Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for yielding me this time.

Last Congress, the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications held a series of hearings examining how the Internet can positively impact disaster response at all levels.

Over the course of these hearings, industry stakeholders, who included Google.org, Palantir, and the Internet Association, provided testimony about how the Internet helped galvanize citizens affected by disasters--from the Boston Marathon bombings to Hurricane Sandy.

We also heard from an energy services company headquartered in my district, PSE&G, that was recognized by J.D. Power and Associates for its innovative use of social media in the days leading up to and following Hurricane Sandy. PSE&G used social media to communicate with its customers about how to prepare for the storm and to mitigate damage and about power restoration efforts afterward.

Additionally, PSE&G testified about lessons learned about using social media during disaster response--ranging from using the right tone in messages to preparing social media companies to handle the increased volume of messages.

In those hearings, we also took testimony from Federal, State, and local governments about how to use social media more effectively to provide disaster-related information to be better integrated into disaster response applications.

We also heard from FEMA and local officials on efforts to improve the use of social media following a terrorist attack or natural disaster.

I was pleased to work with then-Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Brooks on this oversight effort and ultimately on the bill to ensure that the important conversation about how to best use social media following a disaster can continue.

Last July, I was pleased to manage an identical version of this bill on the House floor on behalf of the Committee on Homeland Security. That measure, H.R. 4263, passed the House on suspension, as I hope will occur with H.R. 623.

This Congress, I am pleased that my committee was able to work with the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to ensure that H.R. 623 gets considered early this Congress. That said, I am disappointed that this time around, under the rules of the House, the committee that developed the legislation, in response to extensive oversight findings, was not given the opportunity to present it in the full House on its own.

That said, I congratulate Subcommittee Chairwoman Brooks on the success of her efforts to ensure that Federal, State, and local governments continue to work with the private sector and nonprofit disaster response providers to develop innovative uses of social media. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 623.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be given 5 days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by welcoming our new members and by thanking the gentlewoman from Ohio, Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, for her leadership of the Congressional Black Caucus during the 113th Congress. Thanks to her dedication and tireless work, this caucus is better positioned to address the diverse challenges of the African American community.

I also want to thank the new CBC chair, the Honorable Congressman G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina. I am confident that he will do a great job leading this caucus with steadfast commitment to justice and to building an America that works for everyone.

Let me also thank my counterpart, the Honorable Congresswoman Robin Kelly, for joining me in leading the CBC Special Orders this year. I am truly honored to take on this new role, and I look forward to working with her as we help carry out the critical mission of this caucus.

Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, in the midst of the civil rights movement, hundreds of brave men and women gathered in Selma, Alabama, to begin a long, arduous march to Montgomery in support of the fundamental truth: that every American, regardless of what they look like, has the right to vote.

On March 7, 1965, 600 men and women set out from Selma following the death of 26-year-old Jimmie Lee Jackson, a deacon from Marion, Alabama, who died from gunshot wounds inflicted by a State trooper at a nonviolent demonstration.

Theirs was a peaceful, nonviolent march, but it was met with fierce brutality. It would take the marchers two more attempts to arrive at Montgomery; but on March 25, after a 12-day journey, they did arrive.

Since that day, our country has made significant strides in achieving equality and justice for all, but significant challenges remain unmet. Tonight, we will examine where we have come from, where we are, and where we would like to go as a society. We must be ready to go.

In 1965, Selma became the focal point of voter registration efforts in the South. At the time, only 2 percent of the city's eligible African American voters had been able to register. The impact of Selma to the Montgomery march was profound.

As Dr. King said, ``Selma produced the voting rights legislation of 1965.'' The Voting Rights Act of 1965 banned discriminatory voting requirements that disenfranchised African American voters throughout this country; yet, today, the dream of full equality is still something many African Americans can only dream of.

Where we are, nearly 6 years after the end of the recession, people still struggle to find work, and the gap between the rich and poor continues to grow. For African Americans, this situation is severe, given the disproportionate effect of unemployment on our communities.

At the same time, there remains widespread poverty, a defining challenge of our time. This persistent economic inequality threatens to undercut the gains that African American communities have made, and it undermines the idea of economic mobility, the idea that if you work hard in this country and have ambition, you can get ahead. The economic crisis is not only facing African American communities.

Where we are in education, education is the most important economic investment we can make now and for future generations; yet, across the country, we still have seen cuts to education at all levels and attacks on critical programs like Head Start and Pell grants.

These attacks undermine the ability of African Americans to get ahead--that is why I strongly support President Obama's new, bold initiative for free access to community colleges--so, too, do efforts to dismantle social safety net programs which our communities depend on. Those efforts are irresponsible, unjust, and contrary to who we are as Americans.

The Congressional Black Caucus will make criminal justice reform a centerpiece of our agenda. We will work to reduce the epidemic of poverty in this country. We will work to create educational opportunities for African American children, and we will support efforts to strengthen our 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The CBC also remains committed to fighting against efforts to dismantle the social safety net. We are determined to restore section 5 of the Voting Rights Act and to make sure everyone, regardless of what they look like or where they come from, has equal access to the polls, and we resolve to ensure that increasing diversity in this Nation is reflected in American corporations.

Together, these policies will bring us closer as a nation where we are empowering the communities of African Americans, and they will benefit from the full equality and live the American Dream. There is no doubt that we are in difficult times in this Nation.

Injustices are widespread and threaten some of our most fundamental rights, but we will find no answers in apathy, no comfort in complacency. As we always have, we will continue the march for progress, for freedom, for justice, and for equality for all.

Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and privilege now that I yield to the distinguished gentlewoman from Illinois, Ms. Robin Kelly.

I thank the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, it is my honor and privilege for the first time in the 114th Congress to have the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, G.K. Butterfield, address us, and I yield to the gentleman.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We are looking forward to your leadership in the 114th Congress, and we will continue to strive to make sure that the issues that the CBC find important are relevant on the day-to-day basis.

Now, Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the leader, who has probably forgotten more about the goings- on and the rules in this Chamber than I will ever know.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Clyburn. As in the past, the Congressional Black Caucus will work to continue to reduce the epidemic of poverty in this country. When over 45 million Americans live below the poverty line, we are failing as a nation. As Congressman Butterfield said earlier this month, the CBC will advocate the Clyburn 10-20-30 plan, which redirects at least 10 percent of an agency's grants in its discretionary budget to communities where at least 20 percent of the population has lived below the poverty line for the past 30 years. These are the issues that we will continue to work on as members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

It is now my honor to yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel), one of my mentors since before I arrived in Congress, a former friend of my father's and a great colleague.

I thank the gentleman from New York. His kind thoughts and perspective is always, always needed in this House.

Now, I have the honor and the privilege of yielding to the gentlewoman from Alabama (Ms. Sewell), who represents the city, the town, that is on everybody's breath over the last couple of months.

Thank you.

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

Thank you.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Al Green).

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

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 4, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Motion to Commit

Mr. Speaker, hands up; don't shoot.

The recent events in Ferguson have brought to light many of the problems that still exist in our Nation: racial divides, mistrust of law enforcement, a judicial system that disproportionately incarcerates black men, and the unfortunate way that we view one another--not as Americans, but as us versus them.

I am encouraged by President Obama's initiative that will help purchase body cameras for police departments. This will increase accountability of law enforcement, and it will protect our officers by deterring wrongdoing.

I am proud that the two cities in my district, Newark and Jersey City, are taking the lead to acquire cameras for their police officers, because members of the community deserve to feel law enforcement is protecting them and not out to get them; and, in turn, our protectors deserve to be protected as well. This will be a step in the right direction.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to join me as I rise to pay tribute to H.E. Deborah-Mae Lovell, Antigua and Barbuda's Ambassador to the United States of America

and Antigua and Barbuda's Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) who distinguished herself in strengthening the bonds of friendship between Antigua and Barbuda and our country as well as by her work through the OAS in promoting peace and goodwill in our hemisphere. Ambassador Lovell will enter into retirement on December 1, 2014 having served her country for over thirty-one years, ten of which were spent in the roles of Ambassador and Permanent Representative in Washington D.C.

As Ambassador to the United States of America, Ambassador Lovell built bridges of understanding at both the executive and legislative branches where she consistently engaged officials on the imperative of implementing mutually beneficial policies. Beyond this, she earned the trust of the fourteen member independent countries of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to lead discussions with members of the legislative branch on issues ranging from energy through security and immigration to trade. Always active in promoting the rights of the underserved and the underrepresented, Ambassador Lovell was a passionate advocate for youth, afro-descents and women at the OAS. Propelled by the belief that young people are our investment in the future, she identified youth empowerment as the theme when she chaired the Permanent Council of the OAS. Her initiative was complemented by the thirty-four Foreign Ministers and Representatives of the highest policy making body of the OAS, the General Assembly, (the Thirty-Eighth Regular Session) who crafted a declaration, Youth and Democratic Values, that committed the hemisphere to strengthening the political, social and economic participation of youth in the democratic process.

During Ambassador Lovell's tenure, Antigua and Barbuda spearheaded the adoption of two landmark Conventions at the OAS that would help to eliminate racism and intolerance. These were the Inter-American Convention against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Forms of Intolerance and the Inter-American Convention on All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance. Furthermore, on the question of women's rights, Ambassador Lovell has championed women entrepreneurship and has worked against domestic violence.

Ambassador Lovell is an ardent believer in international cooperation and by forming partnerships with friendly countries; she has laid the groundwork in establishing a modern address system for her country that would lead to the better provision of government services such as the distribution of utilities. In 2010, Ambassador Lovell was bestowed a knighthood, the highest honor of Antigua and Barbuda for her services rendered in the field of diplomacy and carries the title Dame Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of the Nation. Ambassador Lovell has received commendations by the State of Maryland, the City of Baltimore, the Maryland House of Delegates, the Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club and the Consulate General of Antigua and Barbuda. Under Ambassador Lovell's leadership, the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda had been selected as one of the top ten embassies in Washington D.C.

Mr. Speaker, I know my fellow members of the House of Representatives agree that Ambassador Lovell deserves to be recognized for a job well done and for her many years of service to the people of Antigua and Barbuda, the United States of America and the Organization of American States.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Rutgers University Professor Clement Price, who passed away earlier this month.

Dr. Price was born in Washington, DC, but adopted Newark as his beloved home. He became one of Newark's most ardent supporters and an esteemed author, historian, and humanitarian.

He moved to Newark shortly after the 1967 riots, and earned his Ph.D. from Rutgers University, later becoming a professor there.

Dr. Price was a very thoughtful man, and he was always supportive of me, often providing guidance. I will forever be grateful for his help and dedication to our shared beloved city. Newark is without a doubt a better place to live because of Dr. Clement Price.

The last time I saw Dr. Price was just days before his passing. He was being honored by the Newark YMCA.

He had told me before that when he was a youngster, he was a server in the Members Dining Hall. Unfortunately, though, because of the color of his skin, he was never able to dine there. So, I had invited him down to dine with me.

He reminded me of my offer that day, and the last thing he said to me was ``We're going to keep that date; and we're going to taste that bean soup.'' I only wish we could have kept that date. It would have been my absolute pleasure.

To his wife, Mary Sue, I extend my deepest condolences, thoughts, and prayers.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I am concerned about the Newark Public Schools' One Newark plan which picks winners and losers among schools and students.

Earlier this year, I sent a letter to the superintendent of Newark Public Schools, Cami Anderson. I am deeply troubled by its actions which ignore efforts to strengthen traditional public schools; further, I question whether the One Newark plan will truly help realize this vision for all students in the Newark public school system, especially children with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I sent this letter in February. More than 5 months later, I have yet to receive a single response. The people I represent are very upset over the lack of answers and the complete disregard for their concerns, and they have a right to be upset.

The opening of the schools in the Newark public school system this year was a debacle. There have been protests, and there will continue to be until the voices of the people are heard.

We are talking about the future of Newark, the future of our district, the future of our State, and the children that we love.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today with my colleagues in remembering the more than 200 girls who were abducted from their school on April 14, 2014. It is hard to imagine the fear, pain and the anguish they have suffered at the hands of the monsters who kidnapped them.

As a father, I understand what these girls' families are feeling. I have not forgotten these girls, and I will continue to work with my colleagues for their safe return and for the elimination of the terrorist group Boko Haram.

The world and mainstream media have mostly moved on from the events in Nigeria, but amid all the horrors that regularly compete for the world's attention, this one should not be forgotten. Among these missing girls are future lawyers, doctors, and teachers, women who could some day lead their country.

I call for my colleagues not to forget these girls and come together to combat Boko Haram, al Qaeda, and ISIL.

Let me say thank you to my colleague, the gentleman from Nevada, and also the gentleman from New York (Mr. Jeffries), who have demonstrated true leadership in this freshman class and having shown and demonstrated time and time again during these Special Orders their commitment to this Nation.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Ferguson, Missouri, and the people across this Nation have suffered a tremendous blow with the circumstances surrounding Michael Brown's death. Not only did we lose a young man, we as a Nation were once again reminded that although we have come so far, we still have a long way to go. We are trying to achieve equality and fairness under the law, regardless of race, religion, or sexual orientation. Now is the time for all of us to reflect on what has happened and to find a way to come together going forward.

We lost a young man, Michael Brown, in heartbreaking and tragic circumstances. He was only 18 years old. His family will never be able to hold or talk to him ever again.

When something like this happens, local authorities, including the police, have a responsibility to be open and transparent about how they are investigating the death and how they are protecting the people in our communities. The people of Ferguson and the people of this Nation deserve a transparent and thorough investigation. We deserve the truth and we deserve justice.

I am very pleased that the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division has stepped in and has launched a thorough investigation into the circumstances that led to Michael Brown's death. I want to commend President Obama and also Mr. Holder for their involvement and their commitment on seeing justice brought in this situation.

This issue around racial profiling is about a young man that was walking in the street with a friend, is told to get on the sidewalk, and just a little bit later lay dead in the street. It started out with him being told to get on the sidewalk, and he loses his life. It is unconscionable. It is not understandable, and it is unjust.

This is a situation that young African American men have had to deal with for centuries. It is a situation that we all find ourselves in. Whether we are young men in Ferguson, Missouri; Newark, New Jersey; New York City; or Las Vegas, Nevada, we all have one common thread, and that is when you come across a police officer in certain circumstances, there is a manner in which you should conduct yourself to make sure you can get home alive that night.

I have been on that side of it, Mr. Speaker, on far to many occasions to count. One of the occasions that I remember so well, I was about 19 or 20. I was working for a company and had to go downtown in my hometown of Newark, New Jersey, to pay a bill at a department store. I was pulled over by the police.

I admit I made a driving infraction, and I was pulled over by the police. I was using my cousin's car. When the officer asked me for my identification, being a little nervous, I kind of scrambled and I didn't know where the registration of the vehicle was right away. This police officer decided to tell me that if I did not find that license and registration quick enough, he would throw me so far under the jail they would never find me.

Now, you can imagine the fright and panic that that would put in a young person. But I got my license--still looking for the registration--and I handed it to him, Mr. Speaker. But,

Mr. Speaker, because my family was well-known in that town and my father was a sitting councilperson in that municipality at the time, all of a sudden the police officer's demeanor changed, because all of a sudden I was someone now.

Why did it take me to be related to a council member in that town to be someone? No more than 2 minutes prior to that, I would have been thrown so far under the jail that they would never find me. Now it was, Well, don't you understand you need to be careful? You could get hurt or you could hurt someone. All of a sudden, now there is some concern for me. What changed it, Mr. Speaker? What changed it?

But what concerns me is the callous thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of African American men that can't pull that license out and become someone. Those are the people that I am concerned about. They wrestle with this issue every single day. That is why I am proud to say that my uncle, the former assemblyman, William Payne, is the author of the racial profiling bill in the State of New Jersey that stands now. Because this is an issue, has been an issue, and obviously, based on what has happened in Ferguson, Missouri, still is an issue.

So we will continue to speak out, as we have done in our homes, in Ferguson, and on this floor, because we need the United States of America to live up to its creed.

With that, sir, I just have one last thing to say. It is something that just came to me.

In these communities that we talk about, when will they know their local police for protect and serve rather than stop and frisk?

Mr. Speaker, with just 2 days left until the Congress leaves for a 5-week recess, I rise today to urge my colleagues to take the little time we have left to address the issues that are most important to the American people.

As we speak, Republicans in Congress are wasting taxpayer money and time on a lawsuit against the President. Over what? Because they disagree with his political ideology. From the very day he was elected, the Republicans have been determined to delegitimize this President, even at the cost of their constituents not receiving their unemployment insurance extension and other things. What is it, Mr. Speaker, about this President that will have our colleagues on the other side of the aisle resort to anything to delegitimize him?

He is the President of the United States, elected by the majority of the people in this Nation. And I say that he should be respected, as every other President in this great Nation has been.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues here in the House of Representatives to join me as I rise to pay tribute to Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich, posthumously, and the many contributions he has made as a dedicated public servant in Union County and a beloved leader in the State of New Jersey.

Sheriff Froehlich was a great man and an incredible public servant. Following his eight year service in the United States Marine Corp, he had sought a career in law enforcement. He had faithfully served as Sheriff of Union County since 1977 and was in his thirteenth term.

Sheriff Froehlich was a pioneer in law enforcement, starting many programs to protect the county, including gun safety programs for children and teens; `Union County's Most Wanted' television program, which led to the apprehension of over 80 Union County murderers and felons; the Missing Persons Unit and Domestic Violence Unit; and a K-9 Search and Rescue Unit. In an effort to share services with other law enforcement agencies, Sheriff Froehlich implemented a Municipal Transportation Program to assist local police departments. He also vociferously spoke out in favor of more regulations on guns.

From his time in the U.S. Marines to becoming the longest-serving County Sheriff in New Jersey history, Ralph has for decades set the standard for what it means to defend and protect. He will be remembered for his commitment to keeping the people and families of Union County safe and for always working toward the betterment of the community. On behalf of the people of New Jersey and certainly the people of Union County, we are grateful.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Sheriff Froehlich's family, to the Union County Sheriff's Department, to the people of Union County, and to all the people who loved and respected Ralph. His leadership will truly be missed.

Mr. Speaker, I know my fellow Members of the House of Representatives agree that Union County Sheriff Ralph Froehlich deserves to be recognized for a job well done and his many years of service to the people of the State of New Jersey. This tribute recognizes his life's work, namely a stellar career and a personal commitment to protecting our community.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3696, the National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act.

In October of 2012, Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc up and down the east coast, including in my home State of New Jersey. According to the Department of Energy, between 2003 and 2012, close to 700 power outages occurred due to weather-related events, costing the Nation an annual average of $18 billion to $33 billion. Even worse, in 2012, Hurricane Sandy carried an estimated price tag of between $40 billion and $52 billion, and as we have seen recently, our power systems are exposed to cyber attacks more than ever before.

Disasters, whether manmade or by Mother Nature, are a drain on our Nation's economy and expose us to other potentially more harmful attacks on our financial industry, water and waste systems, chemical, telecommunications, and energy sectors. Put simply, it is clear that our electric grid needs an upgrade. That is why I am pleased that, during the committee process, the committee unanimously supported my amendment, H.R. 2962, the SMART Grid Study Act.

The study will be conducted by the National Research Council in full cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies as necessary, and will provide a comprehensive assessment of actions necessary to expand and strengthen the capabilities of the electric grid to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from a natural disaster or a cyber attack. Further, it was supported by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, the Demand Response and Smart Grid Coalition, and the American Public Power Association.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to thank Chairman McCaul and Ranking Member Thompson, Chairman Meehan, and Ranking Member Clarke for really showing us what a bipartisan effort is all about. At Homeland Security, we all have a common goal, which is to keep the homeland and the Nation safe. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, to my colleagues, the gentleman from Nevada and the gentleman from New York who have done an outstanding job of managing these Special Orders, I would just like to thank them for the opportunity to come out and speak on this matter, this issue, this frivolous issue of where we find our Nation, a lack of respect for a man who won an election, as we have had elections throughout this Nation's history.

But we come to a point in history now where there is something wrong with this President. Something about him is illegitimate. Something about him just isn't right. Something about him has Members of this institution disrespecting him on a daily basis. He is the President of the United States of America, the greatest Nation in the world, the most powerful man in the world, and deserves the respect that we have given every other President that has held that office.

While millions of Americans are still out of work, my Republican colleagues are wasting time and money again. This time it is on a partisan lawsuit waged against the President and talk of impeachment. These actions are frivolous and shameful, and they pander to the most extreme wing of the Republican Party.

Every serious constitutional scholar sees the Republican lawsuit against the President for what it is: a desperate political stunt. And they have tried many times, as it was stated by colleagues prior to me, 50 times trying to repeal the law of the Nation, the Affordable Care Act--50 times. They will not stop at anything in order to have this President defeated and look as if he is a failure.

When has that been our history in this Nation? When has it come to that? This great democracy that we have has been a battle over ideas and a coming together in a bipartisan manner. You are over here, I am over there, but we come together on common issues to come to what is in the best interest of all Americans.

Why should a President have to have Members of this body or the Senate stand in front of him and say that ``I can't even stand to look at you.''

Where? Where in this Nation, the home of the free, the land of the brave, we hold these truths to be self-evident. Are they self-evident these days? Are they? The humanitarian issue we have at our border, I remember somewhere it saying, ``give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.'' Now we say, ``Stop the bus at the border and go back.''

Where is this Nation going? It is a sad time in this country that we find ourselves at this point: Okay. This didn't work. We couldn't get him on that. His birth certificate, he showed up with that. Okay. Scratch that. I know what. Let's repeal the Affordable Care Act. Try 50 times. Okay. That didn't work. Hey, I have a new one. Let's just sue him.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Speaker, just because Republicans disagree with the President's policies or political persuasion doesn't give them the right to sue him. Even the Nation's most conservative Supreme Court Justices have said that the Congress cannot sue the President in these circumstances. Meanwhile, millions of Americans are out of work, including nearly 300,000 people in my home State of New Jersey. Instead of working together to create jobs, New Jerseyans are learning that the Republicans are at it again, wasting taxpayer time and money on frivolous lawsuits.

My constituents are outraged. But just because Republicans won't do their job, the President and Democrats in Congress will. I can remember prior to coming to Congress President Obama extending his hand on numerous occasions to work with the Congress, to work with the other side of the aisle, and he was just rebuffed.

Now that he says he will use executive privilege, executive order, now there is a problem once again. If you can't work with them, then he is going to have to go it alone and do what he has to do to make sure that this Nation has the things, the laws, to be, to continue to be the great Nation that it is. Democrats have a real jobs plan, the Make It In America plan, to put America back to work, to bring jobs back to our shores, to build roads and bridges, to create a better education system, and to lead the world in innovation.

My bill, the Green Jobs Act, is part of that plan and will expand access to capital for small businesses to create good-paying jobs in low-income communities.

We are ready to work. We are ready to work with this President. I think it is high time that our colleagues on the other side of the aisle say: Okay. We tried everything. There is one more thing to try-- working with this President to move this Nation forward.

Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, my district endured a tremendous tragedy. Early Sunday morning, Jersey City Police Officer Melvin Santiago was shot at close range and killed in the line of duty by a madman with a gun.

At the young age of 23, Officer Santiago had his whole life ahead of him. He recently graduated from the police academy and had performed his job with such dedication. Neighbors and family members said that he was an angel who was proud to say he was a Jersey City police officer.

To me, to the people of Jersey City, and the people of the 10th Congressional District, Officer Santiago was a hero.

Mr. Speaker, this is yet another reminder that we, as leaders of this country, must take action to address the growing gun violence.

Parents, children, and families are living in fear to walk to school, to shop at the corner store, or go to the movies. In the greatest country on Earth, fear of gun violence should not consume our daily lives.

I want to offer my condolences to Officer Santiago's family.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 803, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

This bipartisan legislation being debated today reauthorizes the Workforce Investment Act, which has been instrumental in helping workers get the skills they need for the jobs of today.

In my visits with the Newark Workforce Investment Board and the Essex County Workforce Investment Board, it is clear that we must emphasize the improving of career pathways for our workers.

Further, when we implement jobs training, it is critical we include local input from stakeholders, like our community colleges, faith-based organizations, and labor--to truly break down barriers to employment.

I commend my colleagues on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and on the Senate HELP Committee for their continued commitment to the reauthorization of WIA. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.