. They are an asset. They are actually a solution to improve our economy.

If you go to the neighborhood ALDI like I do, Mr. Chair, I see three people working there, and when I talk to the cashiers, they say to me: Congresswoman, get those work permits. We need workers.

There are 11.5 million people ready to help fill the almost 9 million open jobs right now. Those open jobs are disrupting the supply chain, and they are increasing inflation. These immigrants are ready to support the 245 million Americans, many of them living in our own communities, living in counties with shrinking populations. They are ready to invest in housing markets, and they are ready to grow our local economies.

Mr. Chair, if you actually ask our people: What keeps you up at night?

It is not being able to pay rent.

What keeps people up at night is that they have to work two jobs just to raise two children.

What keeps people up at night is that they can't afford milk and they can't afford other things.

It is not an undocumented person.

So let's talk about the economy because that is exactly what people want us to be able to address.

Immigrants are ready to increase our national GDP by up to $1.7 trillion over the next decade.

We should be working to address the root cause of this issue by ensuring their successful resettlement and integration instead of shaming them and then going back home and thanking God for family, community, and country.

I ask my colleagues to reject this bill. Let's get to the real work of delivering work permits for all and establishing pathways to citizenship today and improving our economy.

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

Mr. Chair, the bottom line is this: Undermining the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau harms Americans' financial security.

That is why today I am offering my amendment supporting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the CFPB, and its independence, which is essential in protecting Americans from predatory practices.

I offer this amendment at the urging of the Illinois Coalition For Immigrant and Refugee Rights, an invaluable organization in my district.

Established after the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB protects Americans from predatory financial practices and lenders while fighting discrimination in the financial sector. In its first 12 years, the CFPB has been able to return or restore over $17.5 billion to American consumers in compensation, canceled debts, and other relief. It has filed over 4 million complaints against companies on behalf of consumers.

My amendment affirms that Congress should not meddle in an independent agency and acknowledges the importance of the Bureau in protecting consumers from exploitative practices, including when it comes to questionable, crushing medical debt. The CFPB's work is incredibly important, especially as medical debt continues to burden communities in my State of Illinois and disproportionately impacts Black and Brown people.

Across the country, 41 percent of U.S. adults currently have unpaid medical or dental bills. I know many of them, and many of them are in my own family.

During my time serving as executive director of an organization that worked to advance economic opportunity, I have seen medical debt destroy individual's and families' financial security and rob them of their financial futures.

Medical debt puts people in impossible positions. They have to choose between seeking necessary healthcare and paying for their basic needs like food, housing, and heat when it is 20 degrees in Chicago.

While we could solve the challenge of crushing medical debt through universal healthcare and Medicare for All, medical debt continues to plague the American people.

We have to protect our communities from abusive and deceitful practices that compound the challenges that everyday Americans face when navigating medical emergencies. One of those deceitful practices is deferred interest medical credit cards. Research from CFPB is exposing the exploitive practices around these medical credit cards, which have average interest rates 10 times higher than our average credit cards.

Let's think about that. Our credit cards already have extremely high interest rates. These are 10 times higher. Patients seeking medical help who are given this option are almost always unaware of the exploitative charges and costs if the full balance is not paid by their deadline.

The CFPB's vital role also includes cracking down on debt collectors who try to trick and coerce patients into paying medical debt that unlawfully exceeds cost caps.

CFPB has been working to remove medical debt from credit reports as medical debt should never be an indicator of someone's worth and should never limit a person's opportunity for a prosperous and thriving life, including access to safe, stable housing and employment opportunities.

That is why, Mr. Chair, it is critical for the CFPB to maintain its independence from congressional meddling so that it can continue to address practices that are harming consumers, especially predatory lending that leads to medical debt, and to hold bad actors accountable.

As someone who is deeply concerned with housing access and affordability, CFPB's work to remove medical debt from credit reports would literally change the outcome for thousands of working families. It would improve the credit scores of millions of Americans, opening up access to rental housing, insurance, the purchase of their first home, and even employment for many who experience barriers due to their low credit scores.

We know that CFPB has reported that debt collectors use inaccurate or outdated information about their medical debt. It is clear that the CFPB serves an essential function in protecting hardworking, everyday Americans from predatory practices and financial exploitation.

Let me say this loud and clear: An attack on the CFPB is an attack on everyday Americans and working families. We must protect the independent funding of the CFPB, and we have to reject every assault on its funding structure.

We have to allow CFPB to move forward with its number one job of protecting the American consumer.

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

Mr. Speaker, words hold power. They are intentional representations of our values and our beliefs. Our democracy is at its strongest when we protect the right to dissent, to resist, and to speak truth to power.

However, over the past few weeks, this body has wrongfully and dangerously conflated dissent with hate speech and has willfully characterized acts of resistance as acts of bigotry. Bigotry and hateful speech are real, tangible threats to our shared humanity and our multiracial democracy, and we must address them.

As someone who has heard Members of this body who are not being brought up for censure casually use their platforms to carelessly promote violent, racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, xenophobic, and anti-immigrant language and ideals, I am clear that this resolution is another ill-intentioned attempt to persecute dissenting voices who refuse to stay silent and whose perspective challenges this body and the dominant narrative.

We must resist the urge to scapegoat and vilify those who disagree with us, and I unequivocally stand with my friend, Rashida Tlaib. I will be voting against the resolution, and I encourage my friends to do your job.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe that I am standing here again having to remind my colleagues that we are a nation of immigrants. I am going to come to this podium each time my Republican colleagues have amnesia about where their families came from or try to scapegoat the immigrant community.

Introducing a continuing resolution that cuts services and deports unaccompanied children, ending asylum, and jailing families betrays a truth about my colleagues.

They are more willing to scapegoat and sacrifice the well-being of immigrants, children--that they say they care so much about--babies-- that they say they care so much about--veterans, the elderly and people experiencing poverty than they are to do the hard work of owning up to their failures, their hypocrisy, their ineffective leadership.

It is hypocritical to target immigrants when many of the people in this Chamber have reaped the benefits of immigrant labor and have become wealthy on the backs of immigrant sacrifice.

Let me tell you what my mother tells me about her journey. It takes courage to cross a border, to seek a job, or to pursue an opportunity to raise their children in safety.

The courage of our people stands in stark contrast to the cowardice of my colleagues. There is nothing people-centered about this Republican CR. There is nothing noble or redeeming about it. It is time for a clean CR that does not scapegoat the people this Nation has been built on, and let's stop indulging the cowardice of my colleagues.

For this reason, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time I will offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an important amendment to my bill. That amendment would strike the section that makes 30 percent cuts across the board.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to include the text of my amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Chair, as the proud daughter of immigrants, the wife of a Dreamer, the Representative of a district proud of its immigrants and how they contribute to our economy, I am disgusted with the Republicans' relentless persecution and scapegoating of immigrants.

While we should be looking for ways forward to keep providing essential services for our districts, Republicans want to play games with lives and livelihoods because of their inability to lead.

They are repeating false claims that the border is open and conditioning government funding on dangerous and irresponsible requests that will neither make the border more secure nor protect our security.

There is a dissonance between this party of fiscal responsibility that is driving us to a shutdown while immigrants--supposedly our economic downfall--are contributing more than $20.4 billion in taxes just in Illinois.

With 11 million more immigrants ready to boost our economy through needed pathways to work, it is time to leave the political theater behind. People are tired of it. Let's recognize the positive fiscal contributions of immigrants to our Nation and do the work our constituents sent us here to do.

Mr. Speaker, today, earlier in committee, we were talking about the economy and talking about numbers, so I want to continue the conversation on numbers.

Approximately $25 million, that is the amount reported that was earned by the Stellantis CEO in 2022, which is a 77 percent increase over the former CEO's salary in 2019.

Nearly $21 million is the reported earnings of the Ford CEO, and that was up 21 percent from the salary of the former CEO in 2019.

Approximately $30 million is the paycheck of General Motors' CEO, which is an increase of 34 percent compared to 2019.

Not long ago, a CEO defended their paycheck by saying, ``Ninety-two percent of it is based on performance of the company.''

You see, I, too, believe that when a company does great financially, the ones who worked to make it a reality should see the fruits of their efforts.

When we say that a record-high salary raise is due to the record-high performance of a company, we should ask ourselves: How was that performance made possible?

The truth is that there is only one answer. The answer is that nearly 150,000 United Auto Workers who are out on the streets today urging these companies for parity are the reason for this performance. They are urging their companies for their earned benefits. They are urging their companies for stronger protection and a place in the industry's future, the clean energy economy.

Mr. Speaker, as the proud daughter of hardworking immigrant parents who worked long hours at minimum wage jobs--my mother still today a home care worker--which they did just to put food on our table, a roof over our heads, and keep the lights on, it is my honor to stand here in full support of UAW workers and every single worker fighting for their future. Workers are the backbone of our middle class and our economy, and we know that when they thrive, we all thrive.

Time and time again, workers are demonstrating to us that the power we hold when we come together to bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions is a benefit for all of us. I know that we will succeed again.

Today, I stand with autoworkers in their fight to secure the contract that they deserve. It is time that we give our autoworkers the parity and support they need and have already earned.

Know that in me you will always find someone who stands ready to protect and support all workers' rights to fair wages, safe and dignified working conditions, universal healthcare, and democracy in the workplace. It is what the Congressional Progressive Caucus stands for. It is what I stand for. It is why I am so honored to be able to speak today in this Special Order hour.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud Representative of a congressional district in Illinois, a State committed to progress, justice, safety, and human rights.

Yesterday, Illinois made history as the first State in the Nation to eliminate cash bail, a standard used to punish poverty instead of upholding justice. A standard that kept those without means, especially Black and Brown Illinoisans, in jail for months as they awaited trial, while letting slip those who could afford bail independent of the crime that they were accused of.

Some may say we are reforming our criminal justice system, but we are doing more than that. I especially thank Senator Robert Peters, who led the effort in the Illinois General Assembly. We, unlike other States, are creating a justice system that protects the victims, ensures equal due process for everyone independent of their means. The Pretrial Fairness Act is a historic win for civil rights advocates across our Nation, and it is time Congress followed Illinois' lead toward progress.

Mr. Speaker, the Third Congressional District of Illinois is home to a historic Puerto Rican community directly linked to the legacy, present, and future of Puerto Rico.

The lack of food sovereignty in Puerto Rico is a policy choice that threatens lives and livelihoods.

When I visited Puerto Rico last year, I was shocked to learn that food insecurity was a major motivation for the second biggest Puerto Rican migration since the 1950s.

Mr. Speaker, 85 percent of their food is imported, and Puerto Rico is subjected to much higher grocery prices. When Hurricane Maria hit, food imports couldn't come in. Many of my Puerto Rican constituents came to Chicago because of Hurricane Maria and because of food insecurity.

This body has the responsibility to act now on supporting food sovereignty in Puerto Rico. We can start today by using every legislative tool at our disposal through the upcoming farm bill.

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the new 56 citizens of our Nation in the city of Elgin, which I am proud to represent in the Third Congressional District of Illinois. The city of Elgin's New Citizen Recognition Ceremony is a cherished tradition and a celebration that goes back 23 years.

Every single new U.S. citizen has a story. They took a journey that has brought them to that citizenship ceremony. As their Congresswoman, I couldn't be more proud of who they are, of their strength, of what they have overcome, the sacrifices they have made, the changes, and the geographical distances from their families.

I know it hasn't been easy, but they did it. I celebrate them and the journey that has brought them to the United States.

They know that in Elgin, a city in Illinois' Third Congressional District, they will always find a community with open doors and open hearts.

``Congratulations.'' ``Felicitaciones.''