Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate longtime Chicago leader, organizer, and my dear friend, Amisha Patel, for her nearly three decades of civic engagement and community organizing.

From leading environmental justice efforts at just 19 years of age to organizing Chicago care workers with SEIU Local 73, Amisha has consistently united diverse communities to build power. Her work developing thousands of leaders laid the groundwork for winning affordable housing, quality education, and more in Chicago and across the State of Illinois.

I am proud to have worked alongside Amisha during her 15 years as the executive director of Grassroots Collaborative, where we opposed school closures, championed affordable housing, and fought for critical investments to our social safety net.

Amisha is a fighter for peace, justice, and community. As a three- time cancer survivor currently in treatment, I want her to know that we are with her as she continues this fight.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my sincere honor to commend Amisha Patel for her lifetime of service organizing our communities to fight for the future that we deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Amisha.

National Fair Housing Month: Carlos Ramirez-Rosa

Mr. Speaker, I rise today during National Fair Housing Month to honor Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, my constituent, my friend, and the former 35th Ward alderman, for his legacy of leadership to realize safe, affordable housing for all. Moreover, I want to congratulate him on his recent appointment as CEO and superintendent of the Chicago Park District.

In his decade as alderman of the 35th Ward, which includes Logan Square, Hermosa, Irving Park, and Avondale, Carlos championed policies to expand affordable housing and resist gentrification and displacement. He has also led unapologetic efforts to expand protections for immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and workers in Chicago.

Carlos shifted the dynamics of local politics by making sure that neighbors and constituents had power over land use, development, and zoning. In doing so, Carlos modeled what a collaborative co-governance approach to community development could look like and work.

It is how we resulted in tangible wins and how he was able to bring those wins to communities, including the development of 100 units of affordable housing in the heart of Logan Square in the Lucy Gonzalez Parsons Apartments.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my privilege and my honor to commend Carlos Ramirez-Rosa for his commitment to a fair, safe, and dignified life for all of his neighbors.

``Se que continuara transformando nuestras comunidades. Y estoy agradecida contigo, Carlos''; ``I know you will continue transforming our communities. I am thankful for Carlos.''

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Carlos Ramirez-Rosa.

Mr. Speaker, in commemoration of National Fair Housing Month, I rise to recognize my constituent, affordable housing resident, and community advocate, Deborah Suggs.

For over 50 years, Deborah has called home the Marian Park Apartments, a Wheaton affordable housing community serving seniors and families.

While raising her children, grandchildren, and now great- grandchildren, Deborah has brought together her community to organize for the resources they need to thrive, whether it is secure transportation for school, childcare for working families, or road and pedestrian safety.

As a leader with DuPage United, Deborah has been successful in imagining what safe, livable communities look like and building power and coalition to realize those dreams for people in Wheaton.

I had the pleasure of meeting Deborah at one of my townhalls, where I saw firsthand her passion to fight for herself, her family, her community, and our district.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to recognize Deborah for her lifetime of leadership in Wheaton and for her advocacy for a fair, safe, and affordable community. I thank Deborah.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the SAVE Act. The bottom line is that the SAVE Act suppresses the votes of women; Black, Brown, and indigenous people; veterans; and working-class Americans.

In advancing it, Republicans invoke those historical policies that were intended to disenfranchise Americans. Let me remind Members what they were: literacy tests and poll taxes for eligible voters, grandfather clauses that tied voters' rights to the grandfathers before the Civil War, all-White primaries to eliminate Black voters' presence in the electoral process, and now: Show me your papers.

The SAVE Act is the same trash, just a different day. It is the Republicans' latest attempt to make clear who the majority believes should have access to vote and who should not.

Anyone who votes for this resolution will go down in the history books with the likes of Confederate politicians, Jim Crow advocates, and white supremacists as bigots.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

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

Mr. Speaker, I take to the floor today to raise the alarm for the people of Illinois' Third Congressional District.

Today, I am standing here for the 197,569 people, including 94,806 children and 22,000 seniors, whose Medicaid is at risk of being taken from them.

I stand here for the 69,000 people in Illinois-03 who count on SNAP benefits and could be losing them.

I stand here for the 28,000 people who receive coverage under the Affordable Care Act and may see their average premium go up by $820 a year, a 40 percent increase.

Mr. Speaker, the working people of my district rely on Federal programs and services, and they also rely on the essential organizations in Illinois-03 that provide federally funded social programs and services.

Mr. Speaker, I stand for the 11 federally funded health centers with a presence in Illiois-03 that leverage $78,954,648 in Federal investments for 624,770 patients.

I also stand here in the people's House for CEDA, which provides LIHEAP assistance to 179,082 working people in Cook County to weather extreme temperatures.

I stand here for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center under the leadership of Jose, the AIDS Foundation, La Casa Norte, and so many in Illinois-03 serving organizations that meet the needs of our diverse constituents who are facing uncertainty about Federal funding in this precise moment.

My colleagues and I are standing here because my Republican colleagues have bowed down to the whims of an unelected billionaire and a wannabe dictator. The majority is stealing from the American people so that Republicans can enrich billionaire bosses and expand their wealth at the expense of our working families.

Consider that for a moment. The richest man in the world is demanding cuts in the services that working families rely on. The richest man in the world, who could be making contributions to end hunger globally, decides that we should be cutting program services for working families, many of which my colleagues will talk about today.

Mr. Speaker, as we stand here today in the people's House, I want to be very clear about something. I will not betray working families by supporting a budget that harms working families to make the rich richer. We have to stand up in this precise moment in the people's House.

Republicans must also stand up to their billionaire bosses and do what is right, what they were elected to do: represent their constituents. We must protect and defend the federally funded social programs and services that the American people rely on.

Mr. Speaker, I will yield to my colleagues who will share about the programs and services that their constituents rely on and that they were sent to Congress to defend.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy) for his comments.

Mr. Speaker, I have the opportunity and honor to serve with the gentleman on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Every day, I see the work that he does to uphold the work that is necessary to protect the benefits of our veterans. I am so grateful for the ways that the gentleman continues to show up for his constituents in New York and for the entire Nation. It is truly an honor to serve with the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, the Speaker saw constituents from every single State in the country come out to protest and rally. The Speaker saw children and saw people who are probably closer to 100 years of age walking through streets, going to the parks, and asking other Members of Congress: Have you forgotten about the people who sent you to Congress?

Mr. Speaker, I say as we are standing here in the House of Representatives that New York, Michigan, Texas, and Chicago have Members of Congress who are unwilling to accept the idea that we would slash the very same programs that we promised to protect for the American people.

Today, I am grateful that I get to be here with Members of Congress not just from New York, but also with a colleague of mine who continues to ring the alarm for the safety net programs that our constituents here and in Michigan need and deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments of Congresswoman Tlaib. The gentlewoman is absolutely right. Our constituents do, in fact, deserve better.

As I go back to the district and I look at the emails and the phone calls that are coming through, our constituents are asking: What are you doing to defend me? What are you doing to protect the programs that we depend on to stay alive? You need to do more.

One of the things that we have said in our townhalls, on the calls, on the emails as constituents come to D.C. demanding that we protect these critical programs is that we have to use every single opportunity--be in committee, be in the conversations we are having with colleagues, and every moment we can get to the House floor and talk about what is at stake in this precise moment.

We have to make sure that everyone hears we are doing everything we can to protect these critical programs because many of our constituents in this moment are feeling that they are being gaslighted by the very same people that they sent to Congress.

It is important to hear from the champions that are taking a stand. With us today is one of our newer Members of Congress. She is someone that yields from the great State of Texas where there are champions for justice who are fighting to protect Social Security, who are fighting to protect Medicaid, who are fighting to protect the very same programs that are critical and have made this country great.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson).

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congresswoman for her remarks. She is absolutely right. Our constituents deserve better.

I will talk a little bit about what is at stake. You have heard already my colleagues talk about Medicaid. You have heard them talk about Social Security. You have heard them talk about how their constituents are living in constant fear.

I will talk to you about community health centers, which also are incorporated in the Medicaid funding that my colleagues, the Republicans, want to slash. I will start by saying to you unapologetically and very loudly that I believe to my core that healthcare is a human right.

No one should have to choose between getting the care they need, accessing their medication, or paying their mortgage, but I can tell you from personal experience growing up in a family where the insurance company they pay into constantly makes it difficult for them to be able to get healthcare. Knowing that my mom and dad have had to choose often, do they get the medication, or do they pay for the mortgage?

You see, my parents worked their lives in this country and my father today has Medicare and my mother up until a year ago had Medicaid because, unfortunately, the wages that she worked were not large enough, were not equitable enough. They weren't living wages, but the Medicaid system that we have that we know isn't working for everyone, that we should be expanding, not cutting, made it difficult for my mom to continue to get Medicaid.

I think about the challenges and the struggles that so many American people are living here. I will tell you that in the short tenure, we have seen that this administration has not talked about making Medicaid better. What they are talking about is cutting Medicaid. What they are talking about is announcing executive orders that target immigrants and the social service providers that work in strong immigrant communities. Immigrants that, by the way, pay into Medicaid that they never get.

What they are doing is undermining local governments and local agencies who know best what their communities need. You see, community health centers exist to serve an entire community, regardless of their income, regardless of insurance status, and regardless of immigration status. Many of the services they provide, like emergency care, like vaccinations, and public health outreach serve the public good. Providing these services broadly in our communities keep us all healthy.

Community health centers also make a profound economic impact on our communities, creating jobs, not taking jobs like this administration is doing, over 340,000 jobs and generating $118.4 billion in local economic activity.

Republicans have chosen to defund healthcare so that they can provide their billionaire bosses with more tax breaks. They want you to go without healthcare so the top 1 percent of Americans can get a $314,000 tax cut.

Let me say that again. They don't think that you deserve healthcare. They want to take your healthcare away, frankly, let you die, so that their billionaire bosses can get $314,000 in tax cuts. That is what they want to do. They claim to care for working people and our economy, but their actions show us just how terrible and in your face their hypocrisy really is.

There are no other words for those who knowingly would put tax benefits for the wealthiest Americans over the working families who depend on Medicaid for their basic healthcare.

In Illinois, 772,233 adults are enrolled in the ACA Medicaid Expansion. If Republicans cut Medicaid, these constituents would lose their healthcare. We have the obligation to remain defiant in our position that everyone independent of citizenship status, ZIP Code, or age has a right to a dignified, healthy life.

Now is the moment to remain united in our commitment to healthcare for all, courageous in our resistance, and undeterred in our fight against this administration's authoritarian agenda.

Mr. Speaker, I will talk to you about immigrants because apparently my colleagues here do everything they possibly can to vilify them every single day. It is almost as if they forgot that their grandparents also crossed borders and shores to get here, but let me say to you, you may have forgotten your roots, you may have forgotten that your parents or your grandparents or your great-grandparents were immigrants, but I haven't.

I am the proud daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, the wife of Boris, who until recently, was a DACA recipient, and I am the niece of a man who has contributed to this country and paid taxes for more than 30 years and put four boys through college.

This body considers, once again, a budget that leaves working people behind. I will for a moment talk about immigration and our economy because what these colleagues of mine, the Republicans, will tell you is that immigrants are taking from the American people. Immigrants are taking your jobs. Immigrants are taking your housing. They are taking, taking, taking, so let me clarify facts here.

The reality is that Republicans are pushing for a billionaire budget that gives $4.5 billion in tax breaks to the ultrawealthy like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, while cutting trillions of dollars in programs like Medicaid and SNAP. That is not immigrants doing that. That is Republicans doing that.

Republicans have the audacity to tell us that they are doing all these cuts because we are broke. Well, Mr. Speaker, like I said to Chairman Green in the Homeland Security Committee, we wouldn't be broke if the ultrawealthy would pay their fair share.

Fair taxing could fund a budget that centers working families. It could fix our tax system. It could create opportunity for policies that work for working people. Let me also say to you, immigration reform could unleash the full economic power of our immigrant communities to fully participate in a fair tax system.

Undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in State, local, and Federal taxes in 2022. Mr. Speaker, $96.7 billion is what they paid.

On top of that, undocumented immigrants pay an average rate of 5.27 percent in Federal taxes. That is a rate higher than most of the United States' wealthiest billionaires or megacorporations. Yet, while Republicans give another billion-dollar company another tax break, they are telling us that it is immigrants who are taking from the community and from the people. Well, that is a lie.

It is a lie because we understand that 23.6 percent of all entrepreneurs are immigrants. Some undocumented, some are legal permanent residents, and some are naturalized citizens. Mr. Speaker, $1.7 trillion in spending power is what immigrants bring to this economy.

Every time they tell you that immigrants are taking from us, let me be very clear: Immigrants contribute every single day.

As I am wrapping up, I will say that there are many reasons to be concerned, but it is also important to remember that there are reasons to celebrate. I will take a moment to recognize a reason to celebrate.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 111th anniversary of the Village of Elmwood Park and to celebrate the 25,500 Illinois' Third Congressional District constituents who call this village home.

Elmwood Park is a wonderful place to live, to shop, and to do business. They have built unique intergovernmental and cross-sector partnerships, and I am proud that our commitment and collaboration with President Saviano, Village Manager Volpe, and Senators Durbin and Duckworth have secured $13.1 million for a transformative project that included grade crossing improvements to enhance resident safety in Elmwood Park.

I thank all the hardworking employees of the village whose public service enables residents to access critical services and programs. I remain committed to continuing to deliver the resources our communities need to improve public safety, create well-paying jobs, and expand economic opportunity for Elmwood Park and across Illinois' Third Congressional District.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Elmwood Park for these 111 years of community. I look forward to many more years of partnership and to continue to fight in the Halls of Congress for every constituent in my district.

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

Mr Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 85, H.R. 997.

personal explanation

Mr. Speaker, this is about the rule so that we can get to this continuing resolution or so-called continuing resolution.

Mr. Speaker, let me tell you what continuing resolutions are. They give Congress time to negotiate budget bills in the interest of the American people.

Let me be very clear that is not what Republicans want to do here. They are proposing we skip budget negotiations and give the Musk-Trump administration a slush fund.

Their actions prove that they have more respect for their billionaire bosses than they do for the Constitution. They are more willing to hand over their power to Trump and Musk than they are to defend the power of the people. They are more committed to enabling a bully than to standing up for their constituents.

That is what Trump and Musk are. They are bullies who use intimidation and retribution to get what they want. Trump under Musk, as my colleague said, they want it all. They want to disregard the law. They want to dismantle the agencies that serve the American people. They want to destroy the programs and services that Americans rely on.

The bottom line is this: Republicans are using a shutdown to bully us into giving Trump a blank check, no guardrails, Mr. Speaker, and 6 months to plunge us into further chaos. Yes, if we are in chaos, it is their fault. You control the House, you control the Senate, and you have your guy in the White House.

So let me be honest. I will not be bullied. The full-year slush fund CR is the red line.

I call on my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the rule and on the Republicans' slush fund CR.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Women's History Month by uplifting my dear friend, a powerful organizer, Erendira ``Ere'' Rendon.

Ere has dedicated her life to fighting for the dignity and liberation of immigrant communities.

Hailing from Oaxaca, Mexico, Ere immigrated to the United States in 1990 to be reunited with her father. Ere is 1 of 530,000 from the roughly 3.6 million Dreamers receiving DACA, a program that has been viciously attacked in this Chamber. Inspired by her family's and her own experiences, Ere has fought to expand and affirm immigrant rights, ensuring access to driver's licenses, healthcare regardless of legal status, and funding for necessary legal services.

For nearly 15 years, Ere has organized at the Resurrection Project helping to found the Immigrant Justice Department where she serves as vice president.

Ere is one of the countless ``powerful women,'' ``poderosas mujeres'' leaders organizing to protect and unite our communities reminding us that immigrants make our communities stronger.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, it is my honor to commend Erendira Rendon in this day for her lifelong commitment to ensuring that immigrant communities are seen and that immigrants are valued, uplifted, and loved just as she is.

Congratulations to Ere.

Powerful Women

At a time of unserious efforts to establish English as the official language of the United States, I rise today to celebrate my constituent, Angelica Garcia Santos, in a language proudly spoken in Illinois' Third Congressional District.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish by Mrs. Ramirez is as follows:)

In honor of Women's Month, I congratulate community leader and activist Angelica Garcia Santos, my West Chicago constituent.

Angelica began volunteering at IL03's non-profit immigrant advocacy organization, Casa Michoacan, where she now serves as coordinator.

At Casa Michoacan, Angelica provides resources to connect her immigrant neighbors with their community and inform them about their rights.

As an activist, Angelica has also helped advocate for the expansion of healthcare for immigrants, inspired by her own experiences with the healthcare system.

Angelica is one of countless community leaders in my district who feel the urgency of this moment as my Republican colleagues move forward with devastating cuts to federal programs like Medicaid.

Angelica's activism reminds us how much our immigrants contribute to our communities and shape the change they know we need.

On behalf of Illinois' 3rd Congressional District, it is my great honor to congratulate Angelica Garcia Santos for her activism, leadership, and advocacy.

Thank you, Angelica.

En honor al Mes de la Mujer, felicito a la lider comunitaria y activista Angelica Garcia Santos, mi constituyente de West Chicago.

Angelica comenzo como voluntaria en la organizacion sin fines de lucro de defensa de los inmigrantes de IL03, Casa Michoacan, donde ahora se desempena como coordinadora.

En Casa Michoacan, Angelica brinda recursos para conectar a sus vecinos inmigrantes con su comunidad e informales sobre sus derechos.

Como activista, Angelica tambien ha ayudado a defender la expansion del cuidado medico para inmigrantes, inspirada por sus propias experiencias con el sistema de salud.

Angelica es una de los innumerables lideres comunitarios de mi distrito que siente la urgencia de este momento en el que mis colegas republicanos avanzan con recortes devastadores a programas federales como Medicaid.

El activismo de Angelica nos recuemrda cuanto contribuyen nuestros inmigrantes a nuestras comunidades y dan forma al cambio que saben que necesitamos.

A nombre del tercer distrito del Congreso de Illinois, es un gran honor para mi felicitar a Angelica Garcia Santos por su activismo, liderazgo y defensa.

Gracias, Angelica.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate Women's History Month and to celebrate the rich contributions of Ukrainians in Illinois-03 by uplifting my constituent, Dr. Mariya Dmytriv-Kapeniak, for her work to honor our shared humanity.

A family medicine doctor, Dr. Dmytriv-Kapeniak exemplifies putting together our vocation into service for humanity. As a proud member of the Illinois Chapter of Ukrainian Medical Association of North America and the president of the Illinois division of Ukrainian Congress Committee of North America, she has secured medical donations and supply donations to help save lives in Ukraine.

This past Sunday I had the honor to stand with her and Ukrainian Americans at a Chicago rally to send a clear message: We who stand for democracy will not be bullied by dictators, not in Ukraine, not in other parts of the world, and not in the United States.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, home to thousands of Ukrainians and Ukrainian Americans, it is my honor to commend Dr. Mariya Dmytriv-Kapeniak for her tremendous leadership and commitment to human dignity, to peace, and to democracy.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mariya and congratulate her.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today as we celebrate Black History Month to uplift two of my constituents and pillars of the Hanover Park community, Eva and Herb Porter. Both have shared more than 40 years of love, leadership, and unwavering dedication to civic engagement.

Eva Porter is a beloved retired educator in our community. After 30 years of teaching, she has continued to shape young minds in and beyond the classroom.

Eva has served as a trustee of the Poplar Creek Library Board and as a board member for school district U-46. Her passion for service shines through her volunteer work with organizations like Kids Hope USA and the American Cancer Society.

Eva's passion and commitment to public service is matched only by her dear husband, Herb. Currently serving as a deputy mayor of Hanover Park, Herb Porter became the first-ever African-American Hanover Park trustee when he was elected in 2019. With nearly a decade of elected office, Herb is currently the longest serving African-American public official in the northwest suburban area.

He continues to serve his community in his roles on the governing board for the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County as well as the board of the Alignment Collaborative for Education.

Proud members of the DuPage NAACP, Eva and Herb Porter's legacy of service and uplifting diversity and equity have inspired countless community members to get involved in civic engagement, including their daughter, Dr. Chantelle Porter, who was just elected in 2022 as the first Black female judge in DuPage County.

While we think of being first and only, we know we still have a long way to go to truly have parity and representation across this country, but the Porter family's extensive service to the Hanover Park community is a reminder of just how seriously our local communities take our responsibility to serve our neighbors and to do so with compassion and care.

Today, I rise to speak of their leadership, dedication, and exemplary service, which serves as a reminder to each of us here in Congress that we also have the very same responsibility to care for our neighbors and our working families, not special interests and unaccountable billionaires.

As we take the time to celebrate history, we are also reminded that we are making history every single day in these Chambers and back home in our districts. Let it be good history. Let it be history that we are proud of.

Our constituents, including Herb and Eva, are meeting this moment with the urgency it deserves, and they rightfully expect us to follow their lead. I know I will.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District on this 25th day of February, 2025, I commend Eva and Herb Porter for their lifelong commitment to modeling civic responsibility, community service, and courageous leadership.

Congratulations to Eva and Herb.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate Black History Month by uplifting Chicago's own urban historian, the one, the only Shermann ``Dilla'' Thomas. Dilla reminds us that our past can teach us something important about our present.

I agree with Dilla that everything dope about America comes from Chicago. Dilla's Chicago pride is matched maybe by only my own. A lifelong Chicagoan, husband, and father of seven, Dilla gained prominence following the COVID-19 pandemic as he used social media platforms to share the forgotten stories of Chicago's local neighborhoods in just 60 seconds.

Since then, he has expanded his unique talent for making history accessible and storytelling captivating through guided tours, history lessons, speaking engagements, and lectures to countless organizations, institutions, and businesses in the Chicago area.

My personal favorites are Dilla's videos sharing the stories from Illinois' Third Congressional District in our own neighborhoods, including Humboldt Park, Belmont Cragin, and Logan Square.

By connecting the stories of Chicago's great migration that brought millions of Black southerners to Chicago to the wave of global migration from Ukraine, Central America, and Venezuela we see today, Dilla connects us through storytelling, honoring our shared experiences and our shared humanity.

At a time when we seem to be forgetting history, Dilla's powerful voice could not be more pertinent to this moment.

It is my honor, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, to commend Shermann ``Dilla'' Thomas for reminding millions of us of our interconnectedness, which extends beyond race and culture. I wish him the best of luck as he embarks on a new role at the DuSable Black History Museum.

May he keep telling our stories and reminding us of our history. I congratulate him.

Honoring Glennette Tilley Turner

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to uplift Black History Month by celebrating my constituent, a lifelong teacher and a local historian in DuPage County, Ms. Glennette Tilley Turner.

For decades, Ms. Turner has dedicated herself to preserving the stories of the Black resistance and of the multiracial coalitions that struggle against injustice.

Moving to Wheaton in 1968, Turner researched and studied DuPage County's history and participation in the Underground Railroad, an organized network led by formerly enslaved African Americans resisting American chattel slavery.

In 1978, Ms. Turner published her first book, ``The Underground Railroad in DuPage County, Illinois.'' In it, she reminds us that, in the past, our country has faced moments that tested our courage and integrity and that, in those moments, we need brave leaders to step up and resist injustice.

May we remember that historians like Ms. Turner will one day document how we stood up in this precise moment. So, on behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Glennette Tilley Turner for her remarkable service as an educator, a powerful historian, and a cultural steward.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Turner. Her contributions have been entered into the Congressional Record.

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to honor Rich Kohng, assistant vice president for civic engagement at Illinois Third's own North Park University, for his lifelong commitment to civic justice and civil rights.

Rich's parents, Roy and Susan, came to the United States as refugees of the Korean war and arrived in Chicago after immigration quotas were removed after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965.

Inspired by his family's commitment to their faith and service, Rich obtained his master's in divinity and began his career at North Park University by coordinating their urban ministry program. Nearly 15 years later, through his leadership at the Center for Civic Engagement, Rich exemplifies the transformative power of education to promote civic engagement and foster stronger, more connected communities.

Through initiatives like the Catalyst program, Rich has created opportunities for students to engage deeply in Chicago and with Chicago residents, learning directly from local leaders of color and working collaboratively to address pressing social issues.

Rich's work reminds us that when our universities invest in civic engagement, they not only shape the next generation of leaders, but they are strengthening the fabric of our very own communities.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Rich Kohng for his commitment to promoting civic engagement, his leadership at North Park University, and his dedication to live out his faith through public service.

Honoring Laura Avila-Peterson

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a dedicated educator and my constituent from Bensenville, Illinois, Laura Avila-Peterson.

Laura's commitment to fostering civic engagement ensures that her students are prepared to be active, informed participants in our democracy.

Laura is an experienced high school educator specializing in bilingual social studies and supporting English language learners at Fenton High School. Over the past 5 years, she has taught grades 9 through 12, fostering inclusive environments that celebrate the diverse backgrounds of the students that she serves. Her dedication to supporting English language learners is evident in her tailored approach to teaching.

I recently had the privilege of meeting Laura and speaking with her bilingual civics class at Fenton High School. Together, we talked about how we build a multiracial democracy and the importance of uplifting students as they engage in civic life, particularly by creating multilingual spaces, regardless of their immigration status, for them to be able to talk about what they see in the news, how they experience it, and how they belong in this country.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend Laura Avila-Peterson for her dedication to education and her invaluable contributions to shaping the next generation of leaders.

Honoring Jose ``Cha Cha'' Jimenez and Rainbow Coalition Legacy

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and the legacy of Jose ``Cha Cha'' Jimenez, a beloved community organizer and activist, founder of the Young Lords, and one of the architects behind Chicago's original Rainbow Coalition. To this day, the Rainbow Coalition is remembered as a powerful model of multiracial unity and solidarity that continues to inspire all of us.

Cha Cha was born in Puerto Rico and eventually moved with his family to Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood in the midst of the city's planned urban renewal. Today, we would call it gentrification. Cha Cha and his peers faced housing and educational discrimination and harassment at the hands of the police and were motivated to create the Young Lords street organization to protect themselves and their Puerto Rican neighbors.

Under Cha Cha's leadership, the Young Lords evolved into a political organization that hosted free breakfast programs for children, free community medical clinics, and other projects of survival. Through his work, he connected with other activists organizing in their own low- income communities across the city.

On April 4, 1969, Cha Cha co-led an effort to form the Rainbow Coalition, an anti-racist, multiracial, working-class movement uniting the largely Puerto Rican Young Lords in Lincoln Park, the Black Panther Party on Chicago's South and West Sides, and the Young Patriots representing poor Appalachian Whites in the Uptown neighborhood. These organizations connected after beginning to understand the shared conditions they were facing had more commonality than division, particularly in their largely poor neighborhoods.

Cha Cha, Fred Hampton of the Black Panthers, and William ``Preacherman'' Fesperman of the Young Patriots helped their organizations overcome their differences and understand the potential in collaborating to organize their working-class communities.

Together, the Rainbow Coalition united these three organizations to cooperate on projects of survival and demonstrate solidarity at each other's protests and pickets across the city.

In memory of Cha Cha's passing and in honor of his contributions to uniting our community, I commend him and the leaders of the original Rainbow Coalition. May their legacy be a powerful reminder that we are, in fact, stronger together.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Congressman for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, it is hard to keep myself composed when I hear people speak their hypocrisies that actually generate profits for them when they talk the way they do and then also use the word ``God'' somehow in their speech.

Let me say this: We cannot realize justice by engaging in grave injustice. We cannot achieve safety by putting millions in harm's way. We cannot honor our ideals that we talk so much about in this place by undermining civil rights.

Preemptively jailing people is not accountability. It is inhumanity. Mandatory, indefinite detention based not on charges or convictions, but on accusations, that is the tool of dictators, not democracies.

Let me be clear that Laken Riley's death is a tragedy, and we have work to do to protect women and make our communities safer. We should be bringing bills like Break the Cycle of Violence Act to the floor. We could perhaps have a discharge petition and do it right now.

Let's remember that undocumented immigrants didn't make college unaffordable. They didn't destroy our environment. They didn't deny insurance claims. They didn't raise our rents.

Scapegoating immigrants just deflects the accountability from the corporations and from the billionaires and bosses profiting from everyday American hardships. That is what this is all about. It is about ending due process so that they can profit.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to honor a powerful force in the fight for justice, equality, and true democracy, the Illinois Poor People's Campaign.

In one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the Poor People's Campaign dares to believe that poverty can be eradicated. Their work continues the legacy and vision of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., building a multiracial movement to end poverty, centering the voices of those with lived experiences of poverty, and breaking down barriers to full democratic participation.

The Illinois Poor People's Campaign understands that democracy is too precious and too significant to leave in the hands of those who would prioritize the interests of the ultrawealthy corporations.

I especially recognize the Illinois Poor People's Campaign members and constituents of Illinois' Third District, Sheilah Garland-Olaniran, Joyce Brody, and Lenny Brody. Additionally, I recognize Illinois PPC Tri-Chairs Carlos Rodriguez, Jessica Motsinger, and Reverend Susan Phillips. Their unwavering commitment to all of us all over the country is inspiring and should encourage us to also live a life of this kind of dedication.

On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I commend the Illinois Poor People's Campaign for their relentless fight for justice and equality and their efforts to ensure every person has a say in our democracy. I thank all of its members.

Honoring Pastor Emma Lozano

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Pastora Emma Lozano of the United Lincoln Methodist Church in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.

Born in Texas and later making Chicago her home, Pastor Lozano's lifelong commitment to advocacy has left an undeniable mark on our communities and our Nation.

Her journey as an advocate started at Centro de Accion Social Autonomo, where she and her brother, Rudy Lozano, championed immigrant worker rights. After her brother's tragic assassination in 1983, Pastor Lozano carried his legacy forward, channeling her grief into action and dedicating herself to the causes they both held dear.

In 1987, she founded Centro Sin Fronteras, a grassroots organization that has empowered undocumented families, addressing critical issues such as overcrowded schools, housing insecurity, police brutality, and bilingual education.

In 2006, Pastor Lozano and her late husband, Reverend Walter ``Slim'' Coleman, sparked a nationwide movement for our shared humanity when they offered their church in my district, Adalberto United Methodist Church, as a sanctuary for a woman who was undocumented and in need of sanctuary, Elvira Arellano, and her son, Saul.

Emma's courage, faith, and tireless work remind us of the power of community and the enduring fight for dignity and equality. On behalf of Illinois' Third Congressional District, I thank her for her compassion. I thank her for her dedication to creating a more just, more compassionate world.

May this Congress learn from her--from her dedication, from her courage--and may it truly be what it says it is, the people's House, reminded of our roots and reminded of our shared humanity.

I congratulate Pastor Emma Lozano.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Nadler for yielding.

We are in the people's House, and we often say that democracy is built on checks and balances, but my Republican colleagues seem to have no respect for the fundamental separation of powers.

H.R. 115 is a bald-faced attempt to expand the power of Congress in order to abuse the power of Congress. Let me say that again: H.R. 115 attempts to expand the power of Congress so that it can then abuse the power of Congress.

While a process to address specific agency rules may have been finalized in the late hours of an outgoing administration, there are already systems in place to address it.

Republicans want to have the power to go back 60 legislative days-- think about that; that can take us as far as May--and bundle dozens or even hundreds of agency rules into one single resolution. Then, they want to go as far as forbidding the agency from issuing any rules that are substantially the same in the future.

We are seeing today exactly what Republicans plan to do in the next 2 years. While leading the most unproductive Congress in U.S. history, they also want to expand their power so when they do take action, when they finally take action, they can inflict the maximum damage on rules and policies that benefit working people, working Americans.

Therefore, Mr. Speaker, at the appropriate time, I would like to offer a motion to recommit this bill back to committee. If the House rules permitted, I would have offered the motion with an amendment to this bill to send the bill back to the Judiciary Committee and exclude any rule that was noticed more than 6 months prior to when the rule was finalized.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of this amendment into the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will join me in voting for the motion to recommit.

Mr. Speaker, as we get close to the end of the 118th Congress, my first term representing the greatly diverse Illinois Third Congressional District, I rise in full gratitude for all of those who have supported me and held me during these not-so-easy two years in what we call the People's House.

And we've heard that it takes a village to represent, to fight, and to deliver for our communities.

But recently, 219 members of this body opted to persecute the village, passing a bill that puts all of civil society at risk.

They took that action at the precise moment we should be uplifting and celebrating civil society as the first and most resilient line of defense for many vulnerable communities.

Without a robust civil society, countries can descend into instability, their governments becoming prone to authoritarianism, human rights abuses, and the erosion of democratic freedoms.

So, while some of my colleagues came to the floor to do harm to civil society, I have come to the floor to commend the countless nonprofit organizations, faith communities, schools and universities, advocacy groups, and cultural institutions that compose the powerful civil society of Illinois' 3rd Congressional District.

Since my time as the executive director of a nonprofit in Chicago, I have seen community organizations nurture and sustain a healthy democracy by providing life-saving services including housing and warm meals--while holding those in power accountable.

It is clear that strengthening, repairing, and defending our democracy is not solely the work of government. It requires the fabric of our communities, civil society organizations, weaving their work together on the frontlines to protect, defend, and enrich our communities and our neighborhoods.

So today, I am grateful for faith communities like the member institutions of the Logan Square Ecumenical Alliance and DuPage United; for community organizations like Onward Neighborhood House, La Casa Norte, and Habitat for Humanity DuPage; for schools and universities like Northeastern University El Centro and North Park University; for early childhood centers like EduCare DuPage and Chicago Commons; for human rights advocates like Palenque LSNA and AFIRE; for cultural organizations like the National Veterans Art Museum and the Mexican Cultural Center of DuPage.

There are too many strong civil society organizations to name. I thank the many, many civil service organizations across IL-03. Gracias.

I appreciate the opportunities and possibilities they create for our neighbors--independent of their zip code, citizenship status, or past actions--and the way they keep me rooted in a community ready to fight like hell for our neighbors.

As I celebrate the work of our civil society, I also want to uplift the team that puts in the long hours; that makes so many sacrifices for the people of IL-03; and who is seldomly mentioned, seldomly seen in public. And that is my staff.

My staff, who despite the challenges of this Congress and despite a Congress that oftentimes negates the humanity of their own family, has used their professional and lived experiences to introduce and champion transformative and progressive legislation, has pushed the government to work for our constituents and deliver resources back to Illinois Third, and has ensured our neighbors receive the lifesaving services that they deserve.

I thank my entire team: Ellen Meredith Ray, Luis Miguel Carrizales Castillo, Claudia Dolores Peralta, Karsen Patrick Bailey, Deepa Pinakin Patel, Noemi Avelar, Jowen Halber Ortiz Cintron, Marina Kristine Sangit, Daniela A. Guerrero Diaz, Valeria Nicolle Metzgen Castro, Katherine Gitsel Carranza Bahena, Jennifer Ho, Nataly Miranda- Castaneda, Vianey Luna Lopez, Micaela Unzueta, Magda Karina Herron, Levi Casmir Iseminger Todd, and Rogelio Elizondo-Juarez, as well as the countless interns, fellows, and past staffers who have supported our work.

I thank them for their time, energy, emotion, and passion they pour into our fight for working people.

They are seen. They are appreciated. I am so proud of the work we have begun together in this term and will continue in the next.

Through gratitude, I find hope.

Because both the community at home and the team I have here in Congress have reminded me that in uncertain times, one thing is certain--our communities are prepared to organize, to protect each other, and to unite no matter what the next four years bring us.

I am forever grateful. And I am ready.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Sister Marta Cichon, a woman who has profoundly transformed the lives of Polish immigrant families and uplifted single mothers in Illinois.

Born in Zabkowice, Poland, Sister Marta's duty to humanity led her across the globe, serving in Australia before arriving in the United States in 2000.

Here, she recognized a pressing need to support mothers and their children who were vulnerable to homelessness, hunger, and lack of assistance.

Ultimately, she established the Single Mothers Home in 2008. The Single Mothers Home offers essential services, from legal assistance to mental health support, empowering women to rebuild their lives.

For nearly 15 years, Sister Marta has provided refuge, hope, and a path to independence for over 140 mothers and 180 children, including those who have experienced domestic violence.

To this day, these families maintain a close bond with Sister Marta, who considers them family.

I commend Sister Marta for her compassion, her resilience, and her unwavering service to our community.

Thank you (Dziekuje), Sister Marta.

Panie MARSZALKU. Zabieram dzis glos, aby oddac czesc siostrze Marcie Cichon, kobiecie, ktora gleboko zmienila zycie rodzin polskich imigrantow i podniosla na duchu samotne matki w Illinois.

Siostra Marta, urodzona w Zabkowicach, w Polsce, dzieki swojej powinnosci wobec ludzkosci podrozowala po calym swiecie, sluzac w Australii, zanim w 2000 roku przybyla do Stanow Zjednoczonych.

Dostrzegla tam pilna potrzebe wsparcia matek i ich dzieci, ktore byly zagrozone bezdomnoscia, glodem i brakiem pomocy.

Ostatecznie w 2008 roku zalozyla Dom Samotnej Matki. Dom Samotnej Matki oferuje podstawowe uslugi, od pomocy prawnej po wsparcie w zakresie zdrowia psychicznego, umozliwiajac kobietom odbudowanie swojego zycia.

Siostra Marta przez blisko 15 lat dawala schronienie, nadzieje i droge do samodzielnosci ponad 140 matkom i 180 dzieciom, w tym tym, ktore doswiadczyly przemocy domowej.

Do dzis te rodziny utrzymuja bliska wiez z Siostra Marta, ktora uwaza je za rodzine.

Chwale Siostre Marte za jej milosierdzie, odpornosc i niezachwiana sluzbe dla naszej spo5ecznosci.

Dziekuje Siostro Marto.

Mr. Speaker, today, I address the people's House to honor the legacy of my friends, of my colleagues, and partners in the fight for justice and global peace, Congresswoman Cori Bush and Congressman Jamaal Bowman. Bush and Bowman are the embodiment of courageous leadership.

Representative Bush is a fighter for peoples' right to a dignified life. In the middle of the pandemic, when people were trying to figure out how to stay alive and how to continue to have a roof over their head, this courageous leader, as the eviction moratorium was about to expire said: I can't go home if others will not have a home tomorrow. She stood on these Capitol steps courageously taking a stand for hundreds of thousands of families across this country.

What she didn't know was that a little State representative from Chicago, Illinois, was watching what she and others were doing, as I was trying to concurrently negotiate legislation in the State of Illinois to help people stay housed.

Mr. Speaker, Cori Bush will never know the number of people and families and children that she has saved because of her courageous leadership. She has enshrined the rights of women. She has promoted safety, well-being, and prosperity in our communities.

Representative Jamaal Bowman, a lifelong educator and an advocate of

opportunity, accountability, and racial justice, has fought day and night and continues to fight day and night for accessible, culturally competent education for every single student in this country.

Mr. Speaker, while dark money in politics may have stripped this Chamber of two of its most authentic champions of working people, let me be very clear: They will not be silenced. I know them too well.

Bowman and Bush, in or out of the Halls of Congress, will continue fighting like heaven and hell for our shared humanity because our work, it is not finished.

This ``Congresswoman,'' ``Congresista'' from Chicago, who has watched all of them with pride and honor, will continue in this Chamber and will continue working with them also outside of this Chamber and is ready to fight with them for humanity, not just in the United States, but globally.

Mr. Speaker, I end by saying, it has been the greatest honor of my life the last 2 years to serve with them. May their courage and their love for people be felt in every seat of this Chamber.

Every single moment we enter it, we are asking ourselves--perhaps physically they are not sitting in the second back row here--but what would Cori and Jamaal do in this moment?

And what Cori and Jamaal would do in every single moment is to stand for the people that others have forgotten about. I thank them, and I look forward to the many things we will do together.