Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, when President Trump calls your healthcare legislation mean and coldhearted, you know that it is time to reconsider your approach to the Nation's healthcare system. The President was referring, of course, to the House-passed TrumpCare legislation, which pulls the rug from under millions of Americans, raising their costs, gutting their protections, and, for many, taking away their coverage.

And while we do not know the extent of the damage the Senate Republicans' secret health bill would cause, we do know its consequences would be disastrous. We do know, for instance, that the Senate Republicans plan to gut essential health benefits and destroy the Medicaid expansion.

TrumpCare is fundamentally flawed. Higher costs, less coverage, fewer protections, that is the gift from the Republican Party to the American people. The bill would also destroy millions of jobs--nearly 14,000 jobs in my State of New Jersey next year alone.

TrumpCare is an ugly bill being advanced through an ugly process. Senate Republicans can hide the details from their bill, but they cannot hide that simple fact from the American people.

Mr. Speaker, my heart is with the families and the loved ones of our colleagues, House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, and all those injured yesterday: Crystal Griner, David Bailey, Matt Mika, and Zack Barth.

Steve, we are all praying for you and your wife, Jennifer, and your children. We wish you a happy Father's Day and a full recovery.

To the U.S. Capitol Police, you showed yesterday why you are the best at what you do.

David Bailey and Crystal Griner, without hesitation, leaped into action. Had they not done that, the story could be very different today. We are grateful for your service yesterday and every day.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 2 o'clock and 26 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Friday, June 16, 2017, at 9:30 a.m.

Mr. Speaker, the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free are still welcome in America, no thanks to President Trump. Today, for the second time, President Trump lost a ruling on his Muslim ban in the Federal courts of appeal.

The purpose of the President's ban is clear. The then Presidential candidate Trump explicitly called for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. Just last week, President Trump criticized his revised ban as politically correct and called for a much tougher version.

The President's executive order is a Muslim ban, plain and simple. Any argument to the contrary is undercut by the President's own tweets.

President Trump, by his own words and by his own actions, is abdicating America's moral leadership. The greatness of America is not built on isolation and discrimination. It is built on the rule of law and the ideals of equality and inclusion and on the rich history of immigration.

Well, first, I thank the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands, Congresswoman Plaskett, and the gentleman from Texas, Marc Veasey, for hosting tonight's Special Order hour on such an important topic: racism and discrimination.

Before I begin, I want to take a moment to mark the 1-year anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub shooting and to remember the 49 lives that were cut short in the deadliest mass shooting in our Nation's history.

As we grieve for the victims and their families, we must continue to stand in solidarity with the survivors and with the LGBTQ community against hate, intolerance, for love, in support of our Nation's values of equality and dignity for all.

The kind of intolerance, hate, and violence on display that day in Orlando has become an alarming trend in this country, a trend that has disturbingly been fueled by President Trump. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, 37 percent of the 1,094 bias-related incidents in just the first month after the election referenced the President, his campaign slogans, or his remarks about sexual assault.

As he did throughout his campaign, President Trump continues to speak the language of racial and cultural grievance, pitting Americans against one another and perpetuating the viciousness he pretends to despise. The result is what you would expect: a spike in hate crimes and hate speech.

I have seen in my district in New Jersey where anti-Semitic graffiti was plastered on a pedestrian bridge. We have seen it at American University and just down the road at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where nooses were found last month. Communities of color know this pain all too well.

Mr. Speaker, I am really fortunate to be able to discuss an issue of such importance to this Nation. This is one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

You know, I have been very fortunate in my life to have been born into a situation where a great American prior to me held this seat for 23 years in the 10th Congressional District of the State of New Jersey. His name was Donald Payne. He was my father and he afforded me a lifestyle, one of which I did not know of his suffering and pain growing up as a young African American in this country. But even in that situation, I have found myself--irrespective of being in that position, I found myself in situations that have been dangerous and uncomfortable.

As a young, 20-year-old--you know, when we are 20, we do things that we probably shouldn't be doing at times. I was on my lunchtime going downtown to pay a bill at a department store where I had my first credit card, and I was running late. So what I decided to do was make a U-turn on the main street, Broad Street, in Newark, New Jersey, which is the largest street in the town. And I made a U-turn to come in front of the store.

Naturally, you know, with my luck, a motorcycle police officer was coming down the street at the same time. So he pulled me over, as he should, and I was wrong. But I was using my cousin's car. So when he asked me for my license and registration, I could not find the papers that I needed and I was fumbling and nervous.

The officer leaned into the car and used the N-word and said: If you don't find those documents in a minute, I will throw you so far under the jail that they will never find you.

So this is very frightening for any citizen to go through. So I was able to get my license, and I handed it to him. Just before that, they would throw me so far under the jail that they would never find me again. Once I handed him my license and it said that I was Donald Payne, Jr., whose father was a sitting councilman in the city of Newark, his whole attitude changed.

``Don't you know that you could get hurt, or you could hurt someone, or you have to be careful.'' A minute ago I was nothing. I would be so far under the jail, they would never find me. But now that I am connected to something or someone, all of a sudden we have become paternal.

Mr. Speaker, there are millions of people in this country that aren't connected to someone, and these are the types of things that they go through. So I am just here to say that we must be vigilant. I believe in this country; I believe in its greatness. I believe in the words in the Pledge of Allegiance. I believe in the Constitution. We must make it work for all Americans.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the girls and boys track teams at West Side High School in Newark, New Jersey, for winning gold in their respective 4x400 meter relay heats at the Penn Relays this year.

The oldest and largest track and field competition in the world, the Penn Relays is also one of the most prestigious, drawing nearly 20,000 athletes from across the globe. There is some really tough competition at the Penn Relays, but both West Side teams stood out.

The boys relay team, made up of James Bell, Jarrett Gentle, Jakai Coker, and Shaquan Williams, won their heat in an impressive 3 minutes 28 seconds, more than a second faster than the second place team.

The girls relay team, made up of Aminah Muhammad, Fatima Sannor, Tiyauna Evans, and Jahne Slocum, won their heat in an impressive 4 minutes and 7 seconds, more than 3 seconds faster than the second place finishers.

Madam Speaker, again, I congratulate the West Side High School track team and their coaches, Rickey Meekins and Eddie Greene, for bringing home the gold--a testament to their skill, dedication, and teamwork.

Go, Roughriders.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to join me as I rise to pay tribute to Mrs. Rose Allston Woodside, and the many contributions she made as a dedicated community member of Newark, New Jersey.

Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Mrs. Woodside is a long-time, exemplary resident of Newark's Central Ward. She lived in Newark for 89 years, where she made an amazing impact on her community. As a young woman living on Hillside Place in Newark in the 1940s, she was a wonderful ballroom dancer and participated in local lindy hop dances at Newark's Kruger Auditorium. She received her high school diploma from South Side High School which laid the foundation for a successful career in the secretarial and stenography field. She contributed her service as an Executive Assistant at the Newark Housing Authority (NHA) for over 30 years. At the NHA, she became a founding member of the Local 305 Service Employees International Union, and served as its Corresponding Secretary.

Mrs. Woodside's love for her community is unquestioned as she spent much of her time engaging in many civic and community activities. She was a founding member of The Lomars, a Newark social club, which supported the candidacy of Newark's first African American mayor, Kenneth Gibson. In addition, she was an officer and member of the Board of Directors of the High Park Garden housing cooperative in Newark's Central Ward.

Mrs. Woodside has been an amazing member of the St. James A.M.E. Church for 71 years. In her church she served for over 20 years, as a member and officer of the Marie B. Moses Scholarship Committee for over 20 years, which provided college scholarships for high school students. Also, Mrs. Woodside loved to travel. She has visited several countries. including South Africa, which she visited four times. Her love to experience different cultures transpired through her work as a member of the Experienced Seniors Club, where she helped to plan trips and cultural events for other senior citizens living in Newark. Furthermore, for many years she was a

poll worker in Newark's Central Ward. At 90, her hobby consists of making beautifully designed tissue boxes for family members and friends.

Throughout her time in Newark, she developed special bonds with many members of her community including with Mayor Baraka's grandmother, who she was best friends with. Not only is Mrs. Woodside a cherished resident of Newark, she is also a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Mr. Speaker, I know my fellow members of the U.S. House of Representatives agree that Mrs. Rose Allston Woodside deserves to be recognized for a job well done and for many years of service to the Newark community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the National Republic Day of Azerbaijan commemorating Azerbaijan's 99th year of independence and democracy. In 1918, Azerbaijan became the first democratic and secular Muslim country in the world. However, in 1920, the country was absorbed into the Soviet Union. After seven decades, Azerbaijan prevailed over the forces of communism to restore the country's independence in 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan's National Republic Day highlights the nation's significant contributions to global stability, and religious tolerance.

As an unwavering U.S. ally, Azerbaijan has provided vital resources for U.S. and NATO forces and fought side-by-side with U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The United States is grateful for Azerbaijan's security contributions in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Iraq as well as the country's commitment to global nonproliferation efforts.

As a tolerant and secular Muslim-majority nation, Azerbaijan is dedicated to religious pluralism and ensuring the right of religious freedom. Azerbaijan is home to a thriving Jewish community and since the early 1990s, bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Israel have grown in the fields of intelligence sharing, security coordination and economic development.

I commend Azerbaijan for their participation in the international community as a member of the United Nations (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Azerbaijan is a strong partner of the United States in a strategically important and complex region of the world. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the Azerbaijani people on their National Republic Day.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share with my colleagues a story of a corporate leader whose commitment to our nation's veterans is unmatched. Under the leadership of Alex Gorsky as CEO, Johnson and Johnson's commitment to providing the highest quality medical products is only matched by the firm's efforts to provide for the military service members it employs.

Johnson & Johnson's long history of supporting military service members began as early as the Spanish-American War. Beginning in 1898, Johnson & Johnson began retaining positions and paying salaries to employees during military service. For the past century, Johnson & Johnson has been at the cutting edge of developing initiatives to cater to the unique needs of military service members and veterans. Alex Gorsky has doubled down on this impressive record with an unwavering dedication to continuing these traditions for those who have served our nation.

Under Gorsky's leadership, Johnson & Johnson continues to make groundbreaking strides in support of those who have served with initiatives like the Johnson & Johnson Veterans Leadership Council (VLC). The VLC provides for the company's retired service members in an unprecedented manner by supporting the health care and recovery needs of our American heroes in 26 chapters across 11 states.

I was particularly impressed to learn of Johnson & Johnson's Enhanced Military Leave Policy, also instituted by Mr. Gorsky, which enables active service members to defend our nation without fear of job instability, falling behind on bills, or being overlooked during the transition period back at work. I've learned that Mr. Gorsky's own distinguished military career has given him insight into the inherent value of hiring active and retired military service members. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Alex previously served as a U.S. Army Ranger and finished his career with the rank of Captain. Given his commendable service and past experience, Mr. Gorsky recognizes the importance of hiring veterans as they bring invaluable contributions to the workplace like discipline, integrity, critical thinking, and leadership skills.

Johnson & Johnson's military support is not just good corporate culture. Alex Gorsky has led the way in offering financial stability and resources for service members and their families across America, and rewarded out nation's finest for their noble, patriotic service. I believe his legacy as a corporate leader in veteran advocacy creates unquestioned good will, which is valued by consumers, service members, and community leaders. I commend Mr. Gorsky's efforts to put military service members first as they protect our nation at home and abroad, and help Johnson & Johnson tackle our pressing health care needs.

Mr. Speaker, first, let me thank the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. Esty) for allowing me this time to engage the American people in a subject that is crucial to the economy of this Nation and for the citizens that use transportation throughout this country. I think Mr. Garamendi really gave us the bang in terms of looking at the rail situation. That is an area that I also am going to speak on.

Let me say that, with every day that passes, the need for Federal infrastructure investment grows more and more urgent. Robust and reliable infrastructure is the foundation for economic success and security. But for too long, the United States has underinvested in our infrastructure, and this once vibrant foundation has crumbled.

Yesterday, in my district, I took a visit with Amtrak to the 107- year-old Portal Bridge that carries about 450 trains and thousands of passengers over the Hackensack River in New Jersey every weekday. It is a major bottleneck along the Northeast corridor, the Nation's busiest rail line. This rail line goes through New Jersey--well, actually, it starts here in Washington and will travel to Boston. So it travels through Connecticut as well. But we have a major bottleneck in New Jersey.

This old infrastructure, this 107-year-old bridge, is really outdated machinery because this bridge over the river has to spin on a turret when there are barges coming through. Normally it gets stuck. The replacement of the bridge is a key component of the $23.9 billion Gateway program, a comprehensive rail investment program to double rail capacity between New Jersey and New York City.

According to a recent study released by Amtrak, the program could generate $3.87 worth of economic benefit for every $1 invested. New Jersey and New York have agreed to contribute $750 million towards the estimated $1.5 billion costs for the Portal Bridge project. But the program will not be able to move forward without Federal investment. President Trump's proposal to zero out the New Starts programs threatens to derail the overall Gateway program and the Portal Bridge project along with it.

America's infrastructure is failing. Now is the time to build the infrastructure that we need to grow our economy, keep America safe, and become more competitive. Every dollar of infrastructure investment means another $3 of economic growth. America's infrastructure needs could be met, and then some, for a fraction of the cost of the President's tax plan--which is estimated to increase the deficit by $3 trillion to $7 trillion over the next decade--while contributing immensely to economic growth.

Mr. Speaker, we see what is happening across this Nation. We have seen what has happened when bridges crumble, poor infrastructure and tunnels, and it is time for this Nation to invest, once again, in its infrastructure if it wants to remain the beacon in the world for economic growth.

I would like to thank the gentlewoman, once again, for allowing me this opportunity to talk about a critical topic. If no one hears this call, we are doomed in terms of our infrastructure.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize this week as National Small Business Week and to applaud the vast contributions of small- business owners and entrepreneurs across my district--the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey.

National Small Business Week is the perfect opportunity to recognize the

importance of small businesses, entrepreneurs, and the diversity of businessowners.

In New Jersey, small businesses employ nearly 2 million people and make up 99.6 percent of all businesses in the State. Over the last decade, women-owned businesses have increased by 45 percent and generated over $1.6 trillion in revenue. Minority-owned businesses have produced over $1.3 trillion and created 7 million jobs.

Small businesses are truly the backbone of our Nation and economy. As Members of Congress, we must do our part to support all efforts to open the doors of opportunity for small business growth. Their success is our success.

Mr. Speaker, add job creation and infrastructure to the list of President Trump's broken promises. After 102 days in office, the so-called ``greatest jobs President that God ever created'' has failed to present a single job or infrastructure bill.

At the same time, his slash-and-burn budget would cut investments in job growth and infrastructure, imposing a $2.4 billion cut on the U.S. Department of Transportation. Included in those cuts are drastic reductions of the Federal support for Amtrak and the outright elimination of the TIGER grant program.

The President's budget proposal also phases out the New Starts grant program, making critical infrastructure projects, including New Jersey and New York's Gateway Program ineligible for Federal funding needed to move forward.

As I speak, New Jersey rail commuters are probably facing massive delays and disruptions to their already nightmarish commute. President Trump's proposed cuts to vital Federal infrastructure programs will only make the problem worse. It has been an ugly 102 days for President Trump, and, unless he tackles jobs and infrastructure, as promised, it is going to get uglier.

Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the gentleman from the Commonwealth of Virginia (Mr. McEachin). It is the birthplace of my mother: Dinwiddie County, Virginia. My grandfather was a small-time tobacco farmer, and I learned to cut tobacco at 8 years old.

I am from Newark, New Jersey, the Garden State. We didn't raise much tobacco there in the Garden State, but my friends used think I was going on vacation when I would leave. I said I wasn't going on vacation; I was going to work. That is what we did for the summer. It was a great experience, and I always have great, great memories of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Speaker, last month, as part of a partnership with the National Newspaper Publishers Association, I wrote an op-ed on environmental justice issues. I will repeat what I wrote then, which is that environmental justice should be a national priority, not a problem confined to minority communities.

African-American communities are disproportionately burdened with pollutants. Across the Nation, communities of color suffer from higher rates of exposure to air pollution, higher rates of lead poisoning, and higher rates of water pollution.

Every single day, children in my home city of Newark, New Jersey, are exposed to harmful levels of pollution from the port and other sources that rob them of their health, just because of where they live.

One in four Newark children has asthma. The hospitalization rate for Newark children is 30 times the rate of

the national average. Asthma is the leading cause of absenteeism in school-age children in the city of Newark, New Jersey.

Yet, too often, environmental justice is an afterthought, or often it is missing entirely in the discussion of the challenges facing African Americans.

The Trump administration threatens to make the problem even worse. President Trump has prioritized rolling back environmental regulations, from emissions rules for power plants to the mandate that Federal decisionmaking must be taken into consideration on climate change impacts.

President Trump proposed slashing the EPA's budget by 31 percent, cutting enforcement of the Agency's clean air laws by $129 million.

With threats of excessive cuts to the EPA, air quality across the Nation may even be worse than expected. In the American Lung Association's ``State of the Air'' report, my district and many other metropolitan areas ranked as having the most polluted air in the country. However, only one-third of counties have ozone or particulate pollution air monitors. We must fight to ensure that funding for air monitors are for all our communities.

So what can we do to protect our communities from environmental degradation?

The Newark City Council has been a leader in that area and has passed a first-in-the-nation ordinance requiring developers to request environmental permits to inform the city of any environmental impacts. As a result, decisionmakers and the public will be able to make informed decisions about sustainable development. Other municipalities would be smart to follow Newark's lead.

Last November, I joined Amy Goldsmith and Kim Gaddy of the Clean Water Action and the Coalition for Healthy Ports for an environmental justice tour of the Port of New York and New Jersey. We were also joined by Congressman Frank Pallone from New Jersey. Organizations like theirs are doing excellent work in the fight against health-threatening pollution. Expanding partnerships on the environmental justice initiatives must be a central part of our strategy to secure environmental protections.

To those listening at home: I encourage you to make it clear to your elected officials that you will hold them accountable for any efforts to dismantle environmental protections and any failures to fight for environmental justice.

And to my colleague from Virginia, it is really noteworthy that you have taken the lead on this issue. As I stated in my presentation, Newark, New Jersey, is 30 times greater propensity for asthma in children than the national average. I mean, that is almost criminal.

And we as a home, myself, not just have heard about it, but have lived it. My middle son--I am the father of triplets. My middle son has grown up with asthma; the days we had to keep him inside. He has been fortunate to have not--knock on wood--have many instances throughout his childhood of asthma attacks, but the one that I did see really brought me to tears.

To know that there are numbers of children throughout this country who don't have the opportunity to go to the doctor, who rush to the hospital with asthma attacks, and who, God forbid, sometimes don't make it to the doctor is just--to think that that could be my boy brings tears to my heart.

So I am willing to make this fight not for just my son, but for the hundreds of thousands of children throughout this country who suffer from this disease, and make sure that the EPA stays intact to fight these dreaded diseases, especially in minority communities, in our young people, and throughout the country.

I will close with the drinking water issue in Flint. The Congressional Black Caucus went out to Flint when the issue first came up. Ms. Pelosi was there as well, and we talked to the people of Flint and heard firsthand their heartbreak and not being able to think they could trust anyone. Their government had let them down, had lied to them, had given them poison to drink and said it is okay. It looked like rusty water, but they told them that it was fine to use it for baths or whatever.

So I am sitting there on that stage listening to all this and I am thinking in the back of my head: I am from Newark, New Jersey, the third oldest city in this country's history. So Flint, Michigan, can't be that old because Lewis and Clark went West.

So the third oldest city, what were my pipes like? What was the condition of my water system?

And I went back and I saw several mayors from my district, and I said: I suggest you start looking at your water systems.

And that was on a Friday. That Tuesday we got a report from the Newark school system. They found lead in the drinking water in 44 schools in Newark that next--not even a week.

So we know how important these issues are, and we will continue to fight for what is right in our communities. I appreciate the opportunity and your leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad we are talking about criminals, but

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 876, the Aviation Employee Screening and Security Enhancement Act for 2017.

Mr. Speaker, last month, the Transportation Security Administration issued a directive prohibiting travelers flying out of 10 airports in eight countries from carrying laptops and other large electronic devices aboard airplanes. That decision was informed by intelligence that ISIS and other terrorist organizations may have developed innovative ways to plant explosives in electronic devices that TSA may not be able to detect. This swift action highlights the importance of TSA's being able to adapt quickly in response to the ever-evolving terrorist threat landscape.

Here, in the United States, we have been fortunate that there has never been a case where an airport worker has exploited their position to carry out a deadly attack on an airport, but we have seen such incidents abroad.

Accordingly, Congress has given particular attention to the airport insider threat risk, and, in the 114th Congress, we enacted measures to enhance access controls at airports and improve security vetting for airport workers.

Today, we consider H.R. 876, a bill that seeks to address this risk by requiring TSA to carry out a cost and feasibility study of incorporating new approaches to bolster access controls to a diverse range of airports.

In an effort to help airports better understand the effectiveness of their current airport worker screening systems, the measure also directs TSA to increase covert testing of such systems.

One feature of the bill that I want to highlight is a provision targeted at fostering greater vigilance and awareness among airport workers regarding the insider threat risk.

Specifically, it directs TSA to work with airport operators, air carriers, and unions to develop insider threat security awareness training for airport workers within 180 days of enactment of the bill.

H.R. 876, which was introduced in February and approved by the full committee in March, has bipartisan support, including the support of Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman, the top-ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee's Transportation Security Subcommittee.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of H.R. 876, and I yield back the balance of my time.