Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support the INVEST in America Act. It is a bill that I have co-led because it would help fix our country's decaying and unreliable infrastructure.

America has always used infrastructure to grow our Nation and our economy, but those improvements have left behind too many people in underserved and rural communities.

In Congress, we have a responsibility to make sure everyone has an opportunity to achieve the American Dream. That is why the INVEST in America Act is so critical.

It provides funds to build or improve roads, bridges, and tunnels throughout America, and it will allow access and development within those communities.

For example, it provides $95 billion to improve passenger rail travel nationwide. That figure includes almost $19 billion to help Amtrak upgrade stations and tracks. And it provides $13.5 billion for rail improvements in the Northeast corridor.

It would spend $25 billion to repair and rebuild bridges, train stations, and train tunnels across this Nation.

Most important, it provides $25 billion to modernize existing rail and expand into more American communities. The expansion would increase our opportunities for jobs and prosperity in underserved communities.

We need to make these investments now and improve the lives of millions of Americans in the process.

Madam Speaker, to the gentleman on the right, I would like to use a great quote from somebody who all of you loved over there: ``There you go again.''

Madam Speaker, as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, I rise today in opposition to the amendments offered en bloc, including the one offered by Mr. Perry that would prohibit expansion of Amtrak service.

I strongly oppose the prohibition which would prevent Amtrak from expanding their network across the country. Allowing Amtrak to expand the national network will connect communities that have previously been isolated and create new economic opportunities. It is vital that we add new service to underserved cities and not just maintain the status quo.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendments offered en bloc.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of infrastructure to my district and the Nation. Right now, we are discussing two monumental transportation and infrastructure improvement proposals: the American Jobs Plan and the INVEST in America Act. Both proposals would repair and replace airports, bridges, buses, seaports, and thousands of miles of American highways.

These proposals would provide direct benefits to my constituents in New Jersey's 10th District. The greatest benefit would be the construction of the $13.4 billion Gateway Program. The program consists of two projects: a new Portal North Bridge and a new Hudson River Tunnel to go with repairs to the current tunnel. The existing bridge and tunnels are more than 110 years old. They have been here longer than the Empire State Building and they are an accident waiting to happen. Each facility carries 200,000 passengers in 450 trains every day to destinations in New Jersey, New York and across the country. A shut down of either facility would cost $100 million in lost economic output every day. Thankfully, officials will begin construction on the new Portal North Bridge this year. But we need funding for the Hudson River Tunnel project immediately.

The Gateway Program is not the only infrastructure project that would receive aid from these bills. A strong investment in our nation's infrastructure will help the City of East Orange improve their transit network and revitalize their downtown area. It will provide more advanced vehicle and pedestrian crossing signals to increase the speed and safety of traffic in Newark. It will replace sidewalks and streetscapes in South Orange. In addition, it will give the residents of Bloomfield a modern train station.

These projects are all critical to the economic health and prosperity of my residents. I know each Member of Congress has a similar list of projects that will bring similar benefits to their constituents. We cannot wait any longer. The longer we wait, the farther behind our national transportation system falls in relation to countries in Europe and Asia. We need to support these bills, repair our bridges, repave our roads, and make life better for all Americans. It is the job we were elected to do. Now, it is time to do it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Richard Rohrman on his retirement and thank him for his 26 years of dedicated service to New Community Corporation.

Mr. Rohrman has done tremendous work for Newark and my 10th Congressional District as CEO of one of our most important community development corporations. New Community Corporation was founded in Newark, New Jersey in 1968 during a time of great civil unrest throughout the community. At the time, it provided local services from housing to healthcare to banking to help it rebuild after the Newark Rebellion. The mission of the corporation is to ``help residents of inner cities improve the quality of their lives to reflect individual, God-given dignity and personal achievement.''

Mr. Rohrman has helped the corporation achieve its goals throughout his 26 years of working for the betterment of Newark residents. In his role as CEO, he has worked to provide $75 million in renovations to 1,100 housing units for my district's most vulnerable populations. He implemented a real estate development plan to create more housing and ownership opportunities for moderate income families. Also, he developed and expanded programs to improve the health and healthcare options for underserved communities.

He has many important achievements during his time at the organization. He was responsible for the maintenance and security of charter schools, day care centers, a health care complex, and corporate offices for New Community. He managed a portfolio of small businesses, including an upscale restaurant, sandwich shop, health spa, print and copy center, food court, and grocery delivery service. In addition, he supervised the final phases of renovation of St. Joseph Plaza, a historic, former church originally built in 1882 that now houses New Community's corporate headquarters. Finally, Mr. Rohrman led a company- wide energy cost reduction initiative that saved the company more than $300,000 annually and a beautification program that involved landscaping more than 40 acres of company-managed property.

Mr. Rohrman has been a strong advocate for the underprivileged and strong supporter of actions and initiatives to help our underserved communities. On behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives and the citizens of New Jersey's 10th Congressional District, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Mr. Rohrman on his retirement and thank him for his many years of dedicated and honorable service.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Congressman Alcee Hastings.

Congressman Hastings spent more than 30 years in Congress and fought for racial equality during his storied and historic life. At the time of his passing, he was the Dean of the Florida Congressional delegation as the Representative from Florida's 20th District. Before that, he was Florida's first African-American federal judge and a strong civil rights advocate. Congressman Hastings died on April 6, 2021 after a long bout with pancreatic cancer.

Congressman Hastings was a life-long public servant. He served as a Circuit Court Judge in Broward County, Florida and then became a U.S. District Court Judge for the Southern District of Florida. After his election to Congress in 1992, Congressman Hastings was a leading member of the Congressional Black Caucus and a senior Democratic whip. He served as a member of the House Rules Committee and a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where he was chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He was an esteemed member of Congress throughout his time there.

Personally, I am devastated at the loss of my colleague and mentor, the Honorable Alcee Hastings. We would talk about his time spent in Newark as a child and his fond memories of growing up there. While voting, I would spend many days sitting next to him and listening to the wisdom he imparted on me. His blunt honesty and brilliance as a legislator were second to none. We even shared our love of colorful socks. The Lord has another one of my Fathers on the Floor of Congress with him no and I will miss him dearly.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Congressman John Lewis on the 56th anniversary of the Bloody Sunday March.

Congressman Lewis spent more than 30 years in Congress, marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and fought for racial equality across the country during his storied and historic life. The civil rights icon died on July 17, 2020, after a tragic fight with cancer.

It was a devastating loss for me and our entire country. Congressman Lewis was such a great fighter for the right thing in our nation. With his passing, I lost one of my fathers on the floor of the House. He was a colleague of my father, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Sr. and one of the men who inspired me to run for office. I was in awe of how he could convey such power and strength with a gentle demeanor. His passion and love for his country and people brought out a ferociousness in such a mild-mannered man. He didn't just speak for civil rights, he stood up against abuse and suffered for it to make this country better for all Americans.

I learned so much from him and his leadership was evident in hundreds of actions in and out of the U.S. House of Representatives. One of my greatest honors happened when we held a `sit-in' on the floor of the House in 2016 to try and get a vote on gun control legislation after 49 people died during a shooting at a nightclub in Orlando, FL. It was his drive and dedication that inspired me and so many of my colleagues to join him that day. There were so many situations like that I could mention. Congressman Lewis always said it was important to `get into good trouble' and those words have inspired me to this day. He was a hero, a mentor, a leader, and a great, great friend.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss Black History Month and the insurrection against our Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

Since 1926, America has celebrated Black History in some form. It started as a week and now it is a month to honor the achievements of Black Americans throughout our nation's history. Schools and organizations conduct seminars and events to highlight the month. It is a positive way to acknowledge the power of diversity in the growth of our country.

But there are still those in America who disagree with diversity. They want to return to a time when only a small minority of Americans were allowed to have rights and the full protections of the U.S. Government. They believe that `white is right' and everything else is wrong. Luckily, their numbers have been decreasing across the country during the last few decades.

Unfortunately, they are not going quietly. The forces of white supremacy were strengthened and emboldened by former President Trump. In the last few years, they have acted out in ways both public and private. They were the ones who attacked our nation's Capitol Building on January 6th. They were the ones who wanted to ``hang'' former Vice President Mike Pence. They were the ones who brought a Confederate flag, one of the nation's foremost symbols of hate and prejudice, into the Capitol Building. And they forced elected officials of both political parties, Republicans and Democrats, to flee for their lives on that fateful day.

We know that white nationalists have become empowered to commit acts of hate like this one nationwide because they had support in the White House. In 2019, the total number of hate crimes rose to 7,312 and marked the fourth increase in the past five years. We know that white supremacy-supporting domestic terrorists pose a greater threat to our nation's peace and security than foreign terrorists. And we know how to fight and defeat white nationalism. The question is when are we going to defeat it for good?

Madam Speaker, I rise today to condemn the behavior, comments, and beliefs of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Rep. Greene has stated or shown support for a number of baseless conspiracy theories and criminal actions against American elected officials and institutions. Even before she represented the people of Georgia's 14th District, Rep. Greene said or supported beliefs that 1) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should be shot, 2) the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 did not happen, and 3) the shooting at a Parkland, FL high school that killed 17 people was staged.

Since Rep. Greene has been elected to Congress, she has continued her horrific, incendiary and anti-American rhetoric and behavior. Rep. Greene has encouraged and incited the disgraceful attack on our nation's Capitol Building on January 6, 2021 as well as acts of violence against former presidents of the United States. She has posted on social media a split-screen picture of herself with an AR-15 automatic weapon on one side and three female Members of Congress on the other with the caption, ``The Squad's Worst Nightmare.'' No Member of Congress should have to worry about being in pictures with an AR-15 pointed at them. As a deliberative body, we debate, and we disagree. But we do not abide death threats of any sort.

Her attempted apology on the House floor was just a disingenuous attempt at covering her true beliefs. Never once did she address the violent comments towards Democratic Leadership that she made or agreed with.

The Republican leadership refused to punish Rep. Greene for her statements and behavior. In fact, they thought it was a good idea to put her on the House Education and Labor Committee. For a Member of Congress to claim that the Parkland tragedy is fake and then be assigned to the Education Committee is outrageous. It is a slap in the face to all the families who lost children and loved ones during that horrible day.

Never at any point has Rep. Greene fully recanted, repudiated nor apologized for any of her statements and behavior. Every day she is a sitting Member of Congress brings shame and dishonor to the U.S. House of Representatives. Her actions are absolutely unacceptable and beneath the dignity of this body. I strongly believe that Rep. Greene poses a continuous threat to the safety of several Members of this body and the institutions that have been the pride of America for more than 200 years.

That is why I voted for the removal of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from all committee assignments and will further push for her removal from Congress.

Madam Speaker, I was unable to vote in person on Roll Call Vote No. 3, since the vote was closed prior to my assigned group being called to vote. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 3

Madam Speaker, congratulations to Mark B. Grier as he retires from an outstanding 25 year career at Prudential, which I am proud to note is headquartered in the 10th District of New Jersey.

Mark is the Vice Chairman of Prudential and has overseen the Finance, Risk Management, Chief Investment, Corporate Actuarial, Global Business and Technology Solutions departments and functions. Mark joined Prudential as Chief Financial Officer in May of 1995 and was named Vice Chairman just six years later in 2002. Since that time Mark has been the company's intellectual leader when it comes to positively and constructively engaging with regulators at both the state and federal levels, and with the Congress.

I have enjoyed working with Mark over the years on an array of public policy matters that were critically important to my district, state, and our nation. I was fortunate to always have the benefit of his insight and experience when debating complex financial services policy challenges, and I appreciate his willingness to reliably serve as a resource to me and my colleagues.

Beyond his commitment to excellence in corporate governance and public policy, Mark also ensured that Prudential was always a good corporate citizen. During his tenure as Vice Chairman and member of the Board of

Directors, Prudential has maintained and expanded its commitment to the city that it has always called home with over $1 billion donated to Newark through impact investing, grants to non-profits, and more. Mark has also been very active in education reform and chaired an organization called ``Achieve'', which is committed to making sure every student graduates from high school ready to succeed in the college or career of their choice.

I am confident that Mark will continue to serve as a leading voice for the industry and I look forward to seeing his contributions and success within his future endeavors. I congratulate Mark again on an extraordinary career, and wish him all the best as he begins his retirement.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act. H.R. 582 is truly long overdue.

Truly hardworking folks across this country, most of whom are first in the door and last to leave, will benefit from this strong legislation. Low-wage earners, manufacturing workers, healthcare workers, construction workers, and educators will come closer to being able to make ends meet.

Middle- and working-class real wages have remained stagnant over the past several decades, even as the corporations and shareholders they labor for have seen soaring profits.

In short, the Federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009. Hardworking families have not been given a fair deal and, thus, have an extremely tough time trying to keep up with the rising cost of living.

Madam Speaker, I will vote yes on H.R. 582, the Raise the Wage Act, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in standing up for hardworking American people.

Mr. Speaker, serial sexual abuser Jeffrey Epstein has been arrested again. Federal prosecutors have charged him with running a sex trafficking ring where he paid to have sex with girls as young as 14 years old.

More than that, officials said Epstein's abuse happened between 2002 and 2005, 3 years before he received a sweetheart deal to spend a mere 18 months in prison and avoid Federal trial for sexual abuse of 36 underaged girls.

The prosecutor who made that deal is our current Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta.

That is why I am calling for Secretary Acosta to resign. His actions in the Epstein case prove that he prefers to protect sex offenders over teenage abuse victims.

He prefers to protect millionaire criminals over the common man, so how can we trust him to protect millions of American workers from corporate abuse when he clearly supports the abusers? We can't.

That is why he needs to resign. Then, we can let the FBI conduct a thorough investigation of his actions to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to commend the Hillside Recreational Basketball All-Star teams for their incredible successes this past season.

These young athletes and their coaches traveled all over the great State of New Jersey to compete in the New Jersey Basketball Association League.

The sixth and seventh grade athletes trained hard with their dedicated coaches which resulted in both teams winning 14 games. The teams then went on to win an additional four games during their championships. The seventh grade team maintained their 2-year champion streak.

These successes were accomplished thanks to each member's commitment to teamwork that allowed them to reach the height of their potential.

Madam Speaker, I am proud to say congratulations to the Hillside Basketball All-Stars.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the importance of hurricane and disaster preparedness.

This month of June marks the start of hurricane season. Each year, there are around 12 named storms; 6 of them are hurricanes, 3 of those are major hurricanes.

Even as far as my district in New Jersey, hurricanes and other tropical weather events can be destructive. Superstorm Sandy hit New Jersey in 2012, and we are still feeling the effects.

With the hurricane season upon us, it is important to remind our constituents to be prepared. Every family should know whether they are in an area that has the potential to be affected by a hurricane.

Every family should have an evacuation plan as well as a plan for sheltering in place. Every family should keep a list of important phone numbers, and keep vital records and documents safe and with them. And most importantly, every family should listen closely to their local officials and follow their instructions.

Mr. Speaker, we can help educate constituents about hurricane preparedness, and in the process, save lives.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate LGBT Pride Month, which occurs every June.

Pride Month is the time when the LGBT community comes together to celebrate their ability to live freely. For many people across the country, Pride events held in this month of June are the occasion where they can express themselves freely in their community.

This year's LGBT Pride Month marks an important turning point in LGBT history, the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. While LGBT Pride events today center on celebration of good times, they are rooted in the LGBT community's fight for survival.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago this month, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City. Raids weren't uncommon at the time, but this time, the gay community rose up in protest. They set off a national movement of LGBT rights, which still is going on today.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to celebrate these great strides in LGBT rights in this country. I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating LGBT Month and commit to protecting the rights and safety of LGBT people.