Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a man of faith from my district, Pastor Bryan Ali.

Pastor Ali has been my friend for more than 50 years. He was the ``pastor in the hood,'' as we called him, at New Psalmist Worship Center in Newark, New Jersey. His story is one that should inspire us all.

Pastor Ali received his spiritual calling during a time when he fought homelessness and chemical addiction. He improved his life through the power of the Lord. His own personal reformation led to a doctoral degree in holistic theology. He served as president of the Baptist Ministers Conference of Newark and Vicinity.

In addition, he was the spiritual counselor for the Newark Anti- Violence Coalition and served on the board of the Newark Community Health Centers.

I was honored when he accepted the invitation to be the guest chaplain here in Congress.

Pastor Ali was an outstanding clergyman, an incredible leader, and an inspirational figure in our community. He will be missed.

Madam Speaker, let me first thank the gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick) for allowing me the opportunity to speak today and also the gentleman from Illinois, her great partner, the Honorable Jonathan Jackson, who comes from a lineage of great service to this Nation.

I am here tonight because of the topic. I was once a Black little boy, and so the topic is very important to me because, you see, in this Nation, Madam Speaker, it seems that there is a race going on. It appears that sometimes the young men in my community don't receive the same consideration, the same opportunities, the same benefit of the doubt that other young men are allowed to have. So, I am here to talk a bit about that.

The young lady that has brought us here today, the honorable gentlewoman from Florida, Frederica Wilson, has been a consummate advocate for Black men and young boys. I thank my good friend, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, for tonight.

She is a strong supporter of efforts to improve the health of Black males. She created and now serves as chairwoman of the House caucus on the Commission on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. She founded this caucus to uncover these social disparities that affect Black men's health in our country, and the caucus does exceptional work to address these issues that lower the life expectancy of Black men, such as gun violence, mental illness, and the lack of access to quality healthcare. In fact, Congresswoman Wilson has done more to improve Black men's health than most Black men.

That is why I am honored to be here today to support her. The health of Black males is particularly important to me for two reasons.

As a Black Congressman, I want to do everything I can to improve the health and well-being of Black men. I am the co-chair of three different congressional caucuses that deal with healthcare: the Congressional Men's Health Caucus, the Congressional Colorectal Cancer Caucus, and the Congressional Peripheral Artery Disease Caucus.

I understand the disparities in healthcare that exist for Black men and all Black Americans. Studies show that Black Americans do not get the same healthcare, on average, as our counterparts in this country, and that causes too many members of our community to die from preventable diseases.

Today, Black men born after 1960 have a life expectancy of 61. To quote Congresswoman Wilson: ``They do not even live long enough to collect their Social Security.''

The second and most important reason is that I am diabetic, and I have to monitor my health on a daily basis. Unfortunately, too many Black men do not monitor their health on a consistent basis, and that is one reason the life expectancy of Black men is so low.

They fail to get regular checkups and health screenings. They wait to see a doctor until they have a reason, and that can allow a minor health issue to become a major one.

I could go on about this issue because it means so much to me as a Black man, but I would love to give my colleagues here the opportunity to express their concern about this very important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the strong state of the Union thanks to President Biden. I had the distinct honor of speaking with the President right before and right after his historic State of the Union Address last night.

President Biden's leadership has created the strongest economy in the world with almost 15 million new jobs created in this country. He has saved Americans billions of dollars with lower costs for medications, healthcare insurance, and the removal of junk fees. His actions will cut climate pollution in half by 2030. His focus on infrastructure has created 40,000 projects in 4,500 American communities.

He signed the first major bipartisan gun safety bill in 30 years to protect Americans from gun violence, and he has expanded benefits for military veterans.

The list of successes goes on and on. The state of the Union is strong, and under President Biden's leadership, it continues to get stronger.

Mr. Speaker, let me first thank Mr. Moore for being gracious and allowing me this time. We need to see more of that between both sides of the aisle, and I thank him very much, sir.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great man, my father, Congressman Donald Payne, Sr.

Today is the 12th anniversary of his passing from colorectal cancer, and his life was filled with tremendous accomplishments. He was New Jersey's first Black Congressman and served as the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. He helped decide House Committee representation as a member of the Democratic Steering Committee, and also fought to restore democracy and human rights worldwide as a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

President George W. Bush made him the first two-time member of the congressional delegation to the United Nations, and he earned an ``A'' for his work to protect and strengthen the middle class. He was an outstanding Congressman, mentor, and role model, but he was ten times a better father.

My heart is heavy today as I mourn my father. I do miss him so, and I thank the gentleman, once again, for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the great work of President Biden and the House Democrats.

We are putting people over politics to grow the middle class.

We have created better-paying jobs and continue to make communities safer.

We have capped the price of insulin at $35 per month for seniors, and we are working to make that price set for all diabetics.

We continue to grow the middle class with investments in infrastructure and investments in technologies to prevent climate change.

We are working to make corporations and the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans pay their fair share in taxes.

We passed the first gun safety law in a generation, and we will keep fighting to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people.

In addition, we want women to make their own reproductive healthcare choices, and we will continue to put people over politics in all our policy choices.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois for that kind introduction and also the gentlewoman from Florida for hosting this Special Order hour. They come here every week bringing the message from the CBC, and they do an incredible job.

Also, it is very difficult to follow my classmate, the former chair lady of the CBC. It is a very hard act to follow. When I see her, I kind of cringe because I know I better get it together. The Honorable Joyce Beatty has been a true friend, sister, and colleague to me.

And to you, Madam Speaker, as you sit in that seat, it is apropos that this month you have been given the honor to stand over the Speaker's rostrum and control the House of Representatives, so I salute you, as well, as a woman.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the influence and achievements of Black women in America during Women's History Month. First, I will discuss the origins of Women's History Month.

Women's History Month started as Women's History Week in Santa Rosa, California, in 1978. The local Sonoma County Commission on the status of women planned a week of celebratory events to connect the International Women's Day on March 8.

The events highlighted the many contributions of women to American history, culture, and society. It included school presentations in Sonoma County, a student essay contest to honor local women with the parade through downtown Santa Rosa.

The year after that, Santa Rosa's historic week triggered similar events to celebrate women in communities nationwide.

In addition, historians and women activist groups began to push for a National Women's History Week.

In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential proclamation to declare the first week in March as National Women's History Week.

However, 1 week was not enough to celebrate the enormous contributions of women to American history, so Congress created Women's History Month in 1987. It is stated that the month would recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of America's history in a variety of fields.

This month, we honor women from all races, cultures, and creeds during Women's History Month. However, we are here today as the CBC to honor Black women who have made a difference in America, and many of them need to be recognized more often: Women like Bessie Coleman, the first Black woman to be a licensed pilot in this country; Alice Coachman, the first Black woman to win an Olympic medal for the United States of America; Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in the United States; Phillis Wheatley, the first Black woman to publish a book in this great country; and Mary Jane Patterson, the first Black woman to graduate from an established college.

We also have Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first Black nurse and eventual cofounder of the American Nurses Association. More than that, Mahoney was one of the first women to register to vote in Boston after her retirement in 1920.

Maggie Lena Walker, the first Black woman to start a bank and serve as the president of a U.S. bank.

Alice Dunnigan, the first Black woman to cover the White House as a reporter.

Mae Jemison, the first Black woman to become an astronaut and go into space. Jemison overcame her fear of heights to do that. Can you imagine?

These extraordinary Black women are a few of the millions who have made a difference in our country. Today, Black women are setting new standards of excellence in the sciences, the arts, athletics, politics, mathematics, education, medicine, and the law, just to name a few.

I am proud to be here to celebrate the contributions of Black women-- I am the product of a Black woman--and all women, to the betterment of America. They have helped to build this country, and we must do everything possible to protect the rights they have worked so hard for. As we discuss the whole notion around Black women and what they have contributed to this country, let's not forget all women and what they have done in this country.

I am just honored to be here on the floor tonight to say thank you to the many Black women who have made a difference in my life. To name a few: Jean Blakely; Esther Wright; Kay Thompson Payne; Dr. Jacqueline Young; Wanda Payne, my late sister; Sarah Jones.

I have been molded by Black women all my life, and I just feel an obligation to stand in the trenches and help them advance their careers. I am just really delighted to be here and express my gratitude to Black women and women as a whole.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the new Family Empowerment Center at Metropolitan Baptist Church in Newark.

For more than 16 years, the church's sacred and cherished Willing Heart Community Care Center has been a pillar of service to the community. It has provided food and clothing to residents and families in difficult times. It has brought relief to community members who have suffered during Hurricanes Ike, Sandy, and Irene. It has guided the desperate toward hope and salvation.

Now, the care center will become the Family Empowerment Center. It will provide more advanced, quality medical care for families, and it will help unemployed workers improve their chances of getting a good- paying job.

I am a strong supporter of job training programs. I secured $1 million for a local program to increase minority employment in advanced technologies. I cannot wait to see what the Family Empowerment Center will do for our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the continued Republican leadership crisis.

Here we go again--2 days away from a government shutdown due to a lack of funding. Republican leadership is so poor that it can only achieve stopgap funding measures. There is no long-term solution because MAGA Republicans have no long-term goals.

They have no long-term goals because there is no long-term vision to better the country. They do not see how a lack of humanitarian care for innocent Palestinian families causes more instability and extremism in the Middle East.

They do not understand how a lack of funding for Ukraine creates more political and economic instability across the globe. They deny that their rejection of an incredibly popular border security bill allows more fentanyl and illegal drugs to threaten American communities. They do not see because they do not care.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss President Biden's work to better America.

It is tax time again, and under Republican leadership, America's richest 1 percent do not mind tax time because they save billions in unpaid taxes. Instead, Republicans like to force middle- and lower- class Americans to pay more. They rob the poor to pay the rich.

President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act is forcing the richest, tax-cheating Americans and American corporations to pay their fair share. It has helped recover more than $500 million from 1,600 delinquent millionaires already.

Forcing millionaires and billionaires to pay their fair share will raise $500 billion during the next decade. These funds will cut the deficit and provide more resources for hardworking American families.

I am proud to support President Biden's efforts to help Americans, and I am proud to be a Democrat because we put people over politics.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Valentine's Day. The day began to honor St. Valentine. Some believe that he was a priest who married Romans in love to defy an emperor's ban. Others believe he helped Christians escape brutal Roman prisons.

Either way, the spread of Christianity helped February 14 become St. Valentine's Day in the fifth century.

Europeans associated the day with love because it coincided with the mating season for some birds in Europe.

My favorite English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, first wrote about St. Valentine's Day as a celebration of love in 1375.

In 1415, the Duke of Orleans wrote the first valentine to his wife while in prison in the Tower of London.

Today, at least 30 countries celebrate Valentine's Day, and an estimated 145 million Valentine's Day cards will be sent out.

If you have been busy, I encourage all my colleagues to pick up some chocolates and flowers before you head home tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss how House Republicans make the border crisis worse to harm America.

Last week, they failed in their political stunt to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. There was no reason at all to do this in the first place. Then they failed to pass an appropriations bill because they did not include border security funding.

Let's be honest. Republicans are not interested in border security. Their master, Donald Trump, told them to do nothing so he could use it as an election ploy. Consequently, they are allowing more undocumented immigrants to enter this country, and they are allowing dangerous fentanyl and other drugs to threaten the lives of Americans. They do it so they can kiss the feet of their boss and fearless leader.

They are robbing resources and funding from hardworking Americans to do it. It is an example of cowardice that has no equal in American history.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her leadership in this Congress on these important Special Order hours that the CBC has been involved in. She has done an exemplary job in making sure she is able to rally the cattle and keep them in order, and I just wanted to acknowledge that.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the evolution of Black excellence during Black History Month.

I have said on this floor that the African American story is the greatest success story in our country's history, and we are here to highlight some of those many examples of that success.

First, I want to discuss why it is important to have this discussion. Black excellence is a term born out of the difficulties Black Americans have faced since the very beginning. It is a term that helps change the historical perception of Blacks in America, and it focuses on the millions of Black Americans that have helped change that perspective.

Since the first Africans set foot on American soil, we have fought for everything that we have in this country. First, we had to fight for the right to be considered people. Then we had to fight to make sure the promises of the Constitution applied to us. We are still fighting those fights every single day.

In essence, Black excellence is not a series of actions, it is a state of being that evolved from struggle. It is a response to critics, and it is a mantra that reminds millions of Black children and teens that there are doors open to them that were closed to their ancestors.

Usually Black history and Black excellence focuses on the most famous Black Americans, like Frederick Douglass, Dr. Martin Luther King, Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Owens, Maya Angelou, Michael Jordan, and Oprah Winfrey. However, history is filled with Black Americans who need to be recognized more often. Americans like Bayard Rustin, who organized the March on Washington. Bessie Coleman, the world's first licensed Black pilot. Alice Coachman, the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. Benjamin Davis, Sr., the first Black General in the U.S. Army. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler, the first Black woman to earn a medical degree in the U.S. Frederick McKinley Jones, a Black inventor who made it possible to transport blood and donated organs across this country. His invention alone saved tens of thousands of lives.

Today, Black Americans carry on their tradition of excellence in a variety of fields and professions. Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett helped create a COVID-19 vaccine. Victor Glover was the first Black astronaut to live and work at the International Space Station for an extended period of time. Rashida Jones is the president of MSNBC and is the first Black executive to run a major news network.

Brian Stephenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, has helped hundreds of wrongfully-convicted Americans get the justice and freedom they deserve. Tristan Walker cofounded an organization to help minority students get jobs with the country's leading technology firms.

Today's Congressional Black Caucus is filled with political leaders who have triumphed over adversity. Their stories are exceptional examples of Black excellence. Yet, these Black Americans are only a few of the millions who have worked to help our communities and our country every day. Their work inspires African-American school children everywhere to find their own means to achieve Black excellence.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to cast my vote for rollcall votes 34 and 35. Had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall vote No. 34 and ``no'' on rollcall vote No. 35.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the late Lieutenant Governor of the State of New Jersey, Sheila Y. Oliver.

Ms. Oliver was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. She was the first Black woman to serve as Lieutenant Governor in the State's history. She was the first Black woman to be elected to statewide office in New Jersey. She was the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the general assembly. She was only the second Black woman to lead a legislative chamber in American history.

I knew her before she made history. I knew her as my neighbor on Bock Avenue in Newark, New Jersey. She became my mentor, my friend, and someone I respected. Her oratory skills were second to none. You felt honored when she spoke on your behalf.

It was her endorsement that helped propel me to my seat in the United States Congress. The Positive Community magazine will publish a tribute to Sheila Oliver this month, and it is well-deserved.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the beginning of Black History Month. This month, we celebrate the tremendous contributions of African Americans to the growth of our Nation.

Black History Month started as Negro History Week in February of 1926. That week was chosen because it included the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln and famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass.

In 1976, they expanded it to create Black History Month. Today, Africans Americans make a difference in every aspect of American life. Black History Month is a time to remember that and highlight the fact that the African-American story is one that is rich and woven into the history of our great Nation.